20 Books for Sixth Grade Reading

I always get excited about summer, but for all the "wrong" reasons. Many people believe that summer is a time for rest and relaxation without a care about school, but my summers are always filled with excitement and planning for the new school year. I love the "blank slate" of a new school year!
A few days ago, I was watching some of my favorite YouTube vloggers as they discussed their plans for the upcoming school year. One of them referenced a box of books she had been collecting for her kids to read, and that flipped a switch in my brain. I pulled together some of my favorite literature resources and started putting together a reading list for our sixth grade year next year!
I ended up with a list of twenty books, which I know is a little on the long side. I'm a voracious reader working with a voracious reader, so I'm pretty sure we will get through them all. However, I divided it into three sections: "Planned Book Studies," "Additional Reading," and "Read Aloud and Independent Reading," because I know that we won't be able to study them all in great depth.
Here's our list...
Planned Book Studies
We will be using the book studies from Learning Language Arts through Literature (The Tan Book - Sixth Grade Skills) for these studies. We will probably design lapbooks to go along with our studies, too, since we enjoy the hands-on aspect. :)
1. Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
2. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
3. Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard
4. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
Additional Reading
I pulled these book suggestions from Reading Roadmaps (published by the Center for Lit). As of right now, I do not plan to complete full book studies on these books. We may decide to dive deeper into them if time allows! I like that Reading Roadmaps offers some basic discussion info (i.e. theme, plot, and conflict) for each of these stories.
5. Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
6. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
7. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 8. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
9. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
10. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
11. The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
12. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
Read Aloud and Independent Reading
I added these books to the list because they were either (a) sequels or additional parts of a series or (b) enjoyable books I remember from upper elementary years. I will probably encourage independent reading of these books, though there are a few I would like to use as read alouds (marked with an asterisk).
13. Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates 14. Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry* 15. The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett 16. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis 17. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis* 18. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George 19. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg* 20. The Borrowers by Mary Norton*
I'm really excited about this list, and I hope that these books are a hit! I think we will have fun exploring them. Hopefully, we will even get around to seeing a few of the movies based on these books! ;) Regardless, our main focus this year will be on learning about literary devices and key literary terms, and I think this list of books will help us accomplish that goal.
What's on your reading list this year?

Homeschooling as Told by Doctor Who

Doctor Who is undoubtedly one of my favorite shows to binge watch on Amazon Prime. Why? Because it's silly, and science-y, and filled with all sorts of ridiculous timey-wimey fun. But can homeschooling be described by Doctor Who? I believe it can. Here are 10 of my favorite Doctor Who moments... and their relation to the stereotypical homeschool family experience. ;) 

Let's be real. This is your internal reaction when school is in session, and all of the beaches, stores, libraries, and amusement parks are deserted...


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Don't pretend. 
You know you'll wait for this moment to come all summer long.
Embrace your inner joy over a (nearly) kid free Target.
Your secret is safe.

... until your kids suddenly decide to act like they've never seen another human...


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"I swear I let my kids out of the house --
once in a while."

... or when they tell strangers crazy stories about being homeschooled.


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"No we did not count an episode of Doctor Who as a history lesson,
nor did you have ice-cream for breakfast."
Ahem.

When somebody asks "What about socialization?" and you have to come up with a witty comeback.


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When the kids do their math assignments without complaining...


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The world is very strange...
But beautiful. So beautiful. Especially today.

... or when your child reads their first sentence without any assistance.


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"I did it! I'm not ruining my kids' lives!"

Then there are those days when you have to repeat the directions 50 times...


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*tap tap* 
Is this thing working? 
Can you hear me?

Those moments when you decide it's just not worth continuing the debate...


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"Let's just figure this out tomorrow."

... and the days when they won't. stop. fighting.


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Who wants to play the quiet game?
MOMMY DOES!

But at the end of the day, this is how you feel...


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Sung to the conga line tune:
"The kids have gone to bed! Yeah! 
The kids have gone to bed!"

... because you know you are making the decision that's right for your family, and you wouldn't change a thing. :)

The DOs & DON'Ts of Reading Aloud

DO read aloud early and often. Start from infancy, and read aloud every day – even if it’s just for 5-10 minutes!

DON’T stop reading aloud just because your kids are growing up!

…

DO choose books that you love to share with your children. Your love of reading and of the story will be contagious!

DON’T be afraid to admit it if you made a poor choice of reading material. Give the book a chance, but if you can’t get into it, set it aside. Reading aloud is supposed to be fun, not miserable!

…

DON’T rush! Read slowly and carefully so that your child has time to process the story and enjoy the pictures.

DO pause to enjoy the pictures with your child. Point out words and show them how they relate to the images!

…

DO read with expression! Change your tone and inflection for different characters.

DON’T be afraid to be silly. Your character voices and sound effects don’t have to be perfect!

