Living Books
No matter what homeschooling approach you settle on, your children (and you) will benefit from a good dose of twaddle-free literature. Living books can augment any area of study, even math! But rich literature can also become the core of our child's learning experiences in history, geography and the natural sciences. So enjoy exploring the many ways to incorporate a literature-rich environment - one more tool in your teaching toolbox!
A living book definition. The term "living book" was coined by Charlotte Mason in her Original Home Schooling Series: "'Education is the Science of Relations'; that is, that a child has natural relations with a vast number of things and thoughts: so we train him upon physical exercises, nature lore, handicrafts, science and art, and upon many living books, for we know that our business is not to teach him all about anything, but to help him to make valid as many as may be of––
'Those first-born affinities 'That fit our new existence to existing things.'"
A "living book" is usually written by an author who is very knowledgeable about his subject, many times in an experiential way. The author tends to write from a love of his subject, one that propels him to write with an enthusiasm that excites the imagination of the reader and carries him along as though experiencing the subject first-hand.
Twaddle. Perhaps the best way to understand the concept of a "living book" is to understand what it is not: twaddle or dumbed-down, senseless literature devoid of rich meaning, thought and relation. Dry-textbook comes to mind here. Usually such a work is written by adults for children and has been stripped of life, broken into many digestible chunks and tastes rather like cardboard. If we provide our children with a steady diet of rich literature, they'll grow to understand and appreciate the difference between twaddle and living books.
Tool of learning. Living books are the sharpening stone for our tools of learning. They are the means by which we accumulate knowledge, exercise logic and, after absorbing and letting the mind chew, apply our newly formed ideas. They can be used as the basis for learning the proper use of the English language; improving our grammar and spelling through copying great passages from the masters. They provide the opportunity to reason through the "why's" of history, engaging in discussions that help to spotlight the Author's hand. They are the models that we copy to become excellent writers, learning from the great writers throughout time.
Grist for the mind. Rich literature provides the meat in discussions with our children as they work out the great ideas of life. Yes, this means mom has to read the book, too! This can be done as a read-aloud, discussing as we go. Or mom can pre-read the books and take notes, preparing in advance for topics and themes that she would like to discuss. Through these discussions we can train our children to "take every thought captive."
Foster a love of learning. Through the process of digesting living books our children will learn to love to learn. Reading great books will become a lifelong project. When they need to know something, they won't need to ask an expert, but can become an expert themselves in any area that interests them.
Reading aloud. In the days before television and video games, families read together for entertainment. The entire family was engaged in a story, a shared experience binding all generations. Read-alouds do not have to be a thing of the past! Many homeschoolers are already taking advantage of read-aloud time and share at least one book during the day. These family reading times become even more enriching when they include dad.
The greatest Book of all. There is no better Book for providing living ideas, fostering a love of learning, or providing insight into the great ideas of life than the Bible. It is truly THE Living Book!
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
What then should we read? Each family needs to follow the Holy Spirit's leading in selecting quality literature. No booklist will fit every family. Let God's Word be your guide:
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things.
Philippians 4:8
Further Reading
- In an English Garden: Book Selection
"Home schoolers have also noticed the value of 'real' books, sometimes called whole books and living books. An entire book on one subject affords far more retention than a short paragraph in a textbook. Living books have facts in them just like any textbook would but they also feature people living through ocean exploration, wars, scientific discoveries, etc. When children read about people's lives in a book they tend to care and become connected, then they hang on to the facts far better than they do when they read boring, lifeless entries in other types of books." Article by Catherine Levison detailing the value of "real" books. - Living Books for the Mind and Heart
"A living book has more of the human touch. Usually only one author is writing, sharing his favorite subject with us. We pick up his enthusiasm for his subject as he writes affectionately about what he knows. These books are living in the sense that they are alive with ideas. Ideas give us something to ponder. It is better to ponder than to parrot." A wonderful article by Karen Andreola explaining the why's and how's of using living literature. Includes a few favorite titles.