Reading a book aloud to our children often is very important. Even our older kids benefit from listening to a story. We know this and desire to make it happen regularly, but with multiple kids involved, how is it even possible?

If you have littles and bigs in your home, does it mean that family reading time can never happen for you? Absolutely not! In fact, gathering around a book could be a great way for the older kids to connect with the younger kids.

{Want more book ideas for your read aloud? Check out these 10 books that span multiple ages!}

It’s not easy, but the rewards that come from reading aloud make it totally worth the effort. The truth is, there will be read aloud attempts that will fail miserably. We’ve all been there! Don’t be discouraged. Keep plugging away, using these tips to help!

Tips to Reading a Book Aloud to Multiple Aged Children

Don’t stress the reading level.  

Typically it’s encouraged to read at a level a little higher than the listener reads himself. But in the case of reading to multiple ages, that will leave the younger ones confused and ultimately bored. Instead, choose a book that fits snuggly in the middle of the reading levels. Each child will get something different out of the story, whether she’s just old enough to understand the story, or she’s old enough to pull deeper concepts out of the text. 

Some books that may be entertaining for everyone:

• Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
• The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall 
• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson

Read picture books.

Believe it or not, there are picture books out there that can keep even a teenager engaged! As a mom, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed plenty of picture books myself. Mixing classic picture books in with the chapter books will help keep the youngers engaged while still entertaining the big kids.

Some picture book options that may appeal to the masses:

• Who Stole the Mona Lisa? By Ruthie Knapp
• The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken
• Big George by Anne Rockwell
• Brothers At Bat by Audrey Vernick
• Ron’s Big Mission by Rose Blue and Corinne J. Naden

Let the big kids read to the little kids.

I’ll be honest, I’ve had one of my older kids read to the younger ones simply so I could get some stuff done. But that’s just the bonus. Allowing an older child to do the reading will hone his read aloud skills, develop his love of reading, and help keep that older child engaged. It’s excellent practice for the big kid and a little break for you!

Split them up.

It’s okay if you need to read to your older kids separately from your littles. If there’s a large enough age difference, this may be the ideal option. Just make sure that you don’t neglect reading aloud to the older kids who can read themselves. It’s still important for them to be read to! Occasionally read together as a family when you can make it work, but don’t worry if the chapter of life you’re in now doesn’t allow for regular family read alouds.

Be flexible when reading a book aloud.

I don’t know about you, but I’m still trying to figure out how to get preschoolers to sit for circle time or read aloud time. It’s definitely a struggle, but we want our kids to love books. If you’re forcing your kids to sit still and listen for hours on end, you’re defeating the purpose of reading aloud!  We’ll destroy that love if we’re turning read aloud time into an all out war. Let the kids do something with their hands while they listen (draw, color, build LEGOs, knit, etc.), and don’t be afraid to call it a day before there are casualties. And if a book isn’t engaging, pick a different one!

Don’t let the various ages of your house full of kids keep you all from enjoying reading a book aloud to everyone!