James asked me today, “Mom, have you ever wanted to be a fish or a bird?” as he gazed longingly into the fish tank.

I said, “Well, I’ve wanted to be a mermaid or a super hero who could fly.”

James rolled his eyes, but Robert (age 4) said, “I want to be a super hero who can run up and down the hallway.” Well, okay, go for it!

This week, the Virtual Curriculum Fair is focusing on the arts. In our family, we’re not very artistic .. no one plays an instrument or paints or sings or anything like that. I am convinced that artistic ability comes naturally to a person and can’t be “taught into them” no matter how hard a teacher tries.

If any of the boys express a real interest in playing an instrument, drawing, sculpting, etc. we’ll find suitable lessons. In the meantime, our lessons focus on appreciating the beautiful art and music developed by some of the greatest talents to have graced our world.

Art Appreciation

We follow Charlotte Mason’s Picture Study method for studying different artists and artistic styles. It’s a very simple method but very enjoyable and effective.

I’ve purchased different art books that showcase paintings (or drawings or photographs, as the case may be) by individual artists. So far we’ve studied:

• Johannes Vermeer (my absolute favorite!)
• Pierre-Auguste Renoir
• Claude Monet

We study just one picture at a time, and the kids take turns looking at the painting, examining every detail. I then take the picture so they can’t see it, and they take turns telling me everything they can remember. I also briefly tell them the name of the painting, when it was painted, and a tidbit about its setting (if I know something extra about it).

Typically, we study one or two paintings per week this way. We spend several months (sometimes a whole year) on just one artist. This gives the kids plenty of time to really get to know the artist’s work and style. As we study different artists’ work, we talk about the different styles of art and painting (e.g. realism, impressionism).

Enjoying Music

For our music appreciation, I have bought several of the books from Zeezok Publishing‘s Great Musician Series. These are excellent biographies of the most famous classical composers, and we enjoy reading them aloud as a family. The books were mostly written during the 1950s and 60s, and they begin with the composer’s childhood and follow him throughout his career.

Each book comes with a CD of the composer’s music, which we listen to both at home and in the car.

The composers we’ve studied:

• Frederic Chopin
• Sebastian Bach
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Both these simple methods have proven to be very enjoyable ways for my family to learn about great art and music.

Read about other families’ approach to art education in these posts:

• Memory Making by Christine @ Crunchy Country Catholic
• Learning Art at Our House by Jessica @ Modest Mama
• history, up close by Jennifer @ a glimpse of our life
• Fitting in the Arts When Homeschooling by Laura O in AK @ Day by Day in Our World
• The Art of Exploration by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds
• Appreciating the Arts by Cindy Horton @ Fenced in Family
• Beauty in Homeschooling? by Cindy @ For One Another
• Heart of Dakota- The Fine Details- Part 4 Poetry & Bible by Lynn @ Ladybug Chronicles
• The Art of Art by Brenda Emmett @ Garden of Learning
• The Beauty of the Arts – Where Does It Fit? by Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
• Learning and Art Library by Angie @ Petra School
• Seeking Beauty: The Arts and Everything that Brings Beauty to Our World by Christa Darr @ Fairfield Corner Academy
• How to Fit “The Arts” in School by Christine @ Our Homeschool Reviews

This week’s Virtual Curriculum Fair theme includes two of my favorite subjects: Exploring Our World: Social Studies and more Science. (Science was also included in last week’s theme, Discovering Patterns, but I chose to focus on math.)

For both of these subjects, social studies (which I consider to include history, cultures, and geography) and science, we use a mostly fun and never tedious. It always makes me sooo sad to hear of kids memorizing dates, filling in multiple choice answers of pointless questions, or otherwise turning the most interesting and intriguing subject into the most boring.

