Category: Reading

Author Focus: Mo Willems

By Mariah Bruehl, 13th November 2014

My daughters, aged 4 and 6, love Mo Willems. My second and third graders at school love Mo Willems. I think everyone under the age of 10 loves Mo Willems. Ok, let’s be honest – parents of kids under the age of 10 love Mo Willems.

What’s not to love? He’s written over 40 books since 2004. You don’t need to be a mathematician to figure out how many books, on average, Mo publishes per year. He truly understands children (he left a career in television animation to be a stay-at-home dad). He is ridiculously talented (he won 6 Emmys for his writing on Sesame Street, and his picture books have won 3 Caldecott Honors, 2 Geisel Medals, 4 Geisel Honors, and 2 Carnegie Medals). He has simple goals (the bio on his blog, the short version, says Mo Willems makes funny drawings that hopefully will make you laugh). He creates characters that are easy for children to copy (as a kid he used to draw Snoopy and Charlie Brown, so he actually wants his readers to imitate his work and gets joy when we “infringe on his copyrights”).

Last year, my second and third graders studied Mo Willems as part of a beginning of the year author study. I’m embarrassed to say this, but I actually thought twice about choosing Mr. Willems as our intended subject. After all, most of my students had undoubtedly read all of the Elephant and Piggie books, and the Pigeon series, in kindergarten (and probably even in preschool). I wondered if Mo’s work would be too young, too simple, or not have enough substance for my higher achieving readers. Boy was I wrong. My students devoured every single book I read. They pleaded me to share old favorites. Every time a new book by Mo was published that year, they begged me to get it for the classroom (and of course I gladly obliged). Students brought in their own copies of his books and checked them out at the library. They read and re-read. They analyzed the text (his use of speech bubbles, font size, shape, and color), the characters (their body language, facial expressions, and emotions) and the unique way Mo shows movement and action in his illustrations. They spent days just observing the way Mo draws Gerald and Piggie’s facial features (it’s amazing how we can understand what his characters are feeling and thinking just by looking at the way Mo has drawn their eyes or added an extra line in a furrowed brow). And of course, my students doodled their hearts out and practiced drawing every single one of his characters.

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I think what I love most about Mo Willems is that his books speak to children not at them. I think this is why his books appeal to such a broad range of ages (from toddlers to 10 year olds to adults). He thinks about his audience but not for his audience. Mo’s books explore themes (like friendship, perseverance, empathy, compassion, jealousy, acceptance, and yes, even patience), which allow even the youngest reader to think deeply and ask questions about the world around them. Mo openly admits to not having all of the answers to these questions. I don’t know about you, but as a parent and educator I find that confession quite refreshing!

Above are a few of my favorite Mo Willems’ books including his latest, and much anticipated, Waiting is Not Easy! (which by the way I’ve been patiently waiting for since I pre-ordered it several months ago – and it was not easy – case in point). Have fun browsing these titles and be sure to do a little doodling of your own!

Elephant & Piggie series:

Waiting is Not Easy! (NEW – November 4, 2014)
We Are in a Book!
My New Friend Is So Fun!
I Will Surprise My Friend!
I Am Invited to a Party!
I’m a Frog!

The Pigeon series:

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!
The Pigeon Needs a Bath!

Others:

And be sure to check out these links:

http://www.mowillems.com – The official Mo Willems website

http://www.pigeonpresents.com/activities/pigeon_draw01.pdf – How to draw The Pigeon! By Mo Willems

Note: As I was sitting here finishing up this post, my 6 year old curiously eyes my stack of Mo Willems’ books sitting next to the computer. She immediately asks, “Are you using these? I want to use this one (We Are in a Book!) to help me write my own book.” Isn’t that fitting? So I created a simple draft of this printable for her, and with a little bit of magic from Randi– voila! My daughter and I hope you enjoy it. Click on the photos below to download printables…

Connect Literacy to Wonder: Letter Drawings

By Mariah Bruehl, 27th October 2014

Can letter-sound correspondence be learned from imaginative play?

Yes! Here’s how.

Most young children learn the alphabet and corresponding letter sounds through repetition and memorization. These children also have incredibly creative minds, which are primed for playful and magical thinking. One Waldorf literacy activity taps into the imaginative while teaching letters and sounds – the foundation of literacy learning.

