Apr. 10, 2008 - Homeschool Advice You'll Never See Anywhere Else
In my almost six years of homeschooling, I have learned something that I have never seen addressed in any homeschooling guides, workshops, articles, etc. So I thought I'd just take a little quick detour and offer something that has made my homeschooling journey a little easier, brighter, and more enjoyable for me and my children.
Are you ready for the big secret???? Okay, now brace yourself... It's a big one. Drum roll please........................
(Audience anxiously awaits while time itself seems suspended.)
My big contribution to the wealth of homeschool expertise and tips is:
Learn to read out loud very well.
Earth shattering, isn't it? I know, it's not really. But I've been thinking about this, and even as of late I've seen the importance of reading with feeling, with energy, with passion. This came glaringly into the spotlight just recently with my high schooler of all people. His biology tests were not as stellar as we were anticipating. So we went over study tips, and I made sure he was in fact dedicating the necessary time for study, etc. And while he did see some improvement, it just still was not where he wanted it to be. Soooo... Then we began really looking hard and heavy to find a solution to this problem. We pulled out the big guns. He did biology with Mom! I started out just as I'd done when he was younger- Mom read, we talked, he understood, everyone was happy! And that was working for him. But then one day, my voice was tired, so I asked him to do the honors- reading, that is. And all of a sudden, BOTH our eyes were glazing over! That same text that had seemed so reasonable and forthright just a few moments earlier seemed to turn to Swahili right before my very ears! So I screeched on the proverbial academic brakes. (Fee free to interject your own sound effects here if it makes the story more enjoyable!) Put it in reverse and try that paragraph one more time, Son! When he slowed down and really read it, voila! We were back once again on the road to something that could be learned and digested. As time went on, sometimes Johnny would read (or I would read), and it just wouldn't sound right- things started sounding a little Swahili-ish again. We found that if we just stopped and perhaps put emphasis on a different word within the sentence, it usually made all the difference in the world.
This experience with Johnny really got me thinking. I related to him how as an accounting major back in college, those texts could be less than fascinating at times. And when I focused on remembering, I realized that by adding just a bit of drama to my reading, it helped me understand and comprehend what I was trying to learn.
I also remembered an incident in our own family that had planted the beginnings of this idea in my mind. One evening we had a friend of Johnny's spending the night at our house. At family devotion time, we always had someone read devotions out loud. And that night our guest, Trevor wanted to read our material. Bless his heart, but it was just as dry and monotone as could be! And I found my mind drifting no matter how hard I tried to focus on what he was saying. I remember when the discussion time came, I was so shocked that my little ones could relate back any of what had been read. These are just two examples that have brought to the forefront of my mind the importance of how we read to our children, to others, and even to ourselves!
As for advice on how to make this wonderful, rich learning happen when you read, I would say first of all, SLOW DOWN! When we are reading silently to ourselves, we don't read at the same rate that we talk. So when we read aloud, we shouldn't be reading at the same pace that we use when we are reading to ourselves. Think of the pace that you'd want directions given to you to accomplish some task- how to make a new recipe, work on the car, assemble something, etc. We all do better when those instructions come nice and slow, don't we? Well so do our children! If you think about it, when we read out loud (or even to ourselves), we're giving our listener instructions(whomever that may be!). Granted it's not how to bake a cake, but it is what the setting was like... What the characters did... Or even what occurs during photosynthesis, or what the Gettysburg Address was all about. We're providing instructions for some bit of knowledge that we want our children to store in their brains- which parts are the key points or main ideas of what we're reading. So we need to slow it down!
Another thing that I do is to think about people I've known who were really good at telling stories. Personally, I've thought of that amazing lady at the library who could hold a room full of preschoolers spellbound as she read because she poured herself into her reading. On more than one occasion, I've remembered good old Mr. Rogers and how much I loved hearing him read and talk when I was younger. Audio books can also give inspiration as to how to make something easier and more enjoyable to hear. It may feel a little silly, but I bet your children will enjoy their learning and will have better comprehension with just a little more energy in your reading.
A funny personal story: My children are perfectly used to my Library Lady impersonation. However when we were in the doctor's office or somewhere out in public, I tended to tone down the dramatics. (Even a homeschool mom has to have a little dignity, right??) But my little sweeties never let me get away with that! They always said with much disappointment, "No, Mommy! That's not the way. Please read it the right way?" And of course, I did what any dedicated homeschool mom would do. I sacrificed myself and read it the right way! As an aside, you may not leave with your dignity if you give in to reading it the rightwill leave with a horde of admiring preschoolers! (Voice of experience here!!)
I don't know exactly why reading with feeling makes such a big difference, but it does. Maybe it's that it takes the academic and adds an emotional, relational level to learning? When we read with energy, we show emotions just the same way we do in the context of our relationships. And that is very real, very personal! My own theory is that this is a tangible example of our enthusiasm for the material we are teaching. Our voice, our face, our body language demonstrates that what we are reading about is engaging. It shows that our learning is important and that we place a high priority on it. We naturally give our energies to those things that we find exciting and/or important. And when we turn up the energy with our reading, we show our children that learning is just that: exciting and important!
I know this is a seemingly little thing, but what a difference I've noticed in our homeschooling experience! If there's anything that can ramp up your learning, I think this is it. So the next time your child is just not "getting" something, give it a try. Just pretend you're Ms. Frizzle, Mr. Rogers, or any other dramatic, interesting person you can think of, and try reading it like you mean it! I'd love to hear about it if it works for you. And if it doesn't, you can let me know that too and I'll be happy to put you in touch with my own Personal Preschool Fan Club. They'll help soothe your bruised ego if you need it!
Happy Reading,
Kim
Comments
Apr. 10, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Patiecake
I couldnt agree more. After hours of listening to a child read, not in a row of course, it gets tiring but it can also address problems with reading. I know my kids are younger yet but we do lots of this. Thanks for the post.
Apr. 11, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by lahbluebonnet
I agree! I have always tried to read aloud like Richard Thomas (John Boy)!
Blessings,
Laurie
Apr. 12, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by teachingmisssmartypants
I don't know who I'm impersonating, but I try to read to the girls very dramatically. It helps that I'm overly dramatic by nature! :) But they do enjoy it.