History in Books

So how do we learn history around here? We read! I’ve talked often about our family read-alouds, which are truly the backbone of our homeschool. Each year, we study different periods of history and I find several great living books for us to read together about that era. Some of our favorites have been:

• Son of Charlemagne by Barbara Willard
• Harry S Truman, Missouri Farm Boy (from the Childhood of Famous Americans series) by Wilma J. Hudson
• The Lewis and Clark Expedition by Richard L. Neuberger
• The American Twins of the Revolution by Lucy Fitch Perkins (from Salem Ridge Press)

All of these books not only tell about a particular time period, event, and/or person, they immerse the reader (or listener) into the time period. Children learn so much better when they enjoy what is being taught … and even more so, when they enjoy themselves so much that they don’t even think about its being “education.”

History in Videos

We also watch various documentaries and films when we can find good ones that are appropriate for the boys’ ages. Without a doubt, the best one we have ever found is Hannibal: Rome’s Worst Nightmare, produced by the BBC. It’s available to watch in nine parts on YouTube (just don’t read the comments, ugh). Start with Part 1 here.

Coming in a close second is The Hunley, a made-for-tv movie that was released in 1999. We watched it a couple years ago, and none of us have ever been able to forget it. Knowing about the Hunley in this way has made the recent news about its raising all the more interesting for us.

Obviously, studying different time periods in history allows us to also learn about various world cultures (both past and present).  Lots of daily discussions help to round out what the boys know about different cultures.

Geography

I was the self-appointed map reader on family vacations as a kid, and I thought about minoring in geography in college (before I left to marry Jon…) Today, we don’t use a formal geography curriculum because I honestly think it’s not necessary.

We’ve had  a world map and a United States map hanging on the walls for as long as the boys can remember. They’re the large five-foot-wide types so that there’s plenty of detail for checking everything out. When we talk about a particular area, we go to the map and find that area.

Jon and I like to quiz each other on different locations or capitals from time to time, and the kids jump in where they’re able. (Okay, I’m the one who really likes this, but Jon humors me. )

Of course, I have to say that my favorite geography resource (besides a variety of maps) is the book that I wrote, Expedition Earth: My Passport to the World. The book looks at all 195 (at the time of printing) countries in the world, the flags, border outlines, capitals, languages, and so on.

I also tried to pick out little known pieces of information about each country because I didn’t want the book to be just another geography book with the same old information about the height of Mount Everest and the depth of the Marianas Trench. For example, have you ever heard of the yearly Lluvia de Peces in Honduras? Or the hot springs baths in Hungary? Or how about the ancient copper plates from the Maldives?

Expedition Earth is geared toward kids in 5th through 12th grades and comes with daily lesson plans and flash cards for those who like a guided plan. My oldest is in fifth grade this year, so we don’t officially use the book in our homeschool, but we look up information (such as a country’s flag or capital) in it and sometimes read about a country together.

As I wrote the book, I envisioned families reading it together and enjoying learning new things about our entire world! You can check out a sample of Expedition Earth over at the Knowledge Quest website.

Science

Our science studies are fairly simple at this point and include Considering God’s Creation, nature studies, and videos. The weather is too cold for much nature study right now, but during warmer months, we collect leaves, insects, and flowers. We also try to visit different places for hiking in the woods, wading in creeks, and observing nature as we go.

When it comes to nature and other fields of science, I think that experience is a much better teacher than a book. (Even so, we do enjoy reading living books about nature, such as Among the Meadow People and Squirrels and Other Fur-Bearers.) When the high school years are closer, I hope to invest in a microscope and several dissection kits.

Animaniacs

The kids have also watched lots of Animaniacs which has helped them learn the states and capitals, most of the countries (though it’s a bit out of date now), and all of the U.S. presidents. (Nick and James both can name all the presidents in order because of the Animaniacs song, and I think it is utterly amazing!!)

It’s also helped them learn some really corny jokes such as:

Brain: “Pinky, are you pondering what I’m pondering?”

Pinky: “I think so, Brain, but if we give peace a chance, won’t the lima beans feel left out?”

Visit these other bloggers to see how their families learn about Social Studies and Science.

