Review of Catholic Homeschool Companion (Paperback)

I just noticed that the last two reviews were by people who participated in the book.I thought I would write a review as someone who has no connection with the book.In summary, it is excellent.

I have found that in so many homeschooling books, authors tend to repeat themselves needlessly.Authors write in 100 pages, what could easily be found on someone's website written more clearly and concisely.This is not the case with this book.There are almost 500 pages of solid advice on Catholic homeschooling.Every chapter is written on a different subject by a different author, and the breadth and depth of the information is excellent.

A good example of this is the chapter on Art Appreciation: Recognizing Symbolism in Religious Art by Pattie Kelley-Huff.She explains what many religious symbols in artwork mean.For example, an anchor is a symbol for hope and steadfastness.She has entire lists with what the symbol means.The author also gives resources for further study.

Many of the chapters recommend additional material.I, personally, love mathematics, and I would consider that one of my strongest subjects.However, in the chapter on math, the author provides a listing of Math literature by grade level that I never would have known about on my own.

The only negative, I would say, is that because the book is written by various authors, some chapters are weaker than others.The chapter on teaching a foreign language would be an example of this.

I truly believe that this book will provide something for every Catholic homeschooler. In fact, even non-Catholic homeschoolers, or Catholics that want to enrich their child's school education might also find information in this book.Overall, I couldn't be more pleased with it.

Product Description
Here's your one-stop resource for information, insight, and inspiration about every aspect of educating your children at home - written by those who understand it best: homeschooling parents themselves!

Would you like to teach science or phonics better? Introduce your child to Latin, piano, or great works of art? Try new classroom approaches that other parents find effective? In these pages, you'll find helpful essays from more than forty veteran homeschooling parents to help you do all this and more. You'll also find wise advice and practical tips to make you a better teacher and your homeschool more productive and enjoyable.

Of course, homeschooling involves more than academics. That's why The Catholic Homeschool Companion includes essays to help you foster your children's moral and spiritual development, involve time-challenged dads, teach kids with special needs or in special circumstances, and handle other common problems homeschoolers face.

Are you frustrated trying to fulfill state academic standards or diocesan requirements for sacramental preparation? No problem!

Here's shrewd advice from parents who've fought those battles already. There's also humor to lighten your heart when the daily grind gets you down, and, for those really bad times when you wonder whether homeschooling is even worth it, The Catholic Homeschool Companion brings you heartening testimony from teenagers and young adults whotell how grateful they are that their parents taught them at home.

Information, insight, and inspiration: it's all right here in The Catholic Homeschool Companion, the must-own resource for new and experienced homeschoolers alike.



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Review of Mommy, Teach Me to Read!: A Complete and Easy-to-Use Home Reading Program (Paperback)

I'm very attracted to Maria Montessori's work. I've spent a long time researching and reading her works and about how to implement her philosophy. I love how Mrs. Montessori really recognized the potential of a child in learning. She recognized the absorbent mind at the young ages, and illustrated how there are different sensitive periods of learning. It's easy to recognize how children need the tangible, sensory types of learning at a young age. She really did see the beautiful gifts of a young child, and tried to respect the child.

I am so excited that I found such a goldmine for incorporating Montessori approach in the home for the younger ages. I bought Mommy, Teach Me! and Mommy, Teach Me to Read! by Barbara Curtis. Both are slim volumes, packed with encouragement and information, but not intimidating or overwhelming. I would say she's a modern Elizabeth Hainstock, but makes the Montessori in the home even more parent friendly and less intimidating and scientific. The emphasis isn't about making one's own materials, like Hainstock, but more about making it all approachable and doable for mothers in the home.

Mrs. Curtis is a mother of twelve and homeschools her children and does understand the needs of a child and busy SAH moms. She had AMI training and taught Montessori in the classroom. She shares her knowledge and experience with other parents. She recognizes the role of God and our spiritual lives in education.

Mommy, Teach Me to Read! is just what I need right now, since my son is on the brink of reading. Mrs. Curtis explains the sensitive period for reading happens before the child is six, agreeing with Montessori "the first five years of a child's life involve a period of intense absorption and learning. God has built into each child the potential for seeking knowledge."

