Why We Love BookShark’s Read-Alouds

My son is in fifth grade this year. He’s at that age where he’s growing up fast but he still loves to snuggle on the couch with his mom occasionally. One of the things he loves the most is reading together.

We have a long-standing tradition of reading a book together each night, usually one that has a movie coming out that we’d like to see.

This year with BookShark as our curriculum, that nighttime reading tradition has become part of our homeschool day, too! Since he's an independent reader, we haven’t included Read-Alouds in our homeschool for several years. I admit that it's something we let slide while we were using other curriculums. But now that we're on the BookShark bandwagon, I'm realizing how wonderful it is to use reading aloud with a middle schooler! 

I’m Reading What He’s Reading

I make an effort to read almost everything my son reads, but it gets difficult especially during busy times in our lives. With Read-Alouds, we are reading together, and that means I’m sharing the story with him.

We had an awesome experience this year with our first Read-Aloud, Pablo’s Journey (from Level 3), a story about a young boy aboard Columbus’ ship. What we learned in the novel was made even clearer when we toured replicas of the Nina and the Pinta. Our field trip took on so much more meaning because we were able to discuss aspects of the book and relate it to what we were seeing!

If we hadn't shared the experience of Pablo's Journey, our field trip would have not been as rich of an experience.

It’s a Soothing Part of Our Homeschool Day

Between math problems and writing activities, it is great to have part of the day when we savor a little quiet and connection.

During Read-Aloud time, my son can enjoy a snack, and the dog joins us on the couch. It is a reminder of why we homeschool in the first place—to nurture and enjoy our family relationships!

Reading aloud is a part of our day that my son looks forward to the most. He asks when we’ll be reading together and will happily sit to hear more than what the lesson plan calls for that day! It is great to have at least one thing each day that I can count on to be enjoyable for everyone.  

BookShark Has Chosen Great Books

BookShark has curated such an awesome collection of books for reading aloud that it makes it pleasant as a parent to share in the adventure with your child. These living books bring history to life in a way that is enjoyable and fun. They open up conversations about the time periods and spark interest in aspects of history that may not have interested your child before. The books you read make all the difference in an successful lesson, and so far we have loved all of our books this year.

There comes a point in homeschooling when your child is older and capable of reading silently. That's when you may ditch the Read-Alouds. But that might not be the best choice! BookShark has reminded me why Read-Alouds are such a great part of learning. I'm thankful for how the books have helped me connect us with my son this year! 

About the Author

Krista is the homeschooling mom of 3 boys. After 13 years she has learned the value of chilling out, going with the flow and keeping homeschooling fun! She is the blogger behind Far From Normal where she hopes to encourage parents and homeschoolers, and inspire a life lived happily outside the box!