In any elementary classroom, you will see the alphabet with a picture for each letter: “A is for Apple,” “Z is for Zipper.” A staple activity in the elementary Waldorf classroom takes this concept further. First, a story generated from a single letter of the alphabet is told to the children, and then children write that single letter and draw a picture emerging from it.

This activity helps pre-readers and beginning readers form mental images that correspond to each letter, much in the way that handwriting programs aim to have children internalize the formation of each letter.

In creating letter drawings, children look at the shapes of the letters themselves, and associate those with pictures that they can draw. For example, if a child is learning the letter M and its corresponding sound, he or she can draw a picture of a mountain, with the letter M as an integral part of the drawing. When your child creates an original drawing like this, he or she forms a very personal connection to the letter and to the sound it makes.

To begin this activity, start with a simple story. For example, if your child is working on the letter S, you might tell a little story about a silly snake named Sally. Then, you would draw Sally, with a very pronounced S-shape, with your child. The story itself can be simple and short, but try to incorporate words that repeat the letter sound (alliteration). You can start by thinking of a picture that looks like the letter you are working on – a letter S can very easily look like a slithering snake, a letter U can transform into an umbrella, or a C can turn into a sleeping cat.

After you tell a story to your child, or come up with one together, ask your child to draw the letter in the air with a finger. You can have some fun and ask him or her to draw the letter in the air with an elbow, or a foot, or other body parts. This allows children to use their whole bodies to connect to the letter they are working on.

Once you’ve written the letter in the air in a few ways, you and your child can begin on creating a picture to correspond with that letter. Waldorf teachers start with a drawing and then show where the letter hides – a W in an ocean wave or a Q in a quilt – but you can approach this in any way you feel most comfortable.

Perhaps you write the letter and then draw a picture around it. You might also ask your child to write the letter, and then together you can discuss what sort of picture might emerge from that letter. It could connect to the story you told your child, or maybe your child will have another idea to run with. Whatever is drawn, it is important that the letter and surrounding picture match with the letter’s corresponding sound – the goal is for your child to associate the letter with the sound, using the story and picture as guides.

When your child connects the letter symbol and its corresponding sound to a story and an image, that letter becomes real and animated, and will stick in your child’s mind. This activity helps to connect phonics to storytelling, to art, and even to movement, making for a holistic reading experience.

Author Focus: Chris Haughton

By Mariah Bruehl, 22nd October 2014

As a family we adore Chris Haughton. I do believe that Sshh we have a plan was my little one’s first favorite book which he requested over and over and then read himself. Shh is an example of how the images can tell a story and at times very few words (in this case only 103) are required to gather the full comprehension of the text. Chris plays magically with this relationship between text and image, and his work is a wonderful starting point when looking at multi-modal texts.

Delightful tales full of adventure are told through the clever link between text and the visual image. Chris is able to create a scene through the build up of images, from pulled back to close up, as does a magazine spread. The color palette in each book is unique and allows for his books to be identified as the Chris Haughton aesthetic and yet each very different to the next. Although his work appears to be a paper cut it is actually all created with pencil and digitally. Shh however was crated with paper and the collage creation in order to develop the final layout.

With each of his picture books Chris has documented behind the sciences on his blog, allowing the reader to get an idea of what takes place during the creation of modern day picture books. This is well worth a visit, as Chris shares his work without holding back and it is a perfect insight into the life of an author illustrator working to deadlines.

Here is a look a the making of each of his picture books…

Chris has also created an application aimed at the preschool years called Hat Monkey.

Overall Chris Haughton is not just an author adored by our family. He is an award winning author/illustrator who has been acknowledged for his contribution to Children’s Literature over and over again including the Association of Illustrators award in 2014, Junior Guild Library award in 2014 and being Shortlisted for the Junior Magazine Design Award for best Picture Book to name a few.

Chris’s books can be found here:

All images are via the Chris Haughton website.

