Home » Education » Reading aloud

Reading aloud

TheFarwayTreeAngryPixie

Many of my earliest childhood memories are of playing on the floor with my brothers and sisters while my parents read aloud. I just started reading chapter books to my kids. After a few unsuccessful starts, I finally got them hooked by reading Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree Stories (which I borrowed from the library after reading about them on LiEr’s blog), changing the main character’s names from Joe, Beth, and Frannie to Johnny, Emma, and Lily. We’ve finished those and are currently reading A Little Princess (without changing names), but the Faraway Tree stories are clearly still on Emma’s mind. She drew this picture of the Angry Pixie character from the book last week. It’s her interpretation of a magical creature she has never seen illustrated, and I hope the first of many imaginative adventures inspired by books.

If you subscribe in a reader and were confused by a vanishing post yesterday evening, I was fiddling with this post and managed to re-publish it instead of updating it!

MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.

12 thoughts on “Reading aloud”

  1. I was so excited when my kids finally got old enough to start listening to chapter books (Kaia could listen to them all day, while Asher’s attention span is much shorter). I’ll have to look up the Faraway Tree Stories. I’ve never heard of this book or author. We’ve been reading the Little House series and I’ve been enjoying it with the kids. I think it makes a huge difference to read something I can enjoy as well. I would love to read A Little Princess. My mom read that one aloud to me when I was in junior high, I think, and that experience created some wonderful memories.

  2. We’ve tried a few chapter books but haven’t found one Conner loves yet. Love the picture to go with the book…. I used to do that when I taught. Give the kids a piece of paper to draw while I read. It was so fun to see what they came up with!
    .-= Beth´s last blog ..argyle =-.

  3. Andrea @ The Train To Crazy

    I’ll have to look up those books. We’ve read a few chapter books. One book I loved was an Usborne book with 5 or 6 shortened classic stories. Each story was about 30-40 pages. We read The Secret Garden, The Wizard of Oz, Railway Children, Black Beauty and a couple others that way. That was fun because we could read one a day. I’ve got Charlotte’s Web and the collection of Pooh ready to read now. I’ve been thinking about Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables but someone advised me to wait a couple years on those. I remember LOVING reading Nancy Drew when I was 6. Maybe I could read some of those too! So many fun books to read.

    I remember my dad reading Little Britches to us. I can’t remember any of the other books though. That one stands out!
    .-= Andrea @ The Train To Crazy´s last blog ..A lunch bag =-.

  4. I love the fact that my youngest siblings, now 15 and 17, still enjoy being read to! So many memories of hours spent listening to books.

  5. So fun to see the Angry Pixie! Minus his inkpot, fortunately! It’s interesting to read the new names of the characters in the books – the original names were, innocently enough Jo, Bessie and Fanny – and be reminded how even children’s books are not exempt from modern censorship. If I remember right, Dame Slap is now Dame Snap? We read the original books to our girls because we still have them. Either way, the Faraway Tree series is beloved all over, and I am glad E, J and L got to enjoy it too!

    We’re finishing up The Last Battle (#7 of the Chronicles of Narnia) with Emily and beginning The Secret Island, another Bylton adventure series. Jenna still is partial to fairy, pixie and naughty children stories so she loved the Faraway Tree and Wishing Chair series. I am still surprised by how well they listen – I would never have guessed that a 3- or 5-year old would sit through (and really get into) chapter books of this level. I’m glad I tried it, too.
    .-= LiEr´s last blog ..A Proud Day =-.

  6. This is much better than playing with TV on in the background :) I really like the illustration Emma made for the book. I think read-aloud times definitely make a lot of sense for a group of kids who might have different degrees of interest in the story. In our house we still have dedicated read-aloud times when we read to Anna and she cuddles and listens.
    .-= Natalie´s last blog ..Why I Am Not Joining The Great TV Rebellion =-.

  7. I’ve never heard of this series of books, but will look for them. Thanks for sharing it! Sadly, most of my read aloud days to Hanna are over now. She prefers reading to herself unless we’re reading the Scriptures, but Joe and I have been enjoying some of the Magic Tree House series. Keep that one in mind soon for your group!

    You’re an awesome mom Mary Anne! I hope you are having a super day!
    .-= susana´s last blog ..She’s Going the Distance =-.

  8. If I had stopped to do the math when I saw the headline of the vanishing post, I would have realized what was going on. Instead, my thought was “What? What?”
    We haven’t ventured into chapter books, yet, but I’m getting ready to do that. Right now we take time to read books every night before bed and the girls keep saying “Is this too long?” Now I can say ” we’ll read some tonight and some tomorrow!”
    .-= Quadmama´s last blog ..Show Us Your Wrist! =-.

  9. I’ve started doing the same thing with some of the picture books we’ve been reading while they play quietly or are drawing/painting. It’s been quite successful.
    .-= Ticia´s last blog ..the book of Daniel =-.

  10. Elisa | blissfulE

    I agree with Jamie, what a fantastic idea to combine reading with quiet play time. I have been struggling a bit with keeping Vi quiet enough to read an entire chapter aloud to my older kids. She can make some pretty loud noises when she’s happy! And of course it’s all over if she’s sad. It will be a little while before I can implement a combined read-aloud / quiet play time, but that image will stick in my mind.

    I’ve used the name change idea with a little bath book we have about sharing – works a treat! How exciting, too, to see those imaginative sparks fly from Emma’s fingers onto paper!!
    .-= Elisa | blissfulE´s last blog ..Red Bull air race :: Perth 2010 =-.

  11. Chapter books–wow! :) We read dozens of picture books every day, but I’ve never considered going for chapter books. Little Princess is a great one :)
    .-= Keeling´s last blog ..Boys are gross. =-.

  12. Mary Anne, I love the image of you guys playing on the floor while your parents read to you. What a great idea. I usually have reading time be either all of us on the couch/bed together, or the kiddos reading their own books. I’ve never thought to read like that while they’re just playing but hearing/absorbing the story. I think I’ll start this today. Thanks for the idea!
    .-= Jaimie´s last blog ..Flower Fairy Magic Wands =-.

Comments are closed.

Scroll to Top