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Kids and Books

July 12, 2017 By Christine Field

This post may contain affiliate links.

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When I was a kid, I practically lived at the library.

I grew up on the South Side of Chicago and we had one of those grand, old, stately marble libraries. It was set in a big old city park called Sherman Park with a lagoon and stone bridges and lots of paths to explore.

 

During the school year, I had to limit my visits to once a week. During the summer, I had the freedom to go anytime I wanted.

I hope your kids know the wonders of the public library. When mine were younger, we were there constantly. As they got older and the pull of their electronic devices increased, they went less often.

While they are younger and immersed in books is a great time to learn to respond to books. What the heck does that mean?

When I was a kid, it was writing book reports. They were dreadfully dull things!

There are so many other ways to respond to a book!

Because some books make you want to sing.

Some books play like a movie in your brain.

Some books lead you to create art.

Why should we limit our kids to one way of responding to reading?

As I explored these options with my own kids, I kept track of them and have collected them all in my latest resource, Book Report Alternatives that Sizzle.

Rather than a bland book report, your child might try one of these ideas:

  • Pick a character from the book and write several journal entries that they might have written during the events of the story.
  • Write a letter to the main character then write the character’s reply.
  • Stories are made up of conflicts and solutions. Choose three conflicts that take place in the story and give the solutions. Is there one that you wish had been handled differently?
  • Write an obituary for one of the characters. Be sure to include life-time accomplishments.                                         
  • Write a poem about the plot of the book.
  • Create a travel brochure for the setting of the story or create some scrapbook pages about key characters.
  • Build a shoebox diorama of the setting of the major scene in the book. Construct models of characters, buildings, plants, furniture, etc.
  • Create a board game based on events and characters in the book you read. By playing your game, members of the class should learn what happened in the book. Your game must include the following: a game board, a rule sheet and clear directions, events and characters from the story.

Book Report Alternatives that Sizzle has tons of more ideas like these!

Every parent can have fun with these ideas with their child. Imagine working together with your child to make a board game based on the latest young adult novel. You’ll flex your creativity and have some great family time together. If you are a homeschooling parent, you can use these ideas in your Language Arts curriculum.

Check out Book Report Alternatives that Sizzle today!

 

Filed Under: Activities for kids, Adventure, Books and movies, Parenting, Relationships Tagged With: book reports, homeschool curriculum, kids and books

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Hi, I’m Christine

Have you been a wholehearted mother, but time, toddlers and teenagers have moved on? If you are wondering what comes next for you, you’ll feel right at home here.

Or, are you a mom for whom family life has been non-Pinworthy and parenting has been downright painful? I hear ya. There are many of us around.

Are you looking for a life full of exploration and adventure after the nest empties, but maybe you have no idea how to go about doing that? Stick around! We’ll explore adventures together to help you gain more clarity for your own path.

After a couple decades of writing books and articles about parenting, homeschooling and adoption, speaking to homeschoolers and other parent groups, and reaching out to the mom in the trenches who was trying to make the best of it - my kids grew up. Some grew up and grew away. I was determined to find a way out of the pain, emptiness and lack of direction.

For many of us, the journey starts with something we moms are not accustomed to. After years of caring for and serving others, sometimes we forget the beauty and wonder of US. We need to spend some time getting to know the parts of ourselves that have lain dormant, and take the time to explore interests and passions that we set aside.

I’d like to invite you to get the “What’s Next for Mom” workbook and jump into this growing tribe of Moms who are emptying the nest and filling the life! Let’s reignite your Mojo after Mothering!
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About Christine

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At Real Mom Life, my passion is to provide resources and reassurances for moms facing the surprising challenges of family life. In my writing and speaking, I explore solutions to unexpected issues in adoption, homeschooling, special needs, and more while encouraging moms to extract the maximum joy out of each day. Read More…

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