​

Our Journey Westward

  • Shop
  • Blog
    • Bible & Character
    • Living Math
    • Language Arts
    • Science & Nature
    • History & Geography
    • Fine Arts
    • Brain Training
    • Holidays
    • Healthy Homeschool
    • Preschool
    • Elementary
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Curriculum & Schedules
  • Homeschool Speaker
  • My Account
  • 0 items$0.00

by Cindy 15 Comments

11 Tips for Raising Readers

Share88
Pin101
Email
Print
189Shares

Did you know March is National Reading Month?  Because living books are so very good, every month is all about reading in our house!  But in honor of this annual celebration of reading, I thought I’d take some time to share some of my best tips for raising readers.

11 Tips for Raising Readers

11 Tips for Raising Readers

Not only do we want to raise kids who can read well – we want them to want to read for years to come, right?  Here are some things I’ve found to be really helpful for both teaching reading and instilling a love for reading.

You can listen to this post if you prefer!

1.  Read to your children from the very beginning.

It’s never too early to start reading aloud to your children.  Early reading trains them to love books and to equate reading time with cozy feelings.  Hearing you read aloud also encourages early comprehension and teaches children to use inflection when they begin reading on their own.

If you didn’t start early, it’s never too late to begin reading aloud to your children!

2  Read every single day.

A love of reading can be built through a habit of reading.  Every day should include reading – whether you read aloud or your children read independently or both!

3.  Read from great books.

Your children won’t complain about reading every single day when you (or they) read from wonderful books.  In fact, you might just run into the opposite problem – they want to keep reading to find out what happens next!

In a Charlotte Mason homeschool, really good books are called living literature.  These are books which draw children in and hold them tight.  Sticking with living literature – whether fiction or non-fiction – develops a love for rich, deep, meaningful reading (that transfers into rich writing in the later years.  Bonus!)

11 Tips for Raising Readers

This post contains affiliate links.

4.  Listen to recorded books once in a while.

In our home, I begin reading aloud to my children when they are babies and I don’t stop until they head off to college.  Seriously.  Read aloud time is precious time in our family.  Granted, it’s much harder to find the time to read books together in the busy high school years.

Over the years, we also have come to love a different kind of read aloud – recorded books.  Listening to books on CD is a great way to spend the miles traveling here and there as homeschoolers!  The library is a great source for audio books.

5.  Don’t skip phonics instruction.

When beginning to teach children how to read, please don’t skip phonics instruction.  Giving your children the building blocks for reading (and spelling) will make SUCH a difference in them learning to read well enough to actually enjoy books!

6.  Encourage independent reading with high-interest books.

When you’re ready for young readers to begin enjoying their own quiet time with books (independent reading), motivate them with interesting books.

11 Tips for Raising Readers

7.  Encourage independent reading with below grade-level books.

New readers might or might not be excited about their own quiet time with books at first.  Either way, make sure they are successful by supplying books that are slightly below their current reading level.  When they feel confident to read alone, the pleasure factor of independent reading is much more likely to grow than when they feel defeated with books that are just too much work.

8.  Have a steady supply of good books available all the time.

If you want to raise a reader, he needs books – and lots of them!  Make sure there are books of all types and subjects freely available to your children at all times.  Whether you build your own library of good books over the years or keep the shelves full of library books, it doesn’t matter.  Just have books.

9.  Allow readers to choose their own books – at least some of the time.

As homeschoolers, we tend to assign books to our children for various purposes.  We also tend to choose the family read alouds to go along with our school plans.  These assigned books will go a long way in raising readers, but free choice in reading selections is also very important.  Make sure you are finding time in the busy homeschooling schedule for your children to simply read for their own pleasure some of the time.  If they never get to choose their own books, you might notice the growing love for reading begins to fade.

10.  Frequent the library often.

There’s no better way to build a book passion than walking into the library and saying, “Here ya go.  Almost everything you see can be yours.  Go.  Search to your heart’s content.  We can bring home ten today, then we’ll come back for ten more next week, then ten more the next week.”  It’s almost as good as walking into a candy shop and saying the same thing.

