We love reading!

One of the things we love about using Sonlight’s Homeschooling resources is that its literature-rich! We spend a lot of time reading! I read with the children every day, often a chapter book with Ryan and Jed and another one with Ethan and Aimee.

At the moment I’m enjoying doing some reading by myself, which only happens later at night when the whole family is asleep and the house is quiet. Walda recently read, and very much enjoyed, Jeannette Walls’s book, ‘The Glass Castle’. She’s passed it onto me to read. Jeannette Walls shares her lifestory and I’m finding it quite tragic despite the humorous way in which she tells her story, through the eyes of a child.

I’ve just finished reading Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Just so stories’. Some were more entertaining than others, but we did enjoy his humour! One of the books the children were scheduled to read by themselves was C.S. Lewis’s 3^rd book from the Narnia-series, ‘A boy and his horse’. Jed has already read the whole series (and thoroughly enjoyed it!), but Ryan hasn’t read it yet and while we wait to get a fresh batch of books so that we can continue with our exploration of the Eastern Hemisphere, I have decided to read it to them. Jed’s loving knowing what is going to happen and hearing it all over again! Ryan is really enjoying the story and it sounds like he might like to read the whole series now. I’m enjoying it very much myself …. And I’m so glad I’m reading it with them.

I’ve taken out E.T.A Hoffman’s rendition of ‘Nutcracker’ to read to Ethan and Aimee. When I came through to the lounge after waking up yesterday morning, Aimee was sitting in the lounge, paging through the book and looking at all the pictures. She’s especially excited to listen to the story and I’m glad that she’s finding it easier and easier sit and listen to the chapter books we read aloud. (We started reading it together last night and they really enjoyed it. They both thought the Nutcracker was a great invention!!)

Over and above the reading we do aloud together, the little ones each have 2 new story books and a non-fiction book from the library and the older boys each have 3 novels and a non-fiction book. As far as non-fiction goes, Jed opted for a book on digital photography and loves learning new skills that can help him with his new found hobby! Ethan took out a book on disasters, including natural, historical and man-made and reading it with him and Aimee has been very informative to say the least! I also took out a picture dictionary to use with Ethan and Aimee as we reinforce letter sounds. It looks great!

I’m so grateful that all our children love reading – I really can see how reading is a gateway to knowledge on all fronts. Ryan and Jed recently discovered some forensic investigative books in the fiction section of the library and a whole new world has opened up to them, these are exciting days! I love watching them grow, discover and explore!