Thursday Q&A: Are they ALL bookworms?
I was going to make this a Monday thing, but the week ran away from me. So let’s try Thursday. I’ve enjoyed having a regular day for posting my weekly booklists—it helps keep me on track, knowing I’ve slotted the roundup for Sundays. I thought it might be nice to set aside time to answer questions from the comments on another dedicated day. Maybe not every week—every other, perhaps? When I answer questions in the comment box, I’m never sure if the original poster sees the answer (since sometimes it takes me a while to reply). So I’m going to start pulling questions into these Q&A posts. You can leave more questions (or discussion topics in general) in the comments here and I’ll tackle them in the next Q&A.
On my High Tide for Huck and Rilla post, Jen asked,
I’ve just got to jump in and ask, do your kids read a lot in their free time? Your philosophy is very much like what I’ve done with my kids and I also have olders and youngers. It just doesn’t seem like mine are not like I once was and couldn’t wait to have some free time to read. I wonder if it is all of the technology available (which I greatly limited with the older kids and have, admittedly, given too much slack with the younger ones). I am comforted that there are still really great books going into their little ears and they have book jags every once in awhile, but…am I being idealistic in our present society or simply expecting too much of a picture book image in our homeschool?
With this many kids, my answer’s going to be all over the place. 🙂 Some of them read constantly, incessantly. One of my teens was an obsessive reader when she was younger, but now she goes in spurts—she’ll be up late many nights in a row, devouring a stack of books, and then weeks will pass where she feels sort of meh about reading and pretty much only reads things necessary for her studies. I think she gets more sleep during the meh times, so it’s probably a healthy balance.
My younger children are less book-obsessed than my older three, and I do think that has something to do with the presence of gaming devices in their world—increased options, perhaps? We have limits on game time (two hours a day), so my younger kids’ day divides roughly into morning lesson time, after-lunch gaming time, and the rest of the day is free time until evening chores. There’s a good chunk of free time in the mornings, too, most days. Whereas Jane, Rose, and Beanie were apt to spend a large portion of their free time buried in a book, my younger trio choose other activities more often—drawing, crafting, Snap Circuits, outdoor play, etc. A lot of hands-on activities. If I find them sprawled on the sofa with a book, it is probably a graphic novel or picture book. Rilla hasn’t sparked to a prose fiction series yet the way her older sisters did with Redwall, the Warriors books, Boxcar Children, and other series. She is more drawn to art books and nonfiction—specifically books about bugs, birds, and animals. 🙂
So my younger kids aren’t as bookwormish, but I don’t worry about it. I figure they are getting plenty of reading in their day through readalouds and audiobooks—as you say, “really great books going into their little ears and book jags every once in a while.” That’s a dead-on depiction of what I’m seeing here these days! Since our homeschooling style is literature-centric, I feel confident they are absorbing a wide range of excellent books, stories, and poems.
One more thought: I do make a habit of combing the shelves for good picture books every couple of weeks. I’ll swap out a batch in an easily accessible basket—or leave a pile on my dresser, which seems even more effective at catching their eye. For some reason everyone likes reading on my bed best. I display books face out so the covers jump out at the kids. Huck is especially attracted to these casual displays and I will often him lolling on my bed, surrounded by these little curated collections. They also jump on any library or review copy that comes through the door—it seems the novelty makes a book extra attractive. I’ve known them to check out library copies of books they’ve walked past on our own shelves a thousand times. And the review copies—oh boy. Anything that arrives in a box is a hot commodity. The magic of the brown truck?
Jen says:
Thank you so much for answering! I recently found your blog and already felt encouraged to get back to books we (I!) want to read rather than books that have some significance. I am further encouraged by this post! I have already added many of your recomendations to our book (Christmas?) list and have started some sketching time with audio books.
On October 15, 2015 at 3:38 pm
Melissa Wiley says:
Wonderful! I’m so glad you saw the reply. 🙂 I’d love to hear your audiobook selections. Not to mention your favorite sketching supplies!
On October 15, 2015 at 3:44 pm
monica says:
Im so glad you are doing a Q and A time. I have actually considered emailing you with a question. It may not be one you feel comfortable answering on your blog. And actually, this is a very personal question that many moms will answer differently.
When is it time for an IEP? Or when did you know it was time for an IEP for Wonder boy?
On October 15, 2015 at 4:13 pm
maria says:
What a wonderful blog post.
“The magic of the brown truck?” Ah! The solution to inspire more reading or introduce new books…..pack up what is on your shelves and ship/mail it to your kids! I like this zanny plan. 😉 😀
On October 16, 2015 at 10:00 am
Erin says:
Was just talking to my big kids this week about the effect of computers on the younger children’s lives. Olders say they were far more creative and read far more than the youngers, they blame computers and I think it’s true.
Interestingly we’ve just placed a ban on computers through the week, only Fridays and Saturdays and already we’re seeing an increase in reading and outdoor playing so we’ll see
On October 18, 2015 at 9:18 pm