The Joy of Reading

I have always loved to read, but my children were struggling. Crying, fighting and refusing to read and do the assignments . . . for years. So, we stopped and reassessed. We chose something else and took a completely different approach to youth reading. I gave up the “twaddle books” and brought them into the world of literature that I have always loved: classical literature and “Living Books.” (These concepts come from Charlotte Mason).  We’ve read abridged versions of Treasure Island, The Call of the Wild, The Secret Garden and so many more. All with a vast array of individual reactions from my littles. 

These books created emotions and curiosity in my kids. These books created memories as we discussed the trials of our characters, and through that process became stronger in character ourselves. Their rapidly changing expressions and vocal outbursts warmed my heart as they became immersed into the stories we were reading. The discussions they held amongst themselves depicted their reading comprehension without lengthly book reports and pages of questions. 

Once the joy of reading was established, the mechanics of reading became easier. They wanted books about spiders, Volkswagen Bugs and unicorns. They wanted to read about hurricanes and planets. Because of this want, the lessons of R-controlled vowels and sound combinations became easier and more welcomed. They saw the advantage of becoming stronger readers. They saw how reading opened doors into any subject they wanted and how the world was theirs for the taking. They were now invested in themselves and wanted to continue that joy of reading on their own. 

Tina is a force. She gets stuff done, and in the quickest and best possible way. She is a prison nurse, manager of two vacation homes, and mom of 4, from preschool to middle grade. Did I mention she also homeschools her children?! I was honored when she came to me for the one piece of mom advice she wasn’t already familiar with: young boys should only use the upstairs bathroom. Thank you, Tina, for taking the time to share your experience with us!

tawny ember