X-Post: Is this a good bk to recommend to moms who've decided to homeschool?

[Jennefer@SSA]

Dh is a pastor at a very large church. Therefore anytime anyone is thinking of homeschooling everyone sends them to me for advice. :tongue_smilie: I am trying to put together some resources I can recommend for them and came across this book:

 

Homeschooling Methods: Seasoned Advice on Learning Styles.

 

I almost always recommend Cathy Duffy's Top 100 Homeschooling Picks. Would this one in addition be too redundant? Mostly these are moms who have already decided to homeschool they just want the, "Now what?" answered for them. I get asked this so often I am going to put all my answers down in a series of blog posts. I want to help and support these moms I just don't always have the time to dedicate to each and every one. I thought if I did a series of blog posts that answered the most common questions I wouldn't be starting from scratch every.single.time!

 

Are there any other books/sites/resources I should include?

[Greta]

I'm not really into the learning styles thing myself, so I can't really help you with the first part of your question. (Sorry.) But I can tell you a book that helped me a LOT when I first started: Linda Dobson's The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child. She takes different styles/philosophies of homeschooling, defines and describes them, and then walks you through "a day in the life" of families using the different approaches. I thought it was brilliant for the newbie homeschooler, to get a taste of the different styles that homeschooling can encompass. I also found it really encouraging and uplifting.

 

http://www.amazon.com/First-Year-Homeschooling-Your-Child/dp/0761527885/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289496484&sr=1-3

[Guest]

Ha! Before I looked at your link, I had this book in my mind, thinking "that's a good book to recommend." When I clicked the link I laughed. I think that's a great newbie book. Didn't find it too overwhelming and I think it gives a broad overview of different styles of teaching.

[Janice in NJ]

Good morning Jennifer,

 

After TWTM, I tend to recommend Debra Bell's book. For us Deb's methods balance TWTM methods well.

 

Debra was a teacher before she became a homeschooler. She homeschooled all four of her children, but her methods were different than TWTM - especially at the high-school level: lots of co-op classes, etc. - all with an eye toward a more traditionally competitive college application. I have attended her conference sessions, and I have downloaded recordings.

 

This summer I listened to her sessions from the HEAV convention. Great stuff! Especially the info about self-efficacy in teens. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in education@ Temple; according to her bio in the book, she is currently a doctoral candidate in Educational Psychology, where her research interest is how, when, and why homeschooling works. She has worked with a TON of kids in a lot of different environments so she has lots of experience - especially at the high school level. Great info; solid advice; terrific food-for-thought for this momma.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Homeschooling-Debra-Bell/dp/1932012982/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289563386&sr=8-1

 

Peace,

Janice

 

Enjoy your little people

Enjoy your journey

Edited November 12, 2010 by Janice in NJ

[Dmmetler]

I'd suggest a blog post giving links to some of the various placement tests online. I discovered only after the fact that I ordered the wrong level of curriculum for just about everything for my DD, because I was going by age to determine grade level. All the teaching/learning styles in the world doesn't help much when the book is so easy that it's boring or so hard that it's frustrating.

[Aludlam]

The Whole Hearted Child, Charlotte Mason Companion and of course WTM.

 

You might want to recommend that they get some free catalogs like Sonlight, VP, HOD, etc. They were a lot of help to me --- still are!

 

hth

[Mom22ns]

In my church there are only three families that homeschool. When I started, everyone knew I had been a strong ps supporter and that my kids excel in school. For those reasons, I get a LOT of homeschool questions.

 

I always recommend Cathy Duffy to people who are just starting out. I haven't read the one you linked, but it looks good for some of the same reasons I like 100 Top Picks. I don't think Cathy does a great job of explaining the different homeschooling styles, your link might be better. However, I love explanations of learning and teaching styles. The fact that she puts it all together and then gives some curriculum choices is what seems the most helpful. If your other book doesn't do ALL of that, I would still recommend Duffy to go with it.