102

TOP PICKS FOR

Homeschool
Curriculum
Choosing the Right Curriculum and Approach
for Each Child’s Learning Style

by Cathy Duffy
 Copyright © 2015, by Cathy Duffy

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

978-0-929320-19-9

Published by Grove Publishing

Westminster, California
www.GrovePublishing.com

Dewey Decimal Classification: 371.042

Subject Heading: HOME SCHOOLING—CURRICULA

Note: Contact information and prices listed for resources in the following chapters were
the most current information available from publishers at the time this book was written.
You will need to confirm current price information when you make your purchases.
 Dedication

To the thousands of dedicated homeschoolers who have resisted the impulse to imitate “real
schools” and have chosen instead to figure out what is best for each of their children, even if
it meant writing their own curriculum. You have made the world of homeschool curriculum far
richer than the most well-funded schools in the world.
~ Cathy Duffy
 Table of Contents

Chapter One: How on earth do I figure out what curriculum to use? 1

Chapter Two: Drill and Kill, Real Books, Delight-Directed Studies …

What’s best? 5

Chapter Three: Putting Together Your Philosophy of Education 26

Chapter Four: Learning Styles: How does MY child learn best? 32

Chapter Five: Who should learn what, and when? 48

Chapter Six: Top 102 Picks 58

Chapter Seven: Phonics, Reading, and Literature 72

Chapter Eight: Language Arts: Grammar and Composition 107

Chapter Nine: Language Arts: Spelling, Vocabulary & Handwriting 140

Chapter Ten: Mathematics 160

Chapter Eleven: History, Geography and Social Studies 203

Chapter Twelve: Science 242

Chapter Thirteen: Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs 274

Chapter Fourteen: Selected Electives 322

Endnotes 336

Index 337
 CHAPTER
1
How on earth do I figure out
what curriculum to use?

One of the saddest sights I’ve ever seen was opening day of a three-day homeschool conven-
tion. Day one had been designated for only new homeschoolers. Five hundred or more raw
homeschooling recruits streamed into an exhibit hall featuring well over one hundred different
vendors. Where to even start? Each vendor, naturally, claimed that his or her products were
absolutely essential and the best thing on the market. If they had come with unlimited resources,
newcomers could easily have dropped a few thousand dollars at the first few displays they vis-
ited. I’m certain many felt overwhelming guilt when they did not buy what they were told they
needed. That’s probably why so many were in tears after the first few hours of the convention.
 102 Top Picks
2
They knew they needed to buy curriculum, but how on earth could they figure out which
one to buy when they didn’t even know what they needed to teach? The escape route for many
beginners is to simply go to the larger companies that have complete packages for each grade
level. Whatever grade the child would have been enrolled in next year at the local school
becomes the grade level of the curriculum purchased.
Sometimes, but not often enough, representatives of these major publishers will take time to
explain to inquirers that even if they sell a “fourth grade” package, such a package might not be
the best choice for this particular child. Your nine-year-old might need fifth grade math and third
grade reading material because math comes easily to him and reading does not.
That doesn’t make him a poor student or a “problem.” It does mean that he’s a fairly normal
child, whatever “normal” means. After all, our children are not standardized products. None of
them look alike (at least not much) on the outside, so why should we expect them to be alike on
the inside—the way they learn, their interests, their abilities, and their temperaments?
One of the beauties of homeschooling is that it allows us to recognize and nurture each one of
our very special individual children. We have the glorious opportunity to help them figure out
who they are, what they want to be, and how they might get there.
In homeschooling, we can take detours unimaginable in the traditional classroom. If a nine-
year-old is interested in rocket science, homeschooling parents can nurture that interest by
allowing their child to move ahead of grade level science topics into this more specialized area.
With guidance, their child can search the library and the internet for biographies, books, articles,
videos, and websites devoted to rocketry. Parents can supervise and assist while their child builds
rockets, fiddles with fuel cells, designs recovery parachutes, estimates trajectories, and learns
safety precautions.
That fourteen-year-old who wants to be a veterinarian can arrange to work two days a week
with the local vet, getting hands-on experience in their potential career. By the end of high
school, it will be easy to decide whether or not to spend all those years (and all that money) in
college to achieve that goal. Their other schooling can also be designed to support this budding
career with research and writing about animals, physiology, and related topics. They might study
uses of and attitudes toward different animals within different cultures. Math and economics
studies might include cost comparisons for animal care in traditional zoos versus natural parks.
I think you get the idea. Asking a supplier for a standardized package of curriculum ignores the
individuality and special needs and interests of your child.
You can see this more easily if you compare feeding your child’s body to feeding his mind. You
don’t expect all children to eat exactly the same amounts and types of food. Some have particu-
lar food allergies. All have preferences and dislikes. And some burn up twice as many calories
as others.
Likewise, mental nourishment should take into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of
each child—teaching to their strengths and helping to overcome weak areas. There should be
extra “nourishment” for those special areas of interest, and it should be provided at a pace each
child can handle—not too slow, not too fast.
If you are a new homeschooling parent, and you expected to just purchase a packaged cur-
riculum and be done with it, this sounds like bad news. Where on earth do you begin? There are
far too many choices. How do you know what your child needs? How can you figure this out?
That’s the purpose of this book. First, in Chapter Two we will cover some basic approaches
you might wish to use: traditional textbooks, Charlotte Mason education, classical education,
 How on earth do I figure out what curriculum to use?
3
unit study, unschooling, independent study, working under an umbrella program, or an eclectic
mixture of approaches.
I’ll walk you through some questions that will help you identify which approach (or mixture of
approaches) is best for you. In Chapter Three I have created examples for you as if I were filling
in the charts and answering the questions in Chapter Two myself. This should give you a clear
idea of how to proceed.
Then, in Chapter Four, I help you narrow things down even further by identifying your chil-
dren’s learning styles and figuring out what features you should be looking for in a curriculum to
achieve the best fit for each child.
Many parents wonder what should be covered at each grade level, especially if they choose
“ungraded” curriculum. Are you doing enough? Too much? Might your child’s frustration be due
to expectations that are beyond his maturity level? In Chapter Five, I discuss academic goals and
how to figure out what you should cover in each subject area. I also explain how the Common
Core and other sets of academic standards might be used, while simultaneously raising concerns
about those goals overriding your own.
My intention with these first few chapters is to help you become goal-oriented rather than
curriculum-driven. Too many new homeschoolers let that grade-level package of curriculum
they purchased dictate the content, methods, and even the schedule they follow. In other words,
the curriculum itself drives their homeschooling.
To be goal oriented means working in almost a reverse fashion. You determine what your chil-
dren need to learn. You decide what methods to use. And you set up your own schedule. Then
you find curriculum that has the content and methodology that fits your agenda, and you use it
on your own timetable.
After you use the first few chapters to figure out what content and methods are right for your
children, you will be ready to explore my top 102 curriculum choices in Chapter Six to see what
is likely to fit your situation. To make this easy, I have included charts that help you readily iden-
tify which resources have the features that you will be looking for, features you will have already
identified in the early chapters of this book.
Each product featured as a Top Pick also has a complete review in the following chapters. The
page number of the review is in the last column of the Top Picks charts. Select likely candidates
from the charts, read the full reviews, then make your decisions. I have also included prices and
contact information in each review so you will know whether or not a product fits your budget
as well as how to find it.
Obviously, there are many more products than the top 102 that I have chosen for this book.
You might have a specialized need or a specialized topic that is not addressed by any of these
resources. If so, you might want to consult my website at www.CathyDuffyReviews.com for more
possibilities.
Please fight the temptation to jump right to the chart of Top Picks and the reviews! Take the
time to work out your own philosophy of education and discover what you really should be doing
with your children before exposing yourself to the temptation of what is still an overwhelming
number of resources from which to choose. I think you’ll enjoy the journey of personal discovery
that happens along the way.
 102 Top Picks
4
 CHAPTER
2
Drill and Kill, Real Books,
Delight-Directed Studies…
What’s best?

