Is it weird that I'm all giddy when I find sweet new homeschooling resources?
I'm so excited about the latest homeschooling goodies that I just snagged, and thankful I don't have the pressure to get them back to the library. How do those due dates come around so fast anyway?
- Magic School Bus: The Complete Series
– These shows are so well done that all ages enjoy them, and what great mini science lessons! “Ride with Ms. Frizzle, teacher extraordinaire, and her enthusiastic students as their Magic School Bus takes them on cliff-hanging field trips inside the human body, back to prehistoric times, far out into space, and everywhere else in between!” There was no way we could get through them before they'd be due at the library so I bit the bullet. I didn't think they were all that expensive for the complete series, though…
– These shows are so well done that all ages enjoy them, and what great mini science lessons! “Ride with Ms. Frizzle, teacher extraordinaire, and her enthusiastic students as their Magic School Bus takes them on cliff-hanging field trips inside the human body, back to prehistoric times, far out into space, and everywhere else in between!” There was no way we could get through them before they'd be due at the library so I bit the bullet. I didn't think they were all that expensive for the complete series, though…
- 101 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum
– I've been thinking a LOT lately about not only next fall, but next semester since I've had a few months now to get into this homeschooling groove. And as much as all of you reassure me, I'm still constantly wondering if I'm covering enough or covering the right stuff, and if not, I want to know what my best options are. This book explains what each resource is like and which type of child it would work best with. The details covered are amazing, so you can really feel like you're making a good choice for your family. I tried checking it out at the library but ended up just buying it because there's so much info in there and I am an underliner! I love having an updated version, since it seems like quite a few of the homeschooling books out there are really outdated.
– I've been thinking a LOT lately about not only next fall, but next semester since I've had a few months now to get into this homeschooling groove. And as much as all of you reassure me, I'm still constantly wondering if I'm covering enough or covering the right stuff, and if not, I want to know what my best options are. This book explains what each resource is like and which type of child it would work best with. The details covered are amazing, so you can really feel like you're making a good choice for your family. I tried checking it out at the library but ended up just buying it because there's so much info in there and I am an underliner! I love having an updated version, since it seems like quite a few of the homeschooling books out there are really outdated.
- The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home (Third Edition)
– I've skimmed this one in the past but now want to get into it and see what I missed. (Here's the one I read more thoroughly last spring/summer: Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum: A Guide to Catholic Home Education, and along with the help of some in-real-life friends and all of you, I based a lot of what we're doing on that.) I also tried checking this one out at the library, but again, there was too much info that I needed to underline and refer back to.
– I've skimmed this one in the past but now want to get into it and see what I missed. (Here's the one I read more thoroughly last spring/summer: 
- Heroes in Black History: True Stories from the Lives of Christian Heroes
– As much as I loooooove the Story of the World books
for teaching history, I thought this was a great book to supplement with and also get them reading more on their own. The chapters are very short and interesting for all ages. I've only just started it but like it so far – there was enough here that I needed to have it on hand rather than have the pressure to return it before it was due.
for teaching history, I thought this was a great book to supplement with and also get them reading more on their own. The chapters are very short and interesting for all ages. I've only just started it but like it so far – there was enough here that I needed to have it on hand rather than have the pressure to return it before it was due.
Jane Mac says
Save your kids, send them to school. Give them a normal life.no control problems over your kids right ?
Samantha Jacokes says
I loved that Cathy Duffy book. I am about to start homeschooling my kids in about 3 weeks and used that book (and recommendations on your site as well as the Pioneer Woman’s blog) to figure out what resources we are going to use.
I bought Liberty’s Kids (PBS series on disc) that we will use with our US History studies. I got it on eBay for about $25! Also we are going to use History Pockets, which I think are very cool and hands on, which is perfect for my boys!
Melissa @ Dyno-mom says
Kel, I think that ALL blogs cover topics that are not always appreciated by every reader. I think your careful attention to not focus strictly on food but offer other elements of family life is not only well balanced but appropriate. You are a real person with a real life and real food is a part of that but a part does not make the whole.
As for fav home school materials, for boys you can get “The Fifteen Most Decisive Battles in History” for free on Kindle as well as “A Child’s Garden of Verses” for memory work for the little guy. Because we are packing up to put the house on the market, I am scoping out kindle constantly looking for free and $1 things because they take up no space.
KitchenKop says
Going to get those on Kindle right now, thanks!
KitchenKop says
Melissa, I can only find it for 0.99 on Kindle…?
Renee says
The Child’s Garden of Verses is free & the Battles book is .99 on Kindle right now. Thanks, I got both!!
Jen says
I occasionally see topics that I’m not interested in reading on every blog. I just skip it. Kelly, your blog is awesome and free so I’m happy even if there’s the occasional post that doesn’t interest me.
Jacquelyn Lawrence says
It seems like you should have another blog to connect with other parents who are homeschooling. I signed up for your blog for interesting news about traditional food and healthy cooking.
KitchenKop says
I thought about it, but it takes so much work and time that I don’t think I could pull it off. Plus I don’t post a *lot* about homeschooling, just now and then.
Hopefully others who feel the way you do will still stick around and just skip over these posts that don’t interest them…? I hope!
Kelly
Renee says
Yes, of course you should get what is advertised-so glad I got what I was supposed to & so happy amazon has a great return policy. They have never disappointed me in this regard.
Genet says
Hmmm. . . . I haven’t had any problems ever either.
Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing? Or a different thing than Kelly has pictured here.
However. . . . .LOVE Magic School Bus. YES that is a high recommend however you can get them. 🙂
KitchenKop says
Hi Genet,
I think mine is the right one but it’s downstairs and I’m too lazy to go check it! I’ll let you know if I find that it’s not. 🙂
Kelly
Renee says
The Magic School Bus she referenced is the complete series on 8 dvds. I got it from amazon just before Christmas on sale. The kids like it & I was excited to find it!
Genet says
That’s why I asked. I also got mine from Amazon and sent it back and it wasn’t what was advertised and I didn’t feel it was “worth it” to only have 14 or 15 episodes. . . .
Genet says
Curious about the Magic School Bus set. Did you get like 50 episodes on 7 disks? I ordered something similar which advertised such and instead I got 7 disks with 2 shows on each disk. Last I checked that equaled 14 episodes, not 50 and I returned it!
These look like great purchases. With the Well Trained Mind. . . . REMEMBER: This is how ONE FAMILY “does” classical education. You really don’t have to follow it exactly to give your kids the best. YOU know what is best and can “rearrange” things accordingly.
I recently bought “The Core” by Leah Bortins (founder of Classical Conversations) and also found it full of good ideas on doing Classical Style education at home.