We are a couple years into our plunge deep into reading aloud and audiobooks with Quinn. I would guess she hears 2 hours+ a day, in combination from Matt and I reading aloud to her and listening to books on cd at rest time and bedtime.
This could easily become a soapbox for me....I could rant on and on the wonderful benefits of reading aloud to young (and older!) children, and this has become a topic I've delved into--research wise--both professionally and personally for many years now. But most of all, if I wanted to share something, it would be the list of books we've loved.
I share this list--our list--which I carefully cultivated from books I was familiar with, those recommended by read-aloud professionals (Jim Weiss, Jim Trelease, etc.) and from booklists recommended for kindergarteners--not for them to read themselves, but to hear. These books are well above what a kindergartener can typically read (especially mine, as we are letting her slowly emerge on her own as a reader) but perfect for their comprehension level. And I'd just about guarantee you are going to love them, too! They are beautiful classics....timeless and perfect for developing little minds into lovers of words and stories and all-things literature.
I have to tell you I don't pay money for books. Well, not directly. I think the public library system is just about the best place in the world and the only place my taxes go that makes me smile. We check out all our books from the library--books and cd's. I max out the online request function, where you can reserve up to 15 books ahead of time, in our huge county, they can come from any of the numerous library branches and will be waiting for us on the reserve shelf, under the L section, in a glorious golden manilla envelope, complete with a lovely reminder in my email box.
So I would encourage you to mine your library. Figure out how to use the reserve/request system. get all these books for free!
These books are a mixture of ones we read aloud or that Quinn listened to. Often I will first read these novels aloud and then check out the cd, so she can re-listen at her leisure. I can't stand for her to listen to them without me because I don't want to miss these beautiful stories, so the first time we share these books it is usually with me reading them to her. Then she relistens at bedtime and naptime. I can't tell you what that does for reading fluency, comprehension.....I could go on and on. But most of all, it is so immensely pleasurable.
(HERE is an article I wrote previously on the power of audiobooks......)
I would guess at this point she has heard over 200 novels since she turned 4 and we started novels with her. I haven't done a great job of keeping up here on my education blog, though I have done photos on my personal blog, so I am going to be in the process of adding title recommendations over the course of the next few months, so check back often for updates!
And go to your library!!!!
Here they are.....our most recommended stories to hear aloud via CD or Mama/Daddy!
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
Elliot's Park series by Patrick Carman
Nate the Great Series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
Peter Pan by JM Barrie
Princess Posey books by Stephanie Greene
Story of the World Series by Susan Wise Bauer
Wonder Horse by Emily Arnold McCully
Paddington by Michael Bond (any of the series....A Bear Called Paddington, More About Paddington...)
My Father's Dragon (any of the series) by Ruth Stiles Gannett
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Charlotte's Web by EB White
Stuart Little by EB White
Ivy and Bean series by Annie Barrows
Three Little Robbers by Christine Graham
Fat Bat and Swoop by Leo Landry
The Littles (series) by John Peterson
The Trumpet of the Swan by EB White
Sable by Karen Hesse
Lafcadio The Lion Who Shot Back by Shel Silverstein
Chomps, Flea, Grey Cat and Me by Bill Wallace (or any of this series)
The Magic Treehouse Series....ALL OF THEM! by Mary Pope Osborne
Maybelle In the Soup by Katie Speck
The Boxcar Children Series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Nate the Great Series by Marjorie Sharmat
Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing, Double Fudge, Superfudge, Fudge-a-mania, any from this series by Judy Blume
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
Animal Rescue Team Series by Sue Stauffacher
The McBroom books (all of them!) by Sid Fleisch
Gooney Bird Jones Collection by Lois Lowry
The Clementine Series by Sara Pennypacker
Junie B. Jones Series by Barbara Park
Fancy Nancy Series by Jane O' Connor
*The Best Christmas Pageant Ever By Barbara Parks (with some editing of the language)
Winnie the Pooh Series by A.A. Milne
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
*The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindren
Tumtum and Nutmeg Series by Emily Bearn
Dick King-Smith Books (Aristotle, Babe, Ace, The Lollypop Series (SOOO GOOD), George Speaks, The Water Horse (perfect for boys, especially!), Funny Frank, The Twin Giants)
Bed and Biscuit Series by Joan Carris
The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater
The Buddy Files Series by Dori Hillestad Butler
Little Horse by Betsy Byars
A to Z Mysteries (26 total!) by Ron Roy
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle Series by Betty MacDonald
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Egg's Surprise by Betsy Byars
Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson
Tales from Cultures Near And Far by Jim Weiss (cd only)
Mole Music by David McPhail
Arthur Chapter Books by Mark Linn-Baker
Geronimo Stilton Series by Geronimo Stilton
Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins
The Little Match Girls by Marina Orsini
The Little Moose Who Couldn't Go to Sleep by Willy Claflin (or any of his audiobooks!)
Magic Schoolbus Series Audiobooks by Joanna Cole
William Steig stories (all of them!)
More Perfect Than the Moon by Patricia MacLachlan (any in this series--they go in order)
Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowlry
The Twits; The Minpins; The Magic Finger or any other Roald Dahl books
Cam Jansen series by David Adler
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
Starring Prima!: The Mouse of the Ballet Jolie by Jacquelyn Mitchard
Alice in Wonderland Series by Lewis Carroll
The Doll People by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin
Ralph the Magic Rabbit by Adam Frost
Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories by Dr. Seuss
Lulubelle and Her Bones by Vashti Farrer
Leroy Ninker Saddles Up by Kate Dicamillo
Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Racoon by Kate Dicamillo
Bink and Gollie, Best Friends Forever by Kate Dicamillo
Any of the Mercy Watson series by Kate Dicamillo
American Girl Series (some people shy away from these because they don't want to get into the whole doll crazy....the books are pretty fabulous historical fiction that we learn so much from, so we chose to just not tell Quinn the dolls exist...and if she discovers them, she is most welcome to save her money up to buy one!)
*Good Christmas Reads
