Trying to Get Your Kids to Read More?

The New Year is the PERFECT time to dive into good books with our children.

Ahem. You’ve probably heard me mention a time or two that reading aloud has been the biggest disappointment of my homeschooling career. Reading is such a HUGE thing for me. I taught kindergarten. I collected picture books. I’m an avid reader myself. I love putting unit studies together based on books. But, when I go to read to my kids? They fight. They cry. They run around like wild animals.

I kid. Sort of. 

So, I share this resource with you because I NEED IT MORE THAN YOU DO. ha!

Are you familiar with the Read Aloud Revival? 

I have known about this resource for awhile, but it wasn’t until very recently that I really began looking at ALL that is available on this wonderful site.

First off — there are lots of FREE resources here and then there is a PAID membership. Keep reading…

But first, my amateur tips for you!

5 Tips for Getting Your Kids to Read More

I’ve tried for YEARS. Believe me. These things don’t always work for my kids, but sometimes they do. 🙂 Please tell me in the comment what helps your non-readers to read more or even enjoy it a little more? These tips are really meant for READING ALOUD. But they could be used as bribery suggestions for getting them to read more books in general as well.

1. Give them a yummy drink or treat. Yes, I let my kids have coffee or hot chocolate if it will help them listen to a book. Or chocolate. Chocolate almost always works.

2. Let them play. Some days this works beautifully and some days it doesn’t work at.all. Sometimes I tell them to build me something with Legos that pertains to the book. They usually enjoy this. If not legos, maybe some other quiet toy.

3. Split up the children. I know, I know. This is a PAIN. But, WOW, when I read to my only boy alone, he almost always eats it up! It is worth it to me to spend more time with them individually if my child will enjoy our time together reading!

4. Let them choose the book. This usually turns into a fight in my home. But, if I let Caleb pick out a book that just he and I will read, it works.

5. Have a reading challenge. I loved this challenge that the Read Aloud Revival put together for January! You could put one together for any month, though! Make sure you include prizes. Bribery works well in our home.

Free Read Aloud Revival Podcasts

My favorite FREE thing available to you is ALL THE PODCASTS. I may or may not have been binging on podcasts over Christmas break.

As of the writing of this post there are 37 podcasts available! That is enough encouragement to keep you going for months!

If you’ve never listened to Sarah, you’ve been missing out. You’re in for a treat, let me tell you! Sarah is an online friend of mine (through blogging) that I’ve loved for many years now. Back when she had 3 little ones that were very close in age to my 3 little ones, we commiserated over 3 babies in the home and homeschooling little ones.

Well, then Sarah had to go and show me up by going on to have THREE MORE, including a set of twins. I don’t hold that against her, though, because really…look at these gorgeous boys! Every time she writes a new post I have to click over and see if there are pictures.

Read Aloud Revival Membership

If you want encouragement, master classes, author interviews, resource guides, and a member-only forum with nearly 2,000 parents — then this membership is for you! At $14.95 a month, I think this is the PERFECT way to stay MOTIVATED and EXCITED about books in your home!

Listen to the titles of these classes that she offers to members: Turn Your Worst Homeschool Day into Your Best, Parent/Child Book Club: It’s Simpler Than You Think, Use the World’s Greatest Fairy Tales to Inspire Virtue in Your Kids, Have Engaging Conversations with Your Teens, Getting Started with a Poetry Tea Time, Building the Perfect Reading List, Turn Your Reluctant Teen into a Voracious Reader.

I think I need each and every one of those classes, what about you?

Those are included in the Read Aloud Revival Membership, along with a lot more good stuff.

Author Access Events

Sarah also offers the opportunity for YOUR CHILDREN to interact and ask questions of some of their favorite authors!

Here is a sample of one of these events with the author of Hank the Cowdog!

Look at who Sarah has coming up in these Author Access events for 2016!

Click here for membership information! 

 

More Encouragement from Amongst Lovely Things

I can’t leave this post without sharing Sarah’s book — that I need to read again, quite honestly. I was blessed to read one of the early copies of the book and it is just so, so good. In fact, I wrote a whole post about it at the time.

Teaching From Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakeable Peace

I don’t know about you, but I want that PEACE in my heart and in my homeschool. What about you?

You can also find the book or the Kindle version on Amazon. 
Free Quickstart Guide

If you’re new to Sarah, her blog and her resources, trying out this FREE guide is a GREAT place to start!

This guide will help you learn better ways to discuss books with your kids! I don’t know about you, but sometimes I ask the same questions every time we read. I need some creative ideas!

So, now that I’ve gushed about all these FABULOUS resources, I hope you will take a few moments to check them out for yourself!

You can start here: Read Aloud Revival