In addition, I also am very grateful for the idea to include what we call "free reading" as suggested in Ambleside Online, the free online Charlotte Mason style plans. These are books that are still required reading but the reading of them takes place during off school hours. In our family, I provide them with a list of free reading books and they take time each week to enjoy reading the books with no additional assignments attached. I find that they still narrate the books to me in an informal way, usually when I ask them on Fridays what they have read for their free reading during the previous week. We keep a list in their assignment binder where they keep track of when they start reading a book and when it is finished. One book is going at all times, some weeks they fit in time for a few pages and sometimes they devour a complete book. I really leave it up to them.
Last year we had the situation where Mr. B finished his free reading list early in the year and I had to go back and find additional books for his free reading list. He is a much faster reader and tends to read on his own for enjoyment more than his brother. He appreciates the free reading list because he is of an age that it is hard to walk into the library and find a book that appeals to him...sort of in between the juvenile section and the adult fiction selections. He has also read *a lot* of books already. The free reading list gives him a place to start. If he finds he likes an author, he can choose more of their books when he is at the library next.
So here are the free reading books for the year, some are on both of their reading lists and Mr. B has a few additional books on his.
- Alas Babylon
- Fahrenheit 451
- Murder on the Orient Express
- All the President's Men (Mr. A only)
- The Jungle (Mr. B only)
- Sea Wolf (Mr. B only)
- Up from Slavery (Mr. B only)
Here are links to the books on Amazon.com if you are interested. If you read my entries in an email, you may need to click to the actual blog entry to see the Amazon.com links.
Here is last year's free reading lists if you are interested in those books as well.
Happy reading!
Barb-Harmony Art Mom
4 comments:
Barb
I can totally relate, my dd17, has read so much, reads like she is gulping and yet some books she is not ready for.
btw I'm really thrilled to find your blog, to find someone else who talks CM highschool:)
My daughter and I read Fahrenheit 451 last year and we both loved it. Amber didn't love reading it as much as she loved the ideas in the book and all of the wonderful quotable lines. I hope that makes sense! It's definitely a book that makes one think!
Samantha
Erin,
I know what you mean. I think that high school is sometimes like a black hole that bloggers enter and they don't talk about too much. I may not be the rigorous of CM bloggers but I try to share some of each subject we cover so it may give other families some ideas to build on.
Samantha....my son ended up reading most of this one to me out loud on a road trip. It was a strange story....love Ray Bradbury.
You know Barb, I love how you choose just a few selections and are confident to stop! that might sound odd but I find it so hard during these high school years to decide between all of the wonderful books, and to know how much is enough... and then once the choices are made to just rest in that and have confidence that it will be sufficient! Thanks for your wonderful example in so many areas of selecting appropriate materials and being at peace with that!
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