As a former high school math teacher, I am a big proponent of using living math. With that said, I believe that a “living” math book is a book that presents mathematical concepts in real life context, which is relevant to the reader. A living math book is not a text book; rather it is a book…plain and simple…a book…with a storyline, which happens to have math skills integrated within the story. Such books can be used to teach and/or reinforce many mathematical skills and concepts. By this definition, most (though not all) of the books found on this list can be considered “living” math books used to address the mathematical concept of multiplication.

Amanda Bean’s Amazing Dream by Cindy Neuschwander

Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar by Masichiro & Mitsumasa Anno

Bats on Parade by Kathi Appelt

Bunches and Bunches of Bunnies by Louise Mathews

Each Orange Has 8 Slices by Paul Giganti, Jr.

Multiplication Menace: The Revenge of Rumpelstiltskin by Pam Calvert

Stacks of Trouble by Liza Woodruff

The 12 Circus Rings by Seymour Chwast

The 329th Friend by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

The Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Multiplication Book by Jerry Pallotta

Too Many Cooks! by Andrea Buckless

Too Many Kangaroo Things to Do! by Stuart J. Murphy

Jennifer is a happily married, Christian, homeschooling mama of five little ones (ages 7,5,5,3,3). Yes, two sets of twins! She has a BA degree in Mathematics and holds a masters degree in Education. A former high school math teacher, she now uses all her education to teach her own kids!  In her “spare” time she enjoys scrap-booking, though blogging seems to be taking its place. She currently has five blogs. Mama Jenn is her main blog. Education Cubes features customizable learning blocks. The Homeschool Resource List is a collection of free online resources. The “Brown Like Me” Book Review showcases books featuring “brown” characters. The Living Math Book List is a collection of living math books.

Spring is in the air! Can you smell it? Flowers are blooming, birds are singing and the sun is warming our days.

W can take advantage of this teachable moment to introduce or review some color words  in Spanish. I made a domino to review colors with my niece and a set of Spanish colors posters for you!

My goals for this lesson:

• To introduce and practice colors in Spanish
• To relate colors in their oral and written form

Tell children they will learn the Spanish form of these words:

Red / rojo

Blue / azul

Yellow / amarillo

Orange / naranja

Green / verde

Purple/ violeta

Light blue/ celeste

Pink/ rosa

To prepare the posters you need to print them onto cardboard and laminate for durability. Then..

*Go for a color hunt around home or class.

*Let kids cut and paste pictures from old magazines and make a collage. Ask them about the colors they can see in their pictures.

*Play “I spy” using the posters.

*Invite children to sort manipulatives according to color.

*Make a mural using their favorite color.

* Ask and answer “How many red/ rojas things can you see?”

* Using commands..”point to a yellow/amarillo flower” “pick up a green/verde crayon”

Teachable moments are waiting for you! Happy teaching!

You can download the posters here.

Analia Capurro is the designer and owner of Ingles360.net® and the author of all the educational resources sold in her website. After 20 years of teaching children she found that the only way children love learning is if teachers love learning and teaching, too. Promoting a learning environment where laugh, fun and friendship and companionship are as important as any language structure, are the things she had in mind while designed her bilingual resources.

Of all my children, my daughter, Laura (7), is definitely the most musical learner of the bunch. I think she was born singing – okay it was screeching at that young age – but she really has an ear for music and rhythms and tones and sounds.

She can watch her older sisters play the piano and will sit down and play a simplified version of it – with both hands. She remembers songs and melodies after only hearing them once! Laura is constantly singing or humming.

Other characteristics of musical learners include: tells you when music sounds off-key or disturbing in some other way, has a rhythmic way of speaking and/or moving, unconsciously hums to himself/herself, is sensitive to environmental noises (e.g., rain on the roof, crickets chirping), taps rhythmically on the table or desks as he/she works.

Some strategies to employ with musical learners:

• Have background music going while they are doing school work. Classical music works best for us.
• Linking old tunes with concepts
• Creating new tunes for concepts
• Clapping, tapping, or chanting while reciting facts
• Have access to musical instruments – especially during break time
• Since there is a strong auditory element, lectures work better than reading

Montserrat Wadsworth is completely devoted to her wonderful husband, Joseph, and their eight children (seven girls and one boy!). They live on a 4,000 acre alfalfa farm nestled in a small Northern Nevada valley. They’ve been homeschooling for 11+ years. Montserrat enjoys, photography, cooking, crafting, chocolate, and sloppy goodnight kisses. She strives to live each day as God would have her do following Mary’s biblical supplication, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) You can find her at her blog Chocolate On My Cranium.

