Family Story Time

My family has started a new tradition of story time this winter, where I read to them and they sit around and listen. I can see us as a 19th century pioneer family, sitting in front of the fireplace in the evenings, having one of the parents, or if old enough one of the kids reading to the rest. It's fun.
I read to my husband at bedtime most nights...he says my voice relaxes him and I usually get to choose the books I read to him (most of them old favorites of mine that I want to share with him). Moon Called by Patricia Briggs is a fluff piece, but fun. My fun reading materials almost always deal with the supernatural and this one is about a "skinwalker" trying to survive in a world of werewolves, vampires, and fae.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riorden caught my Husband's and Oldest son's interests when they saw the movie previews and I brought home the book from the library so I read this one to them in the early evenings, after school work is done, but before I have to make supper. My Oldest isn't a big reader, but I think he's really enjoying having me read to him like I used to when he was so much younger. He will actually go and get the books in the evenings and ask me to read to them. I love that.

One of my Oldest son's best friends and a good friend of the family started cleaning out his bookshelves and found a collection of Scooby-Doo and You books. These are neat little books, because they give the kids the suspects and the clues and they get to try and solve the mystery before the Scooby Gang does! The first book we read was Scooby-Doo and You and the Case of the Haunted Hound. These will help with his comprehension later, since they ask questions after each chapter like "Who is the suspect?", "What do they do for a living?", "What is the Clue?", or "Why is the Clue important?" Then we discuss what we've just read before reading the next chapter. He's also having problems recognizing his letters, so I will choose 2-3 a week to concentrate on and I will have him pick them out in the book. He really seems to enjoy it. I usually sit down with him and read after lunch, and before his bath. Again he will go and get the book and bring it too me to read.

If you haven't tried doing this in your house, I would recommend it to everyone...even those without kids (the dogs will listen too!)