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Reading Widely and Well (a reading update)

As a mother who educates her children at home I have the responsibility of keeping MYSELF well educated, tended and fed.

I’ve been posting bookish updates every few months.

This year my goal has been to focus on reading widely and well - from a variety of genres and authors. Specifically, I knew I needed to add a bit more nonfiction to my reading life, as well as books that might not appeal to me from the get go. (So much of teaching our big kids is modeling for them, so I am hopeful my spirit of inquiry is rubbing off on them!)

My oldest is graduating high school and my youngest is entering high school. I want to be able to discuss BIG topics with them, while at the same time tending to my soul (which is going through a bit of upheaval as I face one child leaving the nest).

Learning for the #Homeschool Mom: Reading Widely and Well

How Do I Find the Time to Read?

The answer is simple: I’ve become much better about using my time!

I use all of those little bits of time in between times and while I am doing household chores - to READ. We all know how much time we spend shuffling children to and from places in the car, so I use that time to listen to books with my children.

Audiobooks have become my friend (check out Libro.fm), and I also make use of Overdrive through my local library.


Where Do I Get Book Recommendations?

I love being in the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club! I get so many recommendations from that group, as well as Anne’s What Should I Read Next? podcast and her new podcast - One Great Book.

It’s also been fun to take part in the #bookstagram community on Instagram. My book account, @homegrownbookpicks , is where I chronicle what I’ve been reading.


Following is my latest book update! I’ll give you my favorite from each category, so if you just want to pick a few books to get started you can!

Truly, I enjoyed almost every book you see here (with the exception of The Enchanted April and The Time Traveler’s Wife) - so I can recommend them to you without reservation.

Middle Grade Books

Hands down, Out of My Mind is my favorite middle grade book I have EVER read.

I believe that everyone should read this book - it’s a great one to read aloud with your kids and discuss. This book has been especially meaningful to me because I have a dear friend who has adopted a disabled child. We are reading this book together.

I love that books can speak to us on all the circumstances of life.

Professional Development for the Homeschool Mom

I led an online book club earlier this year using Beauty in the Word (access our recordings here). This book is a deep, meaningful read, and it was beneficial to discuss it in a group!

Education by Design, Not Default is a book I would recommend EVERY homeschooling parent read. Recently written by Janet Newberry, the book has inspired me evaluate my homeschool philosophy and make some changes as my youngest enters high school.

Super good stuff!

Non-Fiction/Spiritual/Memoir

It’s hard to choose a favorite here, but if pressed I will go with The Warmth of Other Suns.

This book told the story of America’s Great Migration - the mass movement of African Americans from the south to the north and west in the 20th century. I found myself sharing so much from this book with my family as I read!

I enjoyed all of the books in this category, and look forward to reading more non-fiction in 2019.

Historical Fiction/Classics/Books about Books

One of my favorite audiobooks of all time is Parnassus on Wheels.

This little book about books has such a charming narrator and the story just speaks to the heart of a book lover! I found myself chuckling out loud as I listened to this in the car.

I also recommend Finding Dorothy. While it is a fictional account of L. Frank Baum’s life and The Wizard of Oz, there were many grains of truth in it that were fascinating. I had no idea what Baum’s (and his wife Maud) life had been like and how his residency in the Dakota Territories in the late 1800s shaped the story of The Wizard of Oz. Fascinating stuff.

Other Book Recommendations

If you’re looking for sweet escape, I would recommend the Supper Club Novels by Carla Laureano. I zipped through both of these and enjoyed a clean Christian romance.

Of course so many readers have loved Where the Crawdads Sing - my in person book club read this one earlier this year. I enjoyed it, but there were parts that seemed a bit unbelievable to me.

I’m not much of a thriller reader, but I must say that The Silent Patient and An Anonymous Girl had me hooked. (So… maybe I am coming to like this genre more?)

Again, with the exception of Time Traveler’s Wife, these all get a hearty recommendation from me.

I’m busy putting together a summer reading list. I would love to read more nonfiction this summer, with a few beach reads, too!

Beginning August 2019 my son will be in Challenge I and there are many wonderful American novels in his curriculum. I expect I will be reading many with him so we can discuss.

Do you have a book recommendation for me?

Is there a particular book from my recommendations you will choose to read next?

Let me know in the comments!

From School to Home: Our Story (Part 3: Big Kids)

Homeschooling big kids is a totally different ball of wax.

Those magical, sweet years of homeschooling littles (see Part One of our story) gave our family so many precious memories. The initial years of homeschooling instilled a love of learning and a deep sense of family in ALL of us.

After we had made the decision to homeschool the kids we then enjoyed several years of Interest Led Learning, Charlotte Mason’s principles, and a spirit of truth, beauty and goodness. (see Part Two of our story)

Life is just so predictable, though. Right when we begin to get the hang of something - to find the groove - things must change. I’m convinced this is God’s way to keep us growing and drawing closer to Him.

When my oldest got close to seventh grade I knew something needed to change. It was at this point that I can look back and see a dramatic shift in our homeschool - not better or worse - just different.

