Diane Hopkins has been reviewing and testing homeschool products for 23 years and you can benefit from her experience. Arranged by grade, from preschool to high school, you will find a listing of best books and materials for teaching each grade plus instructions on just how to to use these resources and run the school day. Set up your school schedule, learn how to get your kids to take charge of getting their schoolwork done, and get tips on how to make your homeschool fun and meaningful. Also includes articles of encouragement, and details on how to plan out an exciting school year full of progress for your students. Reproducible forms are included.
Large, spiral-bound book introduces you to the 7 Hopkins children, and shows you how Diane taught and raised them homeschooling: the mistakes she made along with the successes. Full of family photos, personal stories, and wisdom—this volume will give you the help you need to get enthused, get organized and get going. Enjoy the delightful journey of learning together!
This book is written from my heart to yours, both to help new homeschoolers get started and to help veteran homeschoolers get some fresh ideas. Includes the popular article entitled, "The Baby is the Lesson!". We all need a little help to keep going, along with some creative ideas, encouragement, and inspiration. Even though I wrote it, I go back and reread it when I wonder if homeschool is really worth the sacrifice. Topics cover social life, schedules that work, child discipline, a rotating academic plan for making sure you cover everything, the value of memorization, best books for read-aloud time, getting kids to do their schoolwork, how to make grammar fun, what to do with your toddler during homeschool time, father's role in the homeschool, dividing up the chores, preparing for college. . . and much more! Unique and essential information. Spiral-bound.
This booklet sums up what I've learned about keeping your homeschool happy and productive. Includes lots of hard-earned "how-to" advice from yours truly (Diane Hopkins). Paperback booklet.
This is what I use in my homeschool to keep my children's work orderly and expectations clear. My Student Planner will help you organize your children's assignments and help them use their time wisely. Binder contains sections to store daily schoolwork assignments, so all their work is in one neat place. Information is included for pursuing and recording personal goals and educational goals, a personal finance section, and an address and phone section. Instructions written to Mom will help in setting up your homeschool, following a daily schedule, checking up on assignments, and choosing and completing educational goals. This planner is the result of years of experimenting to find what works to make our homeschool run smoothly. My children open their planners for school every morning—this is where all their work is kept and all their assignments are written down and checked off. They can direct themselves by doing their planned assignments. Each child (8 years and up) needs their own for a great school year.
There are some resources that I turn to over and over in my homeschool. They are so basic and essential that I can't teach without them, as evidenced by the fact that I ended up buying multiple copies over the years, as I wore them out (or misplaced them). Buy this pack, put them on your "teacher's shelf" or in your bin, and use them everyday to help you homeschool!
Pack includes:
The 21 Rules of This House
Honey for a Child's Heart
Poems for Memorization
The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book
Typing Instructor Deluxe
Math-it
For more information on each of these resources, click "Take a look", below.
"Read me a story!" Read-aloud time can be such a powerful force for good in the family! Children don't stumble onto excellent reading by themselves; they need the guidance of an experienced parent. My dilemma has always been how to weed out the few excellent pieces of literature from the pile of questionable stuff in the huge public library or bookstores. Honey for a Child's Heart struck a chord in me, as I read Christian author Gladys Hunt's explanation of the purpose of good reading: to uplift and inspire mankind to higher living. Chapters include what makes a good book, fantasy and realism, poetry, scripture reading and more. Includes an excellent indexed and updated 85 page list of the best children's favorites—that alone makes this book well worth its price. I highly recommend this motivating book! Paperback, 224 pages, black and white illustrations from favorite children's books.
The perfect way to start your homeschool day! Flip to the correct month, date, day and select the weather. Vinyl coated pages flip on a spiral binding. Sturdy cardboard frame sits freestanding on desktop or shelf. 14" x 5".
This fabric calendar has 50 clear plastic pockets in which to slide colorful cards for the days of the week, date, month, and special days. A fabulous way to start the day and help orient children time-wise. Three grommets make it easy to hang. 29 1/2".
