Increased reading is one of the marvelous by-products of homeschooling your children.

Increased reading ALOUD, but also increased personal reading, have benefitted my life and my children's lives in so many ways.

Last night, as I began the latest book in my stack (one I've been waiting to get my hands on for several weeks now), it hit me what a blessing reading has been the past couple of years.

I'm a bit obsessed with books, y'all.

Last year's reading resolution went well. I changed my reading habits and completed 50 books in the year. I felt a change in my life, in my demeanor, attention span, and cravings. It was GOOD.

This year I'm on pace to read MANY more than that. I've officially caught the reading bug. Television, Pinterest, and other activities have gone by the wayside so I can make time for good books.

My life (and my family's life) is being enriched in so many ways.

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”

— Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice

Why do we read?

More specifically, why does a HOMESCHOOL MOM (for whom time is in short supply and quite precious) devote so much time to books?

I've narrowed it down to three reasons - of course, there could be more, but these seem to encompass it for me.

We Read To Learn and Model Learning

Homeschool moms love learning (probably more than their children - ha!). We read to keep up with our children and to be able to expose them to new ideas. We want to have intelligent dinner table conversations, be able to answer our children's questions, and model that spirit of learning.

I have always strewn books around the house to inspire reading.

We Read to Make Memories and Form Connections

I read aloud A LOT to my children - they are teens and I STILL read aloud to them!

Yes, I count the books I read aloud to my children as my own personal reading. There is something about reading aloud that is very satisfying, don't you agree?

Today my 16-year-old was reading Two Ways of Seeing a River - an excerpt from a novel by Mark Twain. I asked her if I could read it aloud to her, and as I did we both were mesmerized by the beauty of the language and Twain's incredible ability to paint us a picture of a river with his words.

Earlier in the day, I had been reading Huckleberry Finn aloud to my 13-year-old. (Now there's something FUN to read aloud - give it a try!)

“It was a dreadful thing to see. Humans beings can be awful cruel to one another.”

— Huckleberry Finn ~Mark Twain

The memories and magic that come from reading aloud with our children are irreplaceable.

This gem of a book was one I found in my mother's things. She passed away last summer and finding this book was a gift.

Read it, and you'll know what I mean.

As I was visiting my dad, I took an afternoon to read this book. What a treasure this book - and that time - was to me.

Three Reasons to Read and Quarterly Reading Update

We Read to Become Better People

Well-chosen books have a way of increasing our awareness of others and their life situations. We develop empathy and compassion as we read about a wide variety of people and situations.

“Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.”

— Joyce Carol Oates

Once again, so much of this comes back to my children. I read because I want to be better for THEM. I want to model these qualities for them. Homeschooling my children has refined me in so many ways - and my reading life is a by-product of that refinement.

Quarterly Reading Update

So, what have I read so far this year? Here's my list - I think it's a good mixture of classics, new releases, educational books, and just for fun, too.

And, in case you were wondering -- here are the top five of the year so far:

Peace Like a River

Gift From the Sea

The Remains of the Day

A my Snow

Consider This

What are you reading right now? Leave me a comment and I'll add it to my list!

We get ONE SHOT at homeschooling our children.

I remember when we first began homeschooling - there was SO MUCH before me. So many options for curriculum. So many fun projects. So many methods.

Looking back, I wish someone would have told me to keep it simple. Find a few beautiful things and dive into those. Set homeschool routines with engaging activities that play into your child's strengths and interests.

Be consistent.

Don't discount their hearts.

Place beauty first.

It took me a couple years to get to that point of simplicity and effectiveness, and now that I have teens I can look back and see what really WORKED - and what continues to work to this day.

Make Reading Your #1 Priority

Yes, it really is that simple.

Read. Encourage your children to read alone. Read aloud.

Strew books around the house.

I talk to many parents who tell me their children don't enjoy reading. Maybe it hasn't been modeled for them, or maybe a public school has beaten the love of reading out of them.

You have a unique opportunity in your homeschool to inspire reading .

(In our house EVERYONE - even the canines - read!)