Picture Book Project: The Bear’s Song

By Mariah Bruehl, 16th October 2014

Having three children under the age of seven in the house amounts to a lot of picture book reading! Every now and then we come across a picture book that instantly becomes a favorite. One of our recent finds is the book “The Bear’s Song,” which is written and illustrated by Benjamin Chaud. The beautiful illustrations alone make this picture book a favorite, but my children also love the heartfelt story of clumsy Father Bear searching for his curious son, who has followed a bee into the city in hopes of finding a bit of sweet honey. Every page is filled the brim with detailed drawings, making it fun for children to search for baby bear and his coveted bee on each page.

Being big fans of dress up, we thought it would be fun to make a few bear masks and jump into the story ourselves by playing a little hide-and-seek. Would you like a make a mask too?

All you need to gather is:

Bear Mask Templates (one and two)
Brown paper (optional)
Scissors
Glue
Yarn
A hole punch or a bit of tape

1. Download mask template and print it out on to heavy paper. We chose to print ours directly on to brown paper, but if you only have white paper, you can color the mask brown when you’re done using markers or crayons.

2. Cut out all of the pieces. Helpful hint: Cut mask out and then fold in half and cut the eyes out together at the same time.

3. Fold the nose of the bear down over the front of the mask.

4. Glue the pieces in to place using the pictures as your guide. We wanted our nose to hang down past the end of the mask, so we glued the darker nose piece onto the lighter brown nose piece first, and then glued only the top half of that piece to the mask nose.

5. Tape a piece of yarn or string to the back of the mask next to the outer corner of each eye and tie around child’s head. For better security, punch holes and tie string to mask.

We had a fun afternoon making these and playing a silly game, and I hope you do too! Do your children have a favorite picture book?

Discussing Literature with Older Children

By Mariah Bruehl, 15th October 2014

What’s your book about?

I don’t know.

Do you like it?

It’s OK.

If you read Jacki’s recent post, “How to Talk to Your Children about Their Day,” you know we are all very familiar with this conversation. It’s easy to talk to younger children about the books they are reading because they usually want to tell us everything that happened. Older children can be more…economical in their responses. Of course, they may not say much because we aren’t asking the right questions. Outside of a classroom, when was the last time you asked someone to summarize a book for you? Ummm…never. Where does the story take place? What are the names of the main characters? Is it written in first, second or third-person narration? Older children recognize a test question, and let’s face it: no one wants to take a test over dinner. When talking to them about the books they are reading, consider asking questions that you really want answered. Your sincere curiosity will spark an open conversation.

The Book Club

If you have ever belonged to a book club, think about the discussions you’ve had about books with your peers. Sometimes a reader forgets the names of characters. When this happens, we don’t question the reader’s understanding. We usually laugh and admit times when we forget a detail. The conversation tends to focus on how we were each affected by the characters’ actions, tragedies, or transformations. We connect with the book in a deeply personal way. We may debate certain parts of the book. We don’t agree on the author’s meaning. We have different views about whether or not a character made the right decision. Consider poetry. There can be as many interpretations as there are readers in the room. We bring to our reading our unique experiences, insights, knowledge. So do our children.

So how do we use our book club experience to inform our conversations with our children? Ask them questions that really interest you. Here is my list:

What did you think about…?

This open-ended question allows the reader to say what is on his mind after reading the book. It allows for a broader, more in-depth response. I always follow up with “Why?”

Why did you choose that book?

I am curious because it helps me to make recommendations and the answer might help me in my own search for the next book to read. (Yes, I read a lot of children’s books.)

Do you agree with the character’s choices?

This question can lead to a debate where both sides must defend their answers. Another version is “What would you do?”

What did you think of the ending?

I ask this question because writing a satisfying conclusion can be difficult, and I have been disappointed on more than one occasion. I am curious about what makes a good ending in the eye of the reader. Sometimes we imagine the ending we wanted for the book we read. I want to know what my child envisioned.

What do you think is going to happen next?

Why do you think that? Admittedly, this sounds like a classroom question, but I am curious as a writer. When I read, I am always trying to figure out where the writer is going with the story. I have a vision: I am right, disappointed, or delightfully surprised.

Have you read other books by the same author?

How do they compare? Can you tell the books are by the same author? How? I love words so I notice the language a particular author uses. I notice that Kate DiCamillo talks directly to the reader. Have you ever noticed how she constructs her sentences? They are works of art, with layers upon layers of “word paint.”

Tell me about the genre.

