Archive for the ‘Reading’ Category
6 July 2009
The learning home
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Reading.
When we first explored homeschooling, we initially thought we would have to replicate a classroom in some corner of the house, complete with a whiteboard. Well, we did have a whiteboard, but that was as far as we went. I don’t want to knock the idea of a classroom-in-the-home because I have since heard that there are homeschoolers who think that’s the way to go. (Pix: The boys in the study circa ’97)
More important to me is setting up a home that is conducive to learning. But what would such a home look like?
A home that values learning is one that promotes reading. When I was growing up, I had a dad who bought books and subscribed to news and educational magazines. I wouldn’t say he was a voracious reader, but he made sure we had access to reading materials. I remember devouring children’s encyclopedias and learning about Vikings and Valhalla, tales of the Odyssey, and the Roman Empire. How fascinating it was for a young boy in a small town to be navigating the seas with Magellan or riding with Genghiz Khan and the Mongol horde.
As children (there were 4 of us then) each had to wait their turn for the weekly TIME or Newsweek magazine, and that old family staple Reader’s Digest. We swapped stories, challenged each other to quizzes and ticked off the number of Enid Blyton books we had read. It was an easier time, with lesser distractions. No surprise then that I ended up a school librarian. The environment I was raised in had a profound effect on me.
To say reading is an important part of our lifestyle would be an understatement. Today many of the opportunities given to me to develop as a reader have been offered to our boys. As a homeschooling family, the largest space we can afford in our home is devoted to the activity that holds the highest priority – reading.
Books and reading materials remain one of the biggest expenditure in the Tan Family. If you’re homeschooling, invest in good strong bookshelves, and be prepared to fill them up quickly. Well, that’s what happened in our home!
It goes without saying that parents have to model what they teach. We are readers ourselves, and it would be a sacrilege if anyone in our family of four were found without a book in hand or nearby.
Next to reading, conversation is just as important to a learning culture. It has been reported that fathers spend 25 minutes per week (or 3.5 minutes per day) in genuine conversation with their children. I don’t know how they arrive at the figure but that’s 25 minutes too short. Fathers especially need to talk to their children and talk often (and I don’t mean lecture them). Meal time usually gets us talking about books we’ve read, movies we’ve seen, and sermons we’ve heard. Don’t just talk about things; don’t be afraid to include ideas in your conversations as well. Since most of us get our news from the Net these days, issues and global events that make the news have increasingly become table topics. The key is to make conversation intentional and give everyone a hearing.
A couple of years ago we came up with the idea for a Reading Night. Each one of us would share a book that he or she was currently reading, and then pick a passage to read aloud. It allowed us to engage our teenage sons in stimulating conversations, get into books they were reading, and sometimes we’re challenged to address unfamiliar points of view. Now a planned event like this is tough on my weekly schedule and I must admit it’s been shelved as new demands eat into our family time (but plans are afoot to revive it soon!)
What I’m trying to say is, a learning culture flourishes in a learning environment. And you have to plan for it and make it happen. If you need to, get rid of the TV or restrict computer games. Our home went without tv for a season (ok, it lasted 5 years) while to this day, computer games are only allowed on weekends. Whatever it is, as parents you have to draw the line somewhere, and the sooner you do the better.
Of course not everyone will read at the same pace or at a similar intellectual level, and they don’t have to. Yet one hopes with sufficient encouragement, a child will learn to read well and read critically as the years go by. What we’re doing is to make lifelong reading and learning as natural as breathing. I can think of no better way for homeschool to succeed than to build an environment that nurtures this.
20 May 2009
Journaling as a writing strategy
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Reading; writing.
When our sons were 4 and 6 we gave each of them a journal. We had had read-aloud sessions, visits to the library, and the usual writing exercises. But I thought as a strategy for writing and self-expression, it would also be good to allow our boys to learn to put their thoughts down in words.
The 280-page journal came with few rules and even fewer expectations. I told them what it was for, that they were to write a page a day – anything – something that happened, movies they had seen, books read, places they had been, stuff they did. A sentence, a paragraph, maybe even longer, it didn’t matter, I said. Fortunately, the boys took to it without a fuss.
