"Children should have the joy of living in far lands, in other persons, at other times - a delightful double existence; and this joy they will find, for the most part, in their storybooks." Charlotte MasonThere cannot be enough emphasis put on the importance of delightful literature made available in childhood. Not sprinkled through, but applied liberally, from babyhood and onwards. We have the modern convenience of audio books at our finger tips; from our phones to Yoto players, our kids can build blanket forts, fold laundry, clean their room, paint, or go on a walk while listening to a story. Read to the end for our challenge/assignment. Centuries ago, nearly all stories were passed down through spoken word and by traveling minstrels. Reading was reserved for the rich, the nobles, and those who chose to live in monasteries. But in today's world, reading is a necessity. So, why not make it a rich, beautiful experience, from ABC to Lord of the Rings? With this in mind, we have chosen to use The Good and the Beautiful for our reading curriculum. While many reading curriculums lack a solid foundation, are full of twaddle, or are simply unattractive, we have found Good and Beautiful to be a perfect fit for Huckleberry. (Are your kids already reading proficiently? The last half of this post are for you!) If you are planning to send your 1st grader to Huckleberry Academy, we strongly recommend using Good & Beautiful for Preschool & Kindergarten.Good and Beautiful lays a solid phonics foundation, a gift to your child for the rest of their life. Their stories are not useless twaddle, but full of character traits and rooted in a Biblical world view. In addition to all of this, they are absolutely beautiful, like the proverbial cherry on top of your child's early reading experience. Along with all of this, their lessons are short and build on each other as simply as legos, leaving plenty of free time for your preschoolers and kindergarteners. Check out their free printable curriculum here! Fostering a love of living books in older kids may take effort, but it is so worth it.Books full of fluff and meaningless stories are a dime a dozen and it's as easy to fill your child's brain up with junk as it is to fill their tummies with snacks. Charlotte Mason called these books "twaddle." I must admit, I love a good Dr. Seuss book, and don't love to hear them called twaddle. Or maybe I just enjoy a little twaddle sprinkled throughout childhood. Enjoyed best when balanced with classic "living books", like Little Pilgrim's Progress, the Chronicles of Narnia, Little House in the Big Woods, etc. Here is a quick explanation of twaddle. Simply Charlotte Mason describes living books like this, "Living books are usually written by one person who has a passion for the subject and writes in conversational or narrative style. The books pull you into the subject and involve your emotions, so it’s easy to remember the events and facts. Living books make the subject “come alive.” They can be contrasted to dry writing, like what is found in most encyclopedias or textbooks, which basically lists informational facts in summary form." If your child doesn't enjoy reading, take some time to listen to the read aloud. Are they able to read smoothly, with minimal effort? Reading is supposed to be a relaxing activity, not laborious. If it takes a lot of effort to read one page, why would any kid pick up a book for fun? It's simply not worth the effort. If your child can read well and still doesn't enjoy quality books, start a family read aloud at the dinner table or bed time. Choose a book that with a strong storyline and maybe a little suspense. If the chapters are long, read just a few pages, making sure to stop at a high suspense spot, so they're eager for more the next day. Some good read aloud choices are:
Finding these rich, edifying books can be like a treasure hunt, but it doesn't have to be. They can be found at 2nd hand stores, if you have time and know what you're looking for. Another good option I've found is Instagram book stores! Many homeschool moms are turning to Instagram to earn a little extra money. Their sales are usually themed, which makes it fun. ThriftBooks and Amazon are other wonderful options. Make sure you check out the used option on all Amazon book listings. And of course the library is full of treasures! We have a small library at Huckleberry your children can borrow from at any time. We also have a running reading challenge that our teachers will be happy to fill you in on. Challenge: Go through your bookcase with your kids and identify books that are twaddle and books that are alive with meaning, joy, and warmth. Choose a read aloud - it can be read by you or your child. Set a goal to read together 4-5 nights a week. 
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