Car Ride, Comprehension, and Peace

If your car rides with children are like mine, then you understand when I say it is like an Adam West as Batman fight back in the day.

POW

BAM

SMASH

Yeah. Two boys together in the backseat is not a quiet ride. (Even if that ride is only 5 minutes.) This past spring we, by some chance, checked out a book on CD at the library. I don't remember what initiated the whole affair, but it happened. The boys chose "Bunnicula", which also included two other titles from that series.

It was as if the angels began to sing on that first drive home. They. Were. Silent.

Every chance after that we would turn on the book and listen to the story. I had to work with them a little on conversations about the progress of the plot in the beginning. Because eventhough the boys read every night, we don't read "chapter" books like this as a family. My husband and I are pretty prolific readers, but we just hadn't done something so lengthy as a family. Now the boys are regular pros at prediction conversations as soon as we turn off the car.

We finished those three books, and went to check out another. This time we chose "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman. I was a little apprehensive at first, but the boys were motivated so I went with it.

I have to tell you. Books on CD rock! The boys might be in the middle of arguing or just being loud...so...I turn on the book. Immediate SILENCE. Love. It.

This afternoon we took two turns around the block to finish the book. It was that good.

I wish we had more time for things like this in the classroom setting. Students need to hear fluent readers, but more than that the practice in comprehension, visualization, and conversation is just as important in creating confident readers.

Now go and check out something for you and your noisy riders. The peace is so worth it.