Hellobee Boards Topic: Once kids start to read, do they read their own books at bedtime?

Hellobee Boards Topic: Once kids start to read, do they read their own books at bedtime? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 05 May 2026 21:59:46 +0000 Mrs. D on "Once kids start to read, do they read their own books at bedtime?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/once-kids-start-to-read-do-they-read-their-own-books-at-bedtime#post-1924874 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 20:13:23 +0000 Mrs. D 1924874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ It's important to practice reading, for sure! But you should at home make reading mostly pleasurable. Read the stories to him, and ask him comprehension questions, this will really help him "get" reading. Reading is only half words, the rest is thinking, and if he doesn't learn to think about what he's reading, he'll grow up to dislike reading. It doesn't matter if you're reading him a chapter book, what's important is that he sees you reading and you ask him about the story and talk about it. He can visualize ANY story! Try 1-2 books at his level or lower so they're easy and not frustrating, then co-reading, you read, then he reads. Keep your fingers on the words so they can read along. Talk about the pictures, your personal connections (this reminds me of, hey I have a boat, etc), and the sequence of events (A happened so then b happened). Andrea on "Once kids start to read, do they read their own books at bedtime?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/once-kids-start-to-read-do-they-read-their-own-books-at-bedtime#post-1923796 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 08:27:53 +0000 Andrea 1923796@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I'll read to them as long as they want it! Right now I read chapter books to DD and then she'll read a few more books to herself, in bed, before drifting off. She can read stuff like the Bob books by herself. She is in pre-K. Mamaof2 on "Once kids start to read, do they read their own books at bedtime?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/once-kids-start-to-read-do-they-read-their-own-books-at-bedtime#post-1923682 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 07:09:40 +0000 Mamaof2 1923682@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My DS prefers that I read to him and I am fine with that - he is tired at bedtime and just wants to sit in my lap and relax looch on "Once kids start to read, do they read their own books at bedtime?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/once-kids-start-to-read-do-they-read-their-own-books-at-bedtime#post-1923672 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 07:06:07 +0000 looch 1923672@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I think you'd kind of have to follow your kid's lead. I can see me reading to my son for a long time, it's our cuddle and bonding time and he really loves it. Now, he's got the stories memorized, so if I say something wrong, he corrects me, but I can see us kind of winging it each night. I have this great book, I can't wait to use it, from here: <a href="http://bedtimemath.org/" rel="nofollow">http://bedtimemath.org/</a> Dandelion on "Once kids start to read, do they read their own books at bedtime?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/once-kids-start-to-read-do-they-read-their-own-books-at-bedtime#post-1923651 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 06:47:47 +0000 Dandelion 1923651@https://boards.hellobee.com/ D just wanted to do all the reading once he could. Now, in second grade, he's reading chapter books to himself at bedtime. HLK208 on "Once kids start to read, do they read their own books at bedtime?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/once-kids-start-to-read-do-they-read-their-own-books-at-bedtime#post-1923488 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 22:27:23 +0000 HLK208 1923488@https://boards.hellobee.com/ His school recommends 5 minutes of reading on their own, 5 minutes reading to a parent and 10 minutes of a parent reading to a child (20 minutes total every night). So we read a chapter book every night but he also reads a beginner book to himself and to us. Mrs. Twine on "Once kids start to read, do they read their own books at bedtime?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/once-kids-start-to-read-do-they-read-their-own-books-at-bedtime#post-1923480 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 22:21:43 +0000 Mrs. Twine 1923480@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We treat it as two separate things. Ellie reads SO much throughout the day-- she's basically at a point where she could read to herself anything that we might read aloud to her, but we feel that hearing adults read with fluency is still a wonderful thing for her on so many levels. At bedtime we have supper, she and Lorelei take a short bath, she brushes teeth (usually with Mr. T) and then one of us will read to her for about 30 minutes before lights out. And we don't kid ourselves that she doesn't read to herself some before actually falling asleep. I think it's great to let him read to you some, as well. If he's enjoying it you certainly could incorporate that into your routine. I try to take any and all "work" out of reading because it can be such an intensely pleasant activity and I hope for both girls that they make lifelong friends with books and with learning. Was also just going to mention that you don't have to feel restricted in what you read aloud. Just as adults sometimes like some variety, kids do, too. Ellie still loves picture books, and it's quite often that I will be sandwiched between both kids on the sofa reading something or other aloud. I'd just continue to help him have access to books of all kinds that might be interesting to him. We supplement regular library trips with me checking for books that I think might appeal to Ellie on goodreads or Amazon and then requesting those via inter-library loan. Sometimes they go over well, sometimes not so much. mrbee on "Once kids start to read, do they read their own books at bedtime?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/once-kids-start-to-read-do-they-read-their-own-books-at-bedtime#post-1923443 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 21:52:31 +0000 mrbee 1923443@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Our son is in Kindergarten and his whole class has started to learn to read... it's definitely a skill we want to encourage and practice. But at bedtime, we usually read him a chapter book. It's a far cry from the sort of beginner books that he might have a chance at sounding out on his own. How do you integrate book reading into the bedtime routine... do you have your child read a short simple book, and then read them a normal chapter book or whatever you usually read? I have no idea how to proceed, and thought I'd ask!