What do you like about that genre? What do you notice is similar across books in the same genre? I ask these questions if it is a genre I don’t tend to read: science fiction and graphic novels. I ask because I am truly curious. I have a really hard time reading graphic novels because I don’t pay close enough attention to the illustrations.

Whatever your interests, what matters is that you really want to know the answer to the question you are asking.

What If I am Not a Reader?

You may not see yourself as a reader: I do not read novels or poetry; I see going to the library as a chore; I prefer to be doing something with my hands or being physically active, rather than settling into an oversized chair and reading Tolstoy. If this sounds like you, don’t worry. You are reading this blog so you are a reader. The first step is to identify what you do read:

emails
blogs
instruction manuals
magazines
newspapers
professional journals
letters
memos
textbooks
Facebook or Twitter
cookbooks/recipes
nutrition labels

…you get the idea.

Identify what you truly love to read and talk about it with your children. Share your enthusiasm, curiosity, surprise. What really stuck with you? Why did you read it? What do you really want to share with someone? Share it with your children. They will appreciate your openness and genuine passion.

Write about Reading

Finally, consider keeping a family journal and write to each other about the books you are reading. This is a great way to continue a discussion or to involve a parent whose schedule may make it difficult to always have a face-to-face conversation. Be creative. This could be a composition book that sits on the coffee table or a blog where family members add their thoughts about the books they are reading or ask each other questions.

Is there a time and a place to ask test questions? Of course. But leave that for the classroom and let your dinner conversation be just that—a conversation that is lively, engaging and meaningful.

Selecting Just Right Books for Your Reader at Home

By Mariah Bruehl, 7th October 2014

As a parent, it’s important that you know how to help your young reader self-select books outside of the classroom. Like any other skill, knowing how to choose the right books takes practice. The more she practices this skill, the more likely she will be able to make good reading choices on her own.

First and foremost, a reader needs to know her strengths and what kinds of books she feels most comfortable reading. Books which are too easy for your reader will not empower her to practice new skills. Similarly, books which are too challenging will only cause her frustration. This is often referred to as the Goldilocks Principle – finding a book that is just right as opposed to one on either extreme. A just right book allows your reader to independently practice and effectively apply the reading strategies she is learning.

Learning how to self-select a just right book is a skill that needs to be nurtured and practiced. Here are 4 things that you can do at home to help your reader self-select a just right book.

1. Try the 5 Finger Rule. This is quite simple. Open up the book to any page. As she reads, ask her to hold up one finger for each tricky word on the page. A tricky word will be one that she has trouble decoding or is unsure of the meaning. Encourage her to be honest with herself through this process. The results will usually go something like this:

0-1 tricky word – too easy

2-4 tricky words – just right

5 or more tricky words – too challenging

This is certainly not a strategy that will work for every reader, but if she has self-selected a book that is too challenging the 5 finger rule will wave a red flag that she needs to try a different book. Save challenging books for a family read aloud or have her set a goal to read it independently by the end of the school year. If the book is too easy, use it as a “warm up” to practice fluency or have her share it with a younger sibling. Your reader needs to know that it’s OK to read books on either extreme (they aren’t off limits by any means), but just right books are the ones that will help her grow as a reader.

2. Focus on comprehension not just decoding. The purpose of reading is to make meaning. Just because your reader is good at decoding words (word solving) does not mean she understands what she’s reading. Have you ever read part of a book, then stopped and said to yourself I haven’t the slightest clue what I just read? As experienced readers, we know to go back and re-read the passage again. That’s not always true for young readers. She might get to the end of a chapter, and unless someone says to her Tell me about what you’ve just read, she doesn’t even realize that she’s read 15 pages and doesn’t know what is happening in the story. Word solving does not equal comprehension. So being able to decode all of the words does not necessarily mean she’s selected a just right book.

3. Talk about age appropriate books. This may seem obvious, but believe me it’s not. Reading is a highly social activity. Many readers at this age want to carry around the newest book (because there’s a huge wait list at the library), the fattest book (because obviously the number of pages is directly proportional to the kind of reader you are), or the book that her middle school aged sister is reading (because it’s about middle school… duh). This often means that in the process, she will have a book in her hand that is not age appropriate. A good rule of thumb in selecting a just right book is if the main character is 2-3 years older than your reader, know that there may be mature themes and content that your youngster is just not ready to deal with yet (romance, death, puberty and other complex issues). If your child hasn’t had similar life experiences, how on earth is she going to identify with a character’s actions and motives?

