We Need To Talk - A Book Review

In recent years, I haven't spent as much time reading as I used to, or as I would really like to. Life is so busy, schedules full and screen time and scrolling have intruded. I intentionally shut the last one down on a somewhat regular basis but it creeps back in. When I visit a library or a book store though, my desire and compulsion to read the printed page kicks back in and I usually find a title, or two, or five, that end up in a stack near my desk or at least on a 'to read' list that I keep.

At the top of a recently gathered stack was; We Need to Talk How to Have Conversations That Matter by Celeste Headlee. Celeste Headlee is a radio host with NPR. She has conversed with many guests on her broadcasts. In her book, she addresses what many have noticed in our culture today, the increasing difficulty of having meaningful conversations. Important discussions have decreased, even amidst our increasing connectivity to one another through technology. She writes about this dichotomy with a fluid flow of words that makes for a quick, entertaining and encouraging read.

She presents some of the problems, mentions research, identifies strategies and provides inspiration for why paying attention to and improving our conversation skills is so important in all areas of our lives.

She discusses five key strategies for facilitating dialogue:

• be curious
• check your bias
• show respect
• stay the course
• end well

She provides an overall memorable take away in the lovely example of playing a game of catch. Having played catch more that a few times with my sons, I find the simple metaphor delightful. Back and forth with an easy rhythm is the most enjoyable way to play the game. So it is is with conversation, as well. In our media saturated lives the art of conversation is losing ground. Maybe it's time to make a commitment to picking up a mitt and playing catch in a dialog. We could all use the practice.

The book challenges every reader to work at improving conversational skills. Celeste suggests asking questions as one great way to practice conversation and increase listening attention. To continue the game of catch metaphor, asking a question is like putting on a glove and tossing the ball to your partner. I plan to ask more questions while trying to keep in mind, one of the fascinating tidbits of information shared from the research; pleasure centers in our brains are stimulated by talking about ourselves, (it's like an addiction!). I'm going to try to remember that the next time someone (myself included) hogs the ball!

Read the book. Ask a question. Play ball!

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A Book Review of a New Title by Julie Polanco, God Schooling: How God Intended Children to Learn

For Homeschool Review Crew, I received and was delighted to read a copy of the book God Schooling How God Intended Children to Learn by Julie Polanco. While reading the first pages and through every chapter, I have been creating a gift list of those I'd like to share this title with.

First, a bit of an upfront disclosure.. As a home school mom in Chicago-land, Julie and I have crossed paths on occasion over the years. We met early on in our parenting journeys at a friend's house for a play date with our little ones, later at a home school mom's book group that met at Julie's home and once again at a Special Olympics gymnastics meet. It has now been several years since and though over those years we didn't spend enough time in each other's company to develop a closer friendship, we did both develop a similar homeschooling approach. Our children's interests have led us down different paths, with fewer opportunities to meet, but with a shared understanding of learning.

It has also been a while since I've read a book from cover to cover about education and learning generally, or even homeschooling specifically. In the early days of our family's homeschooling journey, I devoured books about homeschooling from cover to cover late into many nights. John Holt, John Taylor Gatto and David and Micki Colfax, were a few of those who truly spoke to me and reassured me about my own observations and our approach to guiding learning in our home, with our children.

Julie's book falls in line with these authors, who's observations resonated with me then and still today. This is the homeschooling genre that I have read and collected from early on, these are the writings and the views that sustained me, they will always remain in my collection. I think Julie will be pleased to read that her book will join those authors on my shelf.

Learning all the time, natural learning, free range learning, child led, are all descriptive phrases that have been used in an attempt to explain an approach that takes the child into full consideration as their adult teachers and mentors guide them through a topic of interest. It is from a child's own innate curiosity that leads a child into a greater understanding and to continue through the study of any subject matter.

Julie takes a reader through her understanding of this approach, how she has developed a deeper appreciation of a plan bigger than her own for her children. In her well organized writing she reveals her Christian faith as the basis for her approach to homeschooling.

http://www.juliepolancobooks.com/

Julie discusses topics that I have often considered while on this journey, not just of homeschooling but of parenting. My desire to increase the chances of my children maintaining their love of learning and internal drive to continue to acquire new skills and learn throughout life led me to books like Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn. Julie references Kohn's book as well. She sums it up with this statement "The extent to which the environment is controlling through rewards/punishment, threats, survveillance, evaluation, deadlines, being ordered around or by competition is the extent to which a person will lose their intrinsic motivation." Julie Polanco
I think she would appreciate the story of my oldest learning to ride a bike with onlooking neighbors. To their dismay, I did not cheer in excited positive exclamations as my first born rode a bike down our suburban sidewalk for the first time. Without fanfare, I was pleased, I did smile and he did continue to ride a two wheeler!

