If I had to identify the ONE key to learning, it would have to be reading. Explore foreign lands without leaving home. Investigate scientific theories without owning a whole lab of equipment. Experience history without building a time machine. Learn about any subject without sitting in a classroom.
Reading not only boosts a child’s educational development, but also helps reduce stress, broadens creativity, improves memory and vocabulary, and enhances communication skills.
If you focus on only one subject in your homeschool, reading has to be it. A child who can read is a child who can learn.
Reading is fundamental to education and personal development, but exactly what should a student read?
First, of course, a student should be able to read the material required for his school. Even a young student can begin to read and interpret basic directions. Never underestimate the importance of this one simple skill. If someone can understand the directions and follow them, they have a serious leg up on
75% of the population. Just think about the number of people who can’t follow traffic signs!
Second, a student should read about subjects of interest. It doesn’t have to be deep or anything award-winning. Reading for the joy of reading, particularly for children who struggle to read, is the key to building a lifetime reader. Make a list of interests: animals, nature, sports, adventure, fantasy, travel, science fiction. Then, pick books in the genre written to your child’s reading level. There are any number of lists on the Internet. Or ask a librarian for recommendations.
If your child struggles to read or is more of an auditory learner, look at audio books or make time in your schedule for reading aloud. I’m not sure anyone outgrows read aloud time. My teens still love listening to me read books aloud. They say they’re not listening when I’m reading with my younger children, but somehow they are always in the room.
Third, it’s never too early to read for encouragement. Our world is crazy at the best of times, and everyone benefits from reading books that speak to their fear, anxieties, dreams, and goals. Authors that detail their own struggles give us hope – first, that we’re not alone in our challenges, and second, that we can overcome. Likewise, books that encourage us to dream big and set goals inspire us to do more with our lives and outline a path to get unstuck from our rut.
Childhood habits create lifelong habits.
Never underestimate the importance that habits have in your daily life. You probably don’t add brushing your teeth and taking showers every day to your To Do List. You just do it because you’ve always done it. Reading can become the same type of habit. Create a simple habit of reading just 20 minutes a day during their childhood, and they will likely continue into adulthood without even realizing it.
To encourage my children’s reading habits, I have helped them pick a list of books that we would read during the summer. We trade the book back and forth if we only have one copy. A little competition sometimes takes shape to see who can read the book the fastest. We discuss the plot, the characters, and the location. We mourn the end of the book like an old friend who has moved away.
Sometimes we pick one author and read several books from that author, such as Jane Austen or Jules Verne. Other times, we’ll choose a series and read through the books over several months. Some of the series we have enjoyed are Anne of Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie, Ranger’s Apprentice, and The Chronicles of Narnia. Many a pet, and even some farm animals, have been graced with a name from a favorite book.
We listen to audio books when we travel. Around the World in Eighty Days took us across Texas and Colorado. The trip wasn’t quite 80 days, but driving in West Texas can make it feel that long. I not-so-fondly call the stretch from Fort Worth to Amarillo the “Bermuda Triangle on Land.”
My adult daughters and I still recommend books to each other and even re-read old favorites together. My oldest daughter Face Timed me recently to show me the reading nook she made in a spare bedroom. So, I’m happy to see the habit has stuck.
There is never a better time to start than now.
Overcome your fear of where to start homeschooling with a dedicated reading time. It will not be time wasted.
For read aloud, check out https://readaloudrevival.com/ for book recommendations and tips.
Recommendations for older readers are plentiful on the Internet, but I recommend screening most books. Not every list will share your values and standards. A website I recently ran across may be a good place to start, https://goodandbeautifulbooklist.com/.
Happy homeschooling!
Georganne