Jane Jones has just shown up at her first homeschool support group meeting. One of the moms
is sharing about the fantastic unit study they’ve just completed on trains. Since they live in the
Sacramento area of California, they visited the marvelous train museum in Old Sacramento. A
trip on the modern Amtrak train provided a contrast to the old trains her children explored at
the museum. Books they read about the building of the trans-continental railroad and develop-
ment of the frontier provided the historical background. The children learned a few “railroad
songs” and each painted a picture of his or her favorite old train. It was great fun and a terrific
way to learn history.
Listening to this, Jane feels absolutely overwhelmed. How on earth can she do that sort of
study? How would she know what to do? How could she tell if her children were learning any-
thing? What about meeting requirements? What Jane really wants to know right now is what
phonics program works best. If she has to make up a unit study for every topic, homeschooling
just isn’t going to work for her family!
It is so easy to be intimidated into thinking that your homeschool should mimic those of
seasoned veterans. They seem to have a handle on things. Their kids are impressive. They’re
obviously doing something right. But the question you really need to consider is whether or not
what they are doing is right for you.
It doesn’t take long to figure out that veteran homeschoolers are, overall, very independent
and strong-minded. Chances are you could poll half a dozen such parents and discover they have
half a dozen different ways they homeschool. There is no single RIGHT way to homeschool that
everyone figures out after a few years.
In fact, the diversity of resources and methods is one of the beauties of homeschooling. Need
an audio CD to teach parts of the body to your child who just loves to sing all the time? Need
a math program that uses colorful blocks to teach multiplication for that child who just has to
 102 Top Picks
6
SEE how math works and not just memorize rules? Need a science program that lets you teach
all of your children the same topic at the same time? You name it, and there’s likely something
in the homeschool marketplace to meet your requirements.
But how do you figure out what you need? You can try to find a professional curriculum coun-
selor to work through this with you. That’s great if there’s one available in your area and you can
afford it. However, if that’s not practical for you, the material in Chapters Four and Five will help
you sort this out by addressing curriculum selection from the two most important perspectives:
what fits with your family’s philosophy of education, and what works for each of your children’s
learning styles.
We’ll start at the family level to sort out some big picture ideas about education. What we
come up with is actually a philosophy of education. Don’t let the word “philosophy” turn you
off, because figuring out a philosophy of education is not as difficult as it sounds. Someone once
remarked that philosophy is nothing more than common sense dressed up in fancy clothes.
So we start with some common sense questions. I want you to really think this through as
you read. There are lines on which you can write down your thoughts as you consider these
questions. Let’s begin with a question about the big picture—about what the overall content of
“school” should be.

What do you think is most important for your children to learn?

You are not likely to come up with just one answer to this question. Instead you will come up
with a number of things you consider important. Before you start writing, here are a few more
questions that might help you think about content:
If there were no laws requiring you to educate your child, what would you want them to learn?
Would that list include strong academics, work skills, study habits, a love for reading, familiar-
ity with scripture, physical fitness, artistic expression, practical life skills, computer knowledge,
ethical attitudes? What else might you add?
At this point, you should write down only broad categories rather than specifics like “I want my
child to learn to write poetry in fifth grade.” Your list might include words, phrases or sentences.
For example, you might write out a list with such items as:
• college prep academics
• strong independent study habits
• extensive reading from many genres
• scripture study and memorization
• art appreciation and expression
• familiarity with computer programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel
Or you might write your ideas more expansively:
• I want my children to grow up to be self-directed learners who know how to teach
themselves.
• I want my children to love to learn, so I want learning to be as fun as we can make it.
• I want my children to have high aspirations for both college and their careers.
• I want my children to have virtuous characters and strong ethical foundations.
• I want my children to develop habits of physical fitness that will stick with them all their
lives.
• I want my children to take challenging academic courses for high school so they will have
opportunities to win scholarships to prestigious colleges.
 Drill and Kill, Real Books, Delight-Directed Studies… What’s best?
7
Now it’s time to write down your own thoughts. But make an extra copy of the blank chart
before you begin!
Once you have made your list, go back through and prioritize the ideas. Go through first and
mark each idea with a “1,” “2,” or “3” with “1” identifying a top level priority, “2” a mid-level
priority, and “3” a lower level priority. You might find yourself only writing down items that you
would give a level “1” or “2” priority, and that’s okay. Once you’ve made your list, if it is helpful,
use the second copy of the chart to rewrite the list with level “1” items at the top of the list. You
might automatically write these down with top priorities first. In this case, there’s no need to
rewrite them.
If you need to see what this might look like, you can jump ahead to the next chapter for a
sample, but make sure to come back here and create your own list.

Priorities

I want my children to: Priority Level

 102 Top Picks
8
How do you think learning should happen?
We need to next consider ideas about methods of education. Keep in mind that answers to
this question are heavily influenced by your own children and your own experiences. If you have
very compliant children who love to play school just for fun, you might naturally think learning
should always happen in traditional school fashion. But that’s not your only choice. If you have
a rowdy group of very active children, you might already be thinking they need lots of activ-
ity, movement, and freedom in their schooling. At this point, the question might be difficult to
answer because you simply haven’t thought about or investigated possible options. If so, try jot-
ting down just a few notes and come back to this topic later after you have read the rest of this
chapter.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

How do you want to teach or operate your school?

As you consider this question, you will probably start to see that what you believe about con-
tent and methods shapes your thinking about how you will actually do things. For example, if
you consider it a high priority that your children learn structure and discipline you are more
likely to follow a predictable schedule and use tests on a regular basis. On the other hand, if you
put a higher value on developing creativity and delight in learning, you might keep the schedule
very flexible so your child can concentrate on that project she started without stopping to com-
plete her language workbook exercise.
Here are more questions to help you think through how you might operate. Make some notes
as you consider each question. You might also need to revisit this section after you’ve worked
through the next few sections that help you figure out which approaches to education are likely
to work best for you.