Julie gives similar examples from her own family. She describes the evolution of her own journey and provides us with a clear and deep understanding of learning and the benefits of following God's lead, as seen in the blossoming of those in our care. This book is a welcome bridge between the many homeschooling communities that I have been aware of in Chicago-land, from the undisciplined unschoolers to the strictly book work, no nonsense scholars, Julie's book could help us see our similarities, in our hopes and in God's plan for our children. Easy to access and easy to share, I am glad Julie followed the calling to put it all into a published book. I will be sharing this title with the gift list I began while reading the very first chapter. I hope you will, too. It is also available in e-book format for half price through August 22nd.

God Schooling How God Intended Children to Learn by Julie Polanco

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Traveling the World Together Through Reading - Book Review

One of the wonderful things about reading, known to all readers, is the ability of books, whether fact or fiction, to transport the reader to other times and places. I have long enjoyed the ability of a good written description to take me somewhere I have never been. The author, Carole P. Roman does that with young readers in her books describing countries of the world. She has written a series of children's books that present interesting, relate-able information to young ones about different countries and cultures around the world. All of her many children's books can be found in Carole P. books and collections, on amazon. 

This post is a review of three books from her award winning If You Were Me and Lived In... series that were provided to me to read and review. Introducing young readers to the travel without leaving home aspect of reading, the children's paperback books are large, bright and colorful. In each of these books, Carole focuses on giving children an opportunity to learn about a location and a culture from around the world. With simple and bold images she uses simple language to share what it is like to be a child living in another part of the world.

With the three, If You were Me and Lived in...titles, I shared and "traveled" to Australia, Russia and Mexico with a young friend who is a beginning reader. The reading level of the series is above his early reading level so we read and enjoyed the three titles together. Each narration is presented from the perspective of a child living in his or her home country. The basic format of each is the same, introducing a few new words, food, places and cultural activities that are similar to or different from that of the reader. The differences are presented through the description of a common or universal activity such as a family meal, a religious celebration or a well known sport played world wide.

These three bright and simply illustrated books captured my young reader friend's attention. He was was fascinated by the differences he was introduced to. A favorite fact he learned regarding Australia, he shared with his parents, was the one of an Australian child calling his mother "Mummy"(muh-mee). (The books include a pronunciation guide for the new culturally specific words.) His connection was to his knowledge of ancient Egypt. He was delighted by the choice of the word. Reading about Mexico led us into a discussion of sports popularity and his own interest in soccer and about the different names of the same sport in two countries. Trying to clarify that with a six year old can lead to an interesting circular conversation! It is easy to imagine that any child could find something to relate to in the life of a child in a far distant place as their lives are presented in these delightful paperbacks.

All of the books in Carol's children series can be found on amazon at Carole P. Roman books and collections.

A Summer Read

Secret Daughter 

by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

After a few years of only scattered reading of novels, I am finding encouragement and titles to draw me back into reading fiction. I am gradually returning to reading novels more consistently again for pleasure.

Inspiration to read.

In need of a good read for a flight and some time relaxing on the beach, I bought a copy of The Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda in anticipation of a trip to Virginia Beach. The story is engaging and moved steadily enough for me to return to it over and over during our travels. The pace was exactly what I had hoped for, perfect for traveling.

The Secret Daughter is primarily the story of two women, countries and cultures apart, whose lives intersect despite the distance and cultural differences between them. The author's personal knowledge of Indian culture informs her descriptions. She writes with understanding and authority about the situations her characters find themselves in.

Throughout, the story is infused with revealing insights about general cultural differences between east and west and specifically those pertaining to women and marriage. With vivid descriptions of her characters and their surroundings, the story creates a bridge between cultures and addresses issues universal to women.

In this novel, author Shilpi Somaya Gowda, shares an understanding of relationships and motherhood within a multicultural context. Her story is informed by her own life experience. She touches on issues of class and gender roles with insight and personal understanding. The story explores the influence of culture on her characters experience and how cultural expectations define an individuals experience of important relationships.