Though I’m so happy with our decision to homeschool and love the freedom we have to choose how and what (and at what pace!) to teach our kids, sometimes I lament at the little fun things we did when I was in school. I wonder if my kids will remember the books they’ve read if they don’t do the cute little dioramas or paint a pumpkin that looks like their favorite story character. I also wonder if they are even reading the right books for their age or if I’m letting the really “important” ones slip through the cracks.
I loved reading as a kid! My oldest, now a 5th grader, has been an avid reader since about second grade and my now second-grader seems to be opening up to the idea of reading for fun, but I can’t shake the feeling that we are missing some great reading opportunities.
To help my worried-mom mind, I reached out to a friend who’s a fantastic and hilariously funny school librarian. He gave me a great list of his favorite reads for 3 different elementary age groups. Since book lists themselves aren’t going to get my kids motivated to read, I created some “Book Bingo” cards with all the books on the lists for each age group and one with some book genre/theme ideas.
You could have some kind of prize or special treat for your readers once they reach a “BINGO!” and maybe a really special something if they “black out” the card.
If you don’t have access to a library, check for used books online or ask to loan or trade in a local parents or homeschool Facebook group. Also, you can find so many videos on YouTube of books being read aloud for the younger pre-readers! Sometimes, the author will even read them!
I will be posting soon about some pre and post-reading activities – including those you’ve-got-to-do-these-at-least-once-in-your-elementary-career dioramas!
Please comment below with your favorite childhood books! I would love to add them to our “must-read” books!
