Weekly Reflections - Week Twenty-Six...

At Home

Yesterday, the kids and I went to see The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe at our local children's theatre. It was fabulous! Truth be told, I have never read the book. However, Riley and Ruben listened to it a few years back on audio. They felt the play was very close to the book. We also knew some of the actors as fellow homeschoolers, which made it extra special. Overall, the costumes were amazing. The actors were perfectly casted and of course, the story was superb. I would now love to read the entire series of books.

Around the Web

Have you ever wondered Why They Won't Read? Plumfield and Paideia has given us something to ponder...

Many of today’s children’s books can’t avoid the themes of the inherent wisdom of children, the serious want of wisdom in the adults in their lives, that any child can grow up to be anything he wants to be, and children, at least the main characters, are good enough just the way they are. 

Perhaps our children are starving for healthy servings of virtue even as we keep offering them the latest, most popular brand of empty calories. 

In Escape the Slavery of Grade Levels, Sherry explains why we shouldn't categorize our children.

Over at EDSnapshots this week, Lisa Healy shared The Benefits of Nursery Rhymes on Preschool Development. I couldn't agree more with Lisa's list of pros.  You know it's funny, as I read nursery rhymes with my kids, I am immediately taken back to my childhood. I can easily recall readings from Best Loved Nursery Rhymes and Songs. So much so, that I know the rhymes by heart. When I'm reading aloud to my kids, they simply roll off the tongue. It was one of the few books we owned as a child. (I still have my childhood copy with the taped binding.)  I also agree nursery rhymes are a great way to introduce poetry and rhythm as they promote language.

This week I loved The Intersection of Effortlessness and Hard Work! I even listened to parts of it twice!...and I'm going back again to make notes. There's a lot of depth there and food for thought!

Lastly, I'm working my way through Close Reads podcast #11, which is in relation to chapters 16-18 of Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry. I'm telling you, you must read this book! Wow! I was so sad and caught off guard at the end of chapter 18, I don't know how to go on. I can't wait to see how David, Angelina, and Tim unpack it.