Morning Family Reading Time

In the mornings, our family gathers together for Family Reading Time. We start with a prayer and our family mission statement. Then I read from a variety of books while the rest of the family eats breakfast and cleans. This is our prime laundry sorting and folding time.

This morning meeting has evolved over time. Originally, we read one short scripture verse and a few picture books. After a while, we added a chapter book. Then we began to add a history or science or math book. We worked on memorizing poetry or a verse of scripture. We like to read nonfiction and fiction. Because we read from each selection, it allows the family to listen longer than if we tried to read just one book for an hour. It also allows the Family Reading Time to inspire new learning in many different areas.

I haven't kept track of all the books that we have read during our morning read alouds. Some of the classics have included: the Anne of Green Gables series,Tom Sawyer, and Little Women. We have enjoyed foiling Voldemort with Harry Potter, discovering new authors with Here There Be Dragons, and exploring other worlds with The Hobbit and Chronicles of Narnia. Other books have delved into the fields of science, history, math, and character. We have had a few books that we began and no one enjoyed enough for us to continue. One of those was Farmer Boy from the Little House books. Maybe one day we will pick it up and try again, but perhaps not.

At this time, Family Reading Time lasts for about an hour. If we have an early commitment or a particularly busy day, we might cut it short. If the house is very messy and everyone is working, we may read longer. A really intriguing book may lead to a longer reading time as well. I don't always read from every book every day. I have children in a variety of stages so we try to alternate titles enough to keep everyone interested.

We call it Family Reading Time at our house, but we also use this time to work on memorization, talking about math and science concepts, and discussing what we read.

If I had to cut everything in our day down to a bare bones, Family Reading Time would be the bare bones for us. It has been my number one place to share with my children the great ideas in the world around them and inspire them to learn.