Category Archives: Homeschool

The Book that Turned My Boy into a Reader

Trying to Turn My Boy into a Reader

I have spent the last two years trying desperately to find books that would turn my son Malachi (second grade) into a reader. We have tried Nate the Great, Encyclopedia Brown, Magic Tree House, the Key Hunters Series, and lots of other books he has had to read for school. While some of these books have sparked his interest, he doesn’t stick with them. Last year, we discovered the Billy and Blaze books, and he loves those! But our library doesn’t carry those, and I haven’t ordered anymore yet.

Our Barnes and Nobles Trip

Last year, we discovered the Billy and Blaze books, and he loves those! But our library doesn’t carry those, and I haven’t ordered anymore yet. A few months ago, we went to Barnes and Noble to get a book I have been waiting and waiting for. It’s The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie, and it is phenomenal! Anyway, while we were there, I did what I always do when I go to Barnes. I tried to find an interesting new book that Malachi would like to read. He picked out his usual books to look at and read- Lego books, Transformer books, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy if he reads anything, but I wanted to get him into chapter books.

So I walked around as usual and pulled out a few books that I thought might interest him. I found a new one I hadn’t seen before. I pulled it off the shelf and asked Malachi to come sit by me while I read the first chapter. He reluctantly agreed. I learned this tip from Sarah Mackenzie. Sometimes you can read the first chapter out loud to get them hooked, then hand the book to your child to continue reading on their own.

Well, I did just that. I read the first two chapters while he sat next to me. When I first started reading, he wasn’t really engaged, but soon I had pulled him into the story. By the time, I finished the second chapter and closed the book, he grabbed it from my hand and said, “Can we buy it?” Success!

Success!

We bought the book and brought it home. He read it each day for school and at night-time before bed. Once he finished it, we went back to Barnes and Noble and bought the second book in the series. Soon after, we trekked back to Barnes to get the third book in the series.

These books are called The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls. A brother and sister find a mysterious scroll that transports them back to Bible times. The first scroll takes them back to the Garden of Eden and they face the serpent. The second book takes them to the ark, and the third takes them to Egypt and Moses. Malachi loves that they are fiction stories that incorporate Bible stories. He thinks that’s so cool.

Since reading these books, I haven’t had to fight with him for reading time. He has read several books since then. Just today, he read an entire Magic Tree House book Ghost Town at Sundown during rest time. I love it when I find him reading a book in his free time!

3 Tips to Turn Your Boy into a Reader

If you have an early-elementary boy giving you a hard time reading, I hear your pain! It has been a struggle! Here are just a few suggestions that are working for us.

Let him read anything that interests him, even if it seems to be too young for him. I have let Malachi read Lego books, Disney Cars books, Transformer books, anything that will at least get him reading. We got him Lego Police books for his birthday. They were beneath his level, but he read them. That’s the goal. The goal is to get him to love reading.
This next tip is from Sarah MacKenzie, author of The Read-Aloud Family. Try reading a chapter or two of a book first and then giving it to him to continue on his own. Reading it for him might capture his attention and bring him into the story faster than if he tried to read it on his own. It might just work that he gets hooked and has to find out for himself how it ends.
Just keep trying. Don’t give up. Keep pulling all different kinds of books until you find some that interest your child.

Book Ideas for Early Elementary Boys

Here are some great book ideas to get you started.

The Billy and Blaze Series by C.S. Anderson

The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls Series by M. J. Thomas

The Tuttle Twins books by Connor Boyack

Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol

Nate the Great Books by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

Key Hunters Series by Eric Luper

Dragon Masters Books by Tracey West

Boxcar Children Books by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Magic Tree House Books by Mary Pope Osborne

Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson

I Survived Series by Lauren Tarshis

Frog and Toad Books by Arnold Lobel

The Imagination Station Series from Adventures in Odyssey

Remember: There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book. —Frank Serafini

photo credit: Aaron Burden

Finding the right book makes all the difference! Here’s to happy book hunting! What books have you found that spark an interest in boys?

Morning Time Baskets for Kids

New Morning Time Baskets

We decided it was time for our two older kids, Malachi (8) and Madison (6) to start doing their own Bible reading and prayer time in the mornings. They have watched Matt and I do our morning time for years and wanted to do their own. (Read my three tips for a good morning time here). So we decided to do just that.

To make it fun, we created morning time baskets similar to the one I have. We found cute baskets at Hobby Lobby in the spring shop section. Each basket was $3.99 or less for full price, but we got each one forty percent off! So they were all under $3.

Devotional Baskets

My two littles got to participate too. Each child got to pick out a basket and a journal. My two older kids each grabbed a story Bible too. They have regular Bibles at home, but I wanted them to get an easier version that they could read the stories from. We grabbed these hands-on Bibles pictured below. I absolutely love these Bibles! They are easy to read for my older two. They can pretty much read them by themselves.

Then I grab one and read it to my two littles. Every paragraph or so, there is a little hand. You stop at the hand and do whatever it says. It may be singing a little song, acting like an animal, pretending to be a tree growing, whatever goes with the story. All of my kids enjoy the fun. I can’t say enough good about these Bibles. Plus, they were a really good price. They were less than $15 each.

Kids’ Bible Reader

I have my kids follow a condensed version of what I do for my morning time.

Madison journaling

Journaling

First, they write down one thing they are thankful for.
Then they write down one confession from the day before– something they are asking God’s forgiveness for.
Lastly, they write down one thing to pray for. They can write more for any of these, but this gets them started.

Bible Reading

They pick a Bible story to read for the day.
When they finish, we go through the questions and application section.
They write down (in their journal) one thing they learned or can apply for the day.

Malachi reading his Bible

Finishing Up

We then pray and ask God to help them have a good day and apply whatever it is they learned.
Then they often choose to draw something in their journal from what they read.
Madison’s journal entry

Malachi’s journal entry

It’s a pretty simple system, but they enjoy it. They get a mug of hot chocolate when they are doing their morning time to help make it fun and something they look forward to.

(Note: I threw in a few pieces of candy for a picture for an Easter post I wrote.)

What I Love About Morning Time Baskets

Using a basket keeps all the materials needed in one place.
It develops consistency and faithfulness in Bible reading and prayer at a young age.
It keeps them busy when I am trying to do my own morning time.

I love these morning baskets! They have really helped shape our mornings as a family. Give it a try and see if it doesn’t transform your family’s morning as well!

Faithfully Stepping

Encouragement for Women on their Journey of Faith