Ethan’s first entry in that brand new hardcover journal was dated 3 September 1996, while his last entry in that same book was March 11, 2001. As the pages ran out, Ethan asked for a new one and wrote his request down as an entry on March 10, 2001: “I got myself a BRAND NEW JOURNAL!!! I told Dad how the pages in my journal (this one) had only two or three left before asking him to get a new one.” It was then that we knew the boys had adopted the habit of journaling while unwittingly honing their writing skills. Ethan proved more consistent of the two and he appropriately titled his first journal Book 1. Here’s an entry when he was 10 years old:
Thursday February 22, 2001 A few days ago I decided to draw a huge multiplication board which goes further than 12 X 12! The usual multiplication board goes as far as 12 X 12, but mine goes as far as 25 X19! I plan to add a few dozen more numbers to the board. So far I’m almost done. Hopefully, I’ll be able to complete it before the weekend comes.
This morning Mom sent Elliot down to buy the newspapers. But he didn’t come back after 10 minutes, as we usually do. So Mom sent me down to meet him. But he wasn’t there. I waited for him for 10 minutes or so, still, he didn’t come. What happened to Elliot?
”I hope he hasn’t got lost or got kidnapped!” I told myself while walking up the road home.
“What if he got hit by a car?!” Elliot had a series of near death escapes, like the part when a car almost hit him.
Mom looked anxious, when I told Mom I didn’t meet him. I was already trying to imagine life without Elliot, if he got kidnapped or got hit by a car.
Just as Mom and I ran down the road to look for Elliot, we saw Elliot walking up the road with a newspaper tucked under his arm, and whistling!! Mom was so happy that she kissed him. Elliot looked a bit confused. On the way back we explained what happened.
“Whew!” I thought. “He’s safe! At least he didn’t get kidnapped!”
Elliot had walked all the way down to Esso which is quite far, to buy the papers! No wonder he took a long time!!
We never corrected their spelling or grammar, although we frequently read their entries and commended their efforts. Occasionally we would bring it up but we didn’t make a big deal of their mistakes. Eventually a year into the exercise, I told the boys that they should try to write with a certain structure in mind, ie, what, where, who, why, when. It was amazing seeing how their writing matured, revealing nascent sophistication and wit.
I must say the whole experiment went enormously well. With the years behind us, what pleasure we had reading their entries and daily impressions. What a full life the journals revealed. The sum of a boy’s life in a journal, written in innocence and simplicity, they were also snapshots of learning and growing away from the dull confines of school. And what a wonderful journey it has been for us all.
18 May 2009
Elliot on reading
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Reading.
It is no secret that reading is a big thing in our home. It’s something we have consistently encouraged by a) modeling the culture of reading by being parents who read, b) building a home environment that is conducive to reading c) introducing books and reading to our kids as soon as they were ready. When our son Elliot was 12, we asked him about his reading habits and here’s what he said:
Q: Do you remember when you first started reading?
E: I don’t remember when I first started reading but from what I’ve asked mom and dad I started quite early, when I was about three or four. Mom used to read aloud to us when we were younger too. She also used flashcards.
Q: What sort of books do you enjoy reading?
E: I enjoy reading most books though I like fiction best.
Q: What happens if you come across words you don’t understand?
E: If I do come across words I don’t understand I normally just guess the meaning. Not a very good example, I’m afraid. Sometimes I ask Mom or Dad about some words.
Q: Name some books you have recently read, and say something about them.
E: I recently read the book `The Mirror Cracked’ by Agatha Christie, who is a famous murder mystery writer, in which the hero was a 70 or more-year old lady named Jane Marple who solves a murder. The story continues with a few more deaths and tension begins to rise. It’s very good. I also read ‘Murder in the Mews’, by the same author, in which the hero was a Belgian detective named Hercule Poirot. This book contains a few stories about murders with some clever detective work to solve the crimes.
Q: Name some books you are currently reading, and tell us what they are about.
E: I’m reading Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ – unabridged version. I have read the abridged version before, so I know the plot.
Q: Where do you go to learn about books to read, and how do you get hold of these books?
E: I don’t go anywhere to learn about books to read. Most of the time I just ask mom for a good book to read or I reread a book that I have enjoyed.
Q: How do you tell if a book is good or bad?
E: It depends on what you mean by good or bad. A bad book is one which is poorly written and it doesn’t challenge the imagination or interest me. It’s good if it’s interesting to me and I can’t put it down.
Q: What would you say to parents who want to encourage their children to read?