Gotta have a US flag! Every homeschool needs one. If you don't have a flag pole, simply push-pin it to the wall so you can pledge allegiance. Wonderful in the school room!
Strong canvas header, durable construction for indoor or outdoor use, big 2-1/2' x 4' size. Comes equipped with rust-proof brass grommets, and made of heavy duty, durable poly/cotton fabric (70% polyester 30% cotton) to resist weathering so you can use it year after year. Comes with historical facts and a usage guide booklet.
Teaching facts to the rhythm of music really makes them stick. I even find myself singing the "Prime Numbers" song to my teenagers when they ask me a related math question. The "Months of the Year" song is also a regular in our homeschool. At age 3, Emily could sing "Bones" by heart and it is still a favorite. Catchy, quality songs teach geography, math, science, months, days of the week, classic poetry, and more. Book contains illustrations, lyrics to the songs, activities, and suggestions for teaching units on each theme song. Plastic coated wipe-off pages allow children to write in names of planets on the illustrated "planet" page, "bones" chart, and more. Created by a homeschooling family. Spiral bound 48-page book comes with CD.
The more I use this book, the more I like it! More than 1,200 smart, effective, and practical resources for home education on the internet and beyond are within its 475 pages. Open the door to the world's biggest library and laboratory at your fingertips. I love having a good curriculum and plan from which to teach my children, but I use the Internet to provide the spice to keep learning fresh and up-to-date. This book by a homeschooling mom will take you to those safe, educationally exciting sites on the web. You'll find good literature reading lists, free educational material, preschooler reading readiness games, science projects for teens, lesson plan outlines arranged by subject, teaching tips, college information, testing, and much, much more. This volume will save you oodles of hours of searching time. Great stuff! Paperback, 477 pages.
When we decide to homeschool we are adding another responsibility to our already full lives. This warm and wonderful book is a Mom's road map for making it all work, a guide for mapping out life's journey and designing a homeschooling lifestyle. Includes how to slow down your pace, home organization tips to dejunk your house and simplify your life, schedules, child discipline, ideas to keep toddlers busy, tips to instill a love of learning, curriculum recommendations, teaching character virtues, and much more. There are even great reproducible charts and forms for lesson plans, budgets, chores, goals, menu planning, and more. Large sized, paperback book, 237 pages.
Every once and awhile, I happen upon a book that changes my mind dramatically—that changes my viewpoint so much that I see life through a new lens. Real Education is such a book. It takes such a stark departure from America's traditional view of education, that I was hungry to read and read and underline and reread, to grasp it so I could make changes accordingly.
Real Education declares, and proves with research studies and statistics, that:
1) Ability and intelligence varies
2) Half of us are below average intelligence
3) Too many people are going to college
4) America's future depends on how we educate the gifted
This intensive method of home educating children is very popular because of the fabulous results—well-rounded, intelligent young people who can think and understand. This book, which becomes a well-used "bible" for many home educators, will teach you step-by-step how to give your children an academically rigorous education from preschool through high school using the classical pattern of education called the "trivium" (grammar, logic, rhetoric). The Well Trained Mind provides the teaching techniques, curriculum, and resource recommendations to instruct your child in reading, writing, history, geography, math, science, foreign language, rhetoric, logic, art, and music. Social needs are addressed too, to help you get your child involved in sports, clubs, and local homeschooling organizations. Info is included to help you prepare a high school transcript, study for the SAT test, and achieve college entrance. Teach your child with confidence and success!
This thought-provoking book by Dr. Oliver DeMille, founder of the George Wythe College, has had a profound effect on how I learn and teach. Dr. DeMille believes that we have failed in educating our children in this country because we have failed to follow the pattern of education that the Founding Fathers participated in, namely the study of great classic literature (both children's literature and adult literature) under the loving, demanding hand of a "mentor," just the way intelligent Thomas Jefferson was taught. Dr. DeMille gives us reasons for studying the classics, discussion questions that help us analyze the classics, plus a comprehensive list of books that constitute "the good stuff." Newly revised, hardcover or paperback, with 2 new chapters and addendum, 195 pages.
