Reading Aloud ramblings

I just heard about The Read-Aloud Handbook.  I looked it up on Amazon and read a few pages of it from that site.  Then I ordered it; it will be here tomorrow.  It basically talks about the effects reading to your children has on them, when to begin reading to them, when to stop, and what to read.  It is highly motivating and has, once again, changed my ideas about homeschooling and how to educate my kiddos.  Reading that book in light of studying Charlotte Mason, Charlotte Mason is beginning to make a little more sense.  Or rather, I'm seeing the value of educating FULLY Charlotte Mason style.  I really like Ambleside Online, for example.  But over and over again on that site the creators say not to treat this like another booklist, but to implement it the way Charlotte Mason prescribes.  I've been treating it like a booklist :)  A booklist that is difficult to make time for. 

Our homeschoool day is full.  First the kids do Xtra Math, then a page out of their math books.  By the time we do those two things, in addition to getting everyone dressed, feeding everyone, cleaning up the mess, and reading out of the scriptures, the morning is over.  I let the kids go out to play for a while as a break, then bring them back in at lunch, clean up, do a quick devotional (sing, recite a scripture, listen/read a scripture story or Friend article).  Baby and Zach go down for naps and the rest of us go outside and do some sort of outdoor chore with Isaac.  Babies wake, need diapers, everyone needs fed, kitchen needs cleaned again.  Then I start phonics/spelling/grammar/reading/writing/lit. individually with Savannah and Charlotte.  You know, the beast known as Language Arts.  I also try to get them to do their piano during the day; they are both taking piano lessons now.  I break up fights, clean up the constant huge messes made by Destructo Boy, clean out poopy panties, spray down poopy bums in the shower, clean more messes by D.B., do more dishes, make more food, give hugs, loves, and spankin's, and try not to lose my mind.  I'm just a little busy.  I try to squeeze in a read-aloud when they are in bed, but more often than not I'm too tired.  This is NOT a Charlotte Mason education.  : (  

Can I just say right here and now: I'm OK with just one boy.  That's all we need.

Where was I?  Oh yeah, read-alouds.  So reading aloud, aparently, is SO important, SO foundational to a good education and character, that I really can't afford to miss them.  In fact, read-alouds should become the CORE of what we do during the day.  Which means I need to reorganize our day and our priorities and our approach to education... again.  It is too much of a check list.  Math done.. check!  Phonics Road done... Check!  Scripture reading done.. check! 

It's not meaning anything to the kids and the kids do not love learning : (  But they do like books and they like to listen to stories : ) 

If I took that amazing "book list" called Ambleside Online and made that more important than, say... the Beast, commonly known as Language Arts... and diligently read aloud and required the kids to read widely and often, narrating as we go, copying down the great ideas we read... I think that the Beast can appropriately be slain.  Which hurts.  I'm not sure I have the guts to put Phonics Road to the side.  I'll have to ponder that a little longer.

A Charlotte Mason education is putting a feast of ideas (nature, science, artist, composers, math, geography, biographies, myths, fairy tales, character sketches) in front of the child through worthy books.  The books have to use literary language and be uplifting (think: virtuous, lovly, of good report and praiseworthy).  It is letting the child read, ponder, and then express through narrating or art, so that the ideas become digested and become theirs.  Charlotte Mason education inspires a love of learning.  A Charlotte Mason education is also a life style; it is having the Spirit in our home, being together as a happy family, working in the garden together, taking TIME together.  Reading, walking, talking, singing, laughing together.  JOY.  For instance, DB is currently climbing in my lap trying to turn off the computer screen so that I will sing him itsy bitsy spider.  That means I'm done typing for now.

Later.