SHARED SIBLING READS

One of my favorite harvests of our homeschool is the strong sibling bond our children share. What a gift they are to each other: built-in playmates, classmates, and best friends. One of the ways my children’s bond has bloomed over the years is through stories. Whether stories being told around the campfire, over walkie-talkies before bed, or stories grown of their own imagination through play or creative writing- stories have helped cultivate their relationships in a beautiful way.

My older two children remember bringing our youngest her board books on the deck during her summer of babyhood and remember some of their favorite titles. We reminisce often over some of our most treasured audiobooks- even naming one of our favorite lunches “Railway Chicken” because we ate this certain kind of chicken often while listening to “The Railway Children.” And of course, there are those treasured read-alouds that we revisit often- some we’ve read again, some we simply remember so fondly that our book discussions feel like being wrapped in a warm hug. (Book List Coming Soon!)

There are also books that I’ve intentionally used to plant seeds by encouraging my children to read them independently, but in the same season, so they can enjoy chatting about the book together and to let the story infiltrate their imaginative play in a very special, memorable and bonding way. Summer is the perfect time for that- whether or not you homeschool, or if you keep up with school throughout the summer. Over the years, my older children have read several series together that they wholeheartedly recommend, as do I from all I’ve witnessed in discussion and play surrounding these stories. These are all series I am confident in recommending for purchase for a permanent place in your home library and know they’ll provide strong roots in your family’s reading garden. For our family, in a couple of years when it is our youngest’s turn to read them, it will be a shared joy all over again when she can discuss the books with her older siblings.

If you purchase the series, I recommend having your faster reader start with Book 1. You could also borrow another copy from the library, or possibly two copies if your library is stocked. Or, if they’ll be sharing a book- they can each mark their spot with a different bookmark. The code of conduct at our house is just to make sure your sibling has read the part you want to talk about before discussing, as to not give anything away. The amount of discussion and play these shared reading experiences harvest is so meaningful to siblings and to witness as a parent. Not only will you witness sibling relationship growth in this current reading season, but you’ll harvest the rewards for years to come when they are still talking about these stories and when they are purposeful to seek another series to enjoy together!

Here’s to many seasons of reading and growing side-by-side,

The Greenhouse Bookworms Mama