Do you want to try to teach most or all of your children together, at least for some subjects?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
How much of the time do you want (or are you able) to work directly with your children?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
How much of the time do you expect your children to work independently? (Caution: Don’t
expect children below about age eight to do a lot of independent work.)
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Do you want to use real books (biographies, historical novels, books written
about particular science topics, etc.) as part of your curriculum?
______________________________________________________________________
Do you want to include field trips? What type of field trips?
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
 Drill and Kill, Real Books, Delight-Directed Studies… What’s best?
9
Do you like to make up curriculum as you go, adapting to the needs and interests of your chil-
dren, or do you prefer things well planned out in advance?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Do you need a set schedule to get things done or would you prefer more flexibility?
_______________________________________________________________________
Do you prefer a curriculum that is thoroughly laid out in advance by someone else and that tells
you what to do when?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Any additional thoughts about how you want to operate?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Writing down your thoughts about the above questions should have helped you clarify some
of your goals and preferences. Now you can use the “Approaches to Education” chart to begin
to identify which of the possible approaches to homeschooling are most likely to work for you.
The first column on the chart on the next two pages lists possible features and methods you
might be looking for. When you read one that reflects your own ideas, move over to the boxes
to the right of the statement, and circle every number in that row. The number means that the
targeted feature or method is present to some extent in the approach in the top heading. If the
box is gray, that means that this feature or method is not characteristic of that approach. For
example, “predictable structure” is not something you usually find in a unit study approach. Unit
studies tend to use a variety of books and activities, often emphasizing different subject areas
from day to day. So the box under Unit Study across from “predictable structure” is grayed out.
Some features or methods are found in resources for a particular approach some of the time,
but not always. Those boxes have a “1” rather than a “2.” For example, the Charlotte Mason
approach does not always translate into a predictable structure. Some Charlotte Mason resourc-
es have predictable structure and some don’t. In such cases the “1” gives this feature “half credit”
when you add up your columns.
After you’ve gone through the entire chart, add up the total of the circled numbers in each
column. The number in the denominator of the fraction at the bottom of each column is the
number of total points possible in the column for each approach to education. The total of your
points in each column will be the numerator (top number) of the fraction—what you write in.
Divide the numerator by the denominator for each column total. You will than have percentage
numbers for each column that you can easily compare.
Keep in mind that the column with the highest number doesn’t win. If you look only at your
total in each box, the eclectic approach is likely to come out on top every time since there are
so many boxes (a possible total of 36). That could be very misleading. Instead, you need to look
at the fraction or percentage. Any approach with almost all of the numbers circled (the highest
percentage) is likely to be in line with your philosophy of education, and there might be more
than one approach that qualifies!

The goal of this chart is to help you identify the approach or approaches that are most likely
to appeal to you. If you see that you have many circled numbers under both traditional and
classical education, and few under unschooling or unit studies, you’ve already narrowed your
 102 Top Picks
10
likely curriculum choices dramatically. This is important, so let me repeat: you need not restrict
yourself to only one approach. Many experienced homeschoolers blend more than one approach.
Some blend approaches so much that we call them “eclectic” homeschoolers.

Approaches to Education

Unschooling

Independent
Traditional
I prefer:

Unit Study

Packaged
Charlotte

Classical

Program
Eclectic
Mason

Study
predictable structure. 2 1 2 2 2 2
that children have many real life experiences for learning—
2 1 2 2 2 2
nature studies in the woods, building projects,etc.
children read historical novels and biographies rather
2 2 2 2 2 1
than textbooks.
a program that is thoroughly laid out for the teacher and
2 2 2
provides a feeling of security.
a grammar program that emphasizes rules and memorization. 2 2 2 1 2
workbooks, teacher manuals, and answer keys for most or
2 2 1 2
all subjects.
children to work independently as much as possible. 1 2 2 1 1
mental training and mental discipline be placed as higher
2 1 2 1 1
goals than stimulating curiosity and interest.
curriculum that ensures that my children cover the same
2 2 1 2
things other school children might be learning.
informal evaluation of my children by talking over what they’ve
2 2 2 2 1
read and looking at their work rather than by testing.
that younger children do a significant amount of memori-
1 1 1 1 1
zation, repetition, and recitation.
that teens gets a strong background in the Great Books of
1 2 1 1 1 1
western civilization. (See p. 15 about the Great Books.)
to emphasize developing a love for learning more than the
2 2 2 1
ability to work in a structured, methodical way.
that teens develop a “life of the mind” more than voca-
1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
tional skills.
presenting children with facts and information to learn
rather than allowing them to choose their own topics to 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
investigate.
highly structured resources that script what teacher and
child are supposed to say and do. 1 1 1 1 1

lots of discussion and interaction in the learning process. 2 2 2 1 2 1

Total points for each column on THIS page

 Drill and Kill, Real Books, Delight-Directed Studies… What’s best?
11

Unschooling

Independent
Traditional

Unit Study

Packaged
Charlotte

Classical

Program
Eclectic
Mason

Study
covering subjects (e.g., history, science, religion) at the
same time with the same material with as many of my 2 2 2 2
children as possible.
making connections between different subject areas,
showing how pieces of information relate to one another, 2 2 2 2 1
and viewing that as a high priority in learning.

project-based learning. 1 2 2 1
to teach children one-on-one as much as possible. 2 1 1 1 2 2
that children learn grammar in a casual manner—e.g.,
some instruction, use of a grammar handbook, then work-
ing on mastery in their own writing rather than working 1 2 2 1
primarily through a grammar text.
to keep structure to a minimum so that interesting learning
ideas can be pursued as they arise. 1 1 2 1

to make field trips an essential part of schooling. 1 2 1 1 2 1

to give children freedom to determine what they will study
and when and how they will do so. 1 2 1

an investigative approach that stimulates children to pur-

sue information and research on their own. 1 2 2 1 1

flexible curriculum and schedules so I can capitalize on

“teachable moments.” 1 1 2 2 1

a mixture of structured learning and experiential/

discovery learning. 2 2 2

to set my own goals and schedule rather than adopting

someone else’s. 1 1 1 2 1

to select curriculum and methods that suit my child’s

learning style rather than curriculum and methods widely 1 1 2 2 1
recognized and accepted by authorities.

that computer-based learning be a significant part of

the curriculum. 1 1 1

Total points for each column on THIS page

Total points for each column on PREVIOUS page

Total for each column: add the above two lines

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
and enter total as the numerator (top number)
22 31 29 34 34 24 36 22
of the fraction

Percentage for each column: divide numerator

by denominator
 102 Top Picks
12
More About Each Approach
Next, read the following descriptions for the different education approaches to verify your
conclusions from the chart. As you read through these descriptions, you will be refining your
own educational philosophy.

Traditional
A traditional home educator might use either textbooks or worktexts (worktexts contain
within a single book both textbook-style instruction and work pages to be completed by stu-
dents), but there are distinct books for each subject area: math, language arts (often broken
down further into separate spelling, grammar, composition, literature, and vocabulary books),
history, science, etc. These books are almost always written for use in regular school classrooms,
although the publisher might have taken homeschool use into consideration.
When used as the publisher intends, such curricula generally help a homeschool function
much like a regular day school. Children will be studying what many other students at their
grade level are studying.
In most cases, teacher's manuals, answer keys, and other teaching aids are available. These
sometimes are so classroom oriented that they are of little use to the homeschooling parent, but
other times they are essential to the program. For example, BJU Press’s language courses are
designed to be taught from the teacher’s manuals. Some course instruction appears only in the
teacher’s manual. Student books are adjuncts that support the lesson in the teacher’s manual
with practice exercises or activities.
Traditional programs generally give parents a sense of security while helping establish routines
and teaching methods. They sometimes make homeschooling a less frightening venture because
the curriculum seems somewhat like what parents themselves used in school.
Many parents begin with a traditional approach, gradually shifting to other approaches as they
gain experience and better understanding of what works for their children. Others stick with a
traditional approach, finding it easier for record keeping, scheduling, and accountability.
Some parents choose traditional approaches that allow their children to work independently
because of time constraints or learning styles. Some students (especially those beginning home-
school past the primary grades) actually prefer this type of approach because it feels familiar and
comfortable for them.
However, traditional curricula sometimes take more time to use since they often include activi-
ties, presentations, practice, and review that are needed when teaching an entire classroom of
children. Even self-paced programs such as Alpha Omega LIFEPACs—not designed for an
entire class to use together—target the amount of practice and review to the average classroom
situation. For example, traditional grammar programs frequently reteach and review the same
grammar concepts year after year.
Sometimes traditionalists are chided for recreating “school at home” because the experience
varies little from that of regular day school settings. The concern is that traditionalists sometimes
miss out on those special moments when a child comes up with a question that begs for immedi-
ate exploration. Many parents manage to find a good balance using traditional curricula while
still retaining enough flexibility to respond to teachable moments when they arise.
Some parents are just trying out the idea of homeschooling. They figure that if it doesn’t work
 Drill and Kill, Real Books, Delight-Directed Studies… What’s best?
13
out, they’ll put their children back in school next year. These parents often want to use a tra-
ditional curriculum, frequently coupled with a fairly consistent schedule similar to that of day
schools, so their children can easily integrate into a regular day school classroom in the future
if need be. The big caution here is that the traditional methods might make the homeschool
experience boring and unappealing, creating a self-defeating experience from the beginning.
The choice is rarely all or nothing when it comes to traditional curriculum. While some home-
schoolers enroll in programs that prescribe only traditional curriculum, most homeschoolers are
free to choose one or more traditional resources along with resources that might reflect other
approaches as I describe under the “Eclectic” approach later in this section.
Examples of traditional curriculum publishers would include A Beka Book, BJU Press, Modern
Curriculum Press, Scott Foresman, Macmillan/McGraw Hill, Houghton Mifflin, Alpha Omega,
and Rod and Staff.