E: I would suggest that they restrict their kids from using the TV and to set a good example by reading books themselves. They can also read books aloud to their children. They can visit book stores and buy good books for them.
For further thoughts on reading, go the related posts below:
29 July 2004
Reading and Reasoning
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Reading.
Someone actually suggested that our own children read because they got their parents’ genes. Well, genes have nothing to do with reading habits in the same way that being being born of Christian parents does not a Christian make. But I admit that the environment plays an influential role.
In our home, reading takes the place of TV (ours broke down 4 years ago and we have not replaced it). Yes, there’s the occasional movie (our TV receives video signals from the player only), but as adults who are already avid readers, we tend to read 2 or 3 books at any one time. Understandably, libraries, bookstores, second-hand bookshops, and book sales, become popular haunts. It’s not hard to imagine therefore why our kids got bitten by the book bug. Friends who visit are surprised at the library that’s the Tan Residence. “Have you read all these books?” they ask for the 1000th time. My guess is they know the answer (no, I have NOT read all the books on our shelves) but as conversation starters go, it beats being asked if our children have a social life!
More than just books is the attitude we share for life-long learning. Whether we read for instruction or for leisure, we tell our children not to be afraid of questions and ideas, because they’re essential to learning. I realise of course that it’s not the number of books you read but how well you read that matters. Reading well is reading critically – which is what good readers do. Reasoning is the corollary of reading. It’s the ability to separate fact from fiction, what’s true from what’s real, and finally, the profound from the trivial. With practice, the mind is sharpened and our esteem for truth deepened, wherever it’s found – because all truth is ultimately God’s truth.
The great protestant theologian John Calvin has this to say:
“The human mind is fallen as it is, and corrupted from its integrity, is yet invested and adorned by God with excellent talents. If we believe that the Spirit of God is the only fountain of truth, we should neither reject nor despise the truth, wherever it shall appear unless we wish to insult the Spirit of God.” (emphasis mine)
If we want to develop our critical faculties, reading ranks high on the to-do list. This is followed closely by reflection and discourse. These last 2 disciplines are hard to exercise these days, because both require time – preferably lots of it. You need space to think through what you’re reading; you need time for meaningful exchanges, to talk things out. Sadly, our activity-mad culture has already encroached into our churches and homes, robbing us the quiet necessary for reflection, meditation, talking, and listening. (Hmm, reminds me of that bumper sticker maxim – God made us a human BEING, not a human DOING).
In an age where truth has taken a back seat, it does not take a genius to figure out this dismal state of affairs. It makes me wonder if we will be able to emulate Paul’s courageous defense before Festus in Acts 26:25: “What I am saying is true and reasonable.”
Making an argument for faith on the basis of truth and reason starts with reading well. I sure hope our children will be able to take a stand like Paul and echo his words with equal passion and confidence.
20 September 2002
Homeschool Liberties
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Guest Writer; Reading.
GUEST WRITER: Grace Koh
Tears began to well up in her large, dark eyes. Her mouth, usually formed into a mischievous grin, began to take on an inverted U-shape.Then she began to cry. Loudly.
“Okay, okay. We’ll do something else,” I said wearily. I put away the book and resigned myself to the fact that my fourth attempt had ended in miserable failure – like all the previous attempts. I made a mental note to look for someone to donate the book to.
My daughter is bright, intelligent, inquisitive and one of her favourite words is ‘Why?’. She knew her alphabet and could easily recognise various words she sees around her. But she couldn’t read. Or rather, she wouldn’t.
I was trying to get her started on reading by using the time-tested `Peter and Jane’ series. Clearly it was not working. As newcomers to homeschooling, I cannot even begin to describe how discouraged I was feeling, having to face this setback so early on. I was completely disheartened.
As the days passed, I began to feel better as I observed how happy Beatrix was, busying herself with her usual ‘activities’. I then recalled the moment she had announced her educational preference by telling me emphatically, “Mummy, I don’t want to go to school.”
That was a year ago from then, when she was about two plus and I had been collecting brochures and scouting around for a suitable playschool/kindy. Her clear intention not to attend school hurled me into a world of turmoil and eventually, pushed me into the unchartered territory (or so I thought – then) of homeschooling.
As I began to explore this educational possibility, it seemed to me to be more and more viable in more ways than one. It took me a good six months of (part-time) research and plenty of encouragement from other homeschoolers before we officially decided to go the homeschool way.
