Summer is a great time to fit in some favorite family read alouds. A blanket during a picnic on the grass or long lazy afternoons in the hammock are perfect times for reading aloud.
During the summer we always include reading aloud in our loosely structured days! I try to choose read alouds that will be fun for the whole family and they are often lighter than our school reads.
Benefits of Reading Aloud
There are so many benefits of reading aloud to your children even as they get older. My children range from age 5 to 13 and we still love to have a family read aloud going!
A Shared Experience
My favorite benefit of reading books aloud together is the shared experience it creates. We all enjoy the same story, laugh at the same funny parts, and have good discussions. It is so fun to all have good memories of a particular story that we shared.
A Higher Reading Level
This benefit applies mostly to my younger kids, and especially non readers or struggling readers. When a story is read aloud it can simply be enjoyed as a good story without the stress of decoding the words. It also introduces children to richer more beautiful language and vocabulary than is often included in easy readers.
Stronger Family Bonds
Becuase of the shared experience and the fact that we all tend to gather around closely, reading aloud can strengthen family bonds. For younger children it is as simple as cuddling close together and enjoying a good story. For older kids the discussions about ideas in the book can build relationships.
Favorite Summer Read Alouds
Over the years I have read aloud a variety of books to a variety of ages. I read picture books to my littles, I read hard books to my big kids for school, I read books that I want to discuss. But in the summer I try to pick something fun, kind of adventurous, and enjoyable for everyone. Over the past summers there are some books that have been especially enjoyed. Most of these books are geared toward middle Elementary ages. Sometimes depending on the age of my youngest child they didn’t sit for the whole thing. Now on to the list of some of our favorite summer read alouds!
Swallows and Amazons
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome is one of our all time favorite summer read alouds! This is almost the perfect summer book. Four children sailing, camping on an island, and having many adventures! What more could you ask for? Beware there is a lot of nautical terminology which can be confusing, but once you get past that this book is a rollicking good time.
Half Magic
Half Magic by Edgar Eager is a story of some children that are having the most dreadfully boring summer. Until they find a coin that grants wishes. The only problem is that it only grants half the wish! A fun and hilarious adventure begins!
Love, Mary Elizabeth
We read Love, Mary Elizabeth by Christy Martenson several summers ago when we focused on some Washington State History. This is the sweet story told in letter form of a little girl whose mother becomes ill so she must travel 350 mile to stay on her uncles farm for awhile. The year is 1924 in rural northeas Washington and is full of old fashioned fun, adventure, courage, and humor. This book was written by a local author and takes place right in our region!
The Moffats
The Moffats by Eleanor Estes is another story full of sweet olds fashioned fun. Four loving and mischeivious siblings that get into unique adventures and trouble every day. Things really get interesting when the yellow house they live in goes up for sale. What will they do now?
Just David
Just David Eleanor Porter is not quite as light hearted as some of the others on this list. A youn boy David has been raised on an isolated mountain by his loving father. His life is idyllic until his father becomes seriously ill and dies, David has to go find his relatives he has never met and doesn’t even know the name of. A beautiful book that tells not only the story of David, but how he impacts everyone he meets.
Diary of an Early American Boy
The Diary of an Early American Boy by Eric Solane is quite different than any of the other books on this list. We are reading it this summer and I hgave been surprised at how much my children are enjoying it. In 1805, Noah Blake is given a leatherbound diary by his parents on his 15th birthday in which he records the daily life on their farm. This book contains the brief entries from the real diary of Noah Blake along with well reasearched narrative and detailed drawings by Eric Sloane. This book gives wonderful historical insight. We are reading it slowly, only a page or two at a time.
The Joy of Reading Aloud
I hope you have found some fun ideas for your next family read aloud this summer! And if you haven’t been reading aloud to your children I would encourage you to just begin and enjoy a good story together!
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