Charlotte Mason
Charlotte Mason was a turn-of-the-century educator who frequently used the term “twaddle”
to describe much of what passed for curriculum content in traditional texts as a useless waste of
a child’s time and energy. For example, she warned against children’s history textbooks saying,
“…for this intelligent teaching of history, eschew, in the first place, nearly all history books writ-
ten expressly for children….and as for what are called children’s books, the children of educated
parents are able to understand history written with literary power, and are not attracted by the
twaddle of reading-made-easy little history books.”1
Through her many years of teaching, she determined that there were better ways to teach chil-
dren that stimulated a love for learning and helped children retain knowledge more effectively
than traditional methods, all while respecting the nature of the child. She believed in a child’s
innate ability and desire to learn and the need for teachers to restrain themselves from control-
ling all learning. Mason says: “[T]he teacher is too much with us, late and soon. Everything is
directed, expected, suggested. No other personality out of book, picture, or song, no, not even
that of Nature herself, can get at the children without the mediation of the teacher. No room is
left for spontaneity or personal initiation on their part.”2
Mason wrote about the importance of nature walks and outdoor learning: “[T]he knowledge
most valuable to the child is that which he gets with his own eyes and ears and fingers (under
direction) in the open air….the claims of the schoolroom should not be allowed to encroach on
the child’s right to long hours daily for exercise and investigation.”3
Even so, Mason was not an advocate of unschooling. (Unschooling will be defined later in this
chapter.) She believed in directed learning as well as teaching a child self-discipline and good
habits. She says, “Even the child who has gained the habit of attention to things, finds words a
weariness. This is a turning-point in the child’s life, and the moment for the mother’s tact and
vigilance….never let the child dawdle over copybook or sum, sit dreaming with his book before
him. When a child grows stupid over a lesson, it is time to put it away. Let him do another les-
son as unlike the last as possible, and then go back with freshened wits to his unfinished task.”4
Mason is well known for her use of narration rather than workbooks. She outlines the idea:
“When the child is six…let him narrate the fairy tale which has been read to him episode by
episode, upon one hearing of each; the Bible tale read to him in the words of the Bible; the well-
written animal story; or all about other lands from some such volumes as The World at Home.
The seven-years-old boy will have begun to read for himself, but must get most of his intellectual
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nutriment, by ear, certainly, but read to him out of books. Geography, sketches from ancient his-
tory, Robinson Crusoe, The Pilgrim’s Progress, Tanglewood Tales, Heroes of Asgard, and much of the
same calibre, will occupy him until he is eight…. He should have no book which is not a child’s
classic; and… it must not be diluted with talk or broken up with questions, but given to the boy
in fit portions as wholesome meat for his mind, in the full trust that a child’s mind is able to deal
with its proper food.” She goes on to explain that the teacher should read “two or three pages,
enough to include an episode; after that, let her call upon the children to narrate….”5 The child
then retells what has been read in his or her own words.
Mason also emphasized the importance of developing the imagination and the value of making
connections between topics studied to enhance memory. She says, “If the business of teaching be
to furnish the child with ideas, any teaching which does not leave him possessed of a new mental
image has, by so far, missed its mark. Now, just think of the listless way in which the children
too often drag through reading and tables, geography and sums, and you will see that it is a rare
thing for any part of any lesson to flash upon them with the vividness which leaves a mental
picture behind. It is not too much to say that a morning in which a child receives no new idea is
a morning wasted, however closely the little student has been kept at his books.”6
Charlotte Mason’s ideas are generally implemented in the elementary grade levels. Hallmarks
of a Charlotte Mason approach to education are the use of real books rather than textbooks for
reading, history, geography, and science; the narration technique; nature learning; hands-on
learning; making connections between various topics; inclusion of study of the fine arts; and a
focus upon both development of good habits and a love for learning in children.
Charlotte Mason’s ideas about education are incorporated into many unit studies (discussed
later in this chapter) to varying degrees, and that would be an easy way to get started in this
methodology. However, if you don’t want to use a unit study, you can still learn how to easily
implement Mason’s ideas by reading one or more of the following books on her methodology.

A Charlotte Mason Education and More Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison (A
Charlotte Mason Education, www.catherinelevison.com): These are very practical, to-the-point
books that will quickly help you understand Mason’s methods.
A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola (Karen Andreola, www.
homeschoolhighlights.com/books/companion.shtml; available through many distributors):
Andreola presents an in-depth journey through Mason’s philosophy of education.
SimplyCharlotteMason.com (www.simplycharlottemason.com): At this website you will find
print books, ebooks, audio and video recordings, and many resources for understanding and
implementing this approach.

You might also want to check out one of the free websites that provides concrete help for those
pursuing a Charlotte Mason education:
Ambleside Online (www.amblesideonline.org) has lesson plans and book lists for all grade
levels plus a supportive online community.
Mater Amabilis (www.materamabilis.org) has lesson plans for all levels for Catholic home-
schoolers in both the U.S. and the U.K.

