There's just something about a room filled with books that makes me smile. These past couple weeks I, with my little book lover by my side and my soon-to-be #2 in tow, have been to two local library book sales. Fun! He follows me over to the childrens book section and plops down under a table with a pile of books, and is usually enthralled in his 'reading' for quite a long while. Meanwhile I peruse the tables looking for affordable goodies to bring home. This is something some people just don't get. Why do you need so many books around to clutter up your house? All it means is you have to buy more book shelves, right? And who really has room or time for that! I admit, it is already tough at times to keep up with the everyday mess of life with kid/s just as it is without adding more to it. But that is a minimal argument in my mind.
It is my goal to raise up an intelligent son who loves life and is full of vibrance, imagination, and eagerness to grow and learn. I want him to enjoy and to continue to learn even after he has graduated from his required courses. I'm sure you know adults who live with that spark about them, who are a joy to be around. In order to accomplish this, I believe he needs to live with knowledge at his fingertips, in an environment surrounded with the best books to learn from (as well as many other things like hours outdoors, and tons of hands-on learning experiences etc.)
It is my goal to raise up an intelligent son who loves life and is full of vibrance, imagination, and eagerness to grow and learn. I want him to enjoy and to continue to learn even after he has graduated from his required courses. I'm sure you know adults who live with that spark about them, who are a joy to be around. In order to accomplish this, I believe he needs to live with knowledge at his fingertips, in an environment surrounded with the best books to learn from (as well as many other things like hours outdoors, and tons of hands-on learning experiences etc.)
Mason says it well
Children must have the Best Books––One more thing is of vital
importance; children must have books, living books; the best are not too good
for them; anything less than the best is not good enough; and if it is needful
to exercise economy, let go everything that belongs to soft and luxurious
living before letting go the duty of supplying the books, and the frequent
changes of books, which are necessary for the constant stimulation of the
child's intellectual life.
- Parents and Children Vol. 2 pg 279
Children must have the Best Books––One more thing is of vital
importance; children must have books, living books; the best are not too good
for them; anything less than the best is not good enough; and if it is needful
to exercise economy, let go everything that belongs to soft and luxurious
living before letting go the duty of supplying the books, and the frequent
changes of books, which are necessary for the constant stimulation of the
child's intellectual life.
- Parents and Children Vol. 2 pg 279
This sale was particularly fun to attend because while we were there, a reporter from the newspaper spotted him reading intently and captured a shot to put in the next morning's paper! That made the day all the more special to my boy. I overheard the two sweet little old ladies running the front desk, fondly pointing him out under the tables as well. Guess I'm not the only one happy to see a little boy enjoying a good book.
We packed up our trunk with our treasures and headed home. A box of books is still sitting on the living room coffee table and a pile of them is spread out on the floor. We have been reading through little by little over these past days and at bedtime. We're already developing some new favorites.
But this afternoon while playing outside, something exciting happened! We caught our first garter snake! We put it in our critter-catcher box and mama ran inside, over to the box and headed back out with one of our new books in hand. We see these snakes all the time, just had not caught one yet. Boys and snakes = exciting, let me tell you!
We packed up our trunk with our treasures and headed home. A box of books is still sitting on the living room coffee table and a pile of them is spread out on the floor. We have been reading through little by little over these past days and at bedtime. We're already developing some new favorites.
But this afternoon while playing outside, something exciting happened! We caught our first garter snake! We put it in our critter-catcher box and mama ran inside, over to the box and headed back out with one of our new books in hand. We see these snakes all the time, just had not caught one yet. Boys and snakes = exciting, let me tell you!
Did you know they are named after old men's garters that were used to hold up their stockings? Even I learned something. To me this is part of what it means to have a living education. These spontaneous teachable moments that pop up while you're headed out to pick the last carrots from the garden before supper time are somthing that I love to grab hold of whenever I can. So, yes, supper will be a little late tonight because we had to sit and look through the book and discuss the other kinds of snakes. And no, I didn't plan a science lesson on my preschool plan book for today. But the learning that happened here was precisely planned by Someone much greater than I, and I am just thankful I spotted it this time and was able to work with Him in the life and education of my child to form an experience he will hopefully never forget.
One last thing we just had to do before continuing with the evening's plans was to make a quick entry in our Book of Firsts: "October 6, 2011- Captured our first garter snake" (a very important first to a 4 year old boy!) This is a notebook we keep as a family record of special firsts we observe in nature around us as we live life season to season, and year to year. It is one of the "forms of vitality" Miss Mason says must be a part of a child's living education. Keeping this book is a part of the beginning of our science education, and it is full of wonder and awe at the beauty of creation. Click on this link for a photo of the book we have, where to get your own, and more about how to use it and why.
I am seeing how much more alive all this is then a pre-planned lesson from a teacher's manual about the 5 senses, for instance. I can tell this experience really meant something to my son. I'm sure he'll also remember tomorrow too, when I make him release this little guy back into the grass where we found him. But first we have to show Daddy!
I am seeing how much more alive all this is then a pre-planned lesson from a teacher's manual about the 5 senses, for instance. I can tell this experience really meant something to my son. I'm sure he'll also remember tomorrow too, when I make him release this little guy back into the grass where we found him. But first we have to show Daddy!
Wishing you a happy harvest season full of life!
Ps. Check out our marble-sized chicken egg.... another one of the ladies began laying. How does the saying go, "From small beginnings come great things."
Ps. Check out our marble-sized chicken egg.... another one of the ladies began laying. How does the saying go, "From small beginnings come great things."
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