Beverley Paine's Australian Home School Curriculum: Tips for Learning How to Read

More Free Entertainment

© Beverley Paine, 2004

Remember how I raved on about the value of visits to the library. There's more! Learn to view the library you would the movies - a place you and your children will find hours of free entertainment. And here's another source of entertainment too. Investigate any special programs for children offered by chain bookstores or the local children's bookshop. Some may offer free story hours, book clubs and other services to their customers. If possible, have yourself placed on a mailing list at several bookstores, and ask for them to send your notice of special events for children.

Inquire at your local and state writers' centre to find out what is happening in the world of children's authors. Getting to meet an author is an exhilarating moment for any budding writer or avid reader. Why not ask how much they would charge to come and talk at your next homeschooling group gathering?

Watch the newspapers for advertisements for writers' festivals, special bookstore events, literary festivals, drama productions and pantomimes, puppet shows, poetry readings: any kind of performance that celebrates reading, writing, listening and speaking.

We always kept an eye on visiting performances at the local school by subscribing to the school newsletter. Most were open to the general public for the same entrance fee as the students. Some schools are very willing to accommodate homeschoolers in their district to special programs, such as author visits. Talk to the Principal or English teacher.

After 20 years of being a contact and support person Beverley no longer takes phone call or email inquiries. Please join one of her yahoo groups if you want to know more about homeschooling or have a question.

Pioneering members of the home education movement in Australia, Beverley and Robin Paine are passionate advocates of true educational choice for families. They began homeschooling their children in 1986 and three years later started the South Australian Home Based Learners network.
Beverley wrote Getting Started with Homeschooling in 1995-97 and since then continues to write books and booklets on home education. She balances spending time helping home educators with working in her garden and renovating her home, as well as continuing to build her collection of writing on a variety of homeschooling subjects. Beverley maintains an extensive collection of websites as well as several Yahoo groups supporting families teaching their children at home. In 2007 Beverley joined the HEA and became a committee member in 2008: she also edits and produce the HEA Newsletter, HEA magazine, Stepping Stones for Home Educators, annual Resource Directory and other HEA publications. If you'd like to keep in touch with what Beverley is up to her in her life, sign up for the Homeschool Australia Newsletter or visit her Facebook page.