Classical
Classical education is based on models of learning that go back to the Middle Ages, although
 Drill and Kill, Real Books, Delight-Directed Studies… What’s best?
15
its earliest roots lie in the Greek and Roman civilizations. Dorothy Sayers was one of a number
of scholars who re-popularized this method of learning in the twentieth century. Two current
proponents of classical education, Gene Veith, Jr. and Andrew Kern tell us in the introduction
to their book on the subject: “Classical education provides a conceptual framework for mastering
the entire range of objective knowledge. It also offers a theory of human character development,
and it contains a teaching methodology that is demonstrably effective and eminently practical.”7
They go on to tell us, “Classical education cultivates wisdom and virtue by nourishing the soul
on truth, goodness and beauty.”8
Personally, I think the greatest value of classical education is that it engages learners with
the most important ideas—ideas about God, about life, about purpose. Classical education
challenges the vocational orientation of most modern education by instead concentrating on
learning that forms the inner person—their character and virtues. At the same time, classical
students learn how to think, how to learn independently, and how to present their own ideas—
all of which ultimately prepares them for a wide range of vocations.
Veith and Kern also tell us, “The substance of classical education is the liberal arts curriculum.”9
Among those “arts” are three stages or categories grouped as the trivium. The trivium’s three
stages are labeled grammar, logic or dialectic, and rhetoric. They provide a sequential focus for
education in the elementary through high school years. You start with the grammar stage and
work up through the rhetoric stage.
The word “grammar” as used within classical education means much more than the nuts and
bolts of a language. Rather it is the basic structure, skills, and knowledge of any subject. Thus,
in the elementary grades, a child learns the grammar of math, language arts, social studies, and
science, and maybe also the grammar of religion and other electives.
In the logic or dialectic stage, students analyze information and make connections. Then
rhetoric describes the stage where the young person has assimilated knowledge, thought
creatively about what he or she has learned, and now expresses his or her own ideas through
speech and writing at what would likely be considered adult levels.
Some classical education proponents follow the progression of the trivium, making significant
changes in methods and materials as they move through the stages. Others tend to mix the
stages, for example, by having children in elementary grades participate in Socratic discussions
(dialectic type activity) alongside studies of basic English grammar.
A major component of classical education for dialectic purposes is the reading and discussion
of real books. Consequently, “Good Books” and “Great Books” programs have been developed
that use classic fiction and non-fiction titles both for knowledge and as springboards into the
world of ideas and questions. Socratic dialogues are used to stimulate students to think about
what they have read, to work through important questions, to move to higher levels of thinking.
Below are websites with actual lists of (or links to) the Good Books and the Great Books.
Generally, the Good Books lists include modern literature and identify books appropriate
for younger children through adults while Great Books lists include older literature that has
acquired "classic" status and is likely most appropriate for teens and adults. Some classical
programs, particularly at high school level, work with books from these lists, while others apply
the methods to their own selection of books.
Great Books and Good Books lists:
www.classical-homeschooling.org/celoop/1000.html
www.ccel.org/index/subject/classics - links to books in electronic format
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www.grtbooks.com/
www.interleaves.org/~rteeter/greatbks.html
www.home.comcast.net/~antaylor1/greatbooksstjohns.htm

Other classical education programs, especially for the elementary grades, focus on other learning
strategies more than on using Good Books or Great Books. For example, many such programs
follow Dorothy Sayers' beliefs about children’s ability to memorize in the grammar stage, so they
build much of their curriculum around memorization as a means of obtaining knowledge.
Personally, I believe that the goal of acquiring knowledge and skills at the grammar level does
not necessarily dictate a particular methodology, so variations of classical education methodology
that use methods other than memorization and drill at the grammar stage might be equally
appropriate for building a foundation to move on to dialectic and rhetoric stages.
An even larger question is the role of classical languages in classical education. Historically,
study of Latin and Greek was always at the foundation of classical education. More recently,
emphasis on the structure of the trivium and reading the Great Books seems to have displaced
the study of Greek.
As you can see, there is quite a bit of discussion (and even disagreement) about the nature
of classical education. It will be up to you to decide which elements of a classical education are
most important. One thing to keep in mind is that classical education generally requires more
direct instruction and interaction than do some other approaches. It is often more teacher-
directed than other approaches. To read more about classical education:

The Well-Trained Mind (2009) by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise (W.W. Norton & Co.,
order through bookstores or distributors): This is a secular book that lays out comprehensive,
detailed classical education programs for all grade levels with a strong college-prep emphasis.
Even if you don’t do everything the way they suggest, this is a treasure trove for anyone
considering classical education.

Teaching the Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style by Harvey and Laurie
Bluedorn (Trivium Pursuit, www.triviumpursuit.com): The Bluedorns, pioneers in classical
Christian education, temper their enthusiasm with cautions about pagan content. Rather than
buying into the “Great Books” model of classical education, the Bluedorns apply the methodol-
ogy while carefully selecting resources that support a biblical Christian worldview. They suggest
numerous ideas for content, presentation, and timing but leave it to parents to decide what
makes sense for their own children. They approach their subject from a Reformed Protestant
perspective. Even those Christians who might not share the Bluedorn’s theological perspective
should find this book helpful if their goal is to use the classical model of education by drawing
from it that which is worthy while staying true to biblical principles.

Classical Christian Education Made Approachable (Classical Conversations, www.

classicalconversationsbooks.com): The folks at Classical Conversations wrote this very readable,
110-page book that both argues for the classical approach and explains what it is. It outlines
each subject area in relation to the classical model, stressing the importance of learning Latin.
It also outlines the trivium, the basic principles and approach underlying a classical education.
 Drill and Kill, Real Books, Delight-Directed Studies… What’s best?
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Natural Structure: A Montessori Approach to Classical Education at Home by Edward
and Nancy Walsh: This book is now available free at the Natural Structure website (www.
hstrial-nwalsh.homestead.com/index.html). "Natural Structure" is the name given to this form of
education which combines Montessori and classical education. Edward and Nancy Walsh have
brought them together by adopting the framework of the trivium and quadrivium as outlined by
Dorothy Sayers, then using Montessori’s detailed teaching methodology to present the content.
The program as presented in this book is Montessori-style education, but with resources selected
to ensure content coverage reflective of the various stages of classical education. As children
move past the preparatory and grammar stages of the trivium, Montessori materials are used less
frequently and methodology becomes more similar to other forms of classical education. The
Walshes rely on Montessori’s original ideas, including her foundational Catholic perspective.
While Natural Structure can be adapted by those with other religious beliefs, it does not readily
fit non-religious situations. (Learn more about Montessori education at: http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Montessori_education.)

Classical Education: The Movement Sweeping America, by Gene Edward Veith, Jr. and
Andrew Kern (Capital Research Center, www.capitalresearch.org; order through Amazon or
other booksellers using ISBN 189293406X): This book covers the broad range of classical edu-
cation, the different approaches and different settings as well as key organization and resources.
This is one of the most objective resources if you are trying to sort out what approach within the
classical education models you might use.

