He holds his journal open to me and proudly displays his "Draw Write Now" inspired page.
She calls out from the other room, "How do you spell, imagination, Mommy?" She's beginning another new story.
She beckons her siblings to the couch for a bedtime story and they laugh themselves silly as she reads.
Reading and Writing are the hub that our wheel turns upon and they ignite and affect each and every other subject. A few of our inspirations have been (click on the links, if you like):
I love what happens in the minds of my children when they've read a good book. I'm riveted myself as they narrate what took place in one of their "readers". The inspiration shows up in their play with each other as they are suddenly sailors in search of the Blue Grotto, or log cabin builders like Pa in Little House in the Big Woods. They've fought battles as Christian did in Pilgrim's Progress and they've spoken with an accent all day after I read, Strawberry Girl, aloud to them.
Children also write better when they read great literature. It becomes natural to them as they're being trained by the masters. Charlotte Mason warned about devouring "twaddle" or books that are of little educational value. I think this goes for T.V. and electronics absorption as well. Read-Alouds are important at any age as they listen to me read at a level just above their own. They find their own voice as a writer when they feast from a large buffet of authors. If your child is reading and writing below their "expected level" there are fabulous resources for struggling learners. Homeschool conventions are valuable for finding support too!
As we join together in teaching them diligently this year, let's also keep them reading and writing regularly (especially the Word of God)!