We needed the shift.

From School to Home: Our Story (Part 3: Big Kids) #homeschool

The Appeal of Classical Education

I had always tried to keep current with research about homeschooling. After reading The Well Trained Mind, I had implemented pieces of Classical Education in our homeschool. I knew that even more Classical elements would be a good fit for my youngest.

Grant was a collector of facts. He loved good books. We had been going down a very structured math route with him. I knew that Classical homeschooling would probably be a very good match for him. He was smack in the middle of the grammar stage.

At the same time, I thought that my oldest (Anna) could benefit from a lot of what I was reading about the dialectic stage.

Classical Conversations

A friend of mine introduced us to Classical Conversations. From everything I could tell it seemed this community approach would be the perfect thing for my then second grader.

My daughter was just the perfect age for the Challenge program, so I enrolled her in Challenge A. (equivalent to 7th grade)

(What I didn’t realize, and what I desperately wish I would have known at the time was that it was very hard to succeed in the Challenge program without the prior foundational experiences. I know children have done this, but I do think we do our middle schoolers a disservice when we expect them to jump into Classical education at the age of 12 or 13. It seems a bit like asking a child to bake their own cake without a recipe when they have never baked before and don’t possess the knowledge of what the ingredients are and how they work together.)

My daughter’s experience in Challenge A was much different than my son’s - I think this is because my son had 4 years preparation for Challenge A and my daughter had NONE.

Another observation: Classical Conversations communities vary widely.

My experience was entirely different based on the two communities we attended. I have heard different experiences from friends in other areas. Visit your local community to see if it is a fit for you. Do your research on the background of the company and the community. Research leadership in your area. And… remember that YOU are in charge of your homeschool.

( I have found it helpful over the years to write down our reasons for homeschooling and revisit them several times each year! )

Don’t Ever Tie Yourself to One “Program”

To make a long story short, my daughter stayed in the Challenge program four years.

She gained many good things from her years in Challenge. (I have written about not losing the wonder in high school and the importance of following your child.)

The valuable lesson I learned, however, was that we should never feel an allegiance to one method or program. The minute a method becomes an idol should be a warning signal. We must always stay in our own lanes and follow our child’s lead. In the end, it was important that I listened to my daughter and let her follow her passions.

(My son completed all of Foundations and Essentials and will be entering Challenge I this fall. He has an extremely unusual situation that involves a combination of 10 committed families and children who get along very well. I do tweak the Challenge curriculum and we participate because of the community. I anticipate him graduating with this group of friends, but I have also learned to never say never.)

Another lesson learned? Each child is different!! To assume one method will fit all of your children isn’t realistic!

Our #homeschool story - Part III

My daughter’s 12th grade World Literature class - what a blessing this group has been!

I think, also, that my daughter learned flexibility, grace, and courage in her homeschool high school experiences.

She has been the “new kid” at a local Classical school. She has learned to assert herself and how to step in and make friends. We can see so clearly how God was guiding her journey every step of the way!

The Courage to Be Different

Stepping away from Classical Conversations after the 10th grade gave us a feeling of FREEDOM with my daughter’s education.

She will be graduating in just a few weeks, and has enjoyed a combination of online classes, classes at a local Classical school, and a smattering of classes we have designed together at home. She will be attending college - majoring in Special Education (her great love).

God has been faithful and good throughout her homeschooling journey, and I am thankful I listened to HIM when it mattered most.


Take Some Good From Everything

I feel like a broken record - sharing the lessons I have learned, but there are so many.

Whatever curriculum, program, or method you choose - find the good in it. If it isn’t for you 100%, you always have extracted some good. I am convinced that if we adopt this attitude all will be well.

Life is like that, too - take a little good from everything you encounter, correct?

From our experiences with Classical Conversations, Memoria Press Academy, Mr. D Math, HSLDA Academy, Shormann Math - and many other resources - we have pieced together a unique education for each of my children that I hope honors each of their strengths and talents.


Our #Homeschool Story - Part III

Our sweet Challenge group - my son is the goofball on the top left!

Yes, They CAN Get Into College

Finally, everyone used to ask me if I was worried my homeschooler would get into college.

My answer? NOT AT ALL.

I found that being an unaccredited homeschooler put us into a separate category. We found colleges that were interested in my child and vice versa. If we had to jump through too many hoops to apply to a college then I knew that wasn’t the place for my homeschooler.

I wouldn’t let college acceptance factor into your homeschool high school decision. I tell my friends with younger homeschoolers now to just be sure they meet the state required credits for graduation, be sure your child takes some SAT or ACT prep, and that they can write well.

I sought to maintain the integrity of my daughter’s high school education first and foremost, and it has all worked out beautifully.

Read my series Homeschool to College to learn A LOT more about this topic!

Did you miss a part in the series?

Find them here:

From School to Home: Our Story (Part One)

From School to Home: Our Story (Part Two)

My prayer is that you have courage, ideas, and inspiration from our journey.

Questions or comments? Just let me know below!