Parallel reading

Do you remember when your sixth grader was younger? Do you remember play dates where the little children didn’t actually play with each other but near each other? It is called parallel play and is a stage that children go through.

Well, I would like to suggest another form of parallel play for your sixth grade homeschool student. It will be parallel reading, and it has been a lot of fun at our house.

Here is how it works for us. My daughter will pick a book she wants to read, usually it is a young adult fantasy novel or books by homeschoolers. She reads it, and at the same time, we read it. Sometimes it is on the family e-reader, sometimes it is an actual physical book, but there is only one copy for the three of us to share. We each have a different book mark, and it is strictly against the rules to move or lose another person’s book mark.

What good is this parallel reading, you might ask. Well, for one thing, I know for a fact that whatever she is reading is appropriate. I know if there are issues that might be disturbing to her that need discussion. Another thing it does is that it allows us to have common interests and knowledge. We can discuss story points, or literary devices that the author uses. It is another way for us to stay in contact with our increasingly independent child, and it is a good thing!