Home Education - Language Arts
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How to Raise a Family of Readers – Guest Posting
I’m certain it’s apparent to all that we’re rather passionate about books and reading here. Reading in our household is an integral part of our family culture and highly valued. Simply, reading is something we do as a family. Today I’m chatting over at Sunlit Pages about how PC and I have fostered a love of books and reading within each of our children over the years. As a bonus I interviewed our oldest seven for their thoughts as to what they believe we did to support reading in our family. The children’s insights are fascinating and as their mother I found it enlightening and heartening to hear reoccurring themes and experiences. Whilst you’re visiting over at Amy’s…
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Leaping into Literature: Our Final Week
Our Leaping into Literature readings have become rather challenged as we juggle a number of major projects in our life, projects that distract our focus and energy elsewhere, in fact this post has languished for a few weeks in drafts, dusting off to share. All three of the older children have been reading up a storm, however focusing on the picture books this week. Jelly Bean (11) Kelsey Green, Reading Queen – Claudia Mills JB loved this book Jack Jack (9 – Later Reader) Treehouse Rescue: Peter Rabbit The Raddish Robber: Peter Rabbit Australian – War Remembrance Day was on the 11th November and we read through a huge pile of war books. Well…
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All About Reading: Level 1
After years of teaching our seven older children to read without a scripted reading program we are now using one. I’m so excited with the brilliance of All About Reading I want to share with you our experiences as we move further through the program and complete each level. I’ve previously reviewed All About Reading: Pre-Reading, chatting today about our experience with All About Reading Level 1. In my All About Reading: Pre-Reading review I talked about our first experience using a scripted program, about our previous method, a modified Australianised version of Spalding and of my reluctance to switch to any program as it may mean changing our phonogram sounds. A reluctance that was removed when I discovered All…
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Leaping into Literature: An Interrupted Week
Last week was an interrupted week; a belated birthday luncheon for our teens with Marnie (my mum) and our annual local festival, always a big week. However despite the distractions we managed to achieve some reading for our Leaping into Literature theme. Michelangelo(16) The Warrior Heir – Cinda Williams Chima The Wizard Heir – Cinda Williams Chima The Dragon Heir – Cinda Williams Chima The Enchanter Heir – Cinda Williams Chima Princess(14) Sweet Little Ladies and the Secret at Berry Creek – Sascha Everett Horrible Science mags That Girl of Pierre’s – Robert Davis Jelly Bean (11) Star of Wild Horse Canyon – Clyde Robert Bulla Break in at the…
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All About Reading: Pre-Reading
At the end of last year I used All About Reading Pre-Reading with our then six year old, our first experience of using a scripted reading program after years of teaching children to read without one. We are extremely happy with our decision and believe we have finally found ‘the missing key’ to our children’s previous reading experiences. We are currently using All About Reading Pre-reading with Bass, our four and a half year old, and are impressed anew of the ease and effectiveness of this program. Bass is our youngest child to begin reading, but he is keen and for him it’s a game. Prior to teaching Jem to…
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Leaping Into Literature: A Less Intense Week
In some respects our Leaping into Literature focus was a little less intense this week, we read far fewer picture books than last week. Although our focus remained on reading, it was more in the nature of our budding readers reading to me rather than me reading to them. I’m finding the most effective method of ensuring reading progress is to make it a ‘family affair’, our emerging readers and new reader all reading at the same time. Imagine children snuggled up in various cosy spots at the same time, that’s what’s working, the togetherness factor. Individual Reads: Michelangelo(16) The Tournament at Gorlan (Ranger’s Apprentice – John Flanagan Princess (14) Began a few…
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Reading to Teens
Do you read to your teenagers? I’ve just begun reading to our teens after a hiatus of years. Over the years I’ve read aloud to our middle and younger children (mostly) but for various reasons I haven’t been reading to our teens. This has bothered me for years and I’ve yearned to change the situation but have been griped by an inertia to do so. What was the catalyst for change? I was downloading Sarah’s podcasts when the title Reading Aloud to Older Children (still haven’t listened to it) caught my eye and I was instantly determined and inspired to read to our teens. We began that afternoon and have continued since. Why can’t our teens…
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Leaping into Literature: Third Time Round
This is our third year to embark on our annual Term 4 adventure; Leaping into Literature. A time when we immerse ourselves in picture books, and chapter books for the older children. This ties in well with our focus this term, literacy; reading, writing and spelling, which deserves a whole post in itself, but suffice for now, we’re seeing wonderful results. To ‘free up’ time for picture books we omit history, science and geography from our studies, though in reality we cover these in our picture books anyhow. Our library cards are nearly maxed out, with 12 cards in the family and a capacity of 20 reservations per card, we’re already in the 200s! As our…
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Leaping into Literature: Excellent Finds
We seem to be ‘enjoying a theme’ of interrupted weeks this term. Our challenges this week included days off to welcome home our teen Pilgrims (hooray they are home safe and sound:) and for our town’s annual festival. Both of course important events, nevertheless I’m happy that we’ve managed to continue with solid learning despite the many life events being thrown at us. I was excited to discover a couple of picture biographies this week, Meet Douglas Mawson by Mike Dumbleton and Jubilee! One Man’s BIG, BOLD, and VERY, VERY LOUD CELEBRATION of PEACE – Alicia Potter were excellent, as were some of our Art, Antarctica and Aboriginal finds, which I really do plan…