Unit Study
Unit study, sometimes called delight-directed study, appears under different names and formats
but can be recognized by the presence of a unifying theme. Rather than approaching each
subject and topic as isolated things to be learned, information is integrated across subject areas,
helping children better understand what they are studying. According to the theory behind the
unit study approach, when children really understand what they are learning because of the
integration of subjects, they remember it better.
A unit study might focus on one primary subject area or many subjects. The major published
unit studies generally encompass social studies, science, and the fine arts, with varying amounts
of coverage of language arts and religion. Generally little to no math is included.
Examples of comprehensive unit studies are Tapestry of Grace, KONOS (www.konos.com),
and Five in a Row. Examples of limited unit studies are Amanda Bennett Unit Studies (www.
amandabennett.com), Further Up and Further In (www.cadroncreek.com), and Media Angels
science units (www.mediaangels.com). (Those without web addresses are reviewed in this book.)
Here’s my paraphrased example of a typical unit study that comes from the first chapter in
KONOS Volume 1 on the character trait attentiveness.
First, we choose an aspect of attentiveness we wish to study such as listening and sound. We
study related scriptures, then study about the human ear (science), listen to music (music), make
musical instruments (crafts), study about musical composers (music history), practice listening
games (character development), study about and apply the speeds of sound and light to thunder
and lightning (math and science), and write a headache commercial describing irritating noises
(creative writing). These ideas are only a fraction of what is offered within a typical KONOS unit!
However, there are also limited unit studies that focus more narrowly on a single subject. For
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example, a study of horses might include the history of horses and the different breeds around
the world, a study of their anatomy and physiology, and a written research paper on a horse-
related topic. Thus, history, science and language arts are taught around a single theme selected
primarily as a science topic.
You might also create your own limited unit study from resources on hand. For instance, if you
are studying about the California Gold Rush, you could study those sections in a California history
textbook along with sections about mining and minerals from a science textbook. You might also
integrate a language arts activity by assigning a creative writing task related to the Gold Rush.
Unit studies typically use real books rather than textbooks for learning material. Many unit
studies incorporate Charlotte Mason’s ideas on the use of real books, nature study, and narration.
Unit study is often, but not always, multi-sensory, using hands-on experiences or activities for
more effective learning. Most unit studies are constructed so they can be used across a wide age
span, with adaptations suggested for various levels. Unit studies for high school level tend to be
more book-based than activity-oriented. While unit studies at elementary levels require heavy
parental involvement, those for older students frequently require a good deal of independent
work.
Unit studies work best for families with more flexible schedules since activities might take more
or less time on any given day. Most also require preparation and presentation time. You will need
to gather materials and resources for the study and figure out how to use them. The different
published unit studies vary in how much of such work is already done for you.
The parent or teacher generally spends more time working directly with students in most unit
studies—reading aloud, discussing, or leading an activity. The trade-off for extra time invested
is that children better retain the information presented in such interesting ways, and parents are
then relieved from reviewing and reteaching the same material again. An added bonus from this
type of learning is that it tends to get children excited about the process—a real motivational
boost.
Some parents are overwhelmed by the idea of unit studies, but a few unit studies (e.g., KONOS
In-A-Box) provide all the resources you need and tell you exactly what to do when, making the
prospect far less daunting.

Unschooling or Relaxed Homeschooling

The idea of letting children follow their own inclinations in their education has been called
unschooling. The philosophic ideas behind this approach are most often associated with
John Holt, author of numerous books such as How Children Learn, How Children Fail, Instead
of Education, and Teach Your Own. Holt’s books are available from libraries and bookstores,
especially from Holt Associates/Growing Without Schooling at www.johnholtgws.com.
A true unschooler would allow a child to determine what, when, how, and even “if” a child
learns anything. But few people go to that extreme. What seems closer to reality in most
unschooling situations is a much greater consideration for each child’s interests and the timing
of when they tackle various topics and skills. Also, unschooling parents often ask for their
children’s opinions about resources and learning methods. This approach is also sometimes
called “relaxed” homeschooling.
Hallmarks of an unschooling approach are likely to be a very loose schedule, emphasis on
developing a love for learning, rare use of traditional textbooks unless selected by the child, more
hands-on projects and more field trips.
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To learn more about unschooling, read one of John Holt’s books listed above or:

The Unschooling Handbook by Mary Griffiths (Random House, www.randomhouse.com; order

through bookstores or distributors): Mary Griffiths helps explain what unschooling might look
like with anecdotes and examples from many different families. She also includes specific ideas
about how to help your children become educated without the normal structure and curriculum.

The Relaxed Home School by Mary Hood, Ph.D. (Ambleside Educational Press, www.
archersforthelord.org): This is a practical book that seems to reflect what many families are
actually doing. Mary Hood stresses the need for goals coupled with an openness to many ways
of attaining them. She suggests letting children have significant input into goal and strategy
decisions, taking into consideration their talents and interests.

Independent study
I include independent study as a distinct approach even though it often uses resources listed
under other approaches. The key idea here is that parents are looking for resources that allow a
student to operate with little direct teaching or interaction regarding lessons. This means there
has to be a preset curriculum that is self-instructional.
School of Tomorrow, Alpha Omega (LIFEPAC curriculum), and Christian Light all have
courses very similar in structure that work this way although these are not your only choices for
independent study.
In the aforementioned curricula, a number of booklets (typically 10-12 for a year-long course)
comprise a course. Each booklet contains information students read, much like that found in
textbooks. Short sections of text are followed by questions which students can answer from
memory or by referring back to what they have read. If they get most answers correct, they move
on to the next section. If not, they review the material and answer questions again. Periodic tests
operate the same way. So a student, theoretically, masters the material before moving on from
each section. No direct teaching is required other than checking answers.
Alpha Omega took their LIFEPAC curriculum a step further by creating a computer-based
version called Switched-On Schoolhouse (SOS) as well as a web-based version called Monarch.
See the review of both programs in Chapter Thirteen.
While the above-mentioned resources are designed for independent study, many textbooks
may also be used this way. Some of A Beka’s textbooks work well this way. Saxon Math from Math
5/4 and up are primarily used for independent study.
Independent study works best for self-directed learners who are responsible about their use
of time. Most young learners do not do well with independent study, but many high schoolers
thrive on it.
Parents faced with difficult time constraints often see independent study resources as the only
way they might manage to home school. However, it is important to keep in mind that when you
choose independent study resources, you forsake most of your opportunities to adapt to meet
learning style needs of your child.
In addition, the format of independent study means that most learning is at lower levels
of thinking—knowledge and comprehension—rather than the higher levels of synthesis and
analysis. Answers for lower level questions can be simple, factual answers, while those for higher
level questions tend to be complex and subjective—the type of answers that requires sentences,
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paragraphs or discussion rather than multiple choice or fill-in-the-blanks.
While the previous paragraph describes resources designed particularly for independent study,
there are many others that homeschoolers use for independent study that actually involve
higher levels of thinking. Examples are Wordly Wise vocabulary series, almost any of The Critical
Thinking Co. books, Apologia Science courses, Old Western Culture, and Math Without Borders,
all of which are reviewed in this book.

Eclectic
For want of a better name, we identify those who pick and choose from among a variety of
philosophies and resources as “eclectic” homeschoolers. In reality, I suspect the large majority
of homeschoolers are eclectic to some extent. Few homeschoolers use everything in a given
curriculum. Most homeschoolers tend to supplement even the best resources or programs with
other interesting things they find.
The goal for eclectic homeschoolers is generally to combine the best ideas that work for their
family. This might even mean using philosophic opposites such as a very structured grammar
program and a discovery approach to science.
Eclectic homeschooling requires more parental decision-making and responsibility, so it works
best for those with some experience and/or confidence. Many homeschoolers will start their first
year with a traditional program or even a unit study. Then the next year, they’ll branch out, keep-
ing what they liked from the prior year and adding new ideas and different resources each year.
While using an eclectic program generally means putting it together yourself, Sonlight
Curriculum actually has put together eclectic programs for you. Each level includes a mixture
of workbooks and real books that you might say represents a mixture of traditional, Charlotte
Mason, and classical approaches. Sonlight is a great place to start if you really don’t know which
direction you would like to go.

