Why Reading Aloud is SO Important!

Don't make the mistake of discontinuing to read to your readers.  Once your children are independent readers, your job isn't done.  You can still read books that are just beyond your child's reading or comprehension ability and explain things along the way.  Reading-aloud even to your teens builds family relationships and gives everyone something in common to talk about.  It builds vocabulary effortlessly, which translates into students who have an easier time of writing.  It's just plain worth the time to do it.  

Some of our best homeschool memories were the shared books we read-aloud.  For  older children, 12 years old and up, I recommend the series of books by James Herriot, who was a veterinarian in Yorkshire, England in the 20th century.  The first one is All Creatures Great and Small.  In them, he relates his experiences, many of which are hilarious in his dealings with animals, his boss, his boss' brother, farmers,  and other people.  

They are a bit graphic at times (he was a vet of large animals after all), and that is why it would be better to wait until your children are older before you read these aloud.  There is also a series of books for children, which I don't think are quite as good as his original books that these stories are culled from.  If they are young, just wait on this one.

---