Reviews (13)

Great Starter Book
This is an excellent place to start when you first being to consider the option of homeschooling.It offers a wealth information on where to start and issues to consider.It covers a lot of the startup issues you need know abut, how to integrate it into your own life and lots of brief stories from real people are used to illuminate whatever topic is being covered in that section.I particularly liked the section that covered the issues and concerns people might have about socialization for kids are homeschooled. Good book
Good book which gives honest, detailed advice about getting started in homeschooling by age. An easy read.

A WONDERFUL RESOURCE BOOK FOR NEWHOME SCHOOLERS.
I'm a new homeschooling mom, and I found this book to be a great hands on resource book about how to start homeschooling your children. It has detailed learning ideas for primary, middle and teen years. If you are looking for answers to alot of tough questions like when, why, and how to homeschool your child, then "The Homeschooling Handbook"by Mary Griffith, will be a valuable tool for you. Whether you homeschool your child or not, read this book for it's many helpful fresh ideas for working with children. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Child Care/Parenting    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Home Schooling    6. United States    7. Education / General   

Editorial Review

Role models for a generation of homeschoolers, David and Micki Colfax are teachers turned ranchers who taught their four sons at home in the 1970s and '80s and schooled three of them into Harvard. Isolation on their northern California homestead forced them into the experience, but this resourceful family eventually discovered all kinds of advantages to home education. Like a modern-day Read more

Reviews (17)

Excellent book
I very much enjoyed reading this book. I didn't look at it so much as a how-to book but more of an inspirational book for anyone homeschooling or thinking of homeschooling. The authors don't tell you want to do - they just relate what they did, why they did it, and how it worked.
Thankfully, not all homeschoolers are pedantic!
This was the first book about homeschooling I read and all the rest have been disconcerting in comparison. Thankfully, not all homeschoolers are pedantic!
This was the first book about homeschooling I read and all the rest have been disconcerting in comparison.Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Home Schooling    4. Home instruction    5. United States    6. Education / Home Schooling   

Subjects:  1. Child Care/Parenting    2. Child development    3. Education, Preschool    4. General    5. Home Schooling    6. Parent participation    7. Readiness for school    8. Reference    9. Study Skills    10. United States   

Reviews (3)

Christian Perspective Pervasive Throughout
I would not have bought this book if I knew that Christine Field is so incredibly religious.I specifically looked around the internet to find out if the book was written from a Christian perspective, couldn't find a word mentioning God or Christianity, and I thought I was buying a book written objectively.Boy am I sorry I'm stuck trudging through the God this and God that sections to get to anything worth reading.This might be a great book for someone who leans on God for inspiration.It's not the book for me, and I probably won't have the stomach to finish it.

Tips for managing a successful home education program
Former trial lawyer turned homeschool mother Christine M. Field presents Homeschooling the Challenging Child: A Practical Guide, written especially for parents who turn to homeschooling because their children cannot thrive in a traditional educational environment due to special, physical, or emotional needs. Chapters address how to deal with issues stemming from various learning disabilities, attention disorders, personality clashes, learning styles, discipline problems, managing stress and discouragement, how to plan a program, the importance of keeping in mind the tenets of God's love and forgiveness, and much more. Hands-on tips for managing a successful home education program, as well as how to obtain professional help from support groups and other such resources round out this superb guide for home schoolers or would-be home-schoolers of all persuasions - not just those whose child faces special obstacles.

Wish I could give this book 10 stars !!!
I am a homeschooling mom to a bipolar child.While the author homeschools her ADHD child, I still found the information useful. Includes a nice overview of learning disablities with a checklist of symptoms for each. There are also well-organized chapters on discpline, different learning styles, and up-to-date resources in the back of the book. One of my favorite quotes from the book is regarding discpline, "We don't have to make our children feel bad to make them act good." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Christian Life - General    2. Education    3. Home Schooling    4. Religion - Christian Education - Home Schooling    5. Special Education - General   

Features

• Box set

Reviews (2)

lifepac gold math grade 6 boxed set
After reviewing the material covered in Alpha Omega's, lifepacs I especially liked the upstanding christian worldview which the publishers deliver.Being a Christian they are just what I'm looking for.The material covered in this grade six math boxed set, and all the lifepac sets is probably better than some secular published textbooks.They are easy to use and with each book completed your child can feel like they've really acommplished something. As with Abeka, they can be difficult for slower learners in which case I would recommend Saxon math.

