To Read or Not to Read

Reading to my granddaughter

Here it is, September already! Hard to believe. It is also the last leg of my journey as a home school mom. My last is scheduled to finish in December, so I have been busy setting school schedules and trying to figure out those last 3 books I want my son to read for school. One of the books I have him reading is an ARC by Eric Greitens. I hope to do a review in October, as that is when it is released. Anyway, all that to say this. I have not  chosen something specific to review this time. Instead, I would like to relate how reading impacted my years as a home school mom.

I always was an avid reader, so when I had children, I wanted to instill in them a love of reading. I read aloud to my children  and as soon as they were able to read, had them read to me. Dr. Seuss was a must. Throughout our schooling journey, reading good books was vital. My oldest, Rebecca T., did literature studies with her two younger brothers. They read Holes by Louis Sachar,The Outsiders by S.E.Hinton, and Hatchet by Gary Paulson. These books were chosen to keep the boys interested in reading.

I tried to find books that would match the interests of each of my children. One year I did a unit study on horses, using Album of Horses, for my second daughter. She studied horse anatomy and read lots of books about horses, including the series by Marguerite Henry, starting with Misty of Chincoteague. I have told you about the science books I used with my sons in a previous post.(The New Way Things Work and The Way We Work by Macaulay)  My third daughter, NaomiRuth, consumed books, especially ones about ancient cultures. A favorite was D'Auliere's Book of Greek Myths.

This is just a sampling of the many, many books we used in our schooling. As you encourage young people to read, find books they are interested in. I wish I had learned sooner that my one son hated fiction, so seemed to hate reading. Once I discovered this, I began giving him biographies and real stories. His desire to read grew and I was thrilled. In case you haven't guessed, it is my last son for whom I am trying to choose those three books mentioned at the beginning. Any suggestions?

Well, have a great rest of September. Remember to read and encourage children to read by getting them books related to their interests. I know I will be reading good books to my granddaughter to encourage another generation of readers. And don't forget to support your local brick and mortar bookstores. Til next month.