Family Favourite Read Alouds

Reading together as a family is a staple of some homeschool households, but others wonder how to start or why it matters. Reading together is one of the greatest things you can do for your homeschool, both for increasing your children's knowledge and for building relationships. Don’t stop reading to your kids when they get older! Continue to enjoy books and time together, even into their teenage years. Read on to see the benefits, tips for fidgety kids, and a list of favourite read alouds.

Benefits of Reading Aloud to Kids

Often parents ask, “What can I do to get my child interested in reading?” The number one answer to that question is to read to them! Reading out loud to the child works for a number of reasons.

1. It takes the stress of decoding words off the child and just lets them enjoy the story. For some children, by the time they’ve sounded out the words in a sentence, they forget what it’s about. 
2. It builds a bond between parent and child as you enjoy and get lost in a story together. Snuggled up under a blanket or sprawled around a room with snacks engrossed in a book together is a special time for parent and child. 
3. It allows them to read literature that otherwise may be too difficult for them in order to catch their interest. For some children, the books at their reading level aren’t interesting. By reading aloud to them, you can choose books that will draw them in. 
4. Parents can choose to read with voices and excitement that can make books more exciting. (No pressure to do this though if it’s not your thing. The book and your company will be exciting enough.)
5. Children can do other things with their hands while they listen to a parent read (draw, playdough, legos, paint, build something, etc.). This can help their mind focus on the story. 
6. Books can teach us so much about the world and other topics. Without even realizing it, your kids are learning while you read. We have shared a list of some of our favourite books for learning about Canadian history. 

What If My Child Won’t Sit Still?

It is ok! This is typical in younger children and those children who need to be on the move! Another beauty of YOU doing the reading is they do not have to sit still! I do not require my children to sit quietly while I read as long as they are being respectful and not disrupting others. Some suggestions for those children may be

• Bounce on a exercise ball
• Stand or sit on a wobble board
• Colour, lego, playdough, modeling clay, duplo, sketch, magnets (any quiet activity keeping the hands busy)
• Listen while enjoying a snack (this keeps both the mouth and hands busy)
• Story tea time (a special drink and snack at the table or on the floor while listening)
• Keep a book in your purse and read places you need them to sit quietly (a restaurant, waiting at the doctor’s office, etc.)
• Handicrafts such as knitting or crocheting, hand stitching, etc. 

When I first started reading chapter books to my daughters, they were 5 and 3. The best time of day to read to them at that age was at snack or lunchtime while they ate. They were busy, and this also helped them sit nicely at the table to eat! Bonus! Around the campfire while camping is another place we love to read!

Suggested Family Read Alouds

This list is full of chapter books that can be enjoyed by kids of all ages. There are a couple noted that are good books to begin your younger children with due to their shorter length and lighter content. While this list is focused on chapter books only, any book can be read aloud to any age. 

There are many beautiful picture books with stories that can captivate the young and old alike. If we were to include all loved books in this list, the article would never end! So for that reason, we stuck to chapter books for this list. Even so, this is not an exhaustive list of beloved chapter books for family read alouds. 

It is always best to pre-read or scan the content of books first to make sure they are appropriate for your child. Some children are more sensitive to certain things than others, and you as a parent know best what they will enjoy. Look for books that you know will captivate them. 

• The Chronicles of Narnia
• My Father’s Dragon series *(These are a great length for younger listeners to begin chapter books with.)
• Poppy series
• The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls
• The Tree Street Gang series
• Ginger Pye
• Mr. Popper’s Penguins
• The Boxcar Children
• The Wild Robot
• Thornton Burgess Collection
• The One and Only Ivan
• The Moffats
• The Cabin Faced West
• Green Ember Series
• The Wingfeather series
• The Dead Sea Squirrels (very silly and can draw in a reluctant young reader)
• Nim’s Island
• Who Was series (Each book is a stand alone book about a certain person, place, event, or time in history.)
• The Great Summer Camp Catastrophe
• Roald Dahl books
• The Trumpet of the Swan
• The Mouse and the Motorcycle
• Tuesday’s at the Castle series
• Little House on the Prairie
• Stuart Little
• Henry Huggins
• Swiss Family Robinson
• Fortunately, the Milk *(A good option for younger children new to listening to chapter books.)
• Wonder
• The Breadwinner (May not be suitable for sensitive children. Parent preview recommended.)
• Snow Treasure (upper elementary for wartime content)
• The Bark of the Bog Owl (all male characters)
• Redwall
• Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
• A Blinding Light ** (For teenagers)
• Echo ** (For older children, such as preteens. Preview by parent)
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne edition)

Other Available Resources

There are many resources out there to help you choose books to read aloud to your family. Sarah at The Read-Aloud Revival is quite the expert on the area and has many book lists you can browse. Cultivating a culture of reading in your home can go a long way to increasing your child’s interest in books. There are many helpful ideas out there on how to do this. Talking to other homeschool moms or book loving moms with similar age kids can also be a great resource for new book ideas. 

Happy reading!

Written by Kristin Stewart

Kristin is a former teacher who now homeschools her two daughters, ages 9 and 7. She has lived many places in Canada due to both her teaching and being an RCMP wife. She is a writer and content manager with The Canadian Schoolhouse. She blogs at From Kristin and is passionate about helping mothers feel equipped to educate their children. She does homeschool consulting to help those starting out or struggling to choose a curriculum. She loves reading and travelling and actively posts on her Instagram.