Homeschooling with living books is a fun way to teach your child. Charlotte Mason defines a living book as “the fit and beautiful expression of inspiring ideas and pictures of life.” Miss Mason believed that children are already whole people who deserve to have their minds stretched, and her methods show that philosophy. Living books are more than just textbooks; they’re well-written books that tell a story and inspire the child with ideas. You don’t have to be a Charlotte Mason homeschooler to benefit from this concept, though. Here are a few benefits of living books that anyone can reap!
1. Living Books Inspire Great Thoughts
Living books are high-quality. They usually contain beautiful pictures and words that make students think. Students are capable of great thoughts, and placing beautiful material in front of them can push them to start thinking! Unlike textbooks, a living book doesn’t simply lay out the facts. It presents an idea, which the student can then expound on in their own narration, or essay. These ideas often help students come to their own conclusions about different topics, which gets their brains moving.
2. Living Books Inspire Great Vocabularies
Living books are notoriously free of “twaddle” and full of beautiful words. The more you expose students to well-written material, the better their vocabulary will be. They’ll start using big words in their own dialect and, due to seeing them used in a story, will even use them in the correct context. You can start exposing your children to more vocabulary words at a young age through read-alouds. You’ll be surprised at what they pick up!
3. Living Books Inspire Family Connection
Many families who use living books prefer to have a “morning time” to read a few of these high-quality books together. Whether it’s laughing over Wilbur’s antics in Charlotte’s Web or learning about monarch butterflies, this time inspires connection. Characters in books become points of reference as your children come across animals, landmarks, and situations. Even if you forgo a daily read-aloud gathering, living books can inspire great conversations between parents and children.
4. Living Books Inspire Quality of Character
When curating your living books curriculum book list, be sure to include books that inspire character. Your child’s greatest hero may just come from the pages of a living book! This can consist of stories of people overcoming, making good decisions, choosing courage over fear, and being generous. When children are exposed to stories about these things, they learn that they can be people of influence. When hard times come, they’ll feel less alone.
Finding living books can be difficult, especially if you don’t know what makes a book “living”. LightSail has a library of over 6000 high-quality books to get you started. We even have curated book lists to help your students dive deeper into specific topics! Watch your student come to life when you implement living books into your homeschool.
Posted on 7.Jul.21 in Homeschool Tips
