Reading

   The driveway was transformed into a skating rink. The snowy, Narnian trees made an appearance on this side of the wardrobe. The powerlines? Well, they had seen better, more effective days. This wintery scene accurately describes the great ice storm of my childhood in my lovely state of Oklahoma. The power was out due to inches of ice, the wood stove was blazing, and the lanterns were lit and scattered throughout the house. Recalling that chilly winter night, I remember being bundled with blankets with my siblings in the dimly lit living room. The typical glare of the TV was missing that night. The quiet was kept without someone's radio. Instead, what greeted my ears was my mom reading aloud from an old family book of short stories. It was brown and weathered. It had the musky smell of a book well-loved. That, paired with the flickering flames of the family lanterns, lulled me to sleep that evening. Family-book reading wasn’t a nightly ritual at my house usually, but it was that winter storm. And while I recall the glistening landscape still, what is most cherished is the sound of my mother’s voice narrating the stories as we drifted off to sleep. While we all enjoy our movies, not one of us was disappointed those were missing during that storm. In fact, we were (and are) so grateful as the memories are now so much sweeter. If you have seen many educational websites or blogs, chances are you have already read the imperative importance of reading aloud. You may feel overwhelmed by the time commitment. Lost at where to begin. Not sure if you can handle yet another homeschooling requirement. Put those worries aside. As Mr. Pudewa says, â€Å"Anything worth doing, is worth doing however imperfectly.† This was far from religiously done in my home growing up, but it still had an impact on me—no matter how far and few the books were. Although you may not have an ice storm headed your way, unplug the television and sit down to read just one chapter of a favorite family book. Simply begin. And, if you need help along the way, head over to Read-Aloud Revival for fantastic book lists and helps, including Sarah Mackenzie’s new book, The Read-Aloud Family. Reading aloud is not just a winter storm activity—it’s an activity that creates a lasting family impact.    Michelle Robinson started out working in Production and as a marketing assistant, but now enjoys working with the Customer Service Department. Having been homeschooled her whole life, Michelle had the opportunity to compete in a homeschool speech and debate league. Because she is a  Latin scholar, Michelle has been asked to teach that subject to the local homeschooling community. Michelle is passionate about photography, her friends, and her faith. Log in or register to post commentsMichelle Robinsons blog Log in or register to post comments Reading Aloud Memories Permalink By marcihFeb16 My adult daughter and I had a conversation over the holidays about her memories of our family read-aloud times. Unsurprisingly, some of her favorite novels are ones that we read aloud as a family. We tried to read nightly, but that was the first to go as children grew up to be teenagers with their own busy schedules. I found small pockets of time during our mid-morning school break or during lunchtime. Of course, no vacation was complete without a book to read aloud. With children grown and out of the house, I sorely miss those times, but they haven't really disappeared. So often, our family uses a phrase or makes a reference that comes from a shared experience reading a book together. Those books are still a part of our family. I look forward to some day having grandchildren to start the reading-aloud cycle over again! Log in or register to post comments