Looks good, but a waste of time
My homeschooled daughter thought it looked great. I looked through it at the homeschool fair and thought it was worthwhile. Well, we're more than halfway through the school year and have learned very little. So last week we threw it in the garbage and purchased a secular book. It's not just this subject, but I'm getting rid of all the Lifepacs we bought this year, all 4 subjects. Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Education - Teaching Methods    2. Curricula    3. Education    4. General    5. Home Schooling    6. Religion - Christian Education - Home Schooling    7. Teaching Methods & Materials - Social Science   

Reviews (3)

A very great start
I am a homeschooling mom on her third year in teaching the kids at home. My kindergarten aged child has never been to a traditional school so it was a bit necessary to understand just what it was that these youngsters needed to know.
Excellent!
This book is excellent for the beginning home schooler, or just to suppliment the "regular" school student.It has lessons already written, on tear-out pages, and great ideas for continued study at the end of each lesson.It also has great assessments/checklists at the back.

Good homschool resource
Not nessesarily everything your kindergarten child needs to know but a great start. This book is a nice resource and refrence book though. Several great ideas to build on skills. For the price it is a great value! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Child Development    2. Curricula    3. Education    4. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    5. Home Schooling    6. Home and school    7. Kindergarten    8. Parent Participation    9. Parenting - General    10. Parents And Education    11. Preschool & Kindergarten    12. United States    13. Education / Preschool & Kindergarten   

Reviews (18)

Some good ideas if you can get past the style
There are some decent ideas here, but I agree with the reviewer below who mentioned the self-congratulatory style. It was really distracting, so much so that I gave up reading it through and just skimmed the resources at the end of the chapters.

Moving, Experiential Learning for Children AND Adults
What I like best about this book is the degree to which the author makes clear he didn't go into homeschooling with all the answers, and how much he had to trust to find them along the way. On one page, he lists more than a hundred things he didn't know anything about before he encountering them in educating his daughters (the book focuses on the older one, which is sensible, given that the younger one was only 6 when the book ends.) Very disappointing
I found And the Skylark Sings with Me to be very disappointing. Several fellow homeschoolers, as well as rave reviews in homeschooling magazines, encouraged me to read this book. First of all, I do not care for Albert's style of writing. It is incredibly self-congratulatory. Second, the near absence of a voice to the children's mother is very surprising. Also, I find it interesting that most of the book is about his daughter doing precocious things, and then the book ends when she is about 12. He continues to homeschool, but perhaps because playing a violin at age 12 doesn't seem that remarkable, he felt it was a good time to write a book. The best thing that I could glean from this book was to not be shy in using resources in the community to help your children. Since most homeschoolers I know already do this, this book is not worth that measly bit of advice. A far better book is Family Matter: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense by David Guterson. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Community and school    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. General    5. Home Schooling    6. Parenting - Child Rearing    7. Education / General    8. Educational resources & technology    9. Schools   

Reviews (9)

Remember why we do this...
David Albert is without a doubt, one of the most refreshing voices in the alternative education movement. He shows you what is possible in educating our children; and does it with infectious joy and good humor. Life should be fun! Learning should be fun! Why do we make such a drudgery out of it? Why do we torture our children so? I am speaking mostly to myself here, lest anyone take offense. David's book are the first ones I grab off the shelf when I am having a drag out the workbooks and sample tests kind of day. I just pray that I will have the courage to keep fighting against (and it is a fight) the old tired ways of doing things that I was subjected to. I hated it; and David's books help me remember that. I am lending, and/or buying copies for all my homeschooling friends. God Bless you David.

Love: the only curriculum that matters
As if channeled from the highest archangel, David Albert's new book Have Fun. Learn Stuff. Grow offers a fresh, crystal-clear look at the very essence of love and learning, and the critical importance of love for nurturing learning. Insightful, unique, and perceptive, this book is a gift for all homeschooling families and those considering it for the first time.
The Title Says It All!
One of the most dynamic and prolific homeschooling writers today is David Albert, homeschooling father of two, popular speaker at conferences across the nation, regular columnist for two major homeschooling publications, and author of two of the most highly acclaimed homeschooling books ever published - And the Skylark Sings With Me and Homeschooling and the Voyage of Self-Discovery. Now David has written a book he titles, in a very no-nonsense manner, Have Fun. Learn Stuff. Grow. Homeschooling and the Curriculum of Love.
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Subjects:  1. Curricula    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. General    5. Home Schooling    6. Philosophy & Social Aspects    7. Education / General   

Reviews (2)