11.  Talk about books together.

Find common ground in books.  When everyone is talking excitedly around the kitchen table about the latest read aloud, you are connecting as a family and building a strong bonds between you and books.  “Book talk” is also really good for building comprehension and vocabulary, especially in the younger years.

Please share YOUR tips for raising a reader!

Other posts you might like:

Here's a plan for helping emergent readers transition into independent readers using high-interest books.   Our favorite picture book authors have earned many honored spaces on our bookshelves of living literature. Your elementary students will love these authors and their many books!   

Share88
Pin101
Email
Print
189Shares

Last Updated: March 6, 2017 Filed Under: Creative Homeschooling, Elementary, Language Arts, Preschool Tagged With: how to teach reading, kids who love to read, living literature, raising kids who love to read, Reading

Previous Post: « Picture Books to Teach Literary Techniques
Next Post: Why Timelines Matter When Teaching History »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

subscribe without commenting

Comments

  1. Julie says

    March 16, 2015 at 8:57 am

    So happy that all three of my kiddos now love to read! Regular trips to the library, reading together, as well as modeling adult quiet reading are all so important!

  2. chickbunhomeschool (@alhsjej) says

    March 16, 2015 at 9:40 am

    I love reading and so do my kids!

  3. jimmysgal says

    March 16, 2015 at 10:33 am

    Love this! I’m using one of your reading lists today to pick up more books at the library. Yay for National Reading Month!

  4. Robin says

    March 16, 2015 at 9:05 pm

    Thanks for all of these tips!

  5. Cristy S says

    March 17, 2015 at 7:50 am

    Terrific article. Can’t stress enough keeping your kids interests in the forefront of their reading choices!

  6. Leanne says

    March 17, 2015 at 6:44 pm

    These are great tips!

  7. Laura says

    March 18, 2015 at 8:34 am

    The hardest thing I have right now is finding books for my second child to read that interest her.

  8. Cindy says

    March 18, 2015 at 8:36 am

    Laura, have you allowed her to choose some of her own from the library?

  9. Kendra Johnson says

    March 18, 2015 at 9:38 am

    Enjoying all the post by “touring” everyone’s sites for the giveaway. I’m a total reading junkie.

  10. Carla Rasnic says

    March 18, 2015 at 12:45 pm

    Thank you for the great article!

  11. Judith Martinez says

    March 18, 2015 at 4:09 pm

    These are some great tips, most of which I’ve used over the years and my older kids are all readers to some extent.

  12. Mia says

    March 10, 2017 at 11:11 am

    I concur, most wholeheartedly! In fact, I penned similar sentiments a year ago. http://untoadoption.org/making-a-bookworm-10-ways-to-woo-a-reluctant-reader/

  13. Linda says

    June 16, 2017 at 4:13 pm

    I think one of most important things is that your kids see YOU read….a real book not a book on any electronic device. Monkey see, monkey do.

  14. Cindy says

    June 16, 2017 at 4:16 pm

    True, Linda!

Trackbacks

  1. 100 Resources, Lessons, and Ideas for Teaching Language Arts Naturally - Heart-to-Heart Homeschooling says:
    May 8, 2018 at 2:37 pm

    […] 23. Be resourceful. Cindy shares 11 Tips for Raising Readers. […]

Primary Sidebar

NaturExplorers Science Curriculum

NaturExplorers guides are perfect for the 1st-8th grade homeschool, co-op or classroom. This highly adaptable curriculum series uses nature study as the starting point for science lessons that reach into every other subject and meet all learning styles.