If after much argument and eye rolling she still insists on selecting a book that is beyond her life experience, consider reading it together and talking about themes that may be too difficult for her to comprehend independently. If possible, preview the book beforehand so you know what you’re getting yourself into!

4. Try not to talk too much about “levels.” This only confuses your reader. When you tell her she’s reading at a 6^th grade level it gives her the false impression that she can read anything a 6^th grader can read which may not be the case (you read #2 and #3, right?). Levels also put too much pressure on your reader, and it forces comparisons with others (which let’s face it, she is doing already so why add to that?).

As adults, we certainly don’t brag about our reading levels.

This month’s book club book was way too easy for me. I went into the bookstore yesterday, and I couldn’t even find anything at my reading level. I really think I should be reading something harder.

It sounds ridiculous, right? Yet that’s exactly how young readers talk to one another in the classroom when adults place too much emphasis on reading levels. Yes, we want our readers to be able to select and read grade level material. Yes, a reading level is often written on her report card. And yes, that’s usually the first part of the report card that your eyes scan for first. You want to know if your child is reading on grade level. However, we can talk about grade level expectations without labeling your reader as a number or letter. Believe me, if I could leave out reading levels on my report cards and instead just focus on a reader’s interests and abilities, I would be one happy teacher. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality in this day of standards and high stakes testing. However, my classroom readers know that they will not hear me talking about levels nor are any of my books sorted or categorized by letters and numbers. Instead we talk about choosing just right books based on our interests, our life experiences, the genres we prefer, authors and series we adore, and those which will generally help strengthen our reading skills.

As you’re helping your reader learn to self-select just right books at home, remember that the ultimate goal is to foster a love of reading. We want reading to become a welcome habit not a necessary chore. The more you help her learn how to independently choose books that are a good fit for her, and appeal to her interests and abilities, the stronger of a reader she will become.

What other things do you do at home to help your reader self-select books?

Author Focus: David Mackintosh

By Mariah Bruehl, 6th October 2014

David Mackintosh is a delight. His style and color palette are just perfect. It is bold and graphic with fine details and there is always something interesting to draw the eye. We own all of David’s Author/Illustrator creations and adore their very specific humor. David Mackintosh is very clever in his approach to writing for children and he shares his craft so beautifully.

His titles have been long and short listed for numerous prestigious awards. He was won the Please Touch Museum Illustration Award in 2011 and the Hampshire Illustrated Book Award in 2012. I am certain that more accolades are to follow.

When sharing David’s books with my boys, I often post a few questions:

What can you see? What do you wonder? What does this remind you of?

By sharing a few quick questions, children tune in their brains to think about the text and going back into their memories to see if any connections can be made.

David’s books are listed below:

The boy and I are anticipating the soon to be released What’s Up Mumu? I am certain it will be as delightful as the other titles.

As a special treat, David has created an illustration just for Playful Learning! Thank you David, what an honor!

(not for publication/reproduction)

Author Focus: Jon Klassen

By Mariah Bruehl, 4th September 2014

Rebecca from Thirteen Red Shoes is with us today to share some inspiring insights and book recommendations from the great author, Jon Klassen.

Along with Oliver Jeffers, who I highlighted in my previous post, I believe Jon Klassen to be a modern day classic author/illustrator.

Jon Klassen, who grew up in Niagara Falls, Canada and now resides in Los Angeles California, is an illustrator with a very distinct style and use of color, which I find so very appealing. He has also recently become an author in his own right, publishing I Want My Hat Back and This Is Not My Hat, both stories about the unfortunate thievery of a hat!

Below is a little clip of Jon describing his movement from being an illustrator to an author illustrator.

Author and Illustrator Jon Klassen discusses picture books from Candlewick Press on Vimeo.

These books are perfect for open ended challenges and testing the notion of multimodal texts, whereby the illustrations and the text are both required in order to make meaning. Jon Klassen’s books require a lot of thought from a child’s perspective in order to gather the inferred meaning.

