Fun and Effective Home Learning Activities for Every Subject
As a homeschooling parent, you're always looking for new and creative ways to teach your child the basics. Look no longer! Inside this innovative helper, you'll find kid-tested and parent-approved techniques for learning math, science, writing, history, manners, and more that you can easily adapt to your family's homeschooling needs. And even if you don't homeschool, you'll find this book a great teaching tool outside the classroom. You'll discover fun and educational activities for kids ages 3 to 12, including how to:
·Create maps based on favorite stories, such as Treasure Island or The Wizard of Oz
·Make letters out of French fries as an alphabet learning aid
·Explore architecture by building igloos, castles, and bridges with sugar cubes and icing
·Review spelling words by writing them on the sidewalk with chalk
·And many more!
This comprehensive collection of tried-and-true—and generally inexpensive—ideas provides the best-of-the-best homeschooling activities that can be done anywhere, anytime, and by anyone.

The key to successful home education is determining your educational philosophy and linking it to your child’s learning style. Then you can make an informed decision in choosing the right educational curriculum for the child. Homeschool guru Cathy Duffy can help you accomplish these critical tasks, with her top choices from every subject area, approaching everything through a Christian worldview perspective. 

This ambitious reference guide lives up to its name. Practically three inches thick--and we're not talking large print here--it's packed with titles, ordering information, and Web site addresses. From where to send away for a kit to make your own Chilean rain stick to how to order a set of Elizabethan costume paper dolls, the book connects families to a world of learning possibilities. Book titles, short synopses, authors' names, publishers, and years of print make up the bulk of the guide. Classics such as The Cat in the Hat and Curious George share billing with lesser-known titles like Stone Fox, the story of a legendary Indian dog-sled racer. Every entry appears with recommended ages and an icon that shows whether the item is a book, computer disc, or video; an outstretched palm denotes hands-on materials. Most of the resources seem to have been test-driven by the author and her three homeschooled sons. Rebecca Rupp, a former scientist who has been teaching her kids at home for more than 10 years, peppers the guide with anecdotes about her children's experiences in various subject areas, much of it drawn from the family's extensive journals. Along with books, magazines, and kits for reading, math, writing, science, and history, a considerable amount of space is given to computer and television resources, as well as "life skills," a broad category that includes everything from etiquette and carpentry to sewing and sex education. Like a Yellow Pages guide to knowledge, The Complete Home Learning Sourcebook belongs on the shelf of anyone looking for new ways to spark a child's imagination. --Jodi Mailander Farrell

Flexibility is the key for this homeschooling mother. Alternating textbooks with other materials allows one to tailor the school schedule to life's little realities.

You've made the decision to homeschool, so what's next? These suggestions can make choosing a curriculum a bit smoother.

“How do I get the home school curriculum?” and “How much will it cost me?” are common questions. Curriculum, or the schooling materials and books, can be purchased, (new or used), rented, or designed on your own. Here are a few places for each option.

This veteran group of home educators from around the blogosphere joins together to spread the word about their favorite curricla to help you make informed decisions for your homeschool. Their methods and philosophies vary, which means you will find curriculum reviews for an amazing spectrum of materials. You'll find reviews of curricula, books, games, and more.

Homeschooling is a journey parents begin every year. Unfortunately, many families who wouldn't even think of traveling without a map begin this homeschooling journey on their own, asking for directions along the way. You should begin by answering "Three Core Educational Questions." Your answers to these questions will help you reach your destination with confidence. They are:

1. What is education?
2. What are the roles of the teacher and the student?
3. What is the role of the curriculum?

Finding suitable curricular materials can be frustrating as periodicals, in general, do not review K-12 educational materials. Here are several suggestions that will help in your search to find K-12 materials. Note that this page is geared more toward finding individual materials.

Most of us are closet curriculum dependents. As far as everyone else is concerned -- we have it all together. But we all feel the effects of curriculum dependency. It is based on three myths--the myth of the perfect curriculum, the myth of the perfect homeschool family, and the myth that we can do things in our own strength.

A list of items you should consider when evaluating a curriculum.

Choosing teaching materials can be an overwhelming decision because there are so many excellent products available and each one claims to be superior to all others. Many veteran home schoolers suggest that you stick to a 'prepackaged" traditional curriculum for the first year or so. Others encourage new home schoolers to consider correspondence schools. Here are some suggestions concerning choosing curricula.

You have decided to home school your children. You have been thinking and praying about it for some time. As September approaches you know it is time. Where to start? The choices seem overwhelming.