The following has inspired me greatly and I hope it will do the same for others too.

A Note to the Home Educating Parent

Recently, I have had several opportunities to speak to local homeschool groups on the
topic ‘Keeping the Joy in the Homeschool Journey’. I offer the following excerpt from
that talk as an encouragement and an exhortation to you.

“Richer than I you can never be-
I had a Mother who read to me.”
~ Strickland Gillilan

Read, read, read to your child. I cannot emphasize this strongly enough.
Take it from a mom of grown children – this is a fleeting opportunity,
so treasure the time reading with your child. And keep reading to your
child even as he reaches the teen and young adult years. The ideas,
characters, and language in the books you read together will become part
of the ‘language’ of your family, and give you countless opportunities for
discussion.

Do not allow busy schedules to crowd out this vital component of developing
the soul of your child. Prioritize reading with your child above co-ops,
enrichment classes, and even sports. It is one of the best investments you
can make in your child’s education, as well as in your relationship with
him. Make reading aloud a routine in your homeschool, and in your daily
life with your child. Guard this time with your life!

Select worthy books with lovely illustrations. Choose books both you and
your child will enjoy, and do not forget to reread favorites. There are
so many marvelous classic children’s books. Do not waste time reading
‘twaddle’ – books that are shallow and condescending to children, as
unfortunately many modern children’s books are. Be discerning in your
choices. Just as setting healthy eating patterns early in life can create
lifelong healthy habits, so the reading tastes you allow your child to
establish in his early years can help train his appetite for great books in
later years.

Horace E. Scudder, the late nineteenth century editor of The Atlantic
Monthly and compiler of great literature for children wrote, “There is no
academy on earth equal to a mother’s reading to her child.”

I could not agree more.

Kathy Weitz

A Homeschooling Mom