The book is broken down into three stages, Birth to Two Years, Two to Five Years, and Five to Seven Years. The first stage is laying down the groundwork, first by the way we talk to our child, and then by reading to the child, from a very early age and continually. Incorporating books isn't in the Montessori approach; beautiful picture books weren't in Maria Montessori's day, but we have them now, and we should incorporate them in our learning environments, even if we are using a Montessori approach. The books Mrs. Curtis suggests throughout to read-aloud or for early readers are those that have stood the test of time.

The next level, two to five, is when the learning-to-read happens. It's all based on a phonetic approach using the 3 period lesson Montessori style. She uses simple terms like the Sound Game, the Letter Game, and the Word Game, but they all incorporate the Montessori approach to language (sandpaper letters, movable alphabet, phonetic objects).

The final stage, five to seven, is reinforcement and further exploration into language, showing patterns in grammar, although not necessarily identifying parts of speech.

And it all is very natural and doable. Mrs. Curtis emphasizes that this is is just an approach, "[i]t's not a straitjacket," so take what works for you, and move on if it doesn't. For those mothers who are seeking approachable and successful ways to teach your preschooler at home, especially to learn to read, I highly recommend both of her Mommy, Teach Me! books.

Product Description
There is a growing realization that most learning takes place among kids before they enter kindergarten, when every boy and girl's drive to discover is strongest.

And in a world where reading means succeeding, you can inspire a lifelong love of books and language in your child at home with Mommy, Teach Me to Read!. The easy-to-learn, fun-to-follow reading program and activities presented here will help you build a foundation of joyful learning on which your child can continue to build in the coming years.

Author Barbara Curtis, a Montessori teacher and mother of twelve, uses a wealth of common sense to dispel the mystique of professionalism that surrounds the teaching of children and shares insight about each child's God-given potential for learning, while helping parents discover their own potential as teachers.

"Don't invest another dollar in reading materials before you've finished reading this book," she advises. "You may be very surprised at how simple it actually is to produce an excellent and enthusiastic reader."



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Review of Do-It-Yourself Early Learning: Easy and Fun Activities and Toys from Everyday Home Center Materials (Paperback)

I purchased Do It Yourself Learning after I heard Jeff's presentation at our State Childcare Conference.The book is so well thought out.Jeff and Tasha share loads of EXCELLENT activities to do INEXPENSIVELY with children.A really handy feature is they tell you the mistakes they made during their learning process, and ALL of the projects have been tested by the children that spend their days at Jeff and Tasha's Family Daycare, so you know children love these activities. The most incredible of the projects cost me $15.00 to make and gave my preschool children literally HOURS and HOURS of hands-on learning and fun.Jeff KNOWS what children love, and the best part is that he shares it with everyone!
I have done roughly 40 of the projects/activities in this book and ALL were a hit and earned a chorus of "Can we do this again?" from my preschoolers.
So many toys available at toy stores rob children of their imagination -- they all make noise, or move on their own.Jeff's "toys" really engage children and bring out their creativity and imagination.I have owned this book for the shortest amount of time of all my resource books, and it is by far the most used.Thanks Jeff!

Product Description

Making learning a hands-on experience, Do-It-Yourself Early Learning shows home child care providers how to find and use many of the inexpensive-and often overlooked-building, home-repair, and construction materials available at local hardware stores and home centers to create fun activities and toys that promote play, exploration, and discovery.

This innovative guide takes teachers on a journey through the aisles of the local home center to help them find creative ways to teach young children to build, interact, and learn from a wide variety of materials-from plumbing and electrical supplies to paints and hardware items.

About the Author
Jeff A. Johnson has more than 18 years of child care experience. A former center director, he operates a family child care program and is a board member of the National Association for Family Child Care. He is the author of several Redleaf Press books and presents at conferences across the nation.

