Hey, I'm homeschooling my kids in the middle school years, it doesn't really matter now right? - they know how to read! Yeah, but what if they don't want to?
It's simple questions like this that become imperative to a homeschooling mum. The buck stops here. Can't say I've got a total handle on this yet, but I have spent the past 4 months giving it considerable thought. Here's what I've come up with:
1) Reading Aloud -All the research I've read on reluctant readers attest to the need to continue to read aloud to your kids way into their teen years... Really!? How come no one tells you this? The research says that kids need to fall in love with great stories and these stories may be considerably over their reading ability. Kind of like the idea that your kids understand a lot of what you're saying before they learn to talk themselves.
2) U.S.S.R. - You remember these acronyms from elementary school? Uninterrupted, Sustained, Silent, Reading. Essentially it means everyone (parents included) stop and read, without interruption, for at least 30 minutes per day. I've always liked the idealized notion of the family sitting around reading, but the research says that practice is essential in learning to read. Practice, practice, practice.... One upside of implementing USSR in our home is that I am also reading fiction for fun again. I mean, I LOVE to read, but when I looked at what I was reading (textbooks, research articles, religious books etc.) I wasn't actually modeling the love of the Classics or the foundational fiction which I wanted for my kids.
3) Charlotte Mason - I love the Charlotte Mason approach to education. I'm sure I'll prattle on about her ideas many times on this blog, but a foundation in her approach is oral narration. This encourages the parent to read aloud to kids and have the children narrate (speak) back what they understand at the end of the reading aloud. This never ceases to amaze me - my kids are great at recalling names, places and events which I long forgot. It holds the kids accountable for giving their undivided attention to the reading, and is also a great quick assessment for the parent to see what the kids have grasped. For some quick overviews on this approach visit www.simplycharlottemason.com
Here's the exciting thing... IT WORKS. I was inspired to write about this today because at the end of our USSR both kids asked to continue reading their novels!!! They read for over an hour (although, I'm embarrassed to admit that after 30 minutes of Heidi I dozed off!) Just another example in my constant need to maintain humility and give my kids a break if they're too tired to read some days :)
This happy home schooling mum confesses that there is no saving face in home schooling, but I am tickled that my kids read while I snored quietly next to them on the couch!
Joyfully yours,
Caz.
Introducing my kids and their blog pseudonyms... Trust me, I asked their input and this is what we came up with. George's first choice was Jack A.S.S. how funny is that mum???
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| George |
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| Banana Bread |
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| Muffin Mouse |