Healthy Eating Habits in the Real World from Blogging ‘Bout Boys – This guest post on Blogging ‘Bout Boys offers practical tips for encouraging our kids to eat healthier…without nagging.

Creating an ABC Book from The Homeschool Classroom – Have preschoolers? You’ll love these simple ideas for creating a personalized ABC book with and for them.

Praying as a Family from Impress Your Kids – I absolutely loved these ideas for learning to pray together as a family. Although the hands-on portion was really geared toward younger children, the concepts are perfect for the entire family.

The Top 5 Distractions for Work-at-Home Moms {And How to Tackle Them All} from In a Nutshell
– Many homeschool moms are also work-at-home moms. If this describes you, I know you understand how easy it is to get distracted. Get tips for overcoming five big distractions.

“A” Is for “Attitude” from Journey 2 Excellence – I need to print this post out, laminate it, and hang it where I will see it every day. It offers ten insightful tips on how to instill good attitudes – in yourself, not your kids!

I Refuse to Steal My Kids’ Dreams from Simple Homeschool – Jamie Martin offers a thoughtful rebuttal to Seth Godin’s misgivings about homeschooling and, in so doing, provides a very uplifting post for homeschooling parents.

Family Date Night from The Dating Divas – While the Dating Divas usually focus on date night ideas for spouses, I really enjoyed these ideas for a family date night with the kids.

5 Things You Should Never Say to a New Homeschooling Mom from These Temporary Tents – Aadel
pinpoints five things you should never say to a new homeschooling mom (kind of along the lines of
horror stories experienced moms sometimes like to tell young, expecting moms). At the conclusion, she also gives suggestions for things you should emphasize.

Teaching Children to Edit Their Own Writing from Jimmie’s Collage  shares some great tips on teaching children yet another great step toward independence – how to edit their own written
work.

Skinny Texas Cheese Fries from Skinny Taste – Need some comfort food that’s not so bad for the waistline? Check out this overhauled recipe for Texas cheese fries. If I’d had any potatoes in the house when I came across the recipe, I’d have made it right then and there! Yum!

Kris Bales has been married to her incredible husband for 20 years. Together, they’re raising their three Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers, who range in age from 10 to 16. Kris is Christian, Southern, and sweet-tea-addicted. She enjoys reading, writing and photography. In addition to blogging about life as a homeschool mom, you can find her at Eclipsed where she chronicles her transformation from a morbidly obese couch potato to a runner in training for her first half-marathon.

As a former high school math teacher, I am a big proponent of using living math. With that
said, I believe that a “living” math book is a book that presents mathematical concepts in real
life context, which is relevant to the reader. A living math book is not a text book; rather it is a
book…plain and simple…a book…with a storyline, which happens to have math skills integrated
within the story. Such books can be used to teach and/or reinforce many mathematical skills
and concepts. By this definition, most (though not all) of the books found on this list can be
considered “living” math books used to address the mathematical concept of money.

26 Letters and 99 Cents by Tana Hoban

Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst

A Quarter from the Tooth Fairy by Caren Holtxman

Benny’s Pennies by Pat Brisson

Bunny Money by Rosemary Wells

Deena’s Lucky Penny by Barbara Derubertis

How the Second Grade Got $8,205.50 to Visit the Statue of Liberty by Nathan Zimelman

Jelly Beans for Sale by Bruce McMillan

Learning About Coins by Rozanne Lanczak Williams

The Lunch Line by Karen Berman Nagel & Marilyn Burns

Max’s Money by Teddy Slater

Monster Money by Grace MacCarone

Pigs Will Be Pigs by Amy Axelrod

Sluggers’ Car Wash by Stuart J. Murphy

The Case of the Shrunken Allowance by Joanne Rocklin

The Great Pet Sale by Mick Inkpen

The Penny Pot by Stuart J. Murphy

The Purse by Kathy Caple

The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill

Tightwad Tod by Daphne Skinner

Jennifer is a happily married, Christian, homeschooling mama of five little ones (ages 7,5,5,3,3). Yes, two sets of twins! She has a BA degree in Mathematics and holds a masters degree in Education. A former high school math teacher, she now uses all her education to teach her own kids!  In her “spare” time she enjoys scrap-booking, though blogging seems to be taking its place. She currently has five blogs. Mama Jenn is her main blog. Education Cubes features customizable learning blocks. The Homeschool Resource List is a collection of free online resources. The “Brown Like Me” Book Review showcases books featuring “brown” characters. The Living Math Book List is a collection of living math books.

