Reading without Reading
When you can't be reading a book, you can still be increasing your vocabulary and your background knowledge. While you're exercising, folding clothes, cooking dinner, riding in the car or on the bus, getting ready in the morning, or instead of watching television, consider these activities:
--- Make a Listening Plan ---
It takes adults approximately 100 - 150 hours of regular reading instruction to build our reading skills up the equivalent of one grade level. Listening to recordings is one way that we can find more time for reading in our busy schedules. Think about how many minutes you can devote to listening on a regular basis. Write down the number of minutes and how many times per week. At that rate, how long will it take you to complete 100 hours?
Here are some ideas:
Here are some ideas:
National Public Radio (NPR)
Locally found on stations WNPR-FM: 90.5 and WESU-FM 88.1, National Public Radio is a source for news and in-depth coverage of a variety of topics. Listening to NPR can actually help prepare you for the Social Studies test. Seventy-five percent of the material on the Reasoning with Language Arts, GED 2014 is be non-fiction; this is a great source for surrounding yourself with non-fiction content!
You may not understand or be interested in every topic. Me either; that's normal! The topic and even the host changes frequently. It doesn't hurt to try something new! You'll learn something new from trying.
After listening for a while, you can use the button link below to create a custom podcast of the radio shows that interest you the most.
You may not understand or be interested in every topic. Me either; that's normal! The topic and even the host changes frequently. It doesn't hurt to try something new! You'll learn something new from trying.
After listening for a while, you can use the button link below to create a custom podcast of the radio shows that interest you the most.
Talk Radi0
A more local, more host-opinionated source of current news is the radio station WTIC-NewsTalk 1080 on your AM dial. Tune in for political and financial talk radio and sports coverage. In the mornings you'll hear frequent traffic and weather reports. In the evenings, you'll likely catch sports.
Podcasts
First, you will need a podcast player. Many are available. iPads and iPhones come with one. I use CastBox on my Android phone:
Search for your own topic of interest, or check out one of these podcasts:
Exploring stories of science discovery. Tumble is a science podcast created to be enjoyed by the entire family.
|
This American Life is a weekly public radio program and podcast. Each week we choose a theme and put together different kinds of stories on that theme.
|
How are the things we're talking about being talked about somewhere else in the world?
|
The daily realities of life inside prison shared by those living it, and stories from the outside, post-incarceration.
|
The source of hit shows such as Dr Death, Dirty John, American History Tellers, Business Wars, The Shrink Next Door...
|
With more than 25 shows, including Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed in History Class, Atlanta Monster and now Cabinet of Curiosities, the Stuff Media team reaches audiences on every platform.
|
Hi, I’m Clark Howard. I’m here to help you and your wallet by sharing practical advice so you can save money and avoid ripoffs. The goal of every episode is to help you reach your money goals and live a financially healthy life.
|
Audio books
Audio book sources on line:
You can download the OverDrive app and use your library card number to take out audio books (and other books!).
|
This Digital Trends article is a source of many other places to get free audio downloads.
|
You can also visit the libraries in person. Take advantage of the free resources of the West Hartford Libraries. You can visit the Faxon Library, the Noah Webster Library, or the Bishops Corner Library to browse or search the catalog on line for a particular book. You can even put books on hold to have waiting for you when you get to the library.
Over winter break I enjoyed and recommend the following young adult and children's books:
Over winter break I enjoyed and recommend the following young adult and children's books:
Reading Songs
Can this be considered Reading without Reading? Perhaps. They are songs about reading. These fun songs were created by a father and son who are friends of our family. The dad, Jeff Wallowitz, wrote the lyrics to these reading songs to the tune of current popular songs. His 11-year-old son, Connor Wallowitz, performed them. Hopefully these are audio files your computer can open.
Don't Say Maybe is sung to Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe." You can hear the message of "[reading] makes you smarter" interspersed with examples off all different reading topics. Read books "and now [you're] on [your] way!" Pick any topic to read; they'll all help you improve.
01-dont_say_maybe.mp3 | |
File Size: | 3719 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
dont_say_maybe_lyrics.pdf | |
File Size: | 27 kb |
File Type: |
At my house, we're obsessed with audiobooks. You saw above a selection of the ones we listened to in just a few weeks. We probably own over a hundred audiobooks and we're never without a new one from the library. My favorite line from this next song, Reading in the USA to the tune of Miley Cirus' "Party in the USA," is the repeated "And an audio book was on. And an audio book was on. And an audio book was on." There's another line that will echo in my head!
05-reading_in_the_usa.mp3 | |
File Size: | 3924 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
reading_in_the_usa_lyrics.pdf | |
File Size: | 26 kb |
File Type: |
"...Looking for something fun to do?" Read With You is a song to the tune of Bruno Mars' "Marry You" that answers that question. The suggestion is, "Baby, I think I want to read with you." How perfect an answer! Reading is a free source of entertainment. I happen to think it's romantic when my husband reads to me. Reading together can draw you closer.
04-read_with_you.mp3 | |
File Size: | 4355 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
read_with_you_lyrics.pdf | |
File Size: | 27 kb |
File Type: |
Reading Is So Beautiful is based on One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful." My favorite line is, "If you read all the books that I can read, You'll understand why I read them so fluently, You know with my comprehension it's plain to see..." I already knew that reading frequently is what makes us fluent readers and increases our comprehension, but now I have that line stuck in my head! I'll never hear the original song correctly again!
02-reading_is_so_beautiful.mp3 | |
File Size: | 3737 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
reading_is_so_beautiful_lyrics.pdf | |
File Size: | 26 kb |
File Type: |
This song, Time to Read, is sung to the tune of "Let It Be" by The Beatles. It makes me miss the hours I spent cuddling with my children, all of whom are over the age of five now, and reading. We made memories together, and hopefully it continues to spark their interest in reading their own books by night light. I know the foundation I gave them will make them able to say, "I'm so full of wisdom, time to read."
08-time_to_read.mp3 | |
File Size: | 4645 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
time_to_read_lyrics.pdf | |
File Size: | 22 kb |
File Type: |