Today is one of those homeschool days that take an unexpected, unplanned detour. By the book, today would have been a day of mapping and listening to me read the bible. We have a plan for the year to read all the way through, from start to finish, retouching the ancient history the kids learned last year along with mapping areas discussed in the bible.
I am reading the 1611 KJ version to them because it has all the beauty of the language combined with no “begats” as the long string of begats made their eyes glaze over. This version replaces the begats with actual descriptions of the generations, which is more interesting for my kids. The only drawback is that the 1611 version includes the loose and fluid spelling rules adhered to in those days in England and so you have to set your mind in a kind of de-focused state in order to successfully read it out loud without great pauses to decipher the words as you go. But that de-focus is the same state I use to monitor the children in the background while in conversation with the Hub at the end of the day, so for me it comes easily.
But today we do not follow the planned path. Today my children read. Actually devour is a better word for it. Yesterday the Hub pointed out a series written by L Jagi Lamplighter for young adults. She is the wife of John C. Wright, for those of you to really enjoy his writing (like the Hub and I). Yesterday my daughter read her first book and today she woke early so the could read the second in the series and my son, sensing that she had hit upon a wonderful story, began the first in the series.
And there he sits, opposite me in our living room, curled up in an immense lazy-boy with alternatively looks of concern, excitement and a happy grin as he reads. I can almost tell the full extent of the story just by watching his face. This is the definition of devouring a book. Living inside it, accompanying the main character through her adventures.
Given both my kids’ reaction to the story, it may be worth your time to take a look. It is available on Amazon in Kindle format, and also the first is available in paperback.
So whether we are reading the adventures in the bible together or living in a tale of adventure and magic, my children are still devouring the written word, developing fantastic imaginations, strengthening their morals, adding to their vocabulary, and reveling in each moment of it.
The only downside is that now the house is so quiet that I miss them!