• Science and Worldview by Beth @ Ozark Ramblings
• Nature Study as Science by Christine @ Crunchy Country Catholic
• Virtual Curriculum Fair Week 3- Social Studies and more Science by Leah Courtney @ The Courtney Six Homeschool Family
• Curriculum Fair–Exploring Our World by Angie @ Petra School
• Paths of Exploration by Jen @ Forever, For Always
• Learning Geography at Our House by Jessica @ Modest Mama
• Mapping Out Our Social Studies by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds
• More Heart of Dakota Praises by Nicole @ Schooling in the Sun
• Our History by Melissa @ Grace Christian Homeschool
• Playful US Geography for First Grade by Pam @ Everyday Snapshots
• Heart of Dakota-The Fine Details-Part 3 History by Lynn @ Ladybug Chronicles
• Exploring Our World Through History & Science by Brenda Emmett @ Garden of Learning
• Two History Must-haves by Letha @ justpitchingmytent
• Learning About The World Around Us by Laura O from AK
• Social Studies and Science – What do we do? by Joelle @ Homechooling for His Glory
• History Chronologically and with Living Books by Debbie @ Debbie’s Digest
• Why History? by MissMOE @ Homeschooling While Living the Life of Easier
• Exploring Our World by Christa Darr @ Fairfield Corner Academy

James’ little yellow GloFish died Sunday.

A very exciting announcement was made Wednesday over at Hip Homeschool Moms. Can you even believe that? James keeps telling me that the name needs to be changed to Square Homeschool Moms, but I’m getting really good at rolling my eyes at him and hiding my smile.

In our homeschool this week…

We had school all five days this week too … I don’t what’s going on lately, it’s amazing! This lighter work schedule and not having a baby or toddler is really working out well for our schooling.

We finished reading The Vikings by Elizabeth Janeway this afternoon, which means we can pick back up with William the Conquerer by Thomas B. Costain tomorrow. I think we’re about halfway finished with it, and I’m looking forward to wrapping it up so we can move on to learning about Joan of Arc. I found two really good books about her at our public library.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

You are the best teacher for your child. God created you especially to be the perfect mother (or father) of your child, and that includes being teacher. If you want to homeschool, never be afraid that you aren’t patient enough, smart enough, or rich enough. Teaching your child is really an extension of simply parenting him. No more, no less.

I am inspired by…

People who show joy and love to others despite unpleasant circumstances.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

We have absolutely no plans this week. I’ve been thinking about taking the kids snow tubing, but I’m not real thrilled about the cost.

My favorite thing this week was…

Baking pumpkin muffins in our new toaster oven. They turned out so good!

What’s working/not working for us…

This cold weather business isn’t working for me! I think the mild winter has spoiled me. The past two days, I’ve felt like I cannot warm up. I sit around under covers all the time, and still I’m cold. Blech.

Also, we have gotten into an awful routine of staying up until almost midnight. One night, Nick needed to talk (which is totally fine, of course) so he and I stayed up until 1:30 a.m. That means that I’m sleeping until 10 a.m. and the boys are sleeping until 11 or later. Agh, it soooo has to change!!

Things I’m working on…

I just finished sewing four skirts for the daughter of a friend. I’m going to be working on skirts for her other daughter now. Look for  a post about my sewing adventures later this week.

I’m reading…

No, We Can’t, a book that Bethany House sent me to review. I’ll be posting a review of it within the next couple weeks, but I must confess that it isn’t really grabbing me.

I’m cooking…

Chocolate chip cookies with the kids after church this evening.

I’m grateful for…

Automobiles. Can you imagine trying to go anywhere in this cold weather in a wagon or buggy?

I’m praying for…

A new and better job for Jon. He has a phone interview this Thursday.

Photos to share…

Here are some pics of the boys and Jon getting up close and personal with a snake at some rainforest adventure indoor animal zoo in Pigeon Forge a couple years ago. Notice that there isn’t a picture of me holding the snake.

They fish, catch crawdads, cook over an open fire, sleep under the stars, and do all those manly things that most modern boys only dream of. Needless to say, all three of my boys absolute love KudzuWOA. (James was only too thrilled last fall when he got a convertible shovel-pick survival tool as a door prize at a Youth Day at the Range event. “It’s just like the one on Kudzu.”)