Popular Posts and Series


 photo widget300_zps64ea557d.jpg
 photo CMWidget_zpsd7fc8669.jpg
 photo livinglitwidget_zps657f0460.jpg

 photo 3b118073-e528-40c6-b009-8be2ccfc0a74_zps79607282.jpg
 photo NatureStudySneezePageWidget_zps3dc3947e.jpg


 photo ArtistStudyWidget_zps6df6beae.jpg
 photo Untitled_zps78916d12.jpg
 photo Unitstudywidget_zps852cf098.jpg
 photo PBLwidget_zps5a4c210f.jpg

 photo valueswidget_zpscf5135ed.jpg
 photo USA300widget_zpsb2606835.jpg



 photo SeasonsandHolidaysWidget_zpscc545744.jpg

Categories

Charlotte Mason How-To

 photo 2235a4d3-bec7-488d-89f5-e2dcd32a42db_zpsb2ec2b26.jpg

Most Recent Pins

 photo WhatsPinteresting_zps8b7f9748.jpg

Trusted Curriculum

All About Spelling



  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy and Blog Terms of Service
  • Affiliations & Disclosure Policy
  • Reviews and Advertisements
  • eShop Terms & Conditions
  • Affiliates
Homeschoolers have prom, too! 💃🏻🕺🏻Some Homeschoolers have prom, too! 💃🏻🕺🏻Sometimes it even gets wild with crowd surfing and stuff.💥
Closed. Congrats @9onthefarm!🍀St. Patrick's Day Closed. Congrats @9onthefarm!🍀St. Patrick's Day GIVEAWAY!🍀⁣
⁣
Enter to win in celebration of the special St. Patrick's Day event for the members of SQUILT Live!, No Sweat Nature Study LIVE, and the You ARE an Artist Clubhouse! You will love celebrating St. Patrick's Day with music, nature study and art! Sign up for a membership to enjoy this amazing event! ⁣
⁣
Take a look below to see the great resources included!! An awesome St. Patrick's Day learning adventure! ⁣
⁣
-St. Patrick's Day in the Morning ⁣
-There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover⁣
-Jamie O' Roarke and the Big Potato⁣
-Irish whistle and instruction⁣
-Nature journal⁣
-Set of 12 NuPastel sticks⁣
⁣
 ENTERING is simple: ⁣
🍀LIKE and SAVE this photo⁣
⁣
🍀FOLLOW ⁣
@squiltmusic⁣
@homegrown_learners⁣
@nosweatnaturestudy⁣
@ourjourneywestward⁣
@hodgepodgemom⁣
@chalkpastelart⁣
⁣
🍀TAG all of your friends right here! 1 tag = 1 entry ⁣
⁣
🍀For BONUS entires SHARE this post in your stories! ⁣
⁣
That’s it!! 🥳⁣
Be sure to check out the other amazing resources and encouragement offered by the participants!⁣
⁣
Giveaway will end at 11:59 PM PT on March 14, 2021. Winner will be announced in Stories within 72 hours after the giveaway closes. Open to U.S. residents only. This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Instagram. By entering, entrants confirm that they are at least 18+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram’s terms of use. If for any reason any titles show in this giveaway are unavailable a book or item of equal or lesser value will be chosen and sent to the winner in its place instead.
Happy birthday to my favorite girl in the world! L Happy birthday to my favorite girl in the world! Love you, @mahaylawest_1! 🥰
The breath of God produces ice,⠀ and the broad The breath of God produces ice,⠀
and the broad waters become frozen.⠀
He loads the clouds with moisture;⠀
he scatters his lightning through them.⠀
At his direction they swirl around⠀
over the face of the whole earth⠀
to do whatever he commands them.⠀
He brings the clouds to punish people,⠀
or to water his earth and show his love.⠀
Listen to this, Job;⠀
stop and consider God’s wonders. ⠀
⠀
Job 37:10-14⠀
⠀
Winter isn’t my favorite season, but an icy landscape is truly incredible to see. ❄️⠀
⠀
Click the link in my bio for science curriculum to help you take advantage of snow and ice. ⠀
⠀
#winterhomeschool #naturestudy #naturexplorers #winternature #snowandice #naturephotography #charlottemasonnaturestudy #charlottemasonirl #wildandfreehomeschool #homeschoolscience ⠀
When my boys were little, I loved reading these “letters from God” to them as blessings to start the day.
As I was sorting bookshelves earlier this month, I stumbled across this sweet book again. I decided the blessings are still as pertinent today for my bigger boy as they were years ago. So, we’re starting our day yet again with a quick, but powerful “letter from God” before jumping into our daily Bible studies.
Do you do anything special to start your day off on the right foot? I’d love to hear about it!
Click the link in my bio for a link to the book.
