If you lean for more a CM type of education, how do you make it fun?

[Mama2Many4]

I LOVE the CM way of homeschooling. My boxed curriculum has a strong CM slant, but it's still mostly just workbooks. I'd love to implement more living books with only a few workbooks, but my kids are not readers OR listeners. How can I do this? What do you do to catch your kids attention and perhaps make it hands on as well? Any suggestions will be taken into consideration. :tongue_smilie:

[FO4UR]

I let mine draw, color, play quietly while I read aloud.

 

I pull out the Lincoln Logs when reading Little House books. I let them make bows and arrows in the backyard when reading Robin Hood. We read about Abraham Lincoln before visiting New Salem, IL. They watched Liberty's Kids before I read a book on George Washington.

 

IOW - relate to the reading outside of the reading time. Talk about it at dinner, in the car, when you see something that reminds you. Let them make it hands-on (instead of you planning the hands-on). When they come up with an idea, enable it. When they are gone into imaginative play with Winnie-the-Pooh, let them stay a while. Limit screen time so that they ask for another book when they are hungry for a good story.

 

I read for a break in the day. It's a pleasure, not school. It's a before we start school, before we have quiet time, before I need to make dinner, and before bed kind of habit. I buy the books and place them in the shelves. THEY pick what they want to hear most of the time...each dc gets to choose 1...so that's 3 chapters or picture books *several* times a day. Some days, I employ audiobooks b/c that's a lot of reading. Instead of reading before quiet time, I'll let them lie down and listen to an audiobook.

[Koerarmoca]

I let mine draw, color, play quietly while I read aloud.

 

I pull out the Lincoln Logs when reading Little House books. I let them make bows and arrows in the backyard when reading Robin Hood. We read about Abraham Lincoln before visiting New Salem, IL. They watched Liberty's Kids before I read a book on George Washington.

 

IOW - relate to the reading outside of the reading time. Talk about it at dinner, in the car, when you see something that reminds you. Let them make it hands-on (instead of you planning the hands-on). When they come up with an idea, enable it. When they are gone into imaginative play with Winnie-the-Pooh, let them stay a while. Limit screen time so that they ask for another book when they are hungry for a good story.

 

I read for a break in the day. It's a pleasure, not school. It's a before we start school, before we have quiet time, before I need to make dinner, and before bed kind of habit. I buy the books and place them in the shelves. THEY pick what they want to hear most of the time...each dc gets to choose 1...so that's 3 chapters or picture books *several* times a day. Some days, I employ audiobooks b/c that's a lot of reading. Instead of reading before quiet time, I'll let them lie down and listen to an audiobook.

 

yes to all this, my youngest 2 can't sit still so they illustrate a lot of what they hear on their mini white boards while I read. for my 2 year old its just scribbles but she will grab her board and her a book and ask me to read so I know she enjoys that special time weather its for the scribbles or just hearing mommies voice.

[Mama2Many4]

Thanks for the ideas!

[mom24boys]

I'm not sure that you are looking to switch or just looking to add more living books to what you have. We really enjoyed Heart of Dakota this year. Not many workbooks, easy on mommy, still "boxed," doesn't drag on, lots of living books and it's fun! :D

 

There are quite a few Catholic families that use HOD. If you search the HOD boards for "Catholic" you will find 6 or 8 threads on the subject. Most add in some catechism I believe. You could also search the HOD Yahoo group on the subject.

 

Just an idea.

[2squared]

I think if you work too hard to make CM "fun" by adding to it, you may detract from the CM method. The CM method relies on the children slowly developing relationships with books. It is an internal process rather than an external process. If the mom is making up too many activities to supplement the reading or to make them fun, then I think you may loose the inherent richness of the method.

 

If your dc don't enjoy being read to, you have to up the currency and develop listing as a habit within your routine. Have you tried reading something like My Father's Dragon or anything by Roald Dahl to your boys? Maybe reading a chapter or two at a time and purposefully stopping at a climatic point? Then you provide them a chunk of free play time and see if they bring their experiences from the book into their play? Maybe even join with them as a supporting character with them making up the rules for play.

 

What workbooks are you looking to replace? Have you looked at any of the Mater Amabilis suggestions? I love PLL suggested by MA, but I will be doing most of it orally with my rising 2nd grade boy.

[woolybear]

As far as helping them to become listeners/readers, try really engaging books. Perhaps stick with whatever you have been doing, but add tea time or just read aloud time several times a week. There are lots of wonderful books that are not necessarily part of any curriculum which should draw them in. Tea time makes it really fun. And if they know they get a snack at the same time, that might help keep them involved. It all becomes a ritual which my boys love. Start with good picture books and short read aloud times. Gradually ease into transitional chapter books (Brambly Hedge series comes to mind. It's chapter books with lots of wonderful pictures.)