Earlier, I walked by Nick’s bedroom and noticed all three boys wearing full backpacks. Robert said excitedly, “Mom!! We’re playing Kudzu!” (Now it’s been two or three months since they watched a Kudzu video, so I thought it was very cute masculine that they were suddenly channeling their inner survivalists.)

James said, “I’m carrying the blankets,” and Nick said, “I’ve got a hatchet here,” (indicating a plastic semi-flat toy in his hand), “and some tools in my pack.”

“And what are you packing?” I said, looking at four-year-old Robert.

“Um,” he replied and reached behind him to pat his full backpack, “choo-choos.”

Wise thinking, indeed.

Oh math. Oh the trials and difficulties. Oh the struggle. Oh the necessity.

I won’t pull punches about this subject – math is something that seems to have plagued me my whole life! In fifth grade, I was the kid who had to go sit at a table in the back of the class beside the teacher while I did my math work. Otherwise, it never got finished.

I took pre-algebra twice because the first time made absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. I plodded along through algebra and passed without ever feeling completely comfortable with any part of it. I really liked geometry, but it seemed very, very different from “standard math.”

Mastering Mathematics

In teaching my own kids, things haven’t gotten much easier. I did finally learn to add without counting on my fingers thanks to Math U See, which I think is a fantastic curriculum though we don’t use it anymore.

If you’ve ever used Math U See with your children, you know that it stresses mastery and strongly urges parents not to move their children to a new topic until the current topic is fully mastered.

This means that a child is expected to be able to answer each addition and subtraction fact (8+9, 7+6, 15-9, etc.) within three seconds before moving on to learn about multiplication. Believing this was the right way for all children, I spent more than two years drilling my oldest son, Nick, on the addition and subtraction facts … and seeing very little progress toward “mastery.”

After a time, I did move on and introduce him to multiplication and division – he’s understood every new math concept readily and really enjoys learning new aspects of math. I then started drilling him on the multiplication facts … and again saw very little progress toward the three-second mastery.

It’s been frustrating for both of us to say the least, but it’s also helped me grow in my understanding of different children, how they learn, and how mental maturity isn’t gained by daily practice of any subject.

Visualizing Math

I gave up Math U See a couple years ago and moved into a much more relaxed approached. We used Ray’s Arithmetic (the book that was used in one-room schoolhouses during the 1800s) for about a year. I love that Ray’s approaches math orally instead of focusing almost exclusively on worksheets the way so many other programs do.

The Ray’s approach is actually quite different from what I was used to – different from the way I had learned and different from the way I had taught. It’s oral, like I said, which means that the teacher/parent asks a question and the child tells the answer in a specific form. In my opinion, it is excellent for building mental math skills – something that is completely ignored in most modern math curricula. Here’s an example…

 Matt visited the market and purchased six apples at nine cents each. How much did he spend?

Six apples times nine cents each is 54 cents.

Also, Ray’s teaches children to visualize numbers and values instead of counting them. For young children, the teacher is supposed avoid teaching the child to count and instead is advised to show the children groups of ten or fewer objects and teach them to recognize the number of objects without counting. This, obviously, can be a very beneficial foundation for all sorts of math figuring but is so dramatically different from what we’re all used to.

Real Life with Math on the Level

After about a year, I began to be concerned that the boys weren’t covering all the material that they needed to (fractions, decimals, and so on).  Ray’s does cover those topics, but I was still focusing considerably on mastering the multiplication facts with Nick and neglecting the other topics to a certain extent.

I began to feel that I really wanted a more concrete guide to what math topics we should cover at any given time.

After researching and reading about different programs for several months, I decided to buy Math on the Level. It’s quite expensive so it took me several more months of saving before we could purchase it, but we’ve now been using it since November.

Math on the Level takes a more “natural” approach to math, meaning that it uses lots of real life situations and activities to teach math concepts and to practice them. This fits very well with our family’s general approach to learning through our normal daily lives.