Hear me on this: do not let reading aloud come in last place. In fact, put it in first place. Develop a time for reading aloud, provide things to keep little hands busy, and choose engaging books.

Give your children a feast of books to read on their own. Create a time in your day for everyone to just sit and READ.

Never let anything come in the way of time to read.

Now that my oldest is almost a homeschool graduate I listen to her fond memories of our read alouds. Both of my children will say, "Remember when we read that book....".

Reading has increased their habit of attention, expanded their vocabulary, and given them a gift that cannot be bought in any store.

(Check out 5 Ways to Raise Readers for more tips.)

Implement a Routine

I'm not much of a schedule gal.

One of the reasons we began homeschooling was because I detested being a slave to the public school SCHEDULE. It beat all of the joy out of learning. It didn't inspire wonder.

I knew, however, that my children needed a routine. They needed to know what came next each day and what was expected of them during a day.

In the years when I had kids in elementary homeschool - and even into middle school - our routine looked like this:

Get up, dressed, make bed
Breakfast (Morning Time) - time for devotion, music, and read alouds
Math, English, Science, Piano Practice
Lunch
History
Quiet Time -- you know all homeschools need quiet time, right?
play time

Keep in mind, I needed to be flexible with this - especially with an active little boy in the house. He was going outside just about every hour to burn off steam. Sometimes we would get caught up in a project that would take all morning.

My children always knew, however, that our skeleton of Morning Time, Math, Lunch, History, and Quiet Time was there. This guided our days and eliminated a lot of confusion and unhappiness.

Morning Time & "Elevenses"

Before "Morning Time" was the big buzz in the homeschool world we were doing a time at breakfast that included devotions, Classical music, reading aloud, and memory work.

One year I wanted to change the routine a bit, so implemented the English tradition of "Elevenses", which was tea and a snack at 11 a.m. We used our teapot from England, made scones, and did our read aloud during this time. What a sweet memory for all of us!

However you decide to structure this time, be sure to include things that are important to you each and every day. If you have this time each day then you can ALWAYS say you accomplished something, even on the worst of homeschool days.

Sometimes I had a little one that was crabby in the morning and needed some time alone before we got going - in which case we saved our "morning time" until lunch time. You know your children and what will work well on any given day.

That freedom and flexibility is one of the most glorious things about homeschooling!

(Read How to Make the Most of Your Homeschool Time for more thoughts on this!)

Quiet Time

This gave ALL OF US so much peace in our homeschool days.

Early on I believe it saved our homeschool. I wasn't used to having children in the house all day. I needed QUIET and time to recharge. I needed time to take care of household chores, sit down to read, and maybe fold some laundry.

I went back to our naptime schedule from when the kids were little - and if they didn't feel like napping they had many options of things they could do while STAYING QUIETLY IN THEIR ROOMS.

If quiet time is just a part of your day and you set the expectation firmly and consistently, you will not have a problem with implementation.

I'm not going to say much here - but instead direct you to Why Homeschool Mamas Need Quiet Time.

(You're welcome.)

Take Care of Math!

Please hear me on this.

Do your research early on. Decide on a math program. Stick with it.

I fell into the trap of listening to what everyone else was doing. I fell into the trap of feeling I had to try the math curriculum with the largest presence at the homeschool convention. I fell into the trap of listening to my child when they said they didn't "like" the math curriculum.

In the end, I learned a lot by the time my second child came through our homeschool.

We have used Saxon Math since the beginning with him - focused a lot on math facts - and math is simply a non negotiable in our house.

When your child gets to the point of taking the SAT and ACT you will look back and be thankful you chose a solid math program from day one.

If your child needs help with math -- OUTSOURCE IT! There are abundant resources online and in person now. We don't have to let our kids flounder in math.

My prayer for each of you is a peaceful, productive homeschool.

I know the days will sometimes be long and difficult, but if you have certain practices in place you will minimize those.

You will look back on your time homeschooling with so many fond memories and children who have benefitted from a consistent, beautiful home education.

Three Reasons to Read - Quarterly Reading Update

Why do we read?

We Read To Learn and Model Learning

We Read to Make Memories and Form Connections

We Read to Become Better People