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

Books on the Go

© Beverley Paine, 2004

As a young person I'd sit on the train and be amazed at the number of people engrossed in a book, newspaper or magazine. Bus trips were much the same. People love to snatch whatever time they can to escape into the world of fiction, to catch up on the news, or to read about their favourite past-time or hobbies. Waiting rooms at medical centres would be dreadful if it weren't for magazines, newspapers and children's books. People love to read. As Thomas said, it's addictive! We want to be informed and entertained.

Every family car should have a grab bag full of travel games, interesting but expendable magazines, children's magazines, several sturdy books and a few toys, as well as individual drinking bottles and a nutritious snack, to keep the children occupied during the drive. Each child can have their own bag, or backpack, but it's useful to have one stashed by the door for emergencies.

As any parent knows, taking books and toys anywhere, means leaving books and toys somewhere. Don't take library books or treasured books and toys to places where there is a good chance they'll be damaged or forgotten, such as a family restaurant or the beach.

Other ways to encourage reading while travelling can be found in my forthcoming booklet The Travelling Homeschooler , but here's a few to get your started:

• Ask a child to navigate; supply them with suitable maps and materials. She can read highways signs, kilometre signs, street signs, look for landmarks and turnoffs and find your favourite service station or restaurant.
• Make up stories with each person adding the next sentence.
• Play different variations of I Spy, word games, or any of the many number plate or billboard games.
• Share reading tourist information aloud.

photo of Beverley and Robin Paine 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 Homeschool AustraliaFacebook page.