His two books in which he is the author illustrator have endings which might seem a little harsh, so be sure to read yourself prior to reading aloud to children. Reading aloud to children is an art form, so practice before hand and have a good understanding of the book before presenting it to your children or class. This makes the experience much more rewarding for all involved and allows for a deeper discussion and the possibility to open up new discussion points, and new provocations which may lead to interesting research and findings.

I Want My Hat Back is such a delightful tale. The clever use of eye placement creates the significant connection between text and illustrations in which the whole story is based. The emotions, and therefore, the storyline of the tiny fish and the large fish are told in these minute changes. He truly is masterful.

Jon’s titles both as an illustrator and an author can be found below:

This Is Not My Hat(winner of The Caldecott Medal in 2013, and the Kate Greenway Medal in 2014)
I Want My Hat Back (2012 Giesel Honour book)
The Dark
Extra yarn (Honor book in The 2013 Caldecott Medal)
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series
House Held Up By Trees
Cat’s Night Out

Interview with Jon Klassen and his Candlewick publisher Liz Bicknell

Growing a Young Reader

By Mariah Bruehl, 3rd September 2014

Christie Megill is with us today to share some great tips for nurturing the budding young readers in our lives.

Learning to read is a process; there are several stages that children will move through before they are called “fluent readers.” Children who are at the very beginning of their reading careers are “emergent readers.” The emergent reading stage generally spans ages 4-6, give or take a year on either end. These young readers are first learning the alphabet and the corresponding letter sounds, then beginning to sound out words independently, and then are reading beginner books. As children are able to decode and sound out basic words, they learn patterns and phonics rules, and move along on the path to becoming independent readers.

What can you do at home to support your young reader?

First, the basics: read aloud to your child, provide a plethora of books at home, and go to the public library together to check out books.

Here are a few more tips for encouraging your budding reader…

Choose Just-Right Books

For emergent readers, you want to find books that are a good fit for your child’s reading level: a “just-right” book is like the porridge in Goldilocks and the Three Bears: neither too challenging to read (too hot), nor too simple (too cold). It’s perfectly okay to have a selection of books that are too easy or too hard for your reader, but when learning to read, it’s important to provide a selection that are “just-right.” A good way to determine a “just-right” book is to open up to the first page, and ask your child to read the words. Can your child breeze through all of the words with ease? It may be too easy. Is he or she unable to read 4-5 words on the page? It may be too hard.

Ask Questions

When you are reading aloud to your child, or vice versa, be sure to ask questions before, during, and after reading. This will help support comprehension and critical thinking. Before you even open the book, look at the cover or the book summary and ask “What do you think might happen in this book?” As you read, don’t be afraid to pause and ask questions. Ask about the characters, the plot, or the pictures on the page. Ask your child to make predictions, and later, ask if that prediction has changed. When the book is over, take a pause and then ask some more: “How did that book make you feel?” “Would you have done the same thing that Character X did?” “Does this book remind you of other stories we’ve read?”

Teach Strategies

Reading aloud to your child may come naturally, but when learning how to read, your child should be reading aloud to you, as well! Just like any other skill, reading takes practice. Encourage your child to read aloud to you from “just right” books.

Patience and support go a long way in this endeavor. If your child is unsure of a word while reading aloud, don’t immediately jump in for him or her. Ask guiding questions so that your child can try to decode the word:

Ask him or her to sound the word out, letter by letter
Ask him or her to use any pictures on the page for hints
Ask him or her to skip the tricky word and read the rest of the sentence, then go back – is there a word that would make sense, given the context?
Ask him or her to break the word into chunks of familiar sounds
Ask him or her to try a different vowel sound – either long or short

Try to avoid covering up pictures that would otherwise give clues about words on the page. Also, challenge yourself to avoid constant and instant corrections; many times, a child will correct him or herself after noticing that the original word does not make sense in the sentence. If there is a letter or group of letters your child is having difficulty with, focus on that as a learning goal outside of the book.

The experience of learning to read will be different for every child: some find it simple, some find it challenging, some find it enjoyable, and some do not. But the pride that comes in reading a book on one’s own is universal – be a part of it!

8 Ways To Fit Reading Into Your Busy Schedule

By Mariah Bruehl, 1st September 2014

Nicole Clevenger is with us today to share some handy tips for fitting quality reading time into our busy after school schedules.