Have you wondered how to apply Thomas Jefferson Education principles in your homeschool? This companion offers something new: a view of leadership education from many perspectives, from the education of our little ones to advanced adult learning. Whether you're a parent, teacher or grandparent, you will enjoy this enlightening book. Paperback, 241 pages.
Oliver DeMille, founder of George Wythe College, has written an excellent volume for youth and adults wanting to accomplish a successful Scholar Phase, both academically but in personal development. Includes: How to Find the Real You, The Teen-100 List, How to Study the Classics, How to Make the Most of Your Mentor, Sample Simulations and a list of online resources. A great support for any teen seeking a leadership education! Co-authored by Shanon Brooks. Paperback, 147 pages.
New from Oliver & Rachel DeMille (George Wythe College), this 303 page volume details the phases of Leadership Education (better known as a Thomas Jefferson Education). Includes a philosophy for life, two views of childhood, a recipe for success, the foundational phases, core and love of learning phase, transition to scholar phase, a blueprint for leadership, the educational phase, the scholar phase and the depth phase. Continues with a mandate for service, the application phase, mission phase and impact phase. Ends with info on grandparenting.
What to Do So Your Children Don't Jump Ship to the World When They Get Older
There is a troubling trend in Christian families today: older children become discontent and rebellious, jumping ship as soon as they can survive without the family, some as young as 16 years old. Parents are crying, "Where did we go wrong? What can we do to prevent this from happening to the rest of our children?" They re-evaluate and "clamp down" on the remaining children, making life twice as unpleasant for them as it was for their jumped-ship older sibling.
As parents, we are "marketing" a Christian (+ homeschooling) lifestyle to our children in a world that has unleashed evil to win their attention! We are yearning for them to accept the values and family culture that we believe will bring the greatest joy to them in their life, even after we are no longer around to help them. This books helps parents step back and take an objective look—how full of happiness and fulfillment does your lifestyle look to your emerging teens? Do they have hope and the promise of joy if they live like you do, or does your faith look like a bunch of Pharisee's rules and regulations? Is your Christianity and your homeschool lifestyle something that would inspire a 16-year-old?
I wish, wish, wish that every parent would read this book and apply it (including myself). I know it would make a huge difference to their children, and in their family life. I believe that the advice in this book would help children stay true to their parents' faith!
One reader writes:
Just one reading made a change overnight, and continued with daily changes that we could hardly have imagined. Our leaning-toward-rebellion teen suddenly folded my laundry, and cleaned the kitchen completely on her own, just being nice! Her heart is changing too, she talks to us differently, shares things she has clammed up for months... Parenting became a joy again, and we could not believe how blind we had been. Furthermore, applying what the author suggests is even fun and may bring joy and enthusiasm back into your life that you forgot you had lost long ago. . . .this book gives so much hope!
If you are a parent who is wondering if you are doing everything "right" to help your teens grow up faithful and happy, please stop wondering and get some real help and practical advice and the wisdom of one older and wiser.
College can be fun; it can be a social life and something to do after high school. But, if you are strictly after a degree, college can be a lengthy, expensive obstacle. This book tells the true story of one working woman's return to college to get her Bachelor's degree. You can avoid the long, costly on-campus route by heeding her advice and experience. She tells you all the mistakes she made and what to do instead. Reference guide, worksheets and resource lists are included. Paperback, 206 pages.
With a little planning, the cost of college can be dramatically reduced - even by as much as 90 percent. This book will help students become "educated consumers of higher education," allowing them to choose from among many credit-earning options. They will discover affordable solutions to accumulate college credit, giving them more control and flexibility, greatly reducing the overall cost of a fully-accredited degree, and eliminating the burden of unnecessary student loan debt.
