Books for Homeschooling: Adding Picture Books to Your Homeschooling August 27, 2014 By Bekki 1 Comment This content may contain affiliate links.One of the beautiful things about homeschooling is that we do not have to reproduce a classroom environment around our kitchen table. Aren’t you glad? While I was quick to throw out many “classroom-y” ideas and practices in my first few years of homeschooling, I rediscovered a classroom secret that works like magic at home… Books. Picture books. Many homeschoolers take advantage of their local libraries and Amazon, but how do we present those books to our children? The Seed Was Planted One of my homeschooling mentors mentioned how important it was to surround our children with picture books. Forget the thought that picture books are for preschoolers. Simply select books that are beautifully written and illustrated and cover topics that your children are learning about in history. So, I took my 15 library books and out them all over the window sills in my dining room (where we “do school”). Result: All of the boys were drawn to the books. (All. Even the high schooler!) During breakfast, during snack, during break/free time they would wander over and grab a book to browse. There was no agenda; just enjoy the books. We explored the books, talked about the pictures, and of course read the stories! Lesson learned. As a classroom teacher, I guess I would have collected a book-set themed for what we are studying in history or science. I would have the books conveniently displayed all over the room and in the reading center. I suggest to you, that as homeschoolers we need to find ways to display these books to our children as well. On the kitchen table On the coffee table On the window sills Along our white boards On shelves. Displayed like they would be at a book store. If you have matching toys, stuffed animals or knick-knacks then display them with the books! We need to simply put together a history or science themed collections and then place them before our kids. I personally use Amazon to find the books I want to put in front of our boys, then order them from our library. I always have 10-30 books checked out during the school year! Challenge: Pull 3-10 books from your shelves or the library. Place them in a display-like fashion. Set no agenda. In fact, you ignore them. Observe your kids. I bet you will be as amazed as I was to see the difference it makes! Be sure to comment below and share what works for you! If you need some book suggestions, just let me know. I would be glad to help.
[…] #4]: When you begin a new topic, look for picture books and dive deep into stories! As a last resort in learning, open a […] Reply