Great thoughts from Steve Leveen (of Levenger) on why we should write in our books.
I find it nearly impossible to read without a pencil in hand.
I underline, star, or bracket important passages, write captions or keywords at the tops of pages, argue with the author in the margin, create my own index in the front, and more.
Naturally, it's extremely difficult for me to read a library book. If you MUST read a book which you do not own, use an index card as a bookmark and make a list of pages you want to come back to in order to take notes. (I find that actually taking notes as I'm reading slows me down too much.)
My Top Ten Homeschooling Book Recommendations (websites too!)
In twelve years of homeschooling, I’ve read dozens of books about homeschooling. These ten are the cream of the crop—the ones I reread myself and recommend to friends.
The Homeschool Journey: Windows into the Heart of a Learning Family by Susan and Michael Card. A warm, unintimidating look into the life of a well-known family of homeschoolers. This is often the first book I share with folks who are considering homeschooling or just beginning.
Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson.How to use real books and real life to make your home a vibrant center of living and learning for you and your child.
For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay.The daughter of Francis Schaeffer explores the philosophy and methodology of 19th-century British educator Charlotte Mason.
A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola.A practical guide to a Charlotte Mason education.Detailed explanation of narration, dictation, copywork, picture study, etc.
Teaching the Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn.A specifically Christian approach to classical education.
A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century by Oliver Van DeMille. Critiques modern “conveyor-belt” education and explains how to educate leaders through mentorship and studying the classics.
The Three Rs series by Ruth Beechick: An Easy Start in Arithmetic, A Home Start in Reading, and A Strong Start in Language - for grades K-3. These little booklets offer a simple, practical way to teach your children the basics.
You Can Teach Your Child Successfully by Ruth Beechick - for grades 4-8. Practical, detailed suggestions for teaching the 3 Rs plus history, science, health, music, art, Bible. Includes helpful spelling and math charts.
Who Should We Then Read? by Jan Bloom. One of the best books about books, with biographical information and book lists for over 140 authors, as well as lists of titles in series.
How to Grow a Young Reader by Kathryn Lindskoog and Ranelda Mack Hunsicker. Intersperses heavily annotated book recommendations and author biographies with thoughtful discussions on a variety of topics. Includes a substantial amount of literary history.
Websites and Yahoo Groups:
www.AmblesideOnline.org - Free online curriculum (complete with book lists and weekly lesson plans) based on the methods of Charlotte Mason. Even if you don't follow their curriculum, you can learn a lot from the articles on their website about picture study, nature study, composers, Shakespeare, Plutarch, and more. Yahoo groups: AmblesideOnline (through grade 6) and House-of-Education (grades 7-12).
http://valerieslivingbooks.info - Valerie Jacobsen has one of the best online resources for reviews and lists of living books. She also has an irresistible for-sale list http://www.valerieslivingbooks.com and a great Yahoo discussion group, Bookroom.
www.TruthQuestHistory.com - A deep, literature-based history curriculum that focuses not just on the people and places of history, but digs down to the heart of what each culture believes about God and about man. Yahoo group: HistoryQuesters.
www.Classical-Homeschooling.org - Resources for classical education, including a list of 1,000 Good Books.
Other Resources:
Home School Legal Defense Association - Membership entitles you to free professional legal representation related to homeschooling, product discounts, monthly Court Report magazine, and more. If you are a member of a local support group, your annual membership fee is discounted.To join, go to www.hslda.org/join/coupon.asp.Use referral number 4099227 to get a $10 gift certificate toward the purchase of any HSDLA publication.