Back to the reading bit. Some time after the final abortive attempt at `Peter and Jane,’ we went to our favourite bookstore to browse. My daughter loved to be read to, despite her seemingly reluctant attitude towards reading. She had wanted to look for a new Tigger story. It was then that a range of reading books caught my eye – a series of twenty books with catchy titles, interesting stories and fascinating illustrations. I leafed through Book 1 and showed it to my daughter, tentatively asking, “Would you be interested in this?”
She took the book and flipped over the pages. “Yes!” came the excited reply.
The book was a smash hit! Beatrix enjoyed it tremendously and would even pick it up herself to read after we had gone over it a couple of times. Soon we went on to Book 2, then Book 3, then Book 4.
By relating this story, I am by no means suggesting that everyone should abandon Peter and Jane and turn to the reading series we are using. What I am saying is that there will always be alternatives available if ‘classic’ ones don’t work. And homeschooling gives us, as teachers, fantastic opportunities to choose those best suited for our children.
Alternatives which would otherwise be disallowed or not even considered in conventional schooling. Homeschooling my child has made me realise that, just like adults do not all learn the same thing in the same manner, neither do children. They are, after all, ‘little adults’.
As homeschoolers, we have the blessed luxury and treasured liberty of choice.
My short path so far along the homeschooling road had been rather bumpy. My friends, well-meaning though they may be, never tire of showing me their horrified expressions when they meet me and find out that Beatrix, now five, is still ‘not in school’. They always dutifully point out and warn me of the dire consequences she would face as an adult if she were not exposed to the ‘real world’ via the school system.
As for my relatives (and my husband’s) well, that is another story altogether!
But I have a lot more resolve now than I did a year ago, and anti-homeschool sentiments from friends and families alike are affecting me less and less. Each time I hit a trough, all I have to do is to look at Beatrix and I feel more convinced that we have made the right decision for her wholistic education.
Now, if only I can find a way to effectively teach her to be diligent in clearing her always-overflowing table.
About the writer: Grace Koh’s daughter Beatrix was 5 years old when she contributed this piece in 2002
15 April 2002
Help, Junior can’t read!
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Reading.
Every now and then, someone comes along to tell you how clever his or her little girl or boy is. “Only 3 years old, my boy can already read so well.” You offer a polite smile, secretly hoping you won’t have to admit that your little one is nearly 6 and floundering in the shallow end of the literacy pool. So what is it that makes readers out of preschoolers? Methods? Kindy? Tuition? Curriculum?
I’m not an expert, but I was an anxious parent too. Bowled over by a sales person, my wife Sook Ching parted with hard-earned cash for an expensive reading programme. The Monopoly-size box contained coloured posters, flash cards, object cards of musical instruments, a hard cover book, and something about giving your child “encyclopedic knowledge.” I was aghast. In retrospect, the boys did pick up words and recognised parts of the human skeleton, and could tell a trombone from a tuba. But I must tell you that the whole experiment lasted no more than 6 months, maybe less. And it ended with us making our own picture cards, cut out of old magazines and calendars – that was an expensive lesson in making flash cards.
With the benefit of hindsight I’ve learnt something more important: it’s not how early you start reading, but how well you read all through life. Surely that’s an indictment on many of us grownups who after graduating from schools and universities read nothing heavier than the local newspapers or Everyday With Jesus. Better a child who reads late, but who reads well into adulthood, and whose wide reading becomes a wellspring of knowledge and wisdom.
I’m encouraged by the story of homeschooler and Cornerstone curriculum publisher David Quine’s oldest son. Now a law school graduate at 26, Bryce did not start reading until he was 12! The Quines never gave up, but persisted in reading aloud while providing an environment that was conducive to a reading and thoughtful lifestyle. So be good to yourself and your kids, and stop the search for the holy grail of a perfect literacy programme.
Next to read-alouds, talking and stimulating discussions ought to rank high on your to-do list. In our home these conversations – books, sermons, news, politics, movies, issues, dreams, jokes – make our day! Then there are reading games too. For instance each child (and adult) takes turns reading on a pretend stage, in front of an audience comprising all in the family. Take a passage from the Bible, Aesop’s Fables, etc, and after it is read, let the reader retell the story in his/her own way.
These aren’t wallet-bursting ideas, but they are certainly smalls steps in the right direction.
