Comments on: How to Read to Differently Aged Children for Great Family Read Aloud Time!

By: Colleen

Colleen — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 12:21:06 +0000

I love the diet idea! I don't have any children of my own yet, but I always read during snack time to my 2nd graders 🙂

By: Hali

Hali — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 21:54:30 +0000

Thank you for this great advice and encouragement. I have a 7 yr old and a 1 yr old and sadly bedtime reading aloud with the eldest went out the window when the baby arrived. I’m reintroducing it now and I need all the help I can get!! It was my favourite time of the day

By: Erica MomandKiddo

Erica MomandKiddo — Mon, 30 May 2016 10:15:02 +0000

In reply to Jennifer. It's never the same two days in a row, that's for sure. :)

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 25 May 2016 02:30:06 +0000

I have a 20 month old and 5.5 year old and I usually try to talk my husband into putting little bro down so I can read to big bro. That doesn't always work though - little bro is a huge momma's boy right now. I find that if I put out a bunch of books, that is often enough to distract little bro (he loves books). Or I can read and they'll both listen sometimes (with little bro in my lap). Sometimes little bro will want me to read to him when big bro is doing something else and that works too since I'm sure there is only so much Good Night Moon or Five Little Monkeys big bro can take. And then sometimes, story time just isn't going to happen.

By: Erica MomandKiddo

Erica MomandKiddo — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 14:38:42 +0000

In reply to Katie. Thanks, Katie! I hope it helps her.

By: Katie

Katie — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 01:46:07 +0000

Great post! My good friend has a 5-year-old and an 18-month-old, so I will definitely share this with her.

By: Kerry Aradhya

Kerry Aradhya — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:52:27 +0000

I have a 6-year-old and a 4-year-old and often struggle at reading time, too. Sometimes my husband and I both take part, so that each of us can read with one child. But I like your strategies for helping with reading time together. I am lucky that I have two girls (like you seem to have two boys) so that for the most part they are interested in the same things!

By: Jackie H.

Jackie H. — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 20:09:15 +0000

I really like the idea of letting the older child choose a book. My 10 month old doesn't really care what we are reading yet- so I'm going to try and let the 2 year old pick out books for the baby.
Luckily, my boys do have different nap schedules (that somewhat overlap) so I try to read to them separately. The baby is just getting to the age where it's difficult because he wants to turn pages and I want him to develop book handling skills but his big brother must NOT want him to develop book handling skills.
This is a great post! Thanks for sharing.

By: Aly in Va

Aly in Va — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 15:22:10 +0000

Honestly, I've been creating a series of You Tube videos of me reading books for the two year old. I started it originally for grandma's house during the day (I could then still seem to be a part of her day) but now I've found myself putting the videos on even here around the house. I guess it's not so bad (watching tv/videos) since they are starring mommy reading aloud different books. I'm thinking about doing some chapter read alouds now for the older one too....on those days where I'm too pooped to do bedtime reading 🙁

By: Steph

Steph — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:47:21 +0000

Thanks for this post, I like your ideas. Ever since Little Man became mobile he will not listen to us read books. We still try reading to him every day but we end up reading to the air while he runs around. We'll keep trying, though!

I usually read to PBug for at least an hour during Little Man's naptime because a: it's one of the few times I'm not chasing Little Man off the counters and tabletops, and b: it keeps her quiet so she doesn't wake him up from his nap (and I am usually desperate for him to take a nap).

I'm going to try the lunchtime idea!