Read, read, read! Some kids will take to reading and never be without a book; some will not. Three of mine love books and will stop anything to read, especially with Mom or Dad. But there’s that one child (actually, my earliest reader) who is always reluctant. He would much rather be hanging out with friends or kicking a ball. With this child, I have to make a special effort to designate part of the day as “reading time.” Reading aloud is still highly beneficial for him, even as he enters his teen years.
Some notes from Ambleside on the Quality of Books read and the benefits of Spreading out Readings over time.
These booklists are not hard and fast, but simply the ages at which my children enjoyed them. We do read some of the more “controversial” books like A Series of Unfortunate Events and Harry Potter. What can I say, we love them.
Poetry