Someone asked for some family read-aloud recommendations after I mentioned what our homeschool day looked like. Here is a good link. We’ve only read a few of the selections on that list. However, I know the guy who put that list together, and his recommendations are always top notch. Currently, we are rereading Wisdom and the Millers, a compilation of short stories involving the mischievous Mennonite Miller children and their Dad-who-always-knows-a-Proverb-perfect-for-their-little-mishap.

While the Miller series books are age appropriate for our little brood, we usually try to read books about one or two levels higher than their normal reading levels. If you are new to reading aloud, however, make sure your first experiences are accessible to most (if not all) of the family.

We first began this ritual when our firstborn was a preschooler. As the children have gotten older and more used to active listening, we’ve read slightly more difficult texts. For example, we chose The Boxcar Children series when the oldest ones were four and five, and my husband currently reads G.A. Henty novels very late at night with our seven-year-old. (I am personally bored senseless with G.A. Henty, but my husband says that he is learning a lot of history and enjoys it. To each his own, eh?)

Perhaps you might experience periods of reluctance from the children as we have. (Though, I don’t remember too much of it, as any reluctance was always short-lived.) They enjoy and look forward to reading in the evenings. If you experience any lack of enthusiasm, however, you might try our remedy. We give them the option of going to bed or staying up later to hear the story. Invariably—maybe these are just my kids?—they always choose to sit quietly and listen. They usually hang from the couch upside down, though.