Reading aloud is one of the very best things about homeschooling! So often, people underestimate the educational value of gathering the children together to hear a story. This is not “extra,” in addition to the “important” subjects. This, besides Bible, is one of the most important things that a family can spend their school day doing.
At STAR, our families with students in Forms 2 and 3 are all reading through the same chapter book at a time. The children discuss the week’s reading with their tutor, over tea, during class time on Wednesdays. At the end of the book, if there is a movie for the book, we watch the movie together. You can recreate this at home! Scroll down to see the list of books for the cycle, and then download the PDF reading schedule.
Read aloud books are scheduled at about one chapter per day, for a total of approximately four chapters per week.
You may use audio books if you like. Make sure to choose some subjects to read aloud in, though, so that your children have warm memories of hearing your voice reading aloud to them.
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
This book is read at a pace of four chapters per week during weeks 1 and 2 and then three chapters in week 3.
- Project Gutenberg, Canada (free)
- Faded Page (free)
- Internet Archive (free)
- Exodus (paperback)
- Amazon (paperback, hardcover, Kindle)
- Audible
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
(Also called Peter and Wendy or Peter Pan and Wendy)
This book is first read in week 3 (one chapter) and then is read at a pace of four chapters per week through week 7.
- Project Gutenberg (free)
- Project Gutenberg, version 2 (free)
- Yesterday’s Classics (ebook)
- Amazon (paperback, hardcover, Kindle)
- Exodus Books (paperback)
- LibriVox Audio (free)
- LibriVox Audio, version 2 (free)
- LibriVox Audio, version 3 (free)
- Audible
Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers by Ralph Moody
This book is scheduled at a pace of four chapters per week, beginning week 8 and ending in week 15 with three chapters.
- Scribd (free)
- Exodus Books (paperback)
- Amazon (paperback, Kindle, Audible)
The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
This book is first scheduled for one chapter in week 15, and then is scheduled at a pace of four chapters per week through week 20.
- Internet Archive (free)
- Exodus Books (paperback)
- Amazon (paperback, hardcover, Kindle, Audible)
Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
This whole book is scheduled for week 21.
- Internet Archive (free)
- Exodus Books (paperback)
- Amazon (paperback, Kindle, Audible)
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
This book is scheduled at a pace of four chapters per week, beginning in week 22 and ending with just three chapters in week 28.
- Internet Archive (free)
- Project Gutenberg (free)
- Exodus Books (paperback)
- Amazon (paperback, hardcover, Kindle)
- LibriVox Audio (free)
You can download the pdf here:
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If you have book suggestions or comments about these books, please share! 🙂