reading Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Aug 07 2011

So, where do I get the books?

When parents first start thinking about homeschooling, one of the first things they ask is,

“So, where do I get the books?”

I cannot tell you how often I am asked this question.

Particularly when parents have little or no homeschooling background, there is often the assumption that either: 1) the school district provides a stack of books to use each year; or , 2) that there is some place locally to go and pick up whatever books are required.

Not so.

Not unless a student will be enrolled in a home study program where books are provided and shipped directly to the home, that is. But that is not the way the most families homeschool their children. (In fact, it may not really be homeschooling at all.)

The truth is, in MOST cases, homeschooling families DO NOT receive books for homeschooling. Parents must choose their own books — and pay for them, too.

And, for many, that is exactly the reason they homeschool – to make their own curriculum decisions – some even choosing not to buy books at all.

For others, however, like some of the parents who ask the book question, this comes as a great disappointment.

In fact, when families make the decision to homeschool children, they become separate, independent education programs all their own. They must not only decide what to teach, and how; but they must also decide which materials to purchase. Or not to purchase. The choice is entirely theirs to make. And, unless state homeschooling laws dictate which subjects to teach or what tests will need to be passed (some states do, check your laws HERE), families can decide exactly which books to buy, and where to get them.

So, where do homeschooling parents get their books? This is where a little bit of research will come in handy. Asking friends and acquaintances who are homeschooling is one way. Joining local or online support groups and finding out where people buy their books is another. Going to homeschooling book sales and conventions is still another idea. Or, scouring the Internet to find the web sites of reputable sellers of homeschooling materials will work, too. And lest the prices scare families away, parents needn’t worry, as they are many inexpensive ways to homeschool that do not involve purchasing costly textbooks at all. My book has a list of resources that can help.

Regardless of how the books are ultimately obtained, it is important for homeschoolers to realize that book choices are theirs to make, and that they remain in complete control of all purchases made for the purpose of home education. And as for tax breaks for these kinds of purchases? Read this post for answers.

Aug 03 2011

Think about it: Kids reading to kids

This is the beginning of a little series of posts here on Quick Start Homeschool. Each post will contain a single idea to consider trying this year. I’ll keep posts short, so that you can move on to the next quickly. Perhaps these ideas will inspire you to try something new…or help you realize that something that you’re already doing is okay. There will be no particular posting schedule, but you can look for Tags & Titles that begin with the words, “Think about it”.

—

Think about it — Kids reading to kids

How much fun is it to read to children? Most everybody enjoys time spent reading aloud or listening to a good book.

On the other hand, reading takes time — something that some parents don’t have that much of.

How would it be if you asked another child in the household to read aloud?

Just look at all the benefits:

the reader gets practice, maybe even learning something new himself (or herself) along the way
the recipient still gets to enjoy a good book
mom or dad has a little time off to do something else
a new relationship or bond may be formed (or reinforced) between the reader and his/her audience

Kids reading to kids is a definite win-win! It can happen any which way you like: spontaneously, at your suggestion, or scheduled into the homeschooling day.

Jul 21 2011

Summer reading & book lists

Many families — homeschoolers and non – use summer as a time to catch up on reading. Parents and kids like to take advantage of the extra hours at the beach, curled up on the porch swing or in a fluffy chair near the air conditioner to read a good book. Of course reading occurs during the school year, too. It’s just nicer sometimes to spend long, lazy periods of reading without having lots of other work going on at the same time.

Some parents like to allow children to choose their own books for pleasure reading. In cases like this, a quick trip to the library or the neighborhood book store is all that is needed to make a book selection, and then the reading can take off from there.

Other parents like to set parameters for the kids, letting children pick their own books, as long as the books fit some general set of criteria. In this way, kids still have the freedom to choose, knowing that mom or dad will approve of their selections. Criteria might be about choosing only books at or above the child’s reading level, choosing books only from Christian publishers, or steering clear of books about anything the parents don’t approve of, whatever that might be.

And still other parents prefer to let kids choose from “approved” book lists, feeling that since the books have been pre-screened, are family-friendly, haven’t been “banned” anywhere, or meet some other set of requirements, they’re okay for the kids to read. There are many places to find these book lists, as just about every library organization, school district, online book vendor and publishing company has at least one list to check out — often several. Some homeschool book catalogs (think: Rainbow Resource and Chinaberry, for instance) offer book summaries and reviews that help with the selection process. Sometimes families will keep wish-lists of their own, jotting down book titles throughout the year, saving those choices for when the children have more free time to get around to reading them. Even mom bloggers post book lists online, many coinciding nicely with certain curriculum products or that fit well with some particular homeschooling method or philosophy. It’s all a matter of finding a list you like.

For an idea of what book lists look like, start with a couple of these, and then find others on your own:

Newbery Medal and Honor Books from Association for Library Service to Children

Young Adult Library Services

International Reading Association

Great Books Foundation

Oprah’s Book Club for Kids

Curriculum round-up!

If you’re new to the site or need a list of resources to start curriculum shopping, you’ve come to the right place! Here, you’ll find pages with some of the most popular, widely used, or well-known curriculum products on the homeschool market today. We’ve included some secular, some not, and some religion-neutral products, so you’re sure to find something worth checking out.

Many of these resources have been featured elsewhere on QSH, too — so please dig deeper into the archives to learn more about the different topics if you’d like to know more.

Click on a subject area to get started:

ART DRIVER’S ED HISTORY LANGUAGE ARTS MATH

MONEY (also see MATH) MUSIC PHYSICAL EDUCATION

READING (also see LANGUAGE ARTS) SCIENCE

By the way, these pages are periodically updated. Subscribe to the feed or check often to see what’s new!

[Photo: Free Digital]

Mar 10 2011

Measure reading comprehension using book studies

Some parents assign reading time as part of the homeschooling day. Other times, children read on their own, either during the day or at bedtime.

It is natural for moms and dads to wonder if their children remember and understand what they read – this is called Reading Comprehension. While it is perfectly alright (in fact, recommended) to allow children to read for fun and pleasure with no strings attached, it is also important to know that they comprehend what they read, too.

Assigning a book study is one way to do this. You select a book, or allow your child to select a book that meets your approval. Then, over the next several days or weeks, you discuss the story or assign activities to help measure whether she understood the book.

How is reading comprehension measured?

One way is to ask the child questions about the story, a little bit every day or once a week. For example, after every chapter, you talk about what happened in the book. You make sure she understood the main points and caught the larger details in that chapter, and talk about anything else that she found particularly fascinating or intriguing. Of course, this method implies that mom or dad has already read the book (or at least a good online summary) and is able to gauge whether or not her answers are correct. However, there are many discussion questions and answers available for free or for purchase on the Internet to make the process easier for those who prefer to use a prepared lesson plan.

Another way to check comprehension is to assign a project based on the story. Asking the student to write a little bit about each chapter, keep a journal about the book, or write a book report are just some ideas. Other projects, for those who prefer alternatives to writing assignments, include acting out parts of the story, creating an artistic representation of something in the story, or creating an audio or video presentation about it. Just try to choose a project you think your child will love, rather than taking away the fun of reading the book altogether.

Whatever method you choose, aim to find out whether or not your child understood the story. If there were difficult words or confusing parts, make sure to clear them up as you go – so they do not block comprehension of the rest of the book. And talk about any parts that you feel, knowing that particular child, need further discussion.

There is nothing that will sap the fun out of a book more than assigning homework about it. This is why pleasure reading is highly recommended. On the other hand, as a homeschooling parent, you’ll need to know that your child is capable of reading and understanding the books that you assign. Book study projects can help with this important assessment.

[Photo: Free Digital]