A confession, and why I created this blog

It is not often that I discover and want to admit I was soooo wrong... But this is one of those times.

When I began homeschooling I frequently heard of read-alouds. The idea seemed so unpleasant to me. Now, I love to read. But, the idea of sitting down and reading to my girls for extended periods sounded a little bit like torture. I have no idea why the concept was so unpleasant. Maybe it stemmed in part from reading the same picture books over an over again. Maybe it was from having so often read 4 or 6 completely different "stories" in one sitting. All I know is declared I "wasn't" the type to do read alouds.

Then I read the read aloud series at Homegrown Learners. I really enjoy Mary's blog and her homeschooling philosophy. Just maybe I was missing something. So I pulled out a copy of The Boxcar Children I had picked up at a garage sale. I decided I would prove to myself that we weren't read aloud types. The girls curled up next to me and sat entranced as we read the first 4 chapters. I remember how much I enjoyed the story as a child, and I was so tempted to jump ahead to remind myself what happened next. We read the book in 3 sittings.

I adore read alouds. I have been searching blogs for reviews and recommendations. In the last 2 weeks we read 4 chapter books. I decided I wanted a place to share my thoughts on them since I found other "reviews" so helpful. I had also been wanting a separate blog to post my homeschooling stuff, so Holly & Heather Homeschool was born.