It’s back to school time, and when you meet your child’s teacher for the first time, you will be bombarded with different ways to support your child’s reading at home.

Your child’s teacher will tell you that reading at home is an important predictor in creating and supporting lifelong readers. When the teacher (strongly) suggests that your child read at home, and self-select reading material, every single night for 15-30 minutes, you’ll think sure, no problem! But then you will begin to panic, because when you think about the hectic evenings in your house you don’t see how this is going to be possible. Your family has soccer practice after school, piano lessons, math homework, projects due, baths/showers, and bedtime rituals. Multiply this by several children, and the realization that at some point among all of this craziness everyone has to eat, and there are no more minutes left in your day.

Family schedules can be chaotic, so finding time to fit reading into your evening routines may seem like an impossible task. However, with a little creativity and resourcefulness you can squeeze those minutes in, and more importantly find time for some quality moments with your children. Here are 8 ways to fit reading into your family’s busy schedule:

Encourage your children to carry a book at all times. Keep books in the car, in backpacks, and even in your own purse! While one of your children is waiting for her sibling’s soccer practice to end, hand her a book. On the way to the softball field, your child can sneak in a few more pages while she’s in the car. Does she have a doctor’s appointment? Let her read in the waiting room. If your child always has a book on hand, she can read during all of the “down times” that happen throughout the day!

Listen to audio books in the car. There are magnificent audio books at your local library that come highly recommended because of the narration. Turn off the radio, and listen to a book (yes, teacher’s still consider that reading). Whether it’s a short trip to the grocery store or a weekend visit to grandma’s house two hours away, who doesn’t love to sit and listen to someone else read to them? It’s also a good model for fluent and expressive reading!

Download audio books to an iPod, iPad or Android/iPhone. Did you know that you can download audio books from the library or use a mobile or desktop app like OverDrive Media Console? Visit OverDrive which allows you to download a book for a specified lending period. Your child can listen to the book while she’s doing chores or walking the dog.

*Be sure to go back and read the post from April 7, 2014. Rebecca from Thirteen Red Shoes recommended some great audio books that her family enjoys. For more information about the benefits of audio books, check out this article by Denise Johnson, assistant professor of reading education at the College of William & Mary in Virginia.

4. Read aloud during dinner preparations. Ask your child to read to YOU while you’re cooking dinner, or better yet take turns cooking and reading to one another. She can read the next chapter in her favorite book or review recipes. To get your family talking about current events at the dinner table, choose to share magazine articles and newspaper headlines.

Make reading part of your family’s daily routine. In my house, bedtime is the easiest way to fit in reading. The kids are tired, they’re quiet (usually), and they don’t mind sitting still. But if that doesn’t work for you and your family, try a different time – maybe first thing in the morning, right after breakfast, waiting for the bus, or directly after school. Is there a certain time that you check your e-mails, read the paper, or catch up on your favorite blog? This is a perfect time for your child to engage in some reading too.

6. Share poetry. Poetry is quick, it’s easy, and it only takes a few minutes to share. Over the course of a day or a week, those minutes add up to a whole lot of reading.

7. Select a family read aloud. Ask your librarian for books that appeal to a wide range of ages and read together as a family. Everyone gets to read (or listen) at once, and no more juggling around everyone’s schedules. There are some wonderful novels that the whole family would enjoy, and you are never too old for picture books.

*Any of these titles would make a wonderful read aloud for the entire family:

The BFG – Roald Dahl

The One and Only Ivan – Katherine Applegate

The Tale of Desperaux – Kate DiCamillo

Little House in the Big Woods – Laura Ingalls Wilder

8. Add reading time to your calendar. It might sound forced, but everything else is on your calendar so why not add time to read? Schedule a time each week for the family to stop, drop, and read. Everyone has to drop whatever they’re doing (yes, including you) and READ. Anything goes – books, magazines, comics, newspapers, blogs, etc. Instead of movie night every Friday, make every other Friday reading night and focus on different genres (have a mystery night or poetry night). Every member of the family needs to have something in that genre to read or share.

Time may be at a minimum in your busy household, but when it comes to raising a reader finding a way to fit in those 15-30 minutes each night will be well worth the extra effort. How do you find time in your family’s schedule to make reading a priority?