Free Read-Aloud Resources ~ How We're Listening To Tom Sawyer

The Writing With Ease selection for GMan for the coming week is Tom Sawyer.    We choose many of our read alouds based on this writing curriculum (and also from The Story of the World).

With so much classic literature, we can download the book for free on Kindle.  

I thought with this, book, however, that I would search for a free audio download.  We tried the Librivox recording, but after about 5 minutes the kids told me they didn't like it so much, so I continued to search.

This free recording, from Open Book Audio, is fabulous!   The performance of the different voices is so authentic.  I'm finding that I need to stop every so often and explain some of the vernacular and vocabulary.  I had forgotten what gem of a book this is... how it forces us back to our own childhoods, and the beautiful way in which Mark Twain describes the life of Tom Sawyer. 

I supposed it might bore the children a little bit, but they have happily just laid on the family room floor listening.   The quality writing just draws them into the story. 

The entire book downloaded into my iTunes and we have been listening happily this week.  (It's kind of nice for me to be able to do some housework while the kids are doing art project, etc... and listening.)  

Do you use audio books for read-alouds?   

What is your favorite book on audio?

 

Living Books and Music

A series about teaching music could not pass without a mention of the many wonderful Living Books that can be utilized to learn about music.

What exactly is a "Living Book"?:

 Living books are those books that inspire ideas - the unique thoughts originating from the thinker - not information which originates elsewhere. They inspire because they are written in a story format by an author who is passionate about the subject, making his interest contagious to the reader and sparking an emotional response. These books leave the reader wanting more of the subject, not less. They contain literary language, intended to help the reader's mind form a vivid mental picture. If there are illustrations, they are accurate and inspiring.

(taken from The Real Life Home)

Rather than bombard you with a huge list of Living Books, I simply want to share my three favorite resources.... and one of them is FREE!   I just about squealed out lout when I discovered this a few months ago.

Child's Own Book of Great Musicians Series

These wonderful books were published in the early 1900s and written by Thomas Tapper.   They are beautifully written and give your child a sense of actually KNOWING the composer at the heart of the story.   The text speaks DIRECTLY to the young reader and brings up moral questions as well.   We have read several of these and LOVE them.   You can print them and put them into a cute book, or you can just read them on your Kindle, iPad, or computer.   There are even review questions at the end!  

Download the books from Project Gutenberg

Listen to the books at Books Should Be Free. 

Opal Wheeler's Great Musicians Series:

I want to own ALL of these wonderful books.   They present the lives of composers in delightful stories that have intrigued my children and inspired them to seek out that composer's music.

You can order the books with or without companion CDs, and I'm sure you can find them in your library.   There is a wonderful review of them at Curriculum Choice if you want to know more. 

The Carnival of the Animals: Poetry by Jack Prelutsky

This piece, written by Camille Saint-Saens, is perfect for introducing children to instruments of the orchestra.  We have found a beautiful version with poetry by Jack Prelutsky.   The book comes with the CD and is perfect as a read-aloud with music interspersed between the verse.   The beautiful illustrations are done by Mary GrandPre, who illustrated all of the Harry Potter books!  

I also have a chance for you to have your very own copy of this book!   Tomorrow, I will be wrapping up the 10 Days of Teaching Music series with a collage of all the 10 Days Posts.   If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know I host a Friday linky called Collage Friday. 

Everyone who links a post with Collage Friday tomorrow will be entered to win a musical care package from me - which will include a copy of this book and CD!    Please don't feel it's necessary to make a fancy collage  (Photobucket has removed the Fotoflexer Collage option - DRAT!!) -- as long as you have a group of pictures from your week you are free to link with Collage Friday.  

   

Day 1: The Importance of Music in Our Children's Lives

Day 2: A Simple Way to Incorporate Music - SQUILT Notebooking Download  

Day 3:  Five Resources for Incorporating Orchestral Music in Your Homeschool

Day 4:  Learning to Hear in a Noisy World - Exploring America's Musical Heritage DVD set giveaway
Day 5:  What About Piano Lessons?
Day 6:  Interest Led Music Study ~ Notebooking Download
Day 7:  Non Stress Musical Learning ~ Maestro Classics Giveaway
Day 8:  Let's Sing - Creating a Repertoire 

The 10 Days Series is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutually beneficial projects. Visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. And of course,  visit all the 10 Days posts from these homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network. You'll be blessed with tips on how to handle bad days, cultivating curiosity, teaching with Legos, and much much more!

I'm also linking this post with Read-Aloud Thursday.  I just love Amy's blog, Hope is the Word, and I know you will, too!!

 

A "Delightful Double Existence"

Here we go down the Interest-Led/Delight Directed Learning path again!  It seems that this path is usually the happiest one in our homeschool.   

After reading about Robin Hood in history my children kept talking about him and expressed an interest to learn more.   

Since I'm not a huge lesson planner (I think too much detail and schedule can kill our creativity), I am able to pause our reading in The Story of The World for a couple of weeks to work on a thorough study of The Adventures of Robin Hood. 

*This post contains affiliate links

   The edition we are reading aloud (recommended in The Story of the World) goes along perfectly with a free lapbook/notebook at Homeschool Share.  

This study includes Bible, history, geography, math, vocabulary, writing, science, and SO MUCH MORE!   

 I'm reading aloud a chapter each day and then Miss B and I sit together to delve further into each chapter.  (I must admit I've having fun trying to muster up my best British accent and lots of different voices!)


 The Homeschool Share plans are SO THOROUGH; the only planning I do is printing our lapbooking and notebooking components.  My daughter is enjoying the mix of lapbooking and notebooking.   She has  been using  my old scrapbooking supplies to make it interesting.   

All of this would be a lot of work for GMan, so he's listening and coloring a different Robin Hood scene each chapter. I also LOVE the character cards (with awesome printable stands, too!) that come in the unit.   GMan has also been coloring these while I read.   

My daughter (10) and I are enjoying learning more about The Crusades, The Holy Lands, and the many different occupations during the Middle Ages.   I'm amazed at how much learning can be packed into one living book.   


We've talked of character sketches and conflict in a story.  I'm pleased with the level at which she's working through this unit study.  


My son (7)  is the one who will regurgitate words like "smote" and "bludgeon" in his daily play with his swords and light sabers. Outside my backyard has turned into Sherwood Forest.   The LEGO scenes indoors have been of Sherwood Forest.




I am reminded of the words of Charlotte Mason: 

Image courtesy Jimmie of Jimmie's Collage


  

Now I'm thinking of archery lessons!!

    Don't you just love homeschooling?