I’ve wistfully contemplated nature journaling – beautiful, romantic, sweet, beyond my grasp. Life is too busy to just sit, relax, observe, be? Whenever I head outside, I grab my gardening tools. Or furtively check emails on my iPod while pushing my daughter’s swing.

And my little girl? She’s too young to enslave with a pencil and paper, I’ve thought. She needs to be free to run, roam, explore, discover.

No longer. I’m tired of coveting others’ journals. And I’ve been reading how nature journaling, rather than restricting freedom, can be an avenue for focused exploration, discovery, and expression. A way to be amazed by the littlest details of this world God has made.

So this summer, as the weather improves, we’re changing things up. I’ve bought a couple of notebooks – one for each of us – small, easy to carry, with a little pocket to store the scraps and snippets of our adventures.

And I’ve stocked up ideas to fill my little beginner’s journal. Here are a few:

Five Senses Journaling: Stop. Breathe. Describe what you’re taking in through each of your senses. Maybe just a word, maybe a paragraph. I’ll write my daughter’s dictation if she’s not in a writing mood.

Plant Rubbings, Stamps, and Stencils: Bring out the peeled crayons and have your child collect interesting leaves and flowers, creating crayon rubbings in her journal. Dip flowers, rocks, and pine cones into paint to make stamps. Paint over a fern or leaf for a stencil effect.

Photo Journaling: Set the camera on auto and hand it over. My daughter comes up with some amazing angled photos. Drawing is often too stressful for her perfectionistic personality, but she’ll happily cut and paste her photos instead.

Poetry Journaling: Bookmark nature poetry to read in the shade of your big trees. Photocopy favorite quotations to glue in the journal, and bring out the markers to illustrate the words with doodles or drawings. A perfect fit for our country yard is this verse by Richard Le Gallienne.

Pressed Flowers (and twigs and leaves): We don’t have much of a garden, but we do have lots of flowering weeds! We’ve made some gorgeous art with pressed petals, and I’m thinking they’ll add a lovely touch to our journals this summer.

Scavenger Hunts: Esmé is always up to a scavenger hunt, and some lists go well in a journal; e.g. a photo color/shape hunt or a pressed flower/leaf hunt.

Lists: Suggest a topic for lists. My daughter isn’t a big fan of writing yet, but she does enjoy making shopping lists, so I’ve been thinking a bird or insect list might be up her alley.

Recipe Pages: We often have some amazing mud pies and flower petal salads in our yard. Have your child dictate the ingredients and document them in “official” recipe format.

Bug Observations: Capture a bug or other creepy crawly in a glass jar and observe it for a while. Encourage illustrations and offer to take dictation of your child’s “pet” observations.

Above all, it’ll be not stressful, not a task to accomplish, but a time to share observations, to create memories both tangible and intangible, to be still and see God.

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.” Romans 1:20 NIV

When she’s not battling too-sticky play dough and untangling herself from the hot-glue webs surrounding her too-cute felt ladybugs, Jane contemplates how to instill in her four-year-old daughter a heart to change the world for Jesus. Her family has circled the globe and landed in rural Oregon where the grass is green and the sky is blue, though not usually at the same time. Their eclectic homeschool adventures are chronicled at Mozi Esmé.

We serve an awesome and powerful God.  He created us in His image and therefore our brains are designed to follow His design for our lives.  Sometimes we forget that each of us must follow our own separate path, especially when it comes to schooling our children.  They are following and learning along the path that God has placed them.  So, I would like to take a few moments and focus on this amazing brain we have been blessed with to help us in our journey of teaching and reaching our students.  Technically, the brain weighs three to five pounds; this cauliflower looking object is made of 78% water, 10 % fat, and 8 % protein. (Teaching with the Brain in Mind, page 8)  This unobtrusive organ doesn’t sound like much.   And yet, this brain controls everything our bodies do and retains what we learn to help us along our journey.

