THE PRICELESS JOY OF ENJOYING BOOKS TOGETHER

Enjoying books with your children is much more that just reading aloud to them, although it includes that, too!  QUOTABLES Ximena: "Audio books are not cheating." ★★★ LISTENER COUPON CODE Request your coupon code to use on any purchase at bookshark.com. Thanks to show sponsor BookShark. Request a homeschool curriculum catalog or download samples at bookshark.com. TIMESTAMPS 02:22 What does it mean to enjoy books together? Read-alouds, audio books, and book club. 02:38 Benefits of enjoying books together. 03:46 Most parents stop enjoying books with their children once they learn how to read. But you can continue to enjoy books past that milestone! 04:16 The benefit of quality time. 04:57 How kids make connections from what you read to real life and you get to see that as a parent. These connections help kids become better thinkers and writers. 05:48 Enjoying books together builds that empathy for different people and different cultures. 06:43 When you read a book aloud, your children can enjoy a book they might not be able to comprehend when reading independently. 07:20 The more reading you do, the more literature you expose your children to, the better their grammar and writing skills.  08:23 Ximena admits she wasn't much of a reader as a child. But homeschooling her own children has fostered a love of reading in her adulthood. 09:08 How enjoying books together opens up valuable family discussions, often about difficult topics. Those conversations deepen the parent-child relationship. 10:25 When a book makes you cry, your kids may want to discuss why you're crying. This is a great learning and bonding moment. 15:17 Four ways to make enjoying books part of your homeschool. Ximena likes to read with her kids in the morning. DeeDee prefers after lunch, letting the kids do something with their hands like origami or weaving bracelets.  17:01 How BookShark curriculum helped them enjoy books with their kids. 17:50 DeeDee and Ximena talk about many of the books their families love: Ghandi (a biography) Elijah of Buxton Where the Red Fern Grows Number the Stars 19:41 How to start a book club. Ximena and DeeDee tell the story of their friendship beginning with a book club where they read Encyclopedia Brown. How their book club graduated to a thematic book club that ended with watching a movie version of the book.   21:50 Scrapbooking through books. 22:36 Book club with middle schoolers is so great because of the deep conversations you have with your children. 24:35 Tips for finding audio books and when to use them. SPECIAL SEGMENTS 00:50 Self-care Your Way Whole 30 (removing grains, dairy, and sugar from diet) a one day retreat at a hotel all by myself 13:31 What We’re Reading Harry Potter by JK Rowling Catching Fire, the 2nd book in The Hunger Games series Thanks to show sponsor BookShark. Request a homeschool curriculum catalog or download samples at bookshark.com.