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Favorite books to read aloud as a family! I suppose I SHOULD have said that the only age limit on these is that they’re probably going to be best enjoyed by kids 7 and up, but you know your kids and what will hold their attention span best! Some tips for reading aloud with the family: -give the littlest ones coloring or drawing pads to fidget with while you read. Even if they miss some details, everyone is having more fun when you’re not constantly stopping to remind them to stay quiet or sit still. -make it a ritual! Afterward, we all eat ice cream or popcorn together, and it becomes a weekly tradition everyone looks forward to. -keep it short with young kids. No more than 10-15 minutes and increase as they get older. -BOOK IT! Whatever evening you’re all most likely to be together every week, thats read aloud night and it’s consistent! This won’t work if you decide spur of the moment to kick everyone off screens to read together with no warning. - if you’ve got a reluctant teenager who seems disinterested, start with a book they remember fondly. Nostalgia is a powerful thing. -make sure all the devices and screens are not just put down, but far away and silent before you start! -DO THE VOICES AND ACCENTS! Be willing to look ridiculous. Everyone else making fun of you is still a bonding activity, even if it’s at your expense 😉 -stay flexible within thst consistency. If one kid is over-tired and miserable and you know is not going to cooperate that night, its okay to delay for a night or a week. Try to keep each experience positive. -TAKE BOOKS WHERE EVER YOU GO! We bring our read-alouds camping, or when we will have a long wait time for something, or just in case we get stuck in traffic in the car. Some if our favorite memories of reading as a family happened in unexpected places. Have fun this summer!!!!