Our brain is adaptable.  It changes constantly due to the environment and the life we lead.  According to Jay Wile of Apologia series (General Science), one of the criteria for life is adaptability.  Our brains are creating new connections everyday to process the things we learn.  Along with creating new connections, our brains are generating new cells to replace old, worn out ones.  So, even if you feel like you’re losing your mind on certain days, don’t worry.  God has provided a way to regain it.  Our brain also categorizes and organizes information based on what we do in a purposeful way.

What are the benefits of realizing that our brain is constantly adapting and forming new connections?  When it comes to schooling, we can look to the brain for answers.  Kurt Fischer from the Harvard School of Education states that “two growth spurts occur during the schooling career.  The first spurt happens around 6 or 7 years of age and the second around 11 or 12.”  (Teaching with the Brain in Mind, page 29)  The child’s brain grows cognitive skills of reasoning, understanding cause and effect as well as abstract ideas.  Opportunities to explore and exposure to new activities add too this growth spurt of the brain.    During the teenage years, the brain experiences massive structural change.   The synaptic connections thicken as the child’s world experience increase.  Just like the farmer prunes his grapes to increase the fold, the adolescent brain begins pruning these connections to streamline decision making skills.  So take heart, your teen hasn’t lost his/her mind, it is just under construction.

So how can we incorporate the way our brain grows and learns into everyday practical solutions?

Keep the brain focused.  By cutting the focused attention time needed into manageable amounts, the brain has the opportunity to process and rest after learning.  Ever wonder why your student doesn’t remember something you have just gone over.   Sometimes we as parents and teachers get caught up in trying to cover all the content at one time.  The brain doesn’t focus that way.  Your Kindergarten’s brain doesn’t have the ability to focus on a lecture or activity that lasts 45 minutes.  Instead, break up learning time into manageable chunks of 5-8 minutes.  This will allow their brain to make connections and rest before it beginnings processing again.  It will also decrease behavioral problems too.

Some guidelines of time for new content instruction are:

• K-2:  5-8 minutes
• Grades 3-5:  8-12 minutes
• Grades 6-8: 12-15 minutes
• Grades 9-12: 12-15 minutes
• Adult learners:  15-18 minutes

Relevant Tasks:   How many times do you hear or have said yourself; “Do I really have to do this?”  Busy work is just that- work that keeps students busy and doesn’t help them learn.  The end result of learning is to make sure that the student has understood and related the concept in their brain to other information.  The concepts become part of them.  How is that accomplished?

• Goal set for your student or allow your student to create their own goals.  By setting goals, the student is involved and has an endpoint in mind.
• Compare and contrast material learned.  Review past material by comparing and contrasting past material with new material.  An example of this: multiplication is another form of addition.
• Group and regroup material.  By grouping and regrouping material, the brain creates stronger connections based on classifications of similarities and differences.
• Critique and analyze material.  According to Bloom’s Taxonomy, this higher level learning skills requires the brain to make connections to the information learned and the student’s experiences.
• Use graphic organizers.  Many websites provide free graphic organizers.  Graphic organizers allow the student to visualize as well as verbalize what they learned.
• Summarize or retell material from another point of view.  Another form of higher level learning skills that requires the brain to rationalize and relate to the material learned.

Repetition:  Another way to strengthen the brain’s connection is through repetition.  By doing things over and over again, concepts go from short-term memory to long-term memory.  While repetition is perceived as an old way of learning, its value is not out-dated.  There are many ways to repeat instruction.

• Pre-exposure.  Prepare your student for future learning days, weeks or months in advance.  The teacher doesn’t spend too much time on the information or assess this information until it is thoroughly developed.  You are just planting a seed.   An example: if the student is studying General Science, you can refer to concepts they will be learning in Biology and Chemistry.  Pre-exposure gives a frame of reference for students later.
• Previewing.  Set up the content with an overview.  Just like we see a preview of a movie that shows the highlights and gets you interested in seeing the show, so can previewing a concept in the academic realm.
• Priming.  Allows for structure and hierarchy to occur.  Just like your prime your walls for paint, you can days or weeks before prime your student for new learning.