…

DON’T be afraid to pause and explain challenging vocabulary or complicated situations.

DO admit it if you don’t understand a word or concept. Look it up with your child!

…

DON’T wait to stop reading until your children are tired and bored.

DO leave them wanting more… try to find a stopping place with a cliffhanger. They will be excited for your next read aloud session!

…

DON’T leave home without a book!

DO read to your kids everywhere – at a restaurant, in a waiting room, while stuck in a traffic jam, while they eat lunch, etc.

…

DON’T feel the need to tie everything back to the curriculum. Sometimes reading is just for fun!

DO discuss what you read! Ask your child what they liked about the story and what they disliked. This will help you pick books that pique their interest.

How to Select a Read Aloud

A few weeks ago, I posted a video with tips for raising readers. One of my biggest tips was to read aloud to your children, and I shared a few resources to help you learn more! If you missed it, you can catch it here!

Today, I want to go a little more in-depth with some tips to help you choose a great read-aloud. 

Make sure you stop by my Usborne Books Website, on your quest to find great read-alouds!
And, once again, here are some links to my favorite resources on reading aloud: 
The Read Aloud Handbook by John Trelease Reading Magic by Mem Fox The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma

Candy Corn and Camouflage

Here's an easy, unique way to teach students about animal adaptations and how creatures are camouflaged to survive in their habitats. 

The best part? It involves candy corn and chocolate... and who doesn't love candy? ;)

Supplies: 

• 1 large reusable food storage container (with a lid)
• 1 spoon
• 1 large bag of candy corn
• 1-2 king sized bags of M&M’s ® 
• 1 zipper sandwich bag per student

Directions:

Pour the large bag of candy corn into your reusable container. Add M&M’s® and stir. Give each student a zipper bag, then have them use the spoon to scoop the first 5 M&M’s® they see out of the container and place them in their zipper bag. Once each child has selected 5 M&M’s®, make a graph of the colors selected. You should find that your students selected mostly red, brown, blue, and green M&M’s® and very few yellow and orange. Discuss why these results occurred, relating them to animals’ camouflage.

Make sure you stop by my Teachers Pay Teachers store and check out my Candy Corn and Camouflage activity packet that coordinates with this activity! It includes printable directions, a graphing worksheet, four mini-posters detailing the main types of camouflage, and a coloring activity that gives kids hands-on experience with camouflaging.

The Link Between Bedside Lamps and Reading Fluency

Recently, I’ve been reading The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. Regarded as a classic by millions of parents and educators, this book is proving to be an invaluable resource as I continue on my personal mission to make a difference in the literacy crisis we are facing as Americans. Today, I wanted to share one of the amazing tips that I learned, and explain why I believe we all need to institute this tip in our homes immediately! :)

Here’s the tip, as written by Trelease:

“If you wish to raise a reader, the first order of business is to go out and buy [a bed lamp]. Install it, and say to your child: ‘We think you’re old enough now to stay up later at night and read in bed like Mom and Dad. So we bought this little lamp and we’re going to leave it on an extra fifteen minutes [or longer depending on the age of the child] if you want to read in bed. On the other hand, if you don’t want to read- that’s okay, too. We’ll just turn off the lamp at the same old time.’ Most children will do anything in order to stay up later – even read.”

He goes on later to indicate that even the youngest children, who still struggle with reading independently can enjoy this free reading time, as they flip through picture books, examining the pictures and gazing over the words. Older children might choose “fluffy” or “light” books to read during this time, but that’s acceptable, too. The point of this activity is to develop a consistent habit of enjoying books. There will be time for reading challenging stories and classics later, once their passion for reading has been cultivated.

I love this idea for SO many reasons, but primarily because it entices children to read without forcing the issue. While children read and enjoy the instant “reward” of staying up later, they are also building their reading stamina, developing fluency, and learning to think of reading as an enjoyable and relaxing activity.

Furthermore, I like the break that it gives children from the constant influx of electronic media. Many studies have showed that the glare of a screen (be it a television, phone, or tablet) before bed can disrupt sleep patterns. Books provide an easy way for young minds to “detox” before sleep.

I hope that you will consider instituting a ritual of bedtime reading with your children. Whether you find a spare lamp and a favorite book, or make it a special occasion by going out to buy a new lamp and book with your child, make a choice to develop a habit of reading for enjoyment within your family. Start today!

Five Tips for Raising a Reader

I am SO passionate about literacy! 
Reading skills are vital to every area of life, but many parents struggle with the "how" of instilling a lifelong love of reading in their children. I did a little research and have come up with five tips to help you raise a reader! Take a look. :)
Please make sure you stop by my Usborne Books Website, too!
After you've checked that out, here are some links to the resource books I referenced in the video:
The Read Aloud Handbook by John Trelease Reading Magic by Mem Fox The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma
Happy Reading!