In addition to the real world math, the backbone of Math on the Level is the “five a day” math review. The program comes with several types of spreadsheets that allow parents to track what each child had learned and how much additional practice/review they need. For each math topic that a child has learned, it can be reviewed

• Daily
• Every other day
• Every three or four days
• Weekly
• Every two or three weeks
• Monthly

Parents can use either the manual, paper tracking pages or a special computer spreadsheet designed by the creators of Math on the Level. I used the paper record sheets for a while but quickly changed over to the computer spreadsheet, which plots the different topics on a calendar for me (much easier).

Each child then gets a “five a day” math page with five problems, each from a different topic. This way, the child continually reviews each topic but never gets overwhelmed by a whole page filled with multiplication, division, or fractions.

I can see now how I was smothering Nick with so many daily multiplication problems. I thought the incessant practice would help him to memorize the problems, but I see now that it was just hindering him and making him dread multiplication and math all the more.

The program is quite teacher-intensive, which is usually something I do not to mess with! Just like with Peterson Handwriting, though, all that teacher preparation makes for a great pay off in what the boys are learning and how they’re progressing.

I won’t pretend that we suddenly have math geniuses running around the house, but I am happy that we’re doing math each day and covering at least one or two new topics each week. Things are going quite well with Math on the Level.

Use a Calculator?

Even with our success using the program, though, Nick is still struggling with multiplication. For whatever reason, the facts still don’t come easily to him. He has made great strides but still isn’t “there,” which is frustrating for both of us. I still have that niggling thought in the back of my mind that he should have mastered the facts already even though I know the timing is different for each person.

On the Math on the Level Yahoo group, I read some messages recently from moms whose children also have struggles with memorizing math facts … and I came upon a suggestion that I’ve never seen any where else. Let him use a calculator.

My first thought was – no way! That’s cheating after all. Right?

The person who suggested this said to look at it as a crutch … a temporary help to overcome the obstacle that’s stopping him from moving forward. She said that, for some children, using the calculator leads to eventual memorization where oral or written drill has failed.

Hmm, that actually makes sense.

So we’re trying it.

I gave Nick the calculator last week and told him he could use it only for single numbers (i.e. 5×7 but not 58×67). He still has to go through all the steps just as if he didn’t have the calculator. So far, I can’t really tell if it’s being helpful or not. Time will tell.

Visit the rest of this week’s Virtual Curriculum Fair for more words of wisdom on math.

• 1st, 2nd, 6th Grade Math in Our Homeschool: How We Got HERE by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds
• Math Lapbooks—Virtual Curriculum Fair Week 2 by Angie Wright @ Petra School
• Virtual Curriculum Fair Week Two: Discover Patterns, Mathematics, Logic and Some Science by Leah @ The Courtney Six Homeschool
• Our Choices For Math by Melissa @ Grace Christian Homeschool
• A Magnificent Math Manipulative by Letha Paulk @ justpitchingmytent
• Our Math Choices – Virtual Curriculum Fair by Tristan @ Our Busy Homeschool
• Math Literature?!?! by Christine @ Crunchy Country Catholic
• Learning Math at My House by Jessica @ Modest Mama
• Math Using Hamburger Paper by Debbie @ Debbie’s Digest
• Math Facts or Fun? Why Not Both! by Beth @ Ozark Ramblings
• Heart of Dakota- The Fine Details- Part 2 Science by Lynn @ Ladybug Chronicles
• Learning Math Block by Block by Laura O in AK @ Day by Day in Our World
• What’s Working and What’s Not: Math Edition by Leann @ Montessori Tidbits
• Math Anyone? by Cindy @ For One Another
• Ahh, Math. by Nicole @ Schooling in the Sun
• Flying Without a Parachute: Math with no Curriculum by Pam @ Everyday Snapshots
• Math in Our Homeschool by Christine T @ Our Homeschool Reviews
• Math, Math, and More Math by Dawn Chandler @ tractors & tire swings
• Thinking Mathematically- How I Choose Math Curriculum by Kristen @ Sunrise to Sunset
• Discovering Patterns: Math, Logic, and Some Science by Christa Darr @ Fairfield Corner Academy
• The Science of Math by Brenda Emmett @ Garden of Learning
• “Mom, did we do math today?” by Chrissy at Learning is an Adventure
• Math, Math, and More Math by Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory

We’ve been getting things back to normal after the holidays. Most of the Christmas decorations are put away, though the wreath is still on the door, lights are still on the deck, and the garland is lying in my rocking chair.

