Last night, when I told Amanda that I’d read to her in bed she said, “Yeah! I’m the luckiest!” That brought a smile to my face, but also a twinge of guilt. In truth, I should read to her more often, but I’m often leaving her to read to herself or I get one of her sisters to read to her.
The book she picked out this night was Black Beauty, re-told by Beryl Johnston and published by Grandreams Ltd. I read to her an even shorter version of it, often summarizing whole parts. She asked a few questions along the way.
Once the story was over, she “read” it back to me. This is part of her routine. In her mind, we’re taking turns. I first read to her and then it’s her turn to “read” to me. Sometimes I would rather she didn’t, because I want to get away and do something else. However, allowing her to tell the story again in her own words is a very important step in learning. According to Charlotte Mason (1842 - 1923), this is the "Act of Knowing."
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