Some practical ways to pre-expose, preview and prime are:

-Use vocabulary words to prepare and prime.  Create a vocabulary notebook.
-Show a video about the topic
-Participate in a field trip to connect a topic
-Introduce works of art, music or famous people

• Reviewing.  Just like it sounds, review what your student has learned.  Often, we teach a concept and then move on.  Make the connection to the brain by reviewing the content they have covered or refer to it when moving forward so it isn’t lost.
• Revision.  Reconstruct what you have learned not regurgitate.  Revisit old information from time to time.  Sometimes, student’s recall information that isn’t correct.  By revisiting and revising, that memory is corrected.

Some practical ways to review and revise:

-Have students create their own review sheet or vocabulary quiz.
-Summarize what they learned in sentences or paragraphs depending on your student’s ability that they   will share with a peer.
-Design a graphic organizer to create a mind map

As you can see, our brains are magnificent.  Our God designed them with special abilities to understand the world He created.  And we in His image are commanded to create as well.  By failing to see just what a powerful gift we are given, we do a disservice to ourselves, our children and students.  Remember to keep the brain focused, assign relevant tasks not busy work and utilize repetition.   I pray that the information in this article will help you in your endeavor to educate your student.  For further information on the brain and its function, check out Eric Jensen’s Teaching with the Brain in Mind, (2005) published by Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Next time, we’ll look at what learning styles are and how to incorporate them into your lessons.

Michelle has two children, ages 15 and 13 (one boy and one girl).  She has been homeschooling since her son was 4 years old, and prior to that, she taught as kindergarten at a private Christian school for seven years.  Michelle graduated from the University of the State of New York at Binghamton with a Bachelor of Arts in history.  Her focus was on American history and Political Science.  She attended Mercer University in Atlanta to complete her elementary teaching certificate.  She is currently certified by the state of Georgia with a T4 certificate.  Michelle teaches elementary history at Artios Academy Arts and History as well as history and Chemistry at Artios Preparatory.  She directs the Artios Preparatory of John’s Creek, Georgia.   Michelle stresses how important it is to get involved in your world—both past and present.  By using multiple learning styles, Michelle believes all children can explore their world.  Michelle and her husband, Scott, have been married for 21 years.

Don’t let your fear of the unknown or difficult keep you from continuing on your journey of homeschooling, though.  Try tweaking things just a bit to make learning limitless for your student without feeling like you have to become an expert in each and every high soaring subject yourself.

Sign up for an outside class on the subject.   Depending on the age of your child and the depth of giftedness or interest, consider one or more of the following:

• Take a college course.  In class or online, colleges often readily accept bright students – sometimes for dual enrollment credits.
• Take a co-op class.  Co-ops, paid classes with expert teachers and/or groups of likeminded homeschooling friends often offer in-depth classes on a variety of topics. 
• Enroll in museum classes.  Museums, zoos, planetariums, etc. frequently offer specialized classes which are well worth attending.  If you have a particular interest, call an appropriate venue to suggest a class topic. 
• Look for summer camps that dive deep into a particular subject.  One example would be space camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL.

Find a mentor or tutor.  Tutors will likely expect payment for their services, but expert teaching in an otherwise “out of reach” subject can take your smarty-pants to another level.  Another option is to find someone in a field of interest who is willing to let your child shadow him or her for a day (or even much longer).  Experiential learning is hard to beat, especially when your eager student can ask all sorts of questions to someone completely capable of answering those questions.

Encourage independent projects.  I rarely know everything there is to know about any subject my children are learning.  (Most people don’t, right?)  That’s why we utilize library books, computers, textbooks, field trips, knowledgeable friends and more.  To encourage deep learning, whether I’m an expert or not, I often assign projects.  I previously wrote an article explaining my method of project based learning that you might like to read . I’m constantly amazed at the depth and breadth of learning that come from these independent studies!

I look forward to hearing your experiences and solutions to teaching kids who are smarter than you!  I would also encourage you to check out my book, Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners, if you’re interested in how to homeschool bright students. Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners 

Cindy West is an eclectically Charlotte Mason mom of three who loves learning alongside her children. You can find her blogging at Our Journey Westward  and find her nature study curriculum at Shining Dawn Books.

Animals, plants, bugs, rocks, showing an interest in these things or science in general shows an aptitude for being a naturalistic learner. Both my 11 and 9 year old daughters are this type of learner but in different ways.

