How do you find time for reading out loud with children?

[Coyote72]

I have a 5 year old in Y1. We really really struggle to fit reading out loud into our daily schedule. He's alright with reading, but definitely would benefit from time reading with us.

Would love to hear how others manage this or any hot tips.

Reading to us tends to be in the morning or at the weekend, before bed really doesn't work for DS1 (5) as he doesn't like reading and by then he's shattered.

Reading to him is always before bed, but also just generally an option throughout the day - we have a bookcase beside the sofa in the living room, and one of us will often just pick up a book. DS2 (2) also loves books at the moment, so when he's getting read to DS1 usually joins and demands we take it in turn to choose the books.

@ArghhWhatNext
I work in secondary school I'm doing a presentation to all staff next week about how a lack of reading for pleasure/independent reading has negative outcomes. It's so clear cut for us just like for yourselves.
Roald Dahl addressed this in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory he advised throwing out the TV and installing a bookcase. Seems funny now as when he wrote it we had only 3 TV channels. He was right though.

Unlike most I find it much easier to fit in in the morning. Our morning routine flows nicely at this point so by 08:15 we are done and there is 10-15 mins free for reading. Our evening routine is much more all over the place due to after school activities.

We do a mixture of:

• Reading at bedtime
• Reading in the morning outside school - we have to drop older DC earlier and hang around
• DC reading to me whilst I'm cooking. This isn't perfect but works for us inevitably DC had reasonable competence

If your children are in before/afterschool childcare it is trickier. I would aim for longer weekend sessions and shorter sessions in the week 2-3 times.

Bedtime was always us reading to them. We did reading aloud in the kitchen usually whilst we were cooking or clearing up after dinner. They went to after school club so it was a bit of a challenge fitting everything in.

15 mins every night, after bath, downstairs on sofa, before bed. I have an alarm on my phone to remind me, as time runs away in the evenings with kids.

I'd make reading a top priority. What is your evening schedule?

Sorry all my post wasn't clear, I meant having my SON read out loud.

We do lots of book reading in the day (always bedtime and whilst he's eating breakfast for example)!

Helpful

Thank you this is very helpful and after tea makes a lot of sense because he's not tired for bed time and has a full satisfied tummy.

If you drive to school then 5 minutes in the car when you get there. No distractions and everything you need is to hand.

We didn't drive to school but used to pass lots of parents doing this!

The other thing I will add is, there is a thread on here at the moment about the privilege that is needed to succeed in the 11+. One of the things the poster was complaining about was the vocabulary that is tested; they suggested that 10/11 year olds simply didn’t have that type of vocabulary.
Some of the children I teach opt to do the 11+ (not an 11+ area but they want to travel to their choice of school). The ones who pass are invariably readers - reading means they acquire and can use a wide and flexible vocabulary. It has nothing to do with their social background. We can do loads of guided reading and comprehension in school, but without independent practice, the skills won’t become embedded.

After tea used to work best for us.

But just getting him to read things when you’re out and about counts too. A sign or poster advertising an event, making choices in the supermarket, going to the library for a quick read etc.

It all adds up and makes a huge difference to their understanding.

When they get in from school, it's snack then reading book. (School assigned book)

I then do reading with DS5 from 7-8 which is his bedtime stories so I do it, but if he's not too tired then he might ask if he can read another book to me of his choice. Then from 8-9 me and DS9 do a reading hour....he's past reading out loud now so he reads his book and I read mine, (but he enjoys being in my bed kicking me while this happens) or sometimes we will both listen to an audiobook together with him following along.

It gone 9 pm, her kid is asleep. You think she should wake him up for a read once all her chores are done and she's finally sat down for a coffee?

Bedtime all week, and then weekends as and when

I find this interesting because at our old school this amount of homework was standard. We've moved schools and areas and it seems the sole goal of this school is to improve pupils reading, so there just spelling and maths homework every week. No project homework or anything.

This has obviously made reading easier. There's also raffles and assembly certificates when children reach milestones in their reading logs. But I worry that when DS goes to high school he'll be good at reading but overwhelmed by the huge increase in homework that he will experience.

@ImTheOnlyUpsyOne ours is largely maths and reading. There's rarely homework about anything else. I agree re senior school. It's only 18m away and will be a shock if suddenly there's homework for every subject.

Thanks for that - I had in fact only just eaten dinner post bedtime and put away the Tesco home delivery!

Yes this is our challenge, he does after school club 3 evenings (home about 5.15 then I'm cooking) and climbing another. So that leaves Fridays and he is tired!

In the morning before school. Everyone was so much fresher then.

We read morning and night. Usually as soon as he gets home from school but not always as I also have a 9 month old to wrestle with lol.

We have always had that routine but equally my son loves reading and it only takes 5 minutes max.

My kid reads to himself in the mornings. He loves reading and it's not a problem. But we find it hard to find the time to read to him. He's got clubs, wants to play in the evenings and we dont always manage to read to him. On the plus side, he usually listens to a lot of audio books.

Often in the car when we're waiting 5 mins for dancing/swimming/football to start. Sometimes before I go to work. Now he is Y2 and can read fluenty we can do it at bedtime but after about 6pm was a struggle in Reception.

I'm a nearly full-time teacher, use wrap around care for my children and always tell my class that my children read 4 times a week without fail despite that. You really have to make the time for it. Most people could manage Saturday or Sunday at least. You could also ask if wrap around would sit and do reading with your child - many will.

On an evening we choose a bed time story, I read a page and my 5 year old reads a page.
We also make time for her school books