The Day Henry Huggins Saved My Homeschool

By Holly Giles | Family

how boys learn to read

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Learning to Read

I have been frequently having days where lessons don’t seem to get complete, the laundry is covering the furniture, my youngest won’t read a book and every errand seems to turn into a much longer excursion than necessary.  Today, was no exception!  I spent most of the day irritated, not that anyone was misbehaving, I just wanted things to get done.
These kinds of days make me feel like I’m failing at homeschooling.
Strict schedules don’t happen here. Completing every page is not in my planner. Sometimes,  I have been known to stop for ice cream cones and call that school for the day ( isn’t there some sort of science/chemistry/math involved). However, the 3R’s are done daily. Read a book, write something down and do a math lesson. Lately, Grayson has been struggling to learn to read.
Today, the straw broke when I had been trying to make banana bread ALL day long.  I would get some of the ingredients together, come back, and do a little more. When I FINALLY got it in the oven at 4 pm, I looked over at the counter and the bananas were still there………
Soooo, as the banana-less banana bread was baking, I hollered for the boys to finish math, read their book and get out their Language Arts.  No one answered.
I headed out back with my eye twitching with irritation, when I heard Grayson reading.  He was on the swing reading “Henry Huggins” to his little brother and our dog, Shadow.
boys learning to read with dog on a swing
I went back for the camera of course before I investigated further. I was able to snap the first photo before they noticed me.  My heart melted.  How could I stop this to make them go sit at a desk?  The frustration from the day dissolved, once again God tapped me on the shoulder to see what was right in front of me.
 Learning.  Pure unscheduled, Child-initiated.
boys learn to read with dog
Grayson reads well, he just doesn’t like to, like many boys I know.  Grant won’t sit still long enough to read a long chapter book to him, he has better things to do. But TODAY, Grayson decides to read  “Henry Huggins” out loud, as Grant sits quietly listening.  This went on for an hour!
My latest book on motherhood
After all these years, when will I learn AND listen? If I can get out of my own way my children will do just fine.
The banana-less banana bread was quite tasty. We will have some as a snack tomorrow when Grayson begins his group storytime on the swing!
boys learn to read

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About the Author

Holly Giles is a wife, mother, and storyteller. As an author and Florida Master Naturalist, she writes about heritage homemaking skills, motherhood, and why Florida offers the best hidden natural gems to explore as a family.

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