Abigail(11) enjoys mostly animals and bugs, while Debra (9) gravitates towards all types of plants and vegetation. They much rather prefer being outside even in cold frigid temperatures. It’s a good thing we live on a farm with plenty of land to roam! When it’s not possible to take their schooling outdoors, placing them by a window or one of our big sliding doors helps tremendously.

A naturalistic learner is very much like a kinesthetic learner in many ways. They love to be able to touch, feel, hold, and do. Digging in the dirt, climbing trees, collecting samples, gathering more items for their collections help these types of learners experience and observe their natural surroundings. They are very in tune with the environment.

Teaching techniques to help naturalistic learners include:

• microscopes
• telescopes
• magnifying glasses
• binoculars
• collecting bugs or rocks
• classifying items or information
• make comparisons with what they know about nature to what they are learning
• studying outside: in a tree, in a hammock, on the grass
• graphs and charts
• nature walks
• nature journals
• patterns
• maps
• globes
• dioramas

You can also use many of the same teaching techniques as kinesthetic/learners

Other posts in this series:
Learning Styles: The Basics
Learning Styles: The Basics, Part II, Multiple Intelligences
Linguistic, Read, Write Learners
Kinesthetic/Tactile Learners
Spatial/Learners

Teaching Very Early Readers

Do you have a child who began reading well at three or four years old?  A child who reads far above grade level?  A child who soaks in more books in a year than you’ve read in your entire life?  Do you wonder what to do with all that advanced ability?

My oldest was an early reader.  She blew my mind as she reached for book after book, able to tackle nearly everything on her own.  As her teacher, I wondered how to handle her reading instruction.  Should I still teach phonics?  Should I force reading comprehension lessons?  Should I hold her back from reading highly advanced books knowing the subject matter would likely be too mature for her actual age?

I don’t think there’s a one size fits all answer, but through trial and error, I made some discoveries that are worth sharing.

Since she’s so capable, do I push for even more?

I let my daughter take the lead in reading and never pushed for more when she was younger.  Since she was reading well above grade level on her own, I wanted her to continue finding pleasure in reading.  I didn’t want her to ever begin hating her gift of reading.  As she got older and could understand her gift, I began assigning reading for certain subjects.  But I’ve continued to allow plenty of time for pleasure reading.  During pleasure time, she’s read a bazillion books on the subject of horses and knows nearly as much as a pre-vet student already!

Do I teach phonics?

I gently introduced phonics as issues came up.  This was hard on me because I’m a firm believer in reading/spelling instruction based on a phonics program.  I worried a lot that not taking her through a structured program would prove to be a mistake.  But, because she was capable of teaching herself reading, she was also capable of internalizing phonics rules without too much guidance.  I threw the occasional phonics workbook in just to be on the safe side, but she really didn’t need them.

What about reading comprehension?

I didn’t expect much in the form of book reports, comprehension workbooks, or other comprehension projects because these were very annoying to my daughter.  She understood so much (because of the vast amount of books she was reading) that it was rather senseless to make her “prove” her understanding constantly in the form of an assignment.  She was having adult-sized conversations about the books already, and that was enough for me.  Again, this doesn’t mean I never gave/give assignments.  They just have to have a purpose other than, “Did you understand what you read?”

Where do I find appropriate books?

As long as the subject matter of a book wasn’t way out of her maturity level, I allowed my daughter to read just about anything she was interested in reading.  This meant previewing lots and lots of books, but it was worth it.

What if she loses interest in a book?

If my daughter lost interest in a book, I never forced her to read it to the end – except books I specifically assigned as she got older.  Part of teaching a gifted child means giving them some freedom in their learning.  Gifted readers will usually devour so many books that it won’t matter when a few aren’t finished.

Should I still read aloud to her?

Oh, yes!  I continued to read aloud to her (and still do.)  Even early readers benefit from snuggle time – and continue to develop phonics skills, fluency and comprehension during read-aloud times.

Enjoy your voracious readers!  Reading is a fantastic mode of learning and you’re likely to find that they begin to excel in more than just reading because of all the sheer knowledge that passes through those little brains!

Need more advice for gifted homeschooling?  I’d love for you to check out my book, Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners!  (http://shiningdawnbooks.com/available-units/homeschooling-gifted-and-advanced-learners/)

Cindy West is an eclectically Charlotte Mason mom of three who loves learning alongside her children. You can find her blogging at Our Journey Westward  and find her nature study curriculum at Shining Dawn Books.