It is amazing  just how many ‘Books’ we can go through in a week. We had decided that we would go to the library once a week, for around an hour at a time. During this time we would return any borrowed books we had finished reading from the previous week and choose new ones to borrow and take home to read for the next week.

This was working wonderfully at first, well at least for the first two weeks, now however the speed at which my children are reading their books is incredible, so much so that we have recently started going to the Library twice a week just so that we can keep up with their love of reading and exchange their books for them.

The incredible thing is that as members of the State Library of Tasmania, we are able to borrow up to 15 books each. so as the Girls and I all have our own membership, we get to bring home 45 books each week.

NIK usually borrows books that are light and interesting and have lots of colourful pictures. Since we have started borrowing books from the library her appreciation of books has grown immensely. Almost every day she now will grab her books and try to get ‘someone’ – anyone! to read with her.

JAHG on the other hand has such a great understanding of words that she almost always borrow chapter books. This is wonderful as the stories are more involved and she gets a lot out of them. She still enjoys reading aloud to me at times, so i try to make time for her to do this as often as possible. recently she has been reading a series of books by Daisy Meadows, called Rainbow Fairies. these books are on the easier side fr her, but as she also reads some that are more attuned to her level and ability, I allow her to indulge in these easier books as often as she likes as we definitely believe that reading MUST be fun and exciting! Plus there are many days where JAHG will read three or four of these books just because she wants too.

I tend to borrow books that will supplement and hopefully engage the children in our learning. The Tasmanian State Library has a wonderful system that if the book is not at your local branch, you can place a hold on it and it will be delivered to your local branch ready for you to collect and read. This means the ‘State is our Oyster’ as we can borrow and read any books available in the whole state, what a wonderful system!! No longer are we restricted by municipalities like you find in the state of Victoria where we used to live.

So for us going to the local library is part of our weekly home education program and a wonderful place of information, friendship and support.