Multi facets

I love reading Winnie The Pooh to my children. When they first reach an age to reach chapter books, there is this love of the silly bear with little brain. When they are a bit older, they see all the other silliness and are entertained. But, when they reach a point of more abstract thinking, the book opens a whole new, more mature world to them.

This was the case reading a chapter yesterday afternoon. The 3 year old was content to flirt around and pretend to listen. The 7 and 9 year olds were listening and appreciating Pooh at the typical childish level. But, the 14 year old listened to one of Pooh's verses and just busted out laughing. And, suddenly, he understood so much about Pooh that he never got in the past readings we've done. He would find even more if he read it to himself, I suspect.

Since its summer, we're focusing, as we always do, on reading and math and then lots of playtime the rest of the day. Getting back to reading chapter books is one of the things I missed last month in the hectic stress of doing what should have been done after 4 months in one. My children dearly missed their schoolwork last month. I dearly missed teaching them. Even my older two are handling summer school requirements with grace. I made their summer *very* light since they will be turned back over to the public school again in August. Minimum of 1 chapter of reading a book daily. Minimum of 2 paragraphs of writing a day. E is reading Twilight. The one chapter requirement is nothing for her. A found his Poe collection. He must be enjoying it, since I have trouble bringing him back to family life at lunchtime. I told him he would love Poe. He had to consume everything Tolkien ever wrote before he was ready to try another author though.

These are the things I have always loved about homeschooling. After last fall, I lost that joy entirely. Even when I brought 2 back for their own good, I didn't enjoy it. I was afraid I would never feel pleasure in my life again. I'm so grateful to feel some things being returned to me.