16 October 2000
Some thoughts on books and reading
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Books; Reading.
The last and only comprehensive survey conducted in 1996 revealed that the average Malaysian read only 2 books a year. What a dismal state of affairs. The cliché that books take you places and offer a window to the world is all true. But if we are not going to read, we will be considerably poorer for it. Here are some thoughts about reading and how to derive greater pleasure out of it.
1. KNOW WHAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE READING
Homeschoolers around the world are known for their voracious appetite for books, resulting in many parents discovering afresh the joy of reading. That’s good. But it doesn’t end here. As responsible parents, we need to show more than a little interest in our children’s reading diet – just as we keep an eye on the friends they make and the company they keep.
Be aware that you’ll have to decide if your child is ready for a particular book. Times have moved on and values we take for granted have been turned on their heads. It should not surprise us that even children’s literature is beginning to represent a minefield for impressionable young readers.
All the same, showing concern ought not turn parents into apprehensive snoops, or worse, some 1984-type thought police. We should instead approach books and reading as an opportunity to bond with our children, as interested adults walking alongside their charges on a literary pilgrimage.
2. BOOKS COMMUNICATE IDEAS
Every book has a point of view. The term that is sometimes used to denote a particular viewpoint or philosophy is called “worldview”. A worldview has been described as a mental map of an individual’s beliefs or presuppositions about life and existence.
Having said that you will appreciate that sometimes even the most innocuous paragraph may be coloured by the worldview of a writer, Christian or not. But remember, good writers do not litter their prose with little signposts that say, “Next paragraph: What I think about morality,” or anything like that.
Books – especially fiction – are a universe to themselves. Usually a writer’s worldview is articulated in the narratives. You’ll find it echoed by characters in the book, manifest in the prevailing moods or relationships, and expressed in the way a situation or crisis is resolved. Extrapolating Jacques Ellul’s astute observation, a work of art is like a watch keeping time or measuring events as they happen; on the other hand a biblical narrative is a compass pointing to its True North.
3. READING IS LISTENING TO WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
It has often been said that Christians have a tendency to preach a bit too much at people who hold opposing views. How to remedy that? Well, you could read and reflect more than you normally do. Because books offer everyone a simple non-threatening lesson in listening.
“Literature is experiential,” says Leland Ryken. So if you are reading a book, you are really eavesdropping on thoughts and conversations in another person’s reality. You live out the drama of someone else’s struggles to come to terms with the great issues of life and death.
Good literature opens a window to the interior world of writers, and that of Everyman, many of whom “live lives of quiet desperation,” to borrow a phrase from Thoreau. You see others as they see themselves, which is what empathy is all about. Careful reading can help deepen our empathy for people engulfed in life’s complexities.
4. READ WIDELY
Too many of us read books mainly to glean some specific information – which is not a bad thing in itself, unless it’s all you ever do. Rarely do we read for pleasure or personal enrichment. Yet beyond the fiction and non-fiction divide are literature and writings of various genres – poetry, fantasy, allegory, humour, biography, etc. that await discovery.
Like adults, children need a balanced diet of different kinds of literature. The better we are acquainted with these, the more we will be able to appreciate the story-telling devices writers employ. Armed with this understanding, we will be more equipped to pick out thoughts behind words, and meanings beyond facts.
Imagine what it would be like if we were not inveterate readers ourselves. Suddenly the demands of homeschool with its emphasis on wide reading pulls us into a world we are unaccustomed to. Like one who has been confined in a darkened room for long periods, we are momentarily blinded by the dazzling array of books, many by authors whose worldviews we are unfamiliar with. Invariably red flags appear.
Reading widely – especially of good literature – builds an informed mind, which the Spirit uses to broaden our capacity to respond knowledgeably and wisely to the issues of our times.
5. READ WISELY
We must learn to respond critically with a Christian mind to everything we read, just as we do the things we see or hear. To begin with, one must not make the error of presuming that only Christians communicate acceptable ideas, while unbelievers don’t. We are all prone to error and misjudgments. It should not surprise us then to know that a Christian author (like any writer) is capable of communicating a wrong idea wonderfully and a good idea horribly, or vice-versa.
After reading, discuss the book’s ideas and themes with your children. Play devil’s advocate. For starters, ask if the book is fiction or non-fiction. Are the events plausible or believable? Why do the people behave the way they do? Are these actions good or bad? Why do you say so? What does the Bible say about these things? Would you recommend the book to a friend?