LOTS of information about home schooling and its history
I read this book after hearing it recommended by Chuck Missler in one of his briefings. This book is filled with a lot of information on the historical background of home schooling here in America.It lists many examples of home schooled children that went on to become some of the most important people in American history (basically most of the founders of the USA).Klicka also has a lot of statistics that show the success of today's average home schooled students when compared to average public education students.The book has been around for years, and this is a new, updated, version of that old book.Since this book was first written the number of home schoolers has skyrocketed.After reading this book, one can fully understand why most public school teachers choose to send their own children to private schools (if they don't choose to home school).Klick know from where he speaks. He is the head of the Home School Legal Defense Association that assists home schoolers around the country.He and his wife have home schooled all of their children and he is dedicated to the cause as part of his religious convictions.Today, there a many people, including many non-religious ones, who are choosing to home school, and Klicka is one of the people who have made that option possible today by making sure their rights to do it are kept intact. If you have even the slightest interest in possibly home schooling your children, then this is the book to start with.

The book that convinced me
This is the book that convinced me to homeschool.It looks at the failure of the public school system in teaching our children, statistics regarding teachers, increase in crime, SAT scores, etc. and the political issues driving the public schools.Great book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Experimental Methods    3. Home Schooling    4. Religion - Christian Education - Home Schooling   

Reviews (7)

An ideal addition to the personal reading lists and library collections of homeschoolers
Very highly recommended reading for anyone considering homeschool their child, So - Why Do You Homeschool?: Answering Questions People Ask About Home Education by Mimi Davis (homeschooling mother of four) is an informative presenting a comprehensive and knowledgeable introduction to the realities and possibilities of homeschooling. Offering a "user-friendly" understanding, addressing over 70 pertinent questions, So- Why Do You Homeschool? is an ideal addition to the personal reading lists and library collections of homeschoolers (and curious non-homeschoolers!) for its practical, experienced based information as well as its remarkable grasp of the entire home-schooling process.
A must read for anyone considering homeschooling!
I just completed So Why Do You Homeschool by Mimi Davis. It is an excellent resource! I would consider this book to be a must read for anyone considering homeschooling, although it would certainly be beneficial for veterans as well. I have already passed this wonderful title along to my own mother to read, as it answers so many questions that grandparents of homeschoolers often have. As a parent of four just beginning our homeschool journey, I found this book to be packed with excellent information and ideas. It is very easy to read and truly answers all those little (and big) questions that people ask about homeschooling. I highly recommend this book!

great information
this book answered all the questions I had been asking myself on the quest of homeschooling vs. not homeschooling.It is a great book for someone who is considering homeschooling or who needs some refreshing to why they started homeschooling to begin with. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Christian Life - Home Life    2. Christianity - Education - Children & Youth    3. General    4. Home Schooling    5. Poetry    6. Religion - Christian Education - Home Schooling   

Reviews (1)

A Reason for Handwriting: Cursive C
I wish I had used the other books leading up to this book.But we jumped in using this series for cursive.It is something the children can do by themselves.My kids think it is fun to do.
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Subjects:  1. Children: Grades 3-4    2. Curricula    3. Education / Teaching    4. Elementary    5. Home Schooling    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Language Arts - Handwriting   

Reviews (2)

This is an excellent in home reference guide.
I use this book as an in home reference guide for myself as the parent of a Montessori student.When my child or his teacher tells me about a new activity begun at school, I get the details reviewing this book.I also use it to get ideas for supplimenting his education during the summer. Love this book!

Use Montessori Exercises to Supplement Public School
This is a follow-up book to E. Hainstock's earlier work, Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Pre-school Years.She emphasizes reading and mathematics exercises in this book, and also specifically says that she intends these exercises to supplement children's learning experiences in a public school environment. Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Education, Primary    4. Elementary education    5. Experimental Methods    6. Home Schooling    7. Montessori method of education    8. Parent participation    9. Specific Teaching Methods    10. Child care & upbringing    11. Philosophy of education   

Reviews (3)

Good introduction to Catholic homeschooling
My wife and I both read this book and found it to be a helpful introduction to Catholic homeschooling issues.We needed our basic questions answered such as: "Where do we start", "what are the benefits", and "can we do it". Have your highlighter ready
I made sure to have my yellow highlighter handy when I read this book. There are all kinds of terrific suggestions for the everyday homeschooler. I like the easy-to-read format. It is almost like a reader - a collection of essays written by many different authors. As a busy homeschool mom, I liked that I could read it in bits and pieces during my free moments and still get so much out of it. The resource section is truly Catholic. I appreciated that I did not have to be on guard for anti-Catholic publishers or Protestant resources. My sister, who sends her children to public school, bought A Catholic Homeschool Treasury to supplement her children's religious education. I also liked the positive tone of the book. It presents all of the wonderful reasons for homeschooling without bashing public or parochial schools. Because of this, I was able to share it with my pastor and parents who were not exactly supportive of homeschooling. This book helped them understand the benefits of homeschooling, without putting them on the defensive. If I had to find fault with the book, it would be that there are not enough practical suggestions for teaching high school. I heard that the authors are writing a sequel that focuses more on teaching the upper grades. All and all, I highly recommend this book for all Catholic parents, homeschoolers or not.