Packaged Program
I use the designation “Packaged Program” to mean a program that provides your curricu-
lum plus oversight and record keeping. These programs generally have a preset curriculum
with only a few possible options (e.g., Calvert with optional advisory teaching service at www.
calvertschool.org, Christian Liberty Academy’s full enrollment option at www.homeschools.org,
or K12's online program at www.k12.com/courses. Enrollment in such programs provides parents
with not only curriculum but guidance and evaluation assistance.
Packaged programs can be a boon to parents who want assistance in choosing curriculum,
planning schedules, and maintaining records. Generally, these programs don’t require a great
deal of preparation or teaching time, although there are exceptions. Some packaged programs
might use resources for independent study such as computerized curriculum (e.g. Switched-On
Schoolhouse or Monarch), and some will use a mix of resources from various publishers. Programs
offered under the supervision of curriculum publishers such as A Beka or BJU Press generally
stick closely to resources they publish themselves.
The negative trade off when using such programs is that you some loose flexibility in curricu-
lum choices and scheduling and in your ability to adapt to each child’s needs. Nevertheless, such
programs help parents who lack confidence, are disorganized, or do not have time and energy
to go it alone.
While many packaged programs are very restrictive about curricula choices, there are some
 Drill and Kill, Real Books, Delight-Directed Studies… What’s best?
21
that allow families to choose from among a broader range of curricula, and there are some like
the aforementioned Calvert and Christian Liberty Academy that offer options where you can use
their curriculum without reporting and accountability requirements.
Yes, this is confusing, so check out such programs carefully before enrolling. In addition
to the obvious questions—How much does it cost? What grade levels do they offer? Is it
Christian, secular, etc.?—ask what curriculum they use, what alternatives might be available,
what sort of record keeping they require, if there are time limits, if there is any possibility
of a refund once students have begun the program, and how much help is available.
Finding Packaged Programs
I’ve mentioned Calvert and Christian Liberty Academy since they have been around quite a
while, but there are many other such programs available that meet the needs of families with
various educational and religious philosophies. Following are links to two very helpful websites
that have lists of such programs with brief annotations.
http://a2zhomeschooling.com/home_school_programs/home_school_programs_dlps/
www.christianhomeschoolers.com/hs_christian_schools.html

Figuring Out What Works For You

Okay. You have added up the numbers on the chart, read through the descriptions of different
approaches, but you still might not have developed a clear preference. Take heart! You can
narrow this down even more as you consider some very practical issues. Your thoughts about the
questions I pose next are so important that I’ve left space for you to jot down your responses on
each one.

How much confidence and/or experience do

you have regarding homeschooling?
If you have a great deal of both, then you will probably do fine with unit studies, unschooling
and loosely structured approaches. If not, you might easily be overwhelmed by resources that
require you to make many choices, find resources, plan projects, and create your own assess-
ment. It is sometimes better to start out with more structure, gradually adding more and more
adventurous ideas as you gain confidence.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

How much time do you have available for working directly

with your children and for planning and preparation?
Be realistic about this! If you’ve got two little ones in diapers, a beginning reader, and more
work than hours in the day, choosing curriculum that requires lots of preparation, direct instruc-
tion, and your constant attention will inevitably cause you undue stress, destroy any household
routines you may have had, and make the homeschooling experience an unhappy one for every-
one. It doesn’t matter how much you love real books, project learning, and field trips if you don’t
have time to do them.
Figure out where your children REALLY need you and which subjects MUST be taught this
year, then find the most efficient resources you can for those. If there is time left over, add more
subjects and interactive learning activities. This doesn’t mean your budding reader needs to
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learn how to read from a computer program. While that’s possible, it will be much better if you
squeeze in some time for one-on-one work together.
Keep in mind that you can easily provide some reading instruction as you go about your daily
routine. You can have magnetic letters on the refrigerator that your child identifies by sound
while you’re preparing a meal, or have your child find letters on signs as you drive to the grocery
store. The same idea applies to math. Have your child count silverware while setting the table,
maybe adding the total number of spoons and forks. Or have them count coins that made it all
the way through the laundry into the clothes dryer.
If you are one of the fortunate few with plenty of time, you have much more freedom to choose
time-consuming resources. However, most of us are somewhere in between the two extremes.
We can usually function well if we balance some one-on-one time with some group time and
some independent study time.
I strongly recommend trying to group your children together whenever you can for efficiency’s
sake. It’s easiest to do this with religious devotions and instruction, history, science, and the arts.
Math and language arts generally require more individualized work. Of course, methods like unit
study and Charlotte Mason work better for grouping children than do traditional curriculum or
correspondence courses which have different books for each student for each subject.
So how much time do you really have to devote to homeschooling, both for direct teaching
and for planning and preparation?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

How much money can you spend?

If the world were your oyster and cost were no problem, then choices would be simpler.
Unfortunately, most of us have sacrificed a second income and operate on a limited budget, so
we cannot buy everything we would like to own.
First, I would like to reassure you that the most expensive resources are not necessarily the best.
Expensive resources sometimes provide more assistance for parents, saving you time and energy.
However, sometimes they only provide you with many more things that you will feel obligated to
do, but which are really not essential to your goals. If your child does not need lots of hands-on
work to grasp math concepts, money spent on a program with pricey math manipulatives would
have been better budgeted for a family vacation or a more comprehensive science program.
Secondly, you might not even need many resources designed primarily for educational purpos-
es. We already have a wealth of everyday learning resources if we simply open our eyes to learn-
ing opportunities that surround us in real life. Kitchens are loaded with possibilities for learning
and applying math. Building projects, board games, budgets, checkbooks, allowances, family
businesses, and shopping add even more opportunities. Children can practice language arts if
you simply capitalize on opportunities all around you—writing thank you notes for gifts, creating
shopping lists, writing directions to their friend’s home, and copying and posting a “quote for the
week” or memorization verse on the refrigerator are just a few examples.
You do need information beyond your own limited knowledge, but your local library stocks
more books than you can hope to own. Make friends with your librarian and get the most out of
this marvelous resource.
The easiest way to tune into learning opportunities in your environment is to ask yourself
what it is, specifically, that your child needs to learn then think about how he or she might learn
 Drill and Kill, Real Books, Delight-Directed Studies… What’s best?
23
it with whatever is available. For example, your son needs to learn both standard and metric
linear measurement. Grab a ruler or yardstick marked with both inches and centimeters and
start measuring and comparing. Need to teach about adjectives? Use many, many of them as you
talk to your child—get flowery, silly, alliterative, and imaginative: "Just look at this fuzzy, filthy,
fungus-covered floor covering! It must need vacuuming." Then challenge your child to come up
with his or her own descriptive sentence. (Be careful not to include over-used words like “very”
and prepositional phrases like “under piles of junk.” Explaining the difference is another lesson.)
I could continue with many more examples, but I think you get the point: learning need not
happen the way it happens in schools. This means you can save some of the money you might
have spent to recreate a traditional school at home. Keep this in mind as you come up with a
budget amount for your homeschooling.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

How do your religious beliefs impact your homeschooling?

