Reading - "The Old School Way"

I remember when I was a kid, I used to ride my bike down Main Street to the public library - an old stone building with huge steps that led up to huge carved wood doors.  When I entered, the place smelled of musty pages and book bindings - but I loved it!  (Somehow I also remember that the late fee was only 2 cents a day - that was only in the late 1970s!)

But, as big box book stores have popped up, it seems that our kids don't have that same experience that I used to cherish.  We go to these massive stores, and easily lay down $50 for a few books and stop by and get a latte on the way out.  We may be teaching our kids about the importance of reading, but we are also drilling into them that you have to pay to read - consumerism at its best!

So, how about a trip down to the local library?  I admit I have fallen in and out of this habit - more "out" lately.  But, it is time for me to get back on the library-wagon.  A visit to the library every week or two is an adventure kids can always look forward to.  "What will we learn about this week?"  is a phrase my son asks when we venture through the bookshelves.  And libraries have an endless source of things to learn from!  So, I am dusting off my library card and putting it back in service this week!  (even though I am sure I have a late fee - and it's probably not 2 cents.)

Lessons at Home

At his Montessori school, my son has lessons with his teacher - one on one.  The lesson may be with the golden beads (a mathematics tool), or maybe it is learning the proper way to use and care for the gardening pruners, or perhaps it is how to sew a straight stitch on a piece of cloth.  It is a special time for him and his teacher.  

Recently, my son was home on a rainy day from school.  He had a touch of a cold - and not being sure how contagious he was, I kept him home.  Of course, by 10 am, he was bouncing off the walls! So, I thought, "let's do a lesson!"  And, I used that term, lesson, since he was very aware of its meaning.  He jumped at the thought of having a lesson with his mama.  How special!  That day, we did a 20 minute lesson on Earth Day.  I read to him from a book that had ideas for kids on how to be kinder to the Earth.  We learned why the Earth is in such trouble. We talked about what we could do.  He wrote down our plan.  And now we have put our plan into action.  

In a way, I hope this sets him up for the day when he actually has homework (he is only 6.)  By saying, "let's do a lesson," he knows he is really going to learn something interesting.  And, it is a peaceful time with just the two of us.