Most of us read best when we read things we enjoy, right? I have found the same to be true of my children! Although my oldest son learned to read quickly and easily, my girls found the process more challenging. Then one day, I thought about motivating them by having them read books they would love—books about fairies, princesses, and woodland animals! From that point on, their reading skills and interest in books skyrocketed!
But how many reading curricula are based on books my kids love (or even books I love)? Reality check: not very many. While it is important to teach students how to read and respond well, most importantly, I first want to instill a love of reading. I created this journal out of the desire to give each of my children a custom-made reading program.
Adventures in Reading 1 contains space for 32 books, one book for each week of our standard academic schedule. In Level 1, I have made each lesson suitable for either non-fiction or fiction with a focus on story-style books. The instructive content is loosely sequential, so I do recommend using the journal in order. You can assign specific books for your student based on other subjects being studied, but I also encourage you to allow your student to choose at least some of the books as well. Like me, you might be pleasantly surprised by the result!