HOMESCHOOLING BEGINS WITH HOME
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In this article, I will share with you the three things I learned about choosing quality books during my personal process of growth through my reading to children.
| are like lobster shells, we surround ourselves then we grow out of 'em as evidence of our earlier stages of development. ~ Dorothy Sayers ~ |
We have been reading together as a family since 1992 when my daughter was two years old. I bought many books at the recommendation of various authors and filled our bookshelves with history and science titles. (Then I discovered the gift of the public library and slowed down on the book purchases). In 1995, I remember being fascinated by the discoveries I was making about history and science as I read out loud to my young daughter. Why hadn’t I learned these things when I was in school? For example, I had no idea that the pilgrims moved to Holland before coming to North America, nor that they journeyed on the Mayflower with others who did not share their beliefs… until I read a third-grade book with this information. Because I homeschool five children, of course, we have read about various periods of history again and again over the years. In 2008, I began reading that same book about the pilgrims that simply fascinated me in 1995 and found that it was lacking… something. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. This book wasn’t as fascinating as I first thought. After getting about halfway through this book, I realized that over the many years of reading to children, I myself had grown in recognizing good literature. Thank You, Lord!
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as you establish and embrace a “reading to children” time each day? |
- Trust in the Lord.
You will develop trust in the Lord as you validate your own growth throughout this process of reading to children. The more you books you read together, the more you will discover the qualities of a good book.
Instead of adding more scope and sequence, relax a little and enjoy the journey with the Lord of your life as He teaches you while you learn with your children!
- Discernment.
- Choosing appropriate books. At first you may choose a lot of books that don’t minister to your children.
But as time passes and you get to know your children, you will develop the discernment to choose books that meet their needs and yours! Eventually you will lead your children to choose good books themselves, furthering their education. They too, like you, will learn to recognize the duds.
Never read a book through
merely because you have begun it.~John Witherspoon~
As a little sidenote, choose simple children’s books to introduce new information. Even junior high schoolers—and you, Mom!—can benefit from children’s books about new subject matter. If I want to further my own education on a subject with which I am not familiar (like Japanese history, for example, or physics), I usually head for the children’s section!
- Using your public library effectively. Even in our small town nearby our country home, I have access to the inter-library system. I order books on line and my husband picks them up on his way home from work. And remember that you can always return books that don’t fit your need for a particular season.
- Choosing appropriate books. At first you may choose a lot of books that don’t minister to your children.
Use this one guiding principle Is this book keeping my burden light |
As you grow together through your family reading times, you will learn how to question your children and reach deep into their hearts to draw out who they are and are becoming, just as the Lord reaches into yours during these memory-making “reading to children” routine times.
Five additional articles to encourage you:
- Setting up “reading to children” routines
- Reading to elementary and junior high school children
- Reading to children of various ages
- Validating a young child
- Dialoguing with an older child
and Your Body, the Church.
May she press on in the fear of the Lord
and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit
as You strengthen her in relationship through
learning right along with her children.
but a man of understanding draws them out.
~Proverbs 20:5
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