It's a great read!
I lent this book to a non-Catholic neighbor of mine and she is extremely serious about homeschooling now, thanks to this book (and she is only half way through).I think that it is by far the best Catholic homeschoolingbook out there, if for no other reason than the fact that it is acollection of so many people and gives the reader a taste of everything. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Catholic Church    2. Christian education    3. Education    4. Experimental Methods    5. Home Schooling    6. Home training    7. Religion    8. Religion - Christian Education - Home Schooling    9. Roman Catholic Church    10. United States    11. Religion & Beliefs    12. Schools   

Reviews (5)

Full of misinformation & bias, poorly organized
I have picked this book up more than once, hoping that coming at it fresh would provide me with information I can use.Unfortunately, I have a hard time looking past what the authors promote as fact.
Top 10 books about home schooling
We started home schooling our three children one year ago.Why isn't this book listed in the top 10 list of the best home schooling books available to parents?Actually, my wife brought this book home from the library to show me because we have the same names as the authors.She stayed up all night reading it.The very next day she ordered 3 copies from amazon.com and sent 2 of the copies to her sisters who also are home schooling.This book gives an extremely honest account of what it takes to home school successfully.We highly recommend it not only because we share the same names as the authors, John & Kathy Perry, but because we share their ideas about the importance of educating our children thoroughly.

For all your answers
This book really was "complete".It answered all those little nagging questions I had and couldn't seem to find the answers anywhere else.I loved the fact it went through the whole process of homeschooling from deciding to homeschool all the way through sending them off to college.They explained everything very clearly and even explained some things I hadn't even thought of yet. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Experimental Methods    4. Family & Relationships    5. Family/Marriage    6. Home Schooling    7. Parenting - General    8. United States    9. Advice on parenting    10. Family & Relationships / Education    11. Marriage, family & other relationships   

Reviews (10)

Very Helpful Overview
When I began homeschooling four years ago, there was so much to learn all at once it seemed, and so many ideas on how to do it. This book helped me get a picture of what homeschooling was all about and how wonderful it could be! It contains articles from 40 some other authors besides Mr. Wade, so you get to read many viewpoints. I highly recommend it to someone starting out, and think it would be helpful to a veteran also.

how to make your homeschool like American public schools
This book recommends that homeschooling be done one way and one way: that it be modeled exactly like American public schools, right down to regular test taking, giving and tracking grades, and attendance record-keeping. Great Resource Book For Christian Homeschoolers
I'm A homeschooling mom, and I found alot of good information in this book. It covers principles of home education, areas of learning, theory into practice, resource information,and forms for keeping records. This book will show how to set up a wonderful christian learning environment for your child,and how to find materials and help, to make your home school succeed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Home Schooling    5. Home instruction    6. Non-Formal Education    7. Teaching Methods & Materials - General    8. Education / Home Schooling   

Reviews (8)

Good book, but...
I've been a Christian home school father for a number of years. R.C. Sproul Jr's book is one of a number that I've read. It's more of a primer, but still a good introductory work to help introduce friends to the biblical reasons to home school. I used to recommend this book but can no longer do so. Call me old fashioned but it's because I've got this thing about the character of authors, the same reason I can no longer recommend William J. Bennett's Book Of Virtues. Good book but the author's character casts in doubt the sincerity of what he espouses.
A Fair Treatment of the "Why" With Very Little on the "How"
RC Sproul Jr. makes a compelling argument as to why Christian parents should homeschool their children.His primary text is Deuteronomy 6 where God commands His people to teach His Law to their children.Certainly the best place to teach, train, and raise godly children is in the home.Parents aren't competing with"the world" and children aren't confused by the two drastically different approaches to the way they see things and the way they are called to live.I totally buy that.
The Core of Christian Homeschooling...
Any Christian who is considering homeschooling their children or who has already made that decision should read this book. It is liberating to have God's truth put forth so succinctly, without equivocation.I believe reading this book can make Christian homeschooling parents more discriminating, including that it can help them to be more wise consumers of homeschooling curricula.
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Subjects:  1. Christianity - Education - Children & Youth    2. Christianity - Education - General    3. Covenant theology    4. Education    5. Home Schooling    6. Home training    7. Religion    8. Religion - Christian Education - Home Schooling    9. Religious education    10. United States   