#homeschoolblessings #homeschoolfamily #homeschoolmom #homeschool #homeschooling #yourmorningbasket #startthedayoffright #charlottemasonmama #loveyourkids #wildandfreemama #childrensbook #devotionalforkids #homeschool365 #homeschoolmorning #ourjourneywestward #ihsnet
Winter homeschooling can be tough in normal years. Winter homeschooling can be tough in normal years. It’s cold, the days are dark, and everyone’s cooped up together 24/7. That’s a recipe for the winter blahs to march right into your house and wreak havoc on attitudes and motivation.⠀
⠀
This year’s winter is unlike any other and those blahs may have actually settled in long before now. If you or your children are feeling down, anxious, or bored with school, are “at” each other constantly, bouncing off the walls, or tears and fighting are the norm…the blahs are there.⠀
⠀
Let’s get you, your children, and your homeschool back on track. I’ll be teaching a Homeschool Masterclass on Thursday afternoon to help you kick the blahs to the curb. If you can attend live, come! If you can’t attend live, catch the replay!⠀
⠀
We’ll tackle all sorts of problems the blahs bring with them with very practical  ideas that are easy to implement! ⠀
⠀
Click the link in my bio to join me. There is no shame in admitting that the blahs have arrived and you need a little boost from a friend. ❤️ ⠀
⠀
#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolmom #homeschoolfamily #wildandfreemom #charlottemasonmama #winterhomeschool #homeschoolhelp #homeschoollookslikethis #thisishomeschool #homeschoolmasterclass #homeschool365 #ihsnet #homeschoolmama #helpmehomeschool #winterblahs
Oh, what peace this quote brings to my soul. It’ Oh, what peace this quote brings to my soul. It’s true, you know. I’ve told my children for years that it only takes a nature walk to see God through His handiwork and to know that His promises are true.⠀
⠀
When the world seems to be falling apart around you, the sun never stops shining. The seasons never stop moving. Without a single, solitary effort of human hands, the woodlands still buzz with life.⠀
⠀
A student of nature can see the consistency in cycles and notice the incredible and creative intricacy of even the smallest specimen and be in awe that we truly serve a God who isn’t unaware of even one tiny detail in our world right now. ⠀
⠀
Life kind of seems overwhelming, though, I know. Remember when I said my motto lately has been to just put one foot in front of the other to do the next right thing? Nature walks (even when it’s cold) never fail me as a right thing. ⠀
⠀
Breathe, friend. Take a nature walk today and let God speak to your soul.⠀
⠀
#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolmom #homeschoolfamily #wildandfreemom #charlottemasonirl #winterhomeschool #homeschoollookslikethis #thisishomeschool #winternaturestudy #nosweatnaturestudy #homeschool365 #ihsnet #naturestudy #naturexplorers #nature #hewins
It might seem trite to post a winter picture book It might seem trite to post a winter picture book list right now, but I’m a big believer in keeping things as normal as possible in my home when things aren’t so normal otherwise.⠀
⠀
It’s the principle of putting one foot in front of the other as you simply do the next right thing. Good books almost always can be a “next right thing” choice.⠀
⠀
Even though I’m not homeschooling younger children anymore, I’ll probably never stop sharing wonderful picture book ideas with you. 🤓 I’ve spent way too many hours reading and collecting to ever stop loving them!⠀
⠀
Eli and I may not be using these books right now, but they are still some of my favorites for winter reading. Whatever may be going on around you, the winter months are always a good time of year to get in lots of extra reading. Snuggling and hot chocolate are optional, but encouraged.⠀
⠀
Click the link in my bio to find a blog post about these books + some of our favorite winter chapter books, too!⠀
⠀
#homeschool #readmorebooks #livingbooks #livingliterature #picturebooks #winterpicturebooks #homeschoolmom #wildandfreefamily #charlottemasonirl #winterhomeschool #homeschoollookslikethis #thisishomeschool #winternaturestudy #nosweatnaturestudy #homeschool365 #ihsnet

Copyright 2006 -© 2021 · Our Journey Westward · All Rights Reserved

189Shares