How do I Homeschool and Not Lose My Voice?

It’s not JUST repeating myself, “Do your chores, sit up straight, pick up your pencil, sit up straight, Don’t throw your pencil at me, sit up straight…go run around the house a few times…” I read aloud every day, for at least an hour, often more, much more.

I read aloud the history books, and whichever of the math history books and puzzles that K will not fuss through.  Play dough helps the fussies, so do snacks, we’ve taken to reading all together in the kitchen so I don’t get play dough in the carpet.  Everyone gets a bedtime read, K likes the long picture books now, M is in the middle of Gardians of Ga’hool, Treasure Island AND Anne of Ingleside, he has three readers wrapped around his little finger, he could run for politics.  B actually just wanders in when other people are getting read to, DH gets Gerald Morris during dishes, but I know the kids hear that from down the hall, because they tell me what jokes they liked at breakfast.

Reading aloud is how my late readers kept up with subject matter.  M can read the Simplest Seuss for youngest use, but I’m not panicking (at least not most of the time) B didn’t take off with reading until I went to China, three and a half years ago, now it’s hard to get him to do anything else voluntarily.

I interviewed my Aunt Susan, the PhD in voice, here are her recommendations:

-Sit up straight

-Breath from the diaphragm as if you were singing.

-Take breaths in the middle of long sentences (look for commas)

-Use the higher register of your speaking voice.

-Take sips of water from time to time.

-If it hurts, rest.

So, sometimes, I hand the book to B and he reads it to the others…which leads me to How do Laundry, and Homeschool.