As parents dedicated to instructing our children in the ways of truth, we have “no greater joy than to hear that our children walk in truth.” (3 John, 4) So imagine my inward joy on an otherwise humdrum school morning, while I sat patiently listening to my son struggling through his reading, when he stopped and asked a question.… Read More I Love to Tell the Story
Have you ever heard one of those news segments where people on the street are randomly asked “what happened on the Fourth of July?” and been appalled at the woeful ignorance of the American citizen? I often wonder if it is a true representation, or if only the most outlandish responses are recorded. Still, is the point of… Read More Did Independence Day Really Happen?
I just returned from the Charlotte Mason Institute conference at Ferrum College. One of the distinct privileges of that gathering is the stimulating conversation with like-minded CM educators, whether casually at meals, in the accidental meetings on the sidewalk outdoors, or in the deliberate setting of scheduled chats centering on particular themes. During one of the latter sessions, we tackled… Read More Anything New?
My observation of the ebb and flow of activity in our family over the course of my child-rearing years is that the merry month of May is almost, if not equal, in busyness to the Christmas season. Since opening our library, that pattern has intensified. These seasons shape the course of our years and, ultimately, the character of… Read More ‘Tis the Season
Have you ever had the experience of unexpectedly unearthing a letter or note in the hand of a beloved one who has died? It is an arresting occurrence and brings back the life of the person for an instant and is mixed with pangs of loss and longing even as we experience the momentary joy of rediscovery of… Read More Hidden Messages
Years ago, I was taken aback when a mother told me she could not read The Rag Coat to her children because “It has death in it.” Mystified, I didn’t even respond, but pondered the remark a great deal afterward. To avoid death in children’s literature would be to neglect such treasures as The Lion, the Witch and the… Read More A Time to Read and A Time to Weep
Next to comments about the weather, fellow students or coworkers frequently gravitate to the question, “What’s on TV tonight,” or else refer to the last episode as they share their intention to watch tonight’s continuation . Though my childhood is increasingly in the far and distant past, I can still remember the night of the week my favorite programs were… Read More What’s On Tonight?
Winter seems a bit reluctant to let go its grip this year. At the very season when we hope to be getting moving, yearning to burst out from the drag of dull winter sameness, much like the buds we are longing to see burst into flower, we are thwarted by early spring snowstorms and lingering bitter chill. Tending to… Read More The Season for Reading
One day a mom came into my library a little hoarse. “Have you got a cold?” Emily asked sympathetically. “No, I’ve just been reading to my kids for eight hours. They wouldn’t let me quit.” She was not complaining. That same mom recently mourned to me that her children read independently, but she can’t give up reading something aloud… Read More Reading Is Not Just for Moms
When I addressed this subject earlier, I tackled the question, “Is reading any book of any kind good enough?” I concluded that reading is a matter of life and death and that all books are not created equal. The challenge to us as parents and teachers is strengthening this habit of reading and growing in our taste and appetite… Read More Hard Thinking About Easy Reading, Part 3