Homeschool Learnings: Bookworms, Spelling Practice, and Snow Play
/“Can we go to the library?”
“Sure. Great idea. Have you read all of the books on the pile?”
“Yup. I am going after books like crazy now. I read books all the time.”
It was only 18 months I wrote about the Bean learning to read. The prodding and the pushing and the cajoling and the soft lips forming individual sounds.
“Bean, what is so crazy is that 2 years ago there was a part of me that thought you would never enjoy reading.”
“What?” Wide eyes looked at me. “Momma that is crazy.”
“I know my beloved. Right now, as I watch you read to Dragon on the couch I am laughing at my concern. Do you realize that we literally go through about 20 books a week from the library?”
“A week!”
“I know!”
My beloved, I was exactly the same way. Nose deep in a book trying to ignore Meme/Baba telling me I needed to come to dinner, feed the cat, get dressed for school, or get in the car. I would stay up all night to finish a book - rereading my favorite parts the next night. And the next.
The more you read the easier it will be to spell. One of the fun things about doing third grade is the weekly reminders about the craziness of English spelling.
Recently, we threw a bean bag back and forth while Dragon munched his second breakfast on the couch.
“Thief.” I threw you the bean bag.
“T.” You threw it back to me.
“H.” I threw it back to you.
“E.” You threw it back to me.
“Try again. Thief.” You rolled your eyes as I held the bag and restarted.
Meanwhile, Dragon you decided you needed a change. You put the remainder of your pancake in your bowl and walked to the kitchen, calling out as you went. “I am going to get some snow!”
Bean, thrilled at an interruption from the arbitrariness of spelling dictums, replied, “Dragon, make that freezing cold water!”
“Got it Bean. That’s my plan.”
“Okay, freezing water girl, let’s focus. Treat.”
“T.”
As we enter the back half of the homeschooling year I am savoring each one of these days, each interruption, each moment. I can see our homeschooling time evolving and I want to savor every moment of these snapshots of the three of us together. Sun streaming into the windows, the dog on the rug, tea steaming in front of each of us.
Curious and learning and together.
T..O..G..E..T..H..E..R
