Read Aloud Tips: Ideas to help your children deepen their understanding of stories

This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series Summer Read Aloud

“The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction. Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it…” Prov. 16:21-22a

By: Dana Baran

In my last post, I talked about the power stories have and the vital role reading aloud with your children plays in their character development and spiritual formation. Mosaic of Moms has partnered with Read Aloud 15 Minutes to help you stay accountable for reading with your child. But what power can reading aloud have if your child has trouble understanding the book? As a reading teacher, I spent a lot of time modeling and practicing comprehension strategies with my students. These are simple reading techniques that good readers do automatically, but that emerging readers need to see modeled. Who better to show them how to be a good reader than you?

Here are a few easy strategies to help your child deepen his or her understanding of the story: Continue reading →

Reading: A Spiritual Experience

1 Reply

This entry is part 1 of 3 in the series Summer Read Aloud

Psalm 119:103-104 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.”

By: Dana Baran

I am passionate about reading. For as long as I can remember I’ve been a reader. Mom likes to tell people that I taught myself to read when I was four, and began reading chapter books around age six (lest you think I’m some sort of genius, let me assure you that my precociousness in this area was balanced out by struggles in others…namely math and spelling). I have always been captivated by the power stories have – to let us travel to faraway places and times, to give us adventures, to allow us to vicariously face dangers, and to give us fantastic friends we can visit again and again (I’m a fan of re-reading favorite books). Continue reading →

The True Meaning of Memorial Day

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

By: Sarah Smith

As a child, I can recall spending Memorial Day weekend with my grandparents. And that weekend always ended with a trip to the cemetery where most of our relatives were buried. I remember seeing the names of ancestors I had never met. It was a time of honoring those who had gone on before us.

It wasn’t until I married into a military family that I understood the history behind Memorial Day. Continue reading →

An Open Letter to My Mom: A Joyful Song

Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalm 100:2

By: Sarah Smith

For my Mom’s 70^th birthday in 2006, my sister created a scrapbook to celebrate her life. It contained pictures from my mom’s childhood, young adult years and beyond. I love to look at that book and remember our time together. Several pages were a collection of letters written to my mom from those who loved her. Below is the letter I wrote. Next to it was a copy of the song “Sing” by Joe Raposo (made popular when the Carpenters performed it on Sesame Street.)

All of my memories of you, Mom, are accompanied by one song or another. I now know that you had to sing to keep your sanity! It’s hard to be grumpy with a song in your heart. This song really brings back the memories and it seems to summarize the way I feel I was raised. Continue reading →

My Favorite Mother’s Day Tradition

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16

By: Jennifer Mullen

Pardon my messy bathroom. I had more important things to do than clean mirrors and toilets.

Last Saturday I rolled out of bed while my family still slept. I packed one of my many Thirty-One bags with some of my journals, my Bible, and my favorite book. Threw on some jeans and a scarf and escaped to a corner booth at Panera.

I sat in that booth for FIVE HOURS! I enjoyed both breakfast and lunch during my stay.

You may wonder what on Earth could I be doing for FIVE HOURS?

Well this is one of many things Gretchen has taught me about taking time to get focused as a mom. Click here to read her article about this amazing tradition I think all mothers should consider.