My two oldest boys are independent readers and have dedicated reading time during our homeschool day. We utilize book baskets to give them a wide feast of good literature, while also allowing them to choose their current read.
Here's how we embrace book baskets for independent reading in our home:
Collect Good Books
Using curricula and book lists, I gather books to keep in our home for independent reading. Some of my favorite places to gather book ideas are:
- Books from our core homeschool curriculum
- Ambleside Online literature selections and free read suggestions
- Stories of Color website
- Read-Aloud Revival book lists
- Favorite Instagram accounts
I look for used books both online and in person at thrift stores and library sales. For online books, I often use sites like Thrift Books, ebay, ABE Books, Second Sale, and more. I love using BookFinder.com to look for the best price for used and new books.
Local libraries are also a great option for borrowing books to include.
Prioritize Reading Widely
I include a variety of genres to help my boys grow in reading widely. I tend to prioritize books in these genres:
- Historical fiction
- Biographies
- Classical literature
- Fairy tales, myths, fables
Many of our book selections will align with the current history cycle we are studying. For example, if we are studying the 1900s-present day time period, many of the books will either take place during this time, or were written during this time. This helps further immerse ourselves in the time period.
Note: I often set aside books that I want to prioritize for family read-alouds. Since we'll be reading those books together, I don't include them in their baskets.
Create Book Baskets
Each child has their own independent reading basket.
I add a couple of books from each genre to their individual basket, being mindful of their personal reading level.
I will often include some books that we have already read before as a read-aloud or as an audiobook, giving them the opportunity to read it on their own.
Independent Reading Time
When it's time for their daily independent reading time, they can select any book from their personal book basket. This gives them a wide variety of beautiful books, while also giving them ownership to choose what they will read.
There are times where I may assign a specific book for a child to read independently, but most of their daily reading time is selected from their personal basket.
Outside of this required daily independent reading time, they can read (almost) any other book in our home.
Finishing a Book
When they finish a book, we will talk about the book in a natural way- narration is not required for free reads.
This is not a time to quiz them on what they learned or to moralize a story. Instead, it's an opportunity to hear about their experience with the book.
Throughout the year, I will update their personal book baskets as needed.
