Books are an important part of learning. Tamara homeschools because of this fact.
by Tamara Watson
Why do we homeschool? The books! Storybooks and chapter books and non-fiction books and poetry books – piles and piles of them, occupying every room of our house. The curriculum that we’ve chosen emphasizes learning through literature, and so we find ourselves reading bits of books all through the day with many, many different stories on the go at any time.
As a homeschooling mom, I get to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and travel through time and space with my children. Mornings may feature a novel about vikings or a book about explorers. Snack is served with an origin story by Kipling, then some poetry and a fable. One afternoon, our reading might be of a young Hebrew man living in Roman times, and the next day, it could feature children lost in space, searching for ways to grow plants on a space ship. Evenings often include a stack of picture books and a chapter from a novel like A Wrinkle in Time or Harry Potter or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
History, geography, science, language – we learn it all through marvelous stories that enlighten us, and frighten us, and simply delight us – myself included. C.S. Lewis said that “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” Thankfully, there are countless books that we all enjoy as a family, and homeschooling gives us time to read as many of them as we can.
What do YOU like to read in your homeschool?
