October 13, 2024 • 7 mins
What's in this episode?
· Ten tips to make reading-aloud enjoyable and sustainable (+ 1 bonus tip)
Books and humans mentioned:
· The Enchanted Hour (2019) By Megan Cox Gurdon
· Reading Magic (2001) By Mem Fox, illustrated by Judy Horacek
· The Book Whisperer (2009) By Donnalyn Miller
· The Read-Aloud Handbook (7th Edition) (2013) By Jim Trelease
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Today's episode will offer 10 tips for keeping sane
(00:02):
as the read aloud parent or carer.
Before we go any further in this season,
I wanted to talk about how to look after yourself
as you strive to create a read aloud home.
As much as I love reading aloud,
I know that sometimes it can be hard.
Making reading aloud a daily habit
does require some discipline.
Here are 10 things that I do
to make sure that reading aloud works for me too.
(00:27):
Hello, my name is Laura Cunningham
and this is the Read Aloud Home.
This podcast is all about
how we can enjoy reading stories with children
and how we can create a read aloud home in a modern world.
The podcast will give you ideas and inspiration
for creating the best possible read aloud environment
in an age of unprecedented technological distractions.
(00:48):
Yes, I do believe it is possible.
Today, the read aloud home is recording
on the land of the Gadigal people.
Number one, make time to demonstrate reading.
Put your phone away, ignore the chores
and show your child that you can sit and read.
This is the thing that I'm probably worst at on this list,
but I really try because it is good for all of us.
(01:09):
Joining a book club has really helped me make sure
that I prioritize my own reading time.
Number two, always have a good beverage on hand
for read aloud time.
Mine is a hot coffee in the morning,
and I'm always on the phone with my kids.
Mine is a hot coffee in the morning
and a peppermint tea in the afternoon.
This is my read aloud fuel and it's my treat.
(01:29):
From a young age, my kids have learned
that they need to wait until I'm ready
before I can start to read aloud.
Number three, take reading aloud outside of the home.
We read at cafes, in waiting rooms, at the park,
while we are waiting for siblings
to finish swimming lessons or piano lessons.
I find this really refreshes our read aloud time.
(01:50):
Number four, a couple of minutes a day is worth it.
There have been seasons of my life when a quick book
at the end of the day is all I could manage.
When I had two very young kids and a busy husband,
I used to remind myself that five minutes per day
is equal to 35 minutes per week,
is equal to two hours and 20 minutes per month,
which is equal to 28 hours of reading aloud every year.
(02:14):
That is so much better than no hours.
Number five, outsource to audio books when you need to.
Audio books are a huge part of our reading aloud time.
When my kids are driving me a little nuts
in our little house,
I often put them in the bath with an audio book.
But audio books are also essential
when you have new babies, illness, long car trips,
(02:35):
or maybe you're just halfway through a series
and you just can't go on.
For me, this one was the Paddington Bear series.
I read my oldest son the first six books
and by the seventh, I was done, but he wasn't.
I think the stories are magnificent.
The way Michael Bond plays with language is brilliant,
but because of the detailed and endlessly rich language,
it's an exhausting read aloud.
(02:56):
Luckily, turns out that Hugh Bonville on audio book
reads it better than me anyway.
Number six, if you are the main read aloud parent,
allocate books that you don't love reading aloud
to someone else.
For me, this is often my husband
who doesn't do the majority of the reading aloud.
Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat,
(03:17):
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back,
and Green Eggs and Ham are all daddy books.
Also, as much as I enjoyed the quirkiness
of the Mumen Troll series, I had to hand them over.
This can be applied to older siblings too.
I ask my older son to read certain books
to his younger brother and remind him
that this will free me up later
for his preferred chapter books.
(03:37):
Number seven, book rotations are vital.
I put aside books for all our celebrations
throughout the year, including birthdays,
so we really only pull those books out once a year.
I also have books set aside that we pull out
for the beginning of each season.
At other times of the year,
we'll probably do a book rotation
approximately every six weeks.
This means that we get a good rotation of books
(03:58):
throughout the year and I don't get sick of reading them.
Number eight, be strategic about how you let your kids
choose their stories.
So for example, at night, my two children get three stories.
They each choose one and I choose one.
This way I can balance what we read
both in terms of what I feel like reading,
how long I feel like reading,
and I make sure that they also get
(04:20):
a good variety of literature.
If you have more than two kids and wanna do three stories,
I would rotate which child gets to choose
and always make sure that I get one choice.