Reviews (3)

Explores issues about lost of self esteem in young women
There has been a lot of news and research recently about some of the negative changes in girls as they become young women.The author of "A Sense of Self" Susannah Sheffer was reading some of the literature and noticed a comment about how all of the girls in these studies were in the public school system.Susannah Sheffer has long been involved in homeschooling and wondered if the same types of problems were happening with girls who were being homeschooled.She was thinking outside of the box.So Susannah interviewed fifty-five homeschooled girls.She used many of the same questions in the original studies."A Sense of Self" is the result of her study.
Wonderful perspective shift!
After reading the Ophelia books and the studies on the many and varied problems teenage girls face, this was a wonderful and refreshing perspective.Teenage girls who are self-confidant, not worried about pleasing others with who they are, eloquent, etc. How encouraging!I'm looking forward to reaping some of these benefits of homeschooling...

4 stars!
This book is a real eye-opener for any girl considering homeschooling. It answers some of your questions, and gives you a personal view of what homeschooling is like at this stage of a girls life. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Home Schooling    4. Adolescents    5. Children    6. Gender studies    7. Teaching of specific groups   

Reviews (24)

Thinking of homeschooling?Read this book
I was given this book by a friend who already homeschools.I read it in a week while on vacation at the beach and loved it.It was very informative, answered a lot of my quesitons and was very easy to read.She packs it full of web links, references and websites to go check up on and other books to read.I would definitely recommend it if you are thinking about the homeschool adventure.Other books I recommend are "The first year of homeschooling" and "Christian Unschooling" for other approaches.
Best resource for a christian homeschooler or soon to be...
I wish someone had told me about this book a year ago.WE just finished our first year of homeschooling and I found this book at the library.It is a well organized book which I love.It is very clear and give wonderful information on every aspect of homeschooling.Very easy to skip around and get info on anything you need out of the book.It is one I would recommend to anyone considering homeschooling or veteran homeschoolers as well!The best all around homeschooling resource out there for the christian family.

EXTREMELY useful book for the Christian homeschooler!
I love this book!As a homeschooling "rookie", I found lots of helpful answers to my many questions.Ms. Bell's writing style is down-to-earth and fun to read.I would highly recommend. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Education - Program Resources    2. Education    3. Home Schooling    4. Religion - Educational Resources    5. Juvenile Nonfiction / School & Education   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (16)

It's okay but not super
It definitely has some things in it that are helpful but I was disappointed that it appears to be photocopied.I feel it useful just not overly exciting.I'm planning on using it for next years homeschool period and have looked through it but have not used it as of yet.I think it does have a great checklist for things your children need to know at certain stages.Remember to use it loosely though because that's what homeschooling is all about.

Make Your Own.
This was not a very useful resource or practical planner.The designers really should step away from the one-size-fits-all strategy and let users buy packages of the specific pages they want to use - like Franklin Covey time managers, for example.
This is a great resource for new homeschool moms
I bought this notebook about 2 years ago when my daughter was 3 years old.This is a great guide and for the price you get a lot of time saving tips, techniques, and links to other resources.I would highly recommend it to parents who are considering homeschooling and need a map of what to expect, including forms and other awesome resources.Could most of the forms be created in a word processor or speadsheet?Yes.Even if that is what you are planning to do this notebook gives you a great idea of what should be included.If you have been homeschooling for years, then this may not be the ultimate book for you, but I still think you will benefit from the information. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Curricula    2. Education    3. Education / Curricula    4. Education / Home Schooling    5. Education / Teaching    6. Experimental Methods    7. General    8. Home Schooling    9. Approved List/Home Schooling    10. Curriculum Planning    11. Education/Curricula    12. Education/Experimental Methods    13. Homeschooling    14. Parent participation    15. United States   

Subjects:  1. Education    2. General    3. Home Schooling    4. Non-Formal Education    5. Religion - Educational Resources    6. Education / Home Schooling    7. Education-Non-Formal Education    8. Educational systems    9. The California Homeschool Guide,karen taylor,trafford publishing,01-0111,1-55212-712-5,1552127125,homeschool,home school,home education,school at home,California Homeschool Network,independent study,education,learning,homeschooling