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Review of Protocol Matters: Cultivating Social Graces in Christian Homes and Schools (Paperback)

PROTOCOL MATTERS IS NOT ONLY HELPFUL BUT A GREAT READ.I WISH I HAD READ IT AS A YOUNG MOTHER AS A TEACHING TOOL FOR MY OWN CHILDREN.IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL FOR THEM IN NAVIGATING AROUND "LIFE", IN A GRACIOUS AND APPROPRIATE MANNER.JUST KNOWING WHAT TO DO, AND HOW TO RESPOND IN ALL KINDS OF SITUATIONS IS BENEFICIAL--
TEACHING INTERPERSONAL SKILLS WAS MY FAVORITE PART--THIS IS MUCH MORE THAN A "WHICH FORK" MANUAL--THO THOSE DETAILS ARE COVERED TOO!HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Product Description
Etiquette and protocol are ways of showing Christian love and kindness in small ways. With an easy, engaging style and lots of helpful details, Sandra Boswell outlines the meaning and purpose of protocol education, and describes ways of practicing it in the home and at school. She draws on her experience from the successful Logos School protocol program to guide the reader through all the basic protocol topics--table settings and foods, socials skills, personal grooming, appropriate dress, and more. This book is a must-read for parents and teachers who wish to recover the "social graces" for the next generation of believers.

About the Author
Sandra Boswell has been a protocol program director, teacher, and speaker for more than twenty-five years, serving various schools, church groups, and youth programs. She has taught protocol at Logos School in Moscow, Idaho, and established the protocol and arts program at The River Academy in Wenatchee, Washington, where she currently also teaches. She and her husband of forty-five years, Bud, have three sons and three grandchildren.

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Review of Home School Heroes: The Struggle & Triumph of Home Schooling in America (Paperback)

Written by Christopher Klicka, a senior counsel of the Home School Legal Defense Association, Home School Heroes: The Struggle & Triumph of Home Schooling in America is the true story of mothers and fathers who braved powerful legal opposition against the practice of homeschooling, particularly in the 1980's and 90's. Klicka presents numerous true stories of his work for the Home School Legal Defense Association in which he intervened to prevent social workers or police from entering homes without a warrant or interviewing young children without a court order, or worse, taking children away from their loving parents. A devout Christian as well as a legal defense counsel, Klicka also speaks of the strength and comfort provided by God and Jesus Christ in the most dire hours of need. Home School Heroes recounts milestones of progress reached for the right to homeschool, offers practical advice concerning what to do if state agencies attempt to interfere with the legal right to homeschool a child, and is strongly recommended for any parents seeking to pass on a religious, homeschooled education in their children.

Product Description
Home School Heroes: The Struggle & Triumph of Home Schoolingin America covers the history of the modern homeschool movement,with many stories of God's faithfulness to homeschool families fightingin court for the right to educate their children. It is a book thatcan be read by older kids and adults alike to give them an appreciationfor all the sacrifices of homeschool families to win the freedomwe enjoy today. Home School Heroes concludes with a call to readersto always remain vigilant and active in protecting our precious freedomto teach our children in God's ways.

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Review of Home, School, & Community Relations (Paperback)

Very easy to read. Helpful, practical information. Many chapters with good advice on working with parents. Some information on home visiting. I definately recommend this title.

Product Description
Textbook features a case-study approach, an emphasis on diversity of family and teaching situations, current references, illustrations, and reflections for Journal Entries. Previous edition: c1999. Softcover. DLC: Home and school--United States.



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Review of Home Schooling: The Right Choice : An Academic, Historical, Practical, and Legal Perspective (Paperback)

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.



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Review of Write These Laws on Your Children: Inside the World of Conservative Christian Homeschooling (Hardcover)

As an evangelical Christian I wondered what Write These Laws would say about the people I identify with.I don't home school myself, but I go to church with many who do.I must admit I'm impressed.Dr. Kunzman is not only even handed, he is empathetic.While this book is thoroughly researched, his work is not about cold, hard analysis.There's a warmth to his insights that makes me like people I otherwise wouldn't and makes me cringe more deeply than I thought I would at the flaws that I myself see in my Christian community.

If there were more writers, researchers, and policy makers like Dr. Kunzman I am convinced we'd have a better educational system overall - because we'd actually be able to talk about both the good and the bad in each other's views in ways that promote understanding.




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