Number nine, find other resources that link to your books
to create some fun and discussions for the family.
For us, we find theater performances of books, TV shows,
(04:41):
movies, and really good audio book productions.
Our family has watched all of the Julia Donaldson movies
as a family.
I think they are brilliant and they allow for lots of chat
about what is the same and what is different
between the books and the movies.
The Brambley Hedge series is another awesome one
that we've watched as a family.
Watching movies or theater productions of familiar books
has been a really great bonding experience for all of us.
(05:04):
And it often means that my kids wanna read those books
again and again.
Number 10, read books that remind you
that what you're doing is incredible
so that when it feels tough, you can draw from that.
So some of the ones that I really love
are The Enchanted Hour by Megan Fox-Gurden,
which talks about how she read aloud
to all five of her children.
(05:25):
And it also links in lots of research
about reading aloud and the benefits of it.
I also love Reading Magic by Mem Fox,
which is a short light read also about the benefits
of reading aloud for children's literacy.
I love The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller.
This one's mostly aimed at teachers,
but it gives you lots of inspiration
about how to help your children choose books.
(05:48):
I also love The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease.
This one is very dense
and it's taken me a while to get through.
It's full of his experience researching literacy
and is packed with questions and answers
about reading aloud to babies through to teenagers.
These books will power you on
when you're feeling a bit over it.
I also have another episode coming
with a whole list of resources to keep you inspired.
(06:10):
I know I said 10 tips to keep you sane
as a read aloud parent,
but I'm gonna sneak in one last one.
I let my kids wriggle.
My dream scenario is two kids snuggled in on either side,
speaking in calm voices while I read to them.
My reality is very different.
When my youngest son was one,
I pegged read aloud time to his breakfast and lunch
(06:30):
so that he had something to do with his hands.
Later, I made sure I had fresh Play-Doh on hand
every read aloud session.
Now he usually sits still for picture books,
but for chapter books, he often practices handstands,
draws or fiddles with Lego while I read.
I'm not gonna lie, this can be quite annoying,
but it is his way of listening and I lean into it
(06:51):
because otherwise it just gets very tense between us
and it's no longer fun for anyone.
I don't want him to associate read aloud time
with being forced to keep his very active body still.
Also, if I'm being honest with myself,
when I'm at a conference or talk,
I'm usually doodling as I listen.
So maybe you can tweak your read aloud rhythm a little bit,
(07:13):
make it more enjoyable for you.
What keeps you going is what will keep
your read aloud home alive.
Dassault
Today's episode will offer 10 tips for keeping sane
(00:02):
as the read aloud parent or carer.
Before we go any further in this season,
I wanted to talk about how to look after yourself
as you strive to create a read aloud home.
As much as I love reading aloud,
I know that sometimes it can be hard.
Making reading aloud a daily habit
does require some discipline.
Here are 10 things that I do
to make sure that reading aloud works for me too.
(00:27):
Hello, my name is Laura Cunningham
and this is the Read Aloud Home.
This podcast is all about
how we can enjoy reading stories with children
and how we can create a read aloud home in a modern world.
The podcast will give you ideas and inspiration
for creating the best possible read aloud environment
in an age of unprecedented technological distractions.
(00:48):
Yes, I do believe it is possible.
Today, the read aloud home is recording
on the land of the Gadigal people.
Number one, make time to demonstrate reading.
Put your phone away, ignore the chores
and show your child that you can sit and read.
This is the thing that I'm probably worst at on this list,
but I really try because it is good for all of us.
(01:09):
Joining a book club has really helped me make sure
that I prioritize my own reading time.
Number two, always have a good beverage on hand
for read aloud time.
Mine is a hot coffee in the morning,
and I'm always on the phone with my kids.
Mine is a hot coffee in the morning
and a peppermint tea in the afternoon.
This is my read aloud fuel and it's my treat.
(01:29):
From a young age, my kids have learned
that they need to wait until I'm ready
before I can start to read aloud.
Number three, take reading aloud outside of the home.
We read at cafes, in waiting rooms, at the park,
while we are waiting for siblings
to finish swimming lessons or piano lessons.
I find this really refreshes our read aloud time.
(01:50):
Number four, a couple of minutes a day is worth it.
There have been seasons of my life when a quick book
at the end of the day is all I could manage.
When I had two very young kids and a busy husband,
I used to remind myself that five minutes per day
is equal to 35 minutes per week,
is equal to two hours and 20 minutes per month,
which is equal to 28 hours of reading aloud every year.