By engaging the author’s worldview, you challenge young readers to appreciate that not all ideas are equal, and not everything we read is acceptable or true. How well a tale is told must finally be judged against what kind of thoughts they plant in our hearts and minds.
6. DRINK DEEP FROM GOD’S WORD
This side of heaven, the words of Jesus come to mind, that wheat and tares need for a time grow side by side. The mortal wound that is Sin leaves its mark on all human enterprise and art. Therefore the sacred and the profane, the mediocre and excellent, the bland and the beautiful artfully coexist in dozens of permutations.
This is not to gloss over sin and its tragic consequences, but an acknowledgment of a tension that dogs our existence. Surely we are not called to live in a hermetically sealed cocoon as a means to keep our children and ourselves pure. Neither can we be there all the time to tell our children what’s right or wrong, and what’s good or bad.
That is why it is so important for our kids to develop deep familiarity with and an affinity for God’s word, so they can confidently sieve through the experiences life throws at them, and joyfully account for the faith they hold. The word “Bible” means, a collection of books. That’s an instant library of 66 books in one handy volume.
Christians know that this divinely inspired word of God is redemptive history played out across different kinds of writings or genres. As the word of God, it is the one book that will cast light on all other books we may read. For that reason, it is truly the first book we need to read well, and the last word on issues that confront us. Read it conscientiously.
7. TEACH KIDS TO FEAR GOD, NOT IDEAS
He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world, the Bible tells us. Therefore we do our children a huge favour when they learn to fear God more than they fear words and ideas. Throughout centuries, the birth of new ideas has spawned revolutions good and evil. Interestingly, the course of history has been determined by the fear of ideas as well.
If we want to avoid scenarios depicted in Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451″ or the fatwas of self-righteous mullahs, we do well to remember that the fear of ideas like the fear of man, is a snare. The legalist in us all should remember that the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life – something the Pharisees of Jesus’ time missed to their loss.
I am convinced that God who calls man to “reason together,” means us to engage our grey matter in the good fight too. How else do we love God with all our heart, mind and soul if we don’t? As Francis Schaeffer once wrote, if we want to resist the spirit of the world, we must challenge it in the form it takes in our present age. Reading thoughtfully and critically gives us all an opportunity to grapple with ideas and questions our generation is raising in this age.
May God grant us wisdom and grace to stand fearlessly for His name’s sake.
Further reading:
Want to learn more about literature? Don’t know how? Well, here’s a good place to start. Get hold of the books listed below for a mind-expanding tour of the world of books and ideas.
How to Read Slowly: A Christian Guide to Reading with the Mind
by James Sire
An excellent primer for beginners on what writers say and what they mean. The book also provides advice on what to read and when.
Reading Between the Lines: A Christian Guide to Literature
by Gene Edward Veith, Jr.
Here’s a valuable book to help you cultivate a taste for good literature. Meet writers past and present, explore the Christian worldview, understand Biblical concepts in imagination, post-modernism and more.
The Universe Next Door: A Basic World View Catalog
by James Sire
The book has three objectives – outline basic worldviews of the western world, trace historical developments of these worldviews and the move to eastern mysticism and new age belief systems –and succeeds admirably. Good intro for all concerned Christians.
The Universe Upstairs: A Cartoon Guide to Worldviews
by Merve Jones
Inspired by James Sire’s Universe Next Door, Irish Merve Jones breaks down complex worldviews into a fascinating simple-to-read visual (read, comic book) journey.
The Literature of the Bible
by Leland Ryken
This is a book that requires serious chewing. Quite intimidating in scope and technical in parts, but a genuine eye-opener nonetheless. This seminal work by Prof Ryken will help increase the pleasure of Bible reading.
How To Be Your Own Selfish Pig (And other ways you’ve been brainwashed)
by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
The late Francis Schaeffer’s daughter reduces her father’s ideas into something understandable and contemporary by way of wacky prose and penetrating propositions. Recommended for high school and college students, and perfect for adults starting out from zero! With a bit of creativity, it’ll work for junior too.
How to Read the Bible for all its worth
by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart
A great help in making sense of Scripture as it was first recorded, the types of writings it encompasses, and its different rules of interpretation. Guaranteed to clear foggy notions about understanding the word of God.