Families have different feelings in this regard. For some families, spiritual knowledge and
development is the highest priority. Some parents make academic excellence or something else
like raising independent, self-motivated learners their highest priority. Religion might be a lower
priority or it might have no place at all in their homeschooling. Many families haven’t thought
about their priorities enough to know how to answer this question. I want to suggest to you that
thinking through this question is very important. Religious beliefs will play a role in your home
education whether you plan for that to happen or not.
Many parents think that most secular textbooks present a neutral education, one that doesn’t
include any kind of spiritual viewpoint. In reality, all resources reflect a spiritual outlook, even
though it might not be Christian. Now, I can just picture some of you shaking your heads and
saying, “Come on. There’s no religion in my child’s spelling book.” Or, “Math doesn’t have any-
thing to do with religion!”
A humorous piece which has been wending its way around the internet for a number of years
illustrates the point I’d like to make. I have no idea who originated the first version, and it has
been updated with additions to reflect ideological changes on a number of websites where it is
posted. Here’s a version I pulled from one website:

"The Loggers New Math"10

Teaching Math in 1950: A logger sells a truck load of lumber for $100. His cost of
production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

Teaching Math in 1960: A logger sells a truck load of lumber for $100. His cost of
production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

Teaching Math in 1970: A logger exchanges a set “L” of lumber for a set “M” of money.
The cardinality of set “M” is 100. Each element is worth one dollar. Make 100 dots
representing the elements of the set “M.” The set “C,” the cost of production, contains
20 fewer points than set “M.” Represent the set “C” as a subset of set “M” and answer
the following question: What is the cardinality of the set “P” for profits?
 102 Top Picks
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Teaching Math in 1980: A logger sells a truck load of lumber for $100. Her cost of
production is $80 and her profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

Teaching Math in 1990: By cutting down beautiful forest trees, the logger makes $20.
What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after
answering the question: How did the forest birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down
the trees? There are no wrong answers.

Teaching Math in 1996: By laying off 40% of its loggers, a company improves its stock
price from $80 to $100. How much capital gain per share does the CEO make by
exercising his stock options at $80? Assume capital gains are no longer taxed, because
this encourages investment.

Teaching Math in 1997: A company outsources all of its loggers. The firm saves on
benefits, and when demand for its product is down, the logging work force can easily be
cut back. The average logger employed by the company earned $50,000, had three weeks
vacation, a nice retirement plan and medical insurance. The contracted logger charges
$50 an hour. Was outsourcing a good move?

Teaching Math in 1998: A laid-off logger with four kids at home and a ridiculous alimony
from his first failed marriage comes into the logging company corporate offices and goes
postal, mowing down 16 executives and a couple of secretaries, and gets lucky when he
nails a politician on the premises collecting his kickback. Was outsourcing the loggers a
good move for the company?

Teaching Math in 1999: A laid-off logger serving time in Federal Prison for blowing away
several people is being trained as a COBOL programmer in order to work on Y2K [Year
2000] projects. What is the probability that the automatic cell doors will open on their
own as of 00:00:01, 01/01/00?

These are mostly exaggerated examples of what folks have found in math textbooks over the
years. You might have noticed that there’s no mention of religion in any of them. But what does
it imply when feelings take precedence over the facts of math as in the 1990 example? Or, what
about the other agendas (like ecological extremism) that work their way into supposedly neutral
subjects? And what do you think of presenting business ethic questions as mere mathematical
calculations rather than moral challenges?
Do you doubt that some very different beliefs about God and man, man’s purpose in life, and
man’s responsibilities in relationship to others shape many texts used in schools?
Even more subtle are the choices of what to include and what to leave out of textbooks. For
example, history books that rarely mention key religious events or pivotal figures in church
history, in effect, dismiss religion as irrelevant. Less subtle are science texts that teach that
accident and random chance are what brought man out of a primordial stew to our present
evolving state.
More blatantly, in supposedly secular literature texts and readers we often encounter folk
tales of various gods that show us how each of the gods “blessed” those who followed their
instructions. The implication is that all “gods” are simply reflections of different cultures and
are equally real. Those same texts probably include no stories about the one, true God and
 Drill and Kill, Real Books, Delight-Directed Studies… What’s best?
25
certainly none that give Him precedence. You can probably see how this type of content might
be offensive to monotheists.
Parents who try to leave all spirituality out of learning are either purposely or inadvertently
teaching their children a materialistic philosophy. If spirituality and transcendence never enter
the discussion, you are teaching children that the world consists only of what they experience
with their senses and know with their minds. It might allow for the possibility that God exists,
but if He does, He is so irrelevant that He has nothing to do with important things like history
and science. Even though most people don't think of materialism as a religion, it serves that
purpose with its own answers to the big questions of life and the reason for our existence.
If, on the other hand, you believe in God, it should be important enough to impart to your
children—or else what’s the point of believing in Him at all? If faith and knowledge of God are
important, then they need to be incorporated into the learning process within the content as
well as the methods of presentation. You teach what you believe and you demonstrate your belief
by the way you act, how you speak, and how you treat people.
You must keep spiritual goals and influences in mind as you select your curriculum. A resource
might be very popular with homeschoolers in general, but it might not reflect your family’s
spiritual beliefs. Sometimes you can work around these issues with minimal effort, but sometimes
it’s more trouble than it’s worth and you would be better off using other resources. Be especially
careful when selecting resources that your children will be using independently. You might
seldom look at the curriculum once they start working, and you won’t have opportunity to spot
content that undermines your family’s beliefs.

Back to the question: How do your religious beliefs impact your homeschooling?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Before you pull all of this together, look at the samples in the next chapter to see how to
combine the information you’ve gleaned to put together your own philosophy of education.
 CHAPTER
3
Putting Together Your
Philosophy of Education

There was a lot to work through in Chapter Two, and you might be confused at this point. To
help make things clear, I have created examples of how this might look as you work through each
section of Chapter Two. I’ve written responses and completed charts as I would have when my
sons were about ages 7, 10, and 12.
After you read through these completed questions and charts, I’ll show you how it all comes
together. Let’s begin with the first three questions.

What do you think is most important for your children to learn?

Remember that “1” indicates highest priority, “2” the next highest, and “3” the lowest.
Priorities
I want my children to: Priority Level
have a strong sense of God’s reality in all aspects of their education. 1
love to learn, so that they will become self-educators. 1
have a broad education so they can consider lots of possibilities for their future. 2
develop excellent reading skills. 1
develop excellent thinking skills. 1
develop excellent communication skills. 2
learn how to work with other children and adults in groups. 2
develop good work habits. 2
develop excellent knowledge of scripture and religious beliefs. 1
prepare for college so that they have more life choices. 1
develop a heart for service to others. 1
cover all the normal subjects so they can pass tests when necessary. 2
 Putting Together Your Philosophy of Education
27
figure out their special talents and gifts. 2
be computer literate. 2
have exposure to the arts and develop some “artistic” skills. 2
be physically fit. 2
develop a strong Christian worldview. 1
read widely from both classic and good books . 1

Notice that there are still some blank lines. You don’t have to fill all of them in just because
they’re there. On the other hand, if you need more space, feel free to grab another piece of paper
and make your list even longer. Also notice that there are no level “3” entries. I realized that I
had so many level "1" and "2" entries that any entries that might be level "3" were too low on my
priority list to even bother writing them down. However, you might write out your own list, then
find on reflection that some of your entries actually rate a level "3."

How do you think learning should happen?

I have three very active boys who need to be able to move around and do lots of hands-on learning. I
want lots of interaction and experiential learning. I also want them to learn how to operate independently
and learn to teach themselves through their independent reading, especially as they get older. So a balance
that combines these two ideas is best for us.

How do you want to teach or operate your school?

Do you want to try to teach most or all of your children together, at least for some subjects?
Absolutely!
How much of the time do you want (or are you able) to work directly with your children?
I want to start together in the mornings for about 1½ to 2 hours, do some group classes or park
days a few afternoons a week, and have them work independently or one-on-one with me the rest
of the time.
How much of the time do you expect your children to work independently?
My middle son works independently better than the other two—at least a few hours a day. My
youngest will do a few, scattered, 15-minute to half-hour periods of independent work. My eldest will
do at least two hours of independent work as long as I check up