A Peek into Our Homeschool: Books, Books, and More Books
I am not setting myself up as the ideal homeschooling mother. Those of you who have read my posts for some time know that I do not view myself that way. However, I think you might like a peek into our homeschool from time to time and also about some of the reasons we made the choices we did and about some of the influences we had along the way, so I have been writing about that for the last few days.
Our children are thankful today that we helped them learn to enjoy reading. We surrounded them with books. We gave them books. They watched us read books. They saw what books we had collected. We gave them plenty of time to read.
The first year we homeschooled, I put up a construction paper train engine on the wall in our den. Each time I read a book aloud or one of the children finished a book, we made a new railroad car and wrote the book’s title on it. The children watched the train grow all around the den.
Libraries were very important in our homeschool. For a while we went once a week. We participated in library reading programs and in other library programs. This isn’t as easy as it once was. I have seen a very sharp decline in the quality of books found in public libraries. Back in the 1990s, you could find so many wonderful treasures there.
In 2017, when Ray and I were on a vacation in New York State, we stopped at an interesting library built in 1962 in the little town of Ovid, New York. These are some photos I took at the library.
In the center of this decorative wall, flanked by the names of famous thinkers and authors . . .
. . . was this verse from Proverbs in the King James Version.
It reads:
Wisdom is the principal thing.
Therefore get wisdom
and with all thy getting
get understanding.
Proverbs IV:7
Reading aloud became one of the most important elements of our homeschool. I am deeply grateful that God led us to that decision. I had read lots of picture books to our children when they were little, but I didn’t know how important it was to continue reading aloud to them after they learned to read on their own.
Soon after we started homeschooling the second time, I read a book called Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt. I don’t agree with every book she suggested as good reading, but I love what she says about a family reading aloud. Her book was life-changing for our family. To my absolute delight, Ray and I were blessed to meet Gladys Hunt at a homeschool convention many years ago, and I was able to tell her, “Your book changed our family’s life.” She told us that when she and her husband heard about someone having problems with one of their children, they would say to one another, “I wonder if that family reads together.” I think Mrs. Hunt has now passed away, so I am especially grateful for that priceless opportunity.
Ray read so many books aloud to our family. We read. We discussed. Characters and quotes from his read-alouds became part of our family vocabulary.
Although we didn’t do year-round school, I did require the children to read a certain number of books over the summer.
I have heard that some people say that it doesn’t matter what a child reads as long as they read something. I believe that God disagrees. One of the most important things we tried to remember about our children’s reading was that we were responsible to guide their reading so that they would fill their minds with thoughts that are pure and lovely.Â
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence
and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.Â
The things you have learned and received and heard
and seen in me, practice these things,
and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9