My Kindergartner Read WHAT?

Image courtesy of Phaitoon / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As a former reading teacher, my area of expertise is with striving middle school readers. My perennial challenge was to dig up reading materials that were high interest/low ability and looks middle school-ish. Nothing kills a middle school student's confidence faster than walking around with a elementary-level reading book.

As a mother of twin kindergartners, I'm facing a different challenge. Both peeps read well above grade level. Not only that, but they have mind blowing comprehension skills. So, in a strange - and thrilling! - turn of events, I'm faced with finding high ability/appropriate content reading material for them. Junie B. Jones is a favorite, but I can tell those books aren't presenting much of a challenge anymore. Tonight, I passed along  A Wedding For Wiglaf?  by Kate McMullan . It's around a  3rdgrade level, and I think they might enjoy it. I finished it today as part of my Project 2013 (which isn't going so well, but that's fodder for another blog).

One of the peeps' teachers recommended that we let them read what they want to read, and I must admit I'm leaning in that direction. My father never censored my reading when I was growing up (he probably should have), so limiting my kids' access to reading makes me uncomfortable.  I don't want them to become bored with books to the point that they stop reading, but I'm a little nervous that they will uncover too much too soon and I'll have a lot of  explaining to do. Parental discretion is advised, right?

Are there any teachers or parents out there with the same challenge? I'd love to hear your solutions, and if you have any reading recommendation, PLEASE pass those along!

Thanks for reading! It keeps your ... Mind Full of Literacy!

By the way, I hope you'll take a few minutes to check out my other blog, My Ideal Reality.

Do You Hear What I Hear? Listening as Literacy

photo credit: Kaptain Kobold via photopin cc

I've long held the belief that listening to other people read can have a significant impact both on early childhood learners and striving readers. This article from Reading Rockets lists multitude of benefits that audiobooks can offer readers.

In addition to reading books, I have been on a audiobook binge lately. My local library system makes it super easy to download books using the Overdrive program. I've introduced my girls to audiobooks. We've listened to quite a few in the car. They love them - and it saves my ears from Radio Disney! Here's what we've been reading lately.

• Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park: - anything and everything Junie B. And these recordings, read by Lana Quintal, are fantastic!
• Judy Moody by Megan McDonald: Judy Moody Declares Her Independence
• Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary - Read by Stockard Channing. Good story, but not a great recording.
• Young Fredle by Cynthia Voight

I've enjoyed these books while walking, driving, vacuuming, emptying the dishwasher ... you get the idea. Basically, any time I can steal a few minutes.

• Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
• Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children byRansom Riggs 

Is there anything more delightful than getting lost in the prosodic, fluent, expressive voice of another person?

How about you? Do you enjoy listening to books? Do you use audiobooks in your classroom? Do audiobooks make your skin crawl? Do tell!

Thanks for reading. It keeps your ... Mind Full of Literacy!