Art Activity Book (Usborne)

While "100 Top Picks" has some useful information I found the curriculum reviews in Susan Wise Bauer's "The Well-Trained Mind" and Rebecca Rupp's "Home Learning Year by Year" much better thought out and more useful "The Well-Trained Mind" focuses on "classical" education but its reviews are excellent especially on reading writing and social studies Rupp's guide covers a variety of approaches and is very easy to use; I wish I'd used it earlier If you want one guide I'd say that's it For additional material on learning styles and issues beyond selecting curricula Lisa Rivero's "Creative Homeschooling" is a great book Although it focuses on "gifted" children most of the ideas are applicable to almost all children

You have made the decision to home school your childNext questions begin to float through your mind "Where do I begin? How do I develop a philosophy of education? How does my child learn best? What should my child learn and when? What curriculum should I use?"Homeschooling mother author and curriculum consultant Cathy Duffy has taken the time to address these questions and many more in her book the original "100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing the Right Curriculum and Approach for Your Child's Learning Style" and now her latest update "101 Top Picks"Duffy's book is basically a "guide book" for the novice homeschoolerThe book is divided into two parts The first six chapters assist the novice in becoming "goal-oriented" rather than "curriculum driven" The remaining eight chapters break down the components of education (Phonics Reading Literature Mathematics Language Arts History Geography and Cultural Studies Science Unit Studies and All-in-One Programs Foreign Language Electives and Online Classes) into individual chapters Within the chapters Duffy gives an introduction to the topic followed by her "top picks" accompanied by reviewsThis resource is a clear concise guide to assist the novice homeschooler entering the world of home education

Reading Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum is like having an older wiser mentor take you by the hand and guide you through the confusing waters of curriculum selection Even after seven years of home schooling I have found this book to be invaluable in making informed choices in our search for "the curriculum" (I know it doesn't exist) Don't be fooled however in thinking Mrs Duffy's labor is simply curriculum reviews Before you even set eyes on any of the 100 Top Picks Mrs Duffy spends several chapters encouraging you to define your philosophy of education identify learning and teaching styles and set subject-specific goals Mrs Duffy walks you through each of these important areas through questions and a fun chart helping you to target your preferred approach to learning Now you are ready to tackle curriculum selection Through studying six pages of well-thought out comparison charts you can make an informed decision that fits your home's specific needs Each Top Pick is rated in the following categories: multisensory/hands-on structure/rule-oriented appeals to logical/analytical has social activity needs parent/teacher independent study/ one-on-one/ group prep time grade level specific or multilevel ease of use for teacher importance of teacher's manual supports Charlotte Mason supports classical education and suitability/content for Protestant Catholic or Nonsectarian The remaining chapters include well-balanced reviews stating a selection's weaknesses as well as it's strengths A picture of the cover pricing and publisher information are also included for each program While some of the books we use have not made their way into 100 Top Picks I typically consult Mrs Duffy before making a new selection Her website grovepublishingcom contains many other curriculum reviews outside of 100 Top Picks I have often walked into a vendor hall with a plan of attack only to find myself drowning in the sea of choices available Now my trusted mentor (Cathy Duffy)is part of my preplanning From Kindergarten through High School 100 Top Picks will be my guide

This book has helped me so much as I select curriculum for my children It has a great section on determining your children's learning styles Then it has a matrix to help you determine which of Cathy's top picks will work best for your child's style Plus it has great information about how much prep time the curriculum will require of the teacher and other helpful information Then there are extensive reviews of all the top picks I never purchase anything without first checking this book I recommend this book to everyone I know!