We are a family that loves to read. I have piles of books for the children, and we've often tried to create a "reading nook" of some sort to encourage reading.
Whilst there have been times in our family that we have used the television to occupy us; say, after the birth of a baby, or during the first trimester of Mum's pregnancy when she's feeling crummy, blah, and nauseas, or when one or more children are sick and lethargic and the best place to hole up for the day is in front of the television to just rest, most of the time I prefer to encourage reading.
Of late, I have allowed the two older girls to watch a DVD during quiet time seeing as they don't always need a nap, especially if we haven't done much of anything to get rid of their energies in the morning (quite often the case after the arrival of a baby and the establishing of a solid routine means we stay home a lot! in the first 3 months of the baby's life). This also gives the Mum some down time too... to rest or catch up on some household to do's like necessary phone calls etc.
We plan to follow the Charlotte Mason homeschooling method / curriculum when Possum begins school in another couple of years. For now, we just concentrate on some of her (her, being Charlotte Mason) living books (here's a good description of what a living book is) and read from them as time allows, with not any real agenda, except to read and Possum learning to narrate. While Twinkle sits and listens, she isn't showing signs (yet) of comprehending all that I'm reading. But I certainly don't discourage her presence and joining in. Even Sweetness will sit on my lap for a good while and join in reading.
Our current book list is:
The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh, by A. A. Milne
The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, by May Gibbs (a book I started reading on my own at age 7- and I still have that copy)
A Treasury of Dr. Suess Classics
The Jesus Storybook Bible
Our current book list means that we may not read from each of these books every day, but every day it is a goal to read from at least one, if not more. The girls so far show great interest and our reading times last about 10 minutes at a time.
Possum has begun to narrate; this is part of the Charlotte Mason homeschooling method. In essence, I read a short while, perhaps just a page or two, then ask her what's happened so far, to which she'll narrate to me what she has heard. It is not my opportunity to correct or change what she's heard, but to allow her to process and take in what she hears. After all, this is her story to develop in her mind and world of imagination.
As a family, our devotion time each morning is centred around:
Training Hearts Teaching Minds by Starr Meade. While this may seem that it is "over their heads" we are finding they are learning much, and we are going to stick with using it, especially that is is based on the Shorter Catechism.
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