Unrelated: I don't know what this is a picture of. Oliver took it. But, it's the newest picture in my phone... so it had to be from today. I just don't know.
I initiated the big boys today.
Into what?
Harry Potter.
The books, not not the movies. Don't be ridiculous.
They are six, almost seven and five. I was wary. Derek and I talked about. We're trying to sort of foster a love of reading here. Boys, for reasons I don't *quite* understand tend to shy away from reading for pleasure. That's a broad assumption, and I know it's not true of EVERY boy, but many that I have encountered.
My boys are in LOVE with being read to. They love to sit and have me or Derek read book after book. So, we decided that first grade and kindergarten certainly wasn't too small to learn how to sit and listen to a book with virtually no art work.
So, today, I picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and asked them, during the naps of the smaller siblings, if they wouldn't like to listen to me read it.
I was surprised (for no good reason) when they agreed.
So, we made our way though chapter one. The Boy Who Lived. They listened attentively through the entire 25 minutes, and then spent a large chunk of the afternoon asking me to clarify. It's pretty cool.
I have vivid memories of my mother working her way through countless classics as she read them aloud to myself and my siblings. It became a nightly, before-bed tradition. I loved it.
Since bedtime is at best chaotic around here, for now, nap time definitely seems to be the best option.
I'm looking forward to making it a tradition.
Awesome.
4 comments:
How fun!! Will loves Magic Tree House. They're awesome. They're usually at our local library. Just another suggestion for great boy chapter books. :)
Yes! I figured our next library trip, I'd introduce Henry to them. I think he'd like them!
That's fantastic. Ironically, Lillian is requesting The Lord of the Rings to be our latest read aloud books. But the audios for HP are FANTASTIC. We have them all digitally if you ever need/want/desire.
Awesome indeed! I agree with you about boys and reading, and did a lot of reading myself about why boys seem not to read as much as girls. I think it's a matter of reading material. I would recommend graphic novels and non-fiction - books about sports heroes or fly fishing or skateboarding. The key is to get them reading something, even a magazine or a comic book. They will eventually move on to more challenging books. Good luck! Good for you, Mama!
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