When it’s cold outside, it’s the perfect time for a family read-in. The idea of a read-in is to have everyone engaged in reading in some way. That can mean the youngest with board books through the oldest with a full novel, or everyone listening to a story read aloud, or even taking turns finding articles in a stack of magazines. The idea is to have the entire family engaged in reading.
Read Aloud
This can be as straightforward as one adult reading from one book, or one adult reading multiple short books, or everyone reading something on their own. The most important part is that it’s a family activity. Everyone is engaged in reading or listening.
Read Silently
If everyone can read, and no one wants to hear the same story, break out several books or magazines and ask the kids to pick what they’d like. The idea is that everyone – including the adults – is spending time reading.
Read Together
If you have beginning readers, why not borrow multiple copies of a book and have them read along while you read aloud? Or, have each one read a page before passing it along to the next child.
Talk About It
When you’re done reading, take ten to fifteen minutes to talk about what you’ve read. What was the best part? The worst part? The saddest part? The funniest part? Would the main character make a good friend? Would they have made different choices? What do they think the characters are up to now?
Bottom Line
You can spend as little as forty-five minutes (thirty to read and fifteen to discuss) or as long as your family agrees to. Make it clear that you also read, and that reading is not a punishment. In fact, it’s an enjoyable way to spend some time inside.