Learning to read and write well and to understand what one reads are vital skills: in fact they are pivotal to the rest of the curriculum. It is from books that your child will do the bulk of their learning. It is important to make this subject our main priority especially in the early years (ages 3 to 10). It is important to inculcate a love of books. History: If you are aged 50 and below (most of us!) and attended a state primary school, it is possible that your own reading and writing skills are not brilliant - like mine. You would have been taught mainly by a 'look and say' method if you are aged 30 -50. This method helps readers to make a great start, but they 'top out' at a certain level and then think that if they can't read something, it's because they are just not good at reading, rather than blaming the method they were taught by. Below 30, you are lucky if you were taught to read at school at all, as a popular method at that time was called the 'emergent' method, which basically meant to read books to the child and wait for the reading to 'emerge'. Sadly for many children it didn't and many (often middle class) parents started worrying that their child was dyslexic and rushed them to be assessed, only to find there was no problem - the child just hadn't been taught. Some of this generation just think that maybe they weren't clever enough to read. How sad! Most of us don't remember how we were taught that long ago, we are just painfully aware that our own literacy skills are lacking and may just think 'I'm not good at it!'. The end result, is that often (and I speak from my own experience here - there are exceptions I know), as adults we shy away from more demanding books. I will sometimes pick up a classic puritan book only to be put off by the language. It demands too much concentration to understand it. I bemoan this! I wish it wasn't true. The language in older books is far advanced than the language in a modern book, and somehow that language adds to the depth of meaning. Modern books tend to be by default rather shallow (especially Christian ones), and sadly we can get used to a diet of shallow reading, as can our children. Our Bible reading can become shallow too, if due to our poor reading skills, we go for an easier translation without 'thee's and 'thou's. The Authorised Version is the most accurate Greek to English translation availlable in the English language. In many cases, the newer translations actually give a completely different message to the original Greek in their attempts to make it simpler to understand - they pervert God's Word. This includes the NIV. And yet we think our modern books supercede those of the past! My advice is, only use a modern translation if you know enough Hebrew and Greek to be able to look up the original text and so check the versions accuracy. So much is at stake here: the future of Christianity in this country, the integrity of God's Word and not least our own understanding of God's Word which in turn will impact how we apply it to our lives, which will impact our spiritual health. Added to which, if we cannot correctly interpret God's Word, how can we use to it to evaluate and learn about other subjects, let alone teach our children to do the same? What can be done? You have a wonderful opportunity to make sure your child reads to the best of his/her ability.
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Welcome!After studying for an Early Years Specialism degree (B.Ed. Hons), and teaching in mainstream education, I home-educated my own children, after my husband and I were persuaded of the need to take responsibility for bringing up our children 'in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.' (Ephesians 6:4) We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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Here's one I heartlily reccomend for ages 10 +. Search
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The First book from Christina Eastwood - the first in a triology - only £5.99 (ages 8 to 13).
Now available in PRINT!
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See here Now available in PRINT
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