In our homeschool this week…

We have actually had school all five days this week! I can hardly believe it. With our homeschool group’s weekly gym class in the fall, we have had a our-day school week since September. Even when gym class isn’t going on, it seems like something comes up at least once a week to disrupt our schooling. This week, though … well, I’m impressed!

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

Use all of life for learning. Far more important than any textbook or workbook is instilling in our children that everything can be educational in some fashion, each situation can help them grow intellectually, emotionally, socially.

Life is fun. Textbooks are not.

I am inspired by…

My husband, who perseveres through unpleasant situations to do what’s necessary for our family.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

We have a soup and sandwich dinner at our church this weekend. Looking forward to the time with other families, but I don’t eat soup or sandwiches so I guess I’ll be eating here before we go.

My favorite thing this week was…

Having the whole family crowded into my king-sized bed last night while we each tried to come up with an animal that started with each letter of the alphabet. Fun!

What’s working/not working for us…

Everything’s going well this week. I’m using Five in a Row with Robert and James now, and we’re all enjoying that time together. It definitely helps Robert feel more involved with our school time.

Things I’m working on…

I need to knit Robert and Nick scarves but haven’t started them yet. Robert wants a red one, and there’s a red and black one around here somewhere that I knitted for Nick some years ago. If I can find it, I’m going to pass it off as freshly made….

I’m reading…

The Successful Homechool Family Handbook by Dr. Ray and Dorothy Moore – I just started it and have no idea what I think yet. I had read some things by and about the Moores online a few months ago. Some things I totally agreed with; some, I wasn’t so sure about. I’m hoping to pick up some good ideas and encouragement from the book.

I’m cooking…

There’s vegetable beef soup in the crockpot for the soup and sandwich dinner, but I’m probably going to fix some fried chicken for the three of us who don’t like soup.

I’m grateful for…

God’s ever-present faithfulness and His loving care toward me.

I’m praying for…

A new and better job for Jon.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

Have you ever tried PaperBackSwap.com? That’s where I got The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook and have picked up quite a number of books there for free. Great service, I love it!

When they came in all rosy-cheeked and covered in snow, I had fresh banana bread and hot chocolate ready. Yum, what a nice way to warm up after playing in the snow!

I made the hot chocolate with milk instead of water because it’s soooo much tastier that way (and I figure it gives them some calcium and vitamins that they wouldn’t get otherwise…)

This is the recipe I used for the banana bread – it turned out very moist and good. They ate the whole loaf and told me to go buy more bananas so we can have banana bread again soon.

Banana Breakfast Bread

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 medium bananas, overripe
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup cooking oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the bottom and halfway up the sides of an 8-inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

In the blender, combine egg, bananas, sugar, and oil. Blend to desired consistency. (If you prefer “chunky” banana bread, mash the bananas with a fork and combine the ingredients in a bowl.)

Add banana mixture to flour mixture and stir just until moist. Pour batter into pan and bake for 45-55 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack before cutting.

In my mind, learning to read is the most important thing a person needs to learn. Once someone can read well, he can find books to learn anything else in the entire world – history, mathematics, politics, science … everything.

I feel very fortunate to like reading myself and that my husband likes to read also. I remember talking to a neighbor once several years ago when the subject of books came up. She said, “Oh, I hate to read! Always have. None of my kids like reading either.”

Honestly, she was the first adult I’d ever heard say that she hates reading, and I found it very sad. What a life to live … never enjoying books and all the places they can take you!

