Reading Aloud

Reading stories aloud to my children is my favorite time of the day (besides our scripture time). Our reading time is right before bedtime. This is what works best for me and the children look forward to that special time of the day. The magical hours of the night when anything and everything becomes real for a period of time.

Mrs. Darling first heard of Peter when she was tidying up her children's minds. It is the nightly custom of every good mother after her children are asleep to rummage in their minds and put things straight for next morning, repacking into their proper places the many articles that have wandered during the day. . . . It is quite like tidying up drawers. . . . When you wake in the morning, the naughtiness and evil passions with which you went to bed have been folded up small and placed at the bottom of your mind; and on the top, beautifully aired, are spread out your prettier thoughts, ready for you to put on.

(Peter Pan / J.M. Barrie)

I love books!!! I love to read them, I love to buy them (especially old ones) and surprisingly my children love the smell of old books. They particularly love they way old books will lay open when they are reading them. I love the library, used book stores, and book sales. I love books stacked on the shelves, on tables, and of course next to my bed. You must have at least three different books you are reading at one time. Scriptures (for these are truly a mothers & fathers handbook to raising a family), then some kind of self-help or political book, last but not least my escape book ( very important for those difficult days).

I have older children and younger children. We have enjoyed the classics to Harry Potter. My older married children still reminisce with me about some of the books we have enjoyed together. Sharing those experiences together lasts a lifetime. We flew with Wendy, John and Michael Darling to Neverland, we walked with Harry Potter as he first saw Hogwarts, we fell into the goblin caves with Curdie, cried with Wilbur, admired Taran's courage, believed we were princesses with Sara Crewe ( okay maybe not the boys), loved Pollyanna's out look on life, silently spied the forests of Araluen with Will, helped pull the sword from the stone with Arthur . . . .on and on it goes. Books are the best adventures of all!

A great book to start with to get some even better ideas about reading together as a family or individually with your children is:

A Family Program for Reading Aloud by Rosalie June Slater

You will find some wonderful treasures within the pages of this book which will point you in the direction of many classic books you may have forgotten about. Books help to shape the minds of our up coming generation. Helping them and us to touch places and people we might not ever get a chance to experience . . . especially from the past.

American Christian homes have generally relinquished their educational leadership. It was the Christian Home in America which built our nation. Parents formed the character of our American Christian Constitution by first forming the character of their own children. . . . . .

Home is the educational center of our nation. . . . . Literature supplies parents and teachers with one of their most useful and beloved avenues of teaching and learning. Literature is the Handmaid of history. (A Family Program for Reading Aloud by Rosalie Slater)

When looking for a good book to read aloud or to yourself, look for living books. A book that will promote an experience . . . to feel as if you are really there with the characters and places. They will remember and learn from those experiences.

Honey For A Child's Heart is another good recommendation for finding great books to read. I enjoyed this book and hearing about Gladys' family reading time together. Their experiences and memories were fun and sweet. I think you will have as much fun as I had reading it.

I hope you will enjoy reading with your children as much as I do. Don't worry about making mistakes or learning new words . . that's part of the adventure. The more you read out loud the better you will get. Have fun, try different voices, learn about new or forgotten people and places. Start your adventure today . . . open a book!