Living in community is great. Some people worry that homeschooling families are too isolated. My experience has been just the opposite: homeschooling families are MORE interconnected with a large community of other families, who are eager to meet needs as they arrive . I want to take a few moments to reflect on this and the practical blessings we've received and given.
I have always looked for opportunities to meet the needs of people in crisis. We homeschooled a friends son for 2 years. I volunteer many hours in the homeschool community. For 3 years we've rented out a bedroom (cheap) to a low-income friend. This month, however, the shoe was on the other foot.
On March 15, I was in a car accident that totaled my Corolla and injured my leg. In the following week, Debbie H. and Silvia L. brought me groceries; Stephanie I. and Sharon L. drove my kids places; Jennifer S. , Heather M., and Derek A. all offered us a vehicle to borrow! Others also wanted to know how they could bless us, but our practical needs were more than covered! Many were praying for us, including my prayer-warrior friends Kym N. and Carolyn M. This was a good lesson to me to be willing to share my needs with others, since I typically choose to be extremely self-reliant (prideful?).
One of the outcomes of the accident is that we now have a 97 Honda Odyssey. With this larger vehicle, we will be able to bless others in new ways. Our neighbors have started attending South Hills, but have too many children to transport to church. We can now take 2 with us. I'm also coaching a Tech Challenge team for homeschooled high schoolers, and now I'll be able to drive all six who live in my neighborhood to our events downtown. Previously I was borrowing Silvia's van.
Thank You everyone! This living in community, caring for another's needs is how we were meant to live. (2 Cor. 9: 6-15)
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Reading Matters
Reading matters a lot in our family. It’s important because reading is the center of many precious family memories of times spent together. My daughter Susie (14) and I devour books, at least one per week. My husband and son Westin (17) struggle with reading, but both have worked hard to develop their ability to the point where they can enjoy independent reading at their own level, as well as the stories our family shares together.
My favorite moments associated with reading are of the times I spent (and still spend) reading to my children. I was fortunate to be able to stay home with my children when they were young, and we have always made weekly trips to the library. The kids would choose some interesting books, and I’d always choose “educational” books with numbers, alphabet, rhymes or other intellectual concepts. We would bring these home and read them throughout the day, and especially at bedtime. Once they were old enough to attend to chapter books, around age 5, we began reading those at bedtime. We read through Roald Dahl’s The BFG, the Little House on the Prairie series, Pippi Longstocking series, and others. These are precious memories of snuggling on the couch or under the covers with my kids, sharing stories together.
As they got older, our shared reading has changed. Our family enjoys listening to audiobooks as we travel during the summer. Favorites include any of the adventure stories by Gary Paulsen, humorous downhome narratives of Richard Peck, Twain’s Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn adventures, and the entire Harry Potter series. We have recently started the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix, which is just as exciting as the HP series. Just finished book 1 of 7, Mister Monday.
When Westin was 11, he wanted to read the Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, which was beyond his independent reading level. So he and I took turns reading pages through the first 3 books, until he felt confident enough to tackle the remainder of the series on his own. He has since found other Science Fiction series that he enjoys: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Septimus Heap by Angie Sage, Lord of the Rings by Tolkein, which he can read independently. He also likes listening to audiobooks and following along in the text. His favorite repeater is a murder-mystery, The Westing Game.
Susie likes to have me read the books that she’s reading so we can discuss them. Problem is, she now reads MUCH too fast for me to keep up, so she just fills me in on the gist of the story and we discuss the themes (totalitarian government in Haddox’s Shadow Children series; synesthesia in A Mango Shaped Space; the afterlife in Elsewhere). For an idea of a "few" of the books Susie has read recently, check out her bookshelf on her blog:
http://shoodalways.blogspot.com/
Of course this is just for her independent reading. I also assign her “classic” novels which I have taught at the high school level and which we discuss: To Kill A Mockingbird, Animal Farm, Grapes of Wrath, Fahrenheit 451, Old Man and the Sea.
Besides my SJSU texts, these are books I'm reading right now:
The Tightwad Gazette III, by Amy Dacyczyn
(I'm always looking for more ways to be frugal.)
The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman
(Gotta read it before we watch the movie.)
Busier Than Ever, by Darrah, Freeman, & English-Lueck
(Jan English-Lueck is an SJSU Prof whose daughter who was in Susie's Girl Scout troop. And yes, the topic seems applicable.)
Parenting with Purpose, by Reasoner & Lane
(This is a new book by Marilyn Lane, whom I served with on the CAG Board for 4 years. Geared for parents of younger kids, but Marilyn sent me a copy so I'll read it.)
My favorite moments associated with reading are of the times I spent (and still spend) reading to my children. I was fortunate to be able to stay home with my children when they were young, and we have always made weekly trips to the library. The kids would choose some interesting books, and I’d always choose “educational” books with numbers, alphabet, rhymes or other intellectual concepts. We would bring these home and read them throughout the day, and especially at bedtime. Once they were old enough to attend to chapter books, around age 5, we began reading those at bedtime. We read through Roald Dahl’s The BFG, the Little House on the Prairie series, Pippi Longstocking series, and others. These are precious memories of snuggling on the couch or under the covers with my kids, sharing stories together.
As they got older, our shared reading has changed. Our family enjoys listening to audiobooks as we travel during the summer. Favorites include any of the adventure stories by Gary Paulsen, humorous downhome narratives of Richard Peck, Twain’s Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn adventures, and the entire Harry Potter series. We have recently started the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix, which is just as exciting as the HP series. Just finished book 1 of 7, Mister Monday.
When Westin was 11, he wanted to read the Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, which was beyond his independent reading level. So he and I took turns reading pages through the first 3 books, until he felt confident enough to tackle the remainder of the series on his own. He has since found other Science Fiction series that he enjoys: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Septimus Heap by Angie Sage, Lord of the Rings by Tolkein, which he can read independently. He also likes listening to audiobooks and following along in the text. His favorite repeater is a murder-mystery, The Westing Game.
Susie likes to have me read the books that she’s reading so we can discuss them. Problem is, she now reads MUCH too fast for me to keep up, so she just fills me in on the gist of the story and we discuss the themes (totalitarian government in Haddox’s Shadow Children series; synesthesia in A Mango Shaped Space; the afterlife in Elsewhere). For an idea of a "few" of the books Susie has read recently, check out her bookshelf on her blog:
http://shoodalways.blogspot.com/
Of course this is just for her independent reading. I also assign her “classic” novels which I have taught at the high school level and which we discuss: To Kill A Mockingbird, Animal Farm, Grapes of Wrath, Fahrenheit 451, Old Man and the Sea.
Besides my SJSU texts, these are books I'm reading right now:
The Tightwad Gazette III, by Amy Dacyczyn
(I'm always looking for more ways to be frugal.)
The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman
(Gotta read it before we watch the movie.)
Busier Than Ever, by Darrah, Freeman, & English-Lueck
(Jan English-Lueck is an SJSU Prof whose daughter who was in Susie's Girl Scout troop. And yes, the topic seems applicable.)
Parenting with Purpose, by Reasoner & Lane
(This is a new book by Marilyn Lane, whom I served with on the CAG Board for 4 years. Geared for parents of younger kids, but Marilyn sent me a copy so I'll read it.)
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