When it comes to teaching our children to read, so many things play a role in the success and timing of learning to read.

• Atmosphere
• Reading Aloud
• Reading Frequently
• Each Child’s Unique Timetable

Since Jon and I both truly enjoying reading and often talk to one another about the books we’ve read, I believe we’ve set up an atmosphere that makes reading desirable. The kids have always seen us enjoy reading, and that interest and pleasure is contagious.

Robert at 17 months with a very good book, Missionary Stories with the Millers

We’ve also read books to the children from the time they were babies – both picture books and longer novels, such as the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilders, Hank the Cowdog series by John Erickson, and Tales from Dust River Gulch by Tim Davis. Even as toddlers, the boys would happily listen to these stories, which means that they’ve become very familiar with all the fun and interesting people and places that they can find within the pages of a book.

Reading is part of our family relationship – it’s something that we do together often, almost everyday. As Nick, James, and Robert have gotten older, the books we read together have matured. I often pick out books now based on whatever topic we’re studying in school. Check out the left-hand sidebar to see what we’re reading together right now.

Titles we’ve found to be great family read-alouds include the Childhood of Famous Americans series and Landmark Books. I can usually pick these up at our local library, though I’d love to have the complete collection of both series for our home library!

Over the years, I’ve discovered repeatedly that allowing a child to learn at his own unique pace works out much better in the long run. Each child has an internal timetable that determines when he’ll be emotionally ready and mature enough to read on his own. For some kids, this may happen at age five; for others, the readiness may not arrive until age 12 or later.

It bears repeating and emphasizing that the age at which a child learns to read is absolutely no indication of his overall intelligence. I’ve even read that children who read later often end up more successful than their early reading counterparts. (Of course, I don’t think that means young children shouldn’t be allowed to explore reading if they show readiness for it.)

The key, in my humble opinion, is not to pick any particular age at which it is “right” for a child to be reading. Accept each child for where he is at any given time and have patience to allow him to reach the next level in his own time.

This is where I think a positive atmosphere and frequently reading aloud to children becomes even more important. Children who are daily surrounded by the joys of books will naturally start to desire to read for themselves.

What is your family reading this week?

Browse the Virtual Curriculum Fair this week to see what other homeschoolers have to say about Playing with Words: The Language Arts.

• On Learning to Spell by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds
• Playing with Words: the Language Arts by Christa Darr @ Fairfield Corner Academy
• Reading and Beyond: Language Arts in Our Homeschool by Laura O in AK @ Day by Day in Our World
• Language Arts that Work for Us by Melissa @ Grace Christian School
• Learning Language at Our House by Jessica @ Modest Mama
• Virtual Curriculum Fair: Language Arts by Christine T. @ Our Homeschool Reviews
• The Learning of Language by Dawn @ tractors & tire swings
• Reading and Spelling: Modifying the Magic by Pam @ Pam and Everyday Snapshots
• An In Depth Look at All About Spelling by Missouri Mama @ Ozark Ramblings
• Virtual Curriculum Fair: Let’s Talk About Words by Debra @ Footprints in the Butter
• Why We Love Classical Conversations Essentials (and how I know that is not a complete sentence!) by Nicole @ Schooling in the Sun
• Virtual Curriculum Fair—Playing with Words: the Language Arts by Angie @ Petra School
• Whole Language vs. Phonics by Christine @ Crunchy Country Catholic
• It’s All About the Art of Language by Brenda Emmett @ Garden of Learning
• Watching Movies for Language Arts Class by Debbie @ Debbie’s Digest
• Only 5 Spelling Tests a Year! (Can we do that?) by LP @ justpitchingmytent
• Playing with Words by Chrissy @ Learning is an Adventure
• Language Art at Our House by Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
• Virtual Curriculum Fair Week One Playing with Words: the Language Arts by Leah Courtney @ The Courtney Six Homeschool Blog
• Playing with Words, the Language Arts by Cindy @ For One Another
• Heart of Dakota- The Fine Details part 1- Language Arts by Lynn @ Ladybug Chronicles