(02:14):
That is so much better than no hours.
Number five, outsource to audio books when you need to.
Audio books are a huge part of our reading aloud time.
When my kids are driving me a little nuts
in our little house,
I often put them in the bath with an audio book.
But audio books are also essential
when you have new babies, illness, long car trips,
(02:35):
or maybe you're just halfway through a series
and you just can't go on.
For me, this one was the Paddington Bear series.
I read my oldest son the first six books
and by the seventh, I was done, but he wasn't.
I think the stories are magnificent.
The way Michael Bond plays with language is brilliant,
but because of the detailed and endlessly rich language,
it's an exhausting read aloud.
(02:56):
Luckily, turns out that Hugh Bonville on audio book
reads it better than me anyway.
Number six, if you are the main read aloud parent,
allocate books that you don't love reading aloud
to someone else.
For me, this is often my husband
who doesn't do the majority of the reading aloud.
Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat,
(03:17):
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back,
and Green Eggs and Ham are all daddy books.
Also, as much as I enjoyed the quirkiness
of the Mumen Troll series, I had to hand them over.
This can be applied to older siblings too.
I ask my older son to read certain books
to his younger brother and remind him
that this will free me up later
for his preferred chapter books.
(03:37):
Number seven, book rotations are vital.
I put aside books for all our celebrations
throughout the year, including birthdays,
so we really only pull those books out once a year.
I also have books set aside that we pull out
for the beginning of each season.
At other times of the year,
we'll probably do a book rotation
approximately every six weeks.
This means that we get a good rotation of books
(03:58):
throughout the year and I don't get sick of reading them.
Number eight, be strategic about how you let your kids
choose their stories.
So for example, at night, my two children get three stories.
They each choose one and I choose one.
This way I can balance what we read
both in terms of what I feel like reading,
how long I feel like reading,
and I make sure that they also get
(04:20):
a good variety of literature.
If you have more than two kids and wanna do three stories,
I would rotate which child gets to choose
and always make sure that I get one choice.
Number nine, find other resources that link to your books
to create some fun and discussions for the family.
For us, we find theater performances of books, TV shows,
(04:41):
movies, and really good audio book productions.
Our family has watched all of the Julia Donaldson movies
as a family.
I think they are brilliant and they allow for lots of chat
about what is the same and what is different
between the books and the movies.
The Brambley Hedge series is another awesome one
that we've watched as a family.
Watching movies or theater productions of familiar books
has been a really great bonding experience for all of us.
(05:04):
And it often means that my kids wanna read those books
again and again.
Number 10, read books that remind you
that what you're doing is incredible
so that when it feels tough, you can draw from that.
So some of the ones that I really love
are The Enchanted Hour by Megan Fox-Gurden,
which talks about how she read aloud
to all five of her children.
(05:25):
And it also links in lots of research
about reading aloud and the benefits of it.
I also love Reading Magic by Mem Fox,
which is a short light read also about the benefits
of reading aloud for children's literacy.
I love The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller.
This one's mostly aimed at teachers,
but it gives you lots of inspiration
about how to help your children choose books.
(05:48):
I also love The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease.
This one is very dense
and it's taken me a while to get through.
It's full of his experience researching literacy
and is packed with questions and answers
about reading aloud to babies through to teenagers.
These books will power you on
when you're feeling a bit over it.
I also have another episode coming
with a whole list of resources to keep you inspired.
(06:10):
I know I said 10 tips to keep you sane
as a read aloud parent,
but I'm gonna sneak in one last one.
I let my kids wriggle.
My dream scenario is two kids snuggled in on either side,
speaking in calm voices while I read to them.
My reality is very different.
When my youngest son was one,
I pegged read aloud time to his breakfast and lunch
(06:30):
so that he had something to do with his hands.
Later, I made sure I had fresh Play-Doh on hand
every read aloud session.
Now he usually sits still for picture books,
but for chapter books, he often practices handstands,
draws or fiddles with Lego while I read.
I'm not gonna lie, this can be quite annoying,
but it is his way of listening and I lean into it
(06:51):
because otherwise it just gets very tense between us
and it's no longer fun for anyone.
I don't want him to associate read aloud time
with being forced to keep his very active body still.
Also, if I'm being honest with myself,
when I'm at a conference or talk,
I'm usually doodling as I listen.
So maybe you can tweak your read aloud rhythm a little bit,
(07:13):
make it more enjoyable for you.
What keeps you going is what will keep
your read aloud home alive.
Dassault
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.