JumpyTheFrog Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I understand the idea of Living Books, but the hassle of ordering them from the library and remembering to read them became too much. We'd borrow them but didn't actually get to reading more than a few. So I bought some used textbooks and we're not only reading them consistently, we're enjoying them. Thanks for the recommendations for Joy Hakim's History of Us (Concise Edition) and K12's The Human Odyssey, Vol. 1. (I also picked up a middle school Prentice Hall science book for $1 at the thrift store.) My second grader listens to SOTW Vol. 1-3 several hours per week and I'm not bothering to try to line up the reading and listening. Anyway, for those of you who have trouble actually reading all the Living Books you plan, consider whether a good textbook would be helpful. It's like the quote in someone's signature (I'm paraphrasing), "It's better to have an adequate curriculum that gets done than a superior one you never get to." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartsjoy Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I'm learning this too. What gets done is more important than things I'd like to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma2three Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Like all weapons, textbooks can be used for good, and they can be used for evil. :lol: In all seriousness, I love textbooks. I loved them as a kid, and i love them now. Pretty pictures, and lots of information about lots of stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I like textbooks too. :) I tried doing the all living books for science and history in the past and while I loved all those books my dc didn't, especially as they got older. My two oldest use all textbooks and dd11 is leaning that way as well. My two oldest are big picture\get to the point type learners. On the occasion that some little nugget does pique their interest then I'll toss some living books in to further their knowledge. However, many times, by the time I've searched the library catalog, put the book on hold, gone to pick it up and brought it home they've already googled, Kahned, and youtubed the information to the point of thoroughly exhausting their interest. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I admit it. I read textbooks. I teach from them. I love them. Sometimes I'll even read a text book for free reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Like all weapons, textbooks can be used for good, and they can be used for evil. :lol: :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llifeon18wheels Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I don't want to hijack the thread but are Joy Hakim's "Story of Science" Textbooks? For public schools? I just ordered them with the student guides AND teacher guides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Like all weapons, textbooks can be used for good, and they can be used for evil. :lol: In all seriousness, I love textbooks. I loved them as a kid, and i love them now. Pretty pictures, and lots of information about lots of stuff. I'm such a curriculum junkie that I was buying textbooks at library and used book stores when I was a kid!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KellieK Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I avoided textbooks for a long time, but love them now. I ordered k12 Human Odyssey to look at and read three years early because I wanted to read it. I buy textbooks all the time at used bookstores, especially college writing books. I like to read them for fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abba12 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I love textbooks, and they definitely have a place. I don't know that they are the best way to teach every subject, but sometimes they just make sense, and are a whole lot easier. I'd rather actually do something from a textbook than have a plan which never happens from living books. I also love living books, but I choose to use less living books, and BUY the ones I do use (our libraries are unreliable, understocked, and generally frustrating to use as a core source of books needed in a timely fashion. I only use the library for enhancing or free reading where there is no specific time the book is needed) so we get a collection of the best living books I can find to supplement our textbook cores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I love textbooks and worktexts, and they make up most of our core (with the exception of science and history in the EARLY grades). I was *that* kid who read textsbooks at home, for the fun of it, as soon as they were issued in school, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLMom Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I use to be an anti-textbook person, but I learned that they can be useful. My children usually didn't care what we read from so I started using more texts rather than spend time and money hunting down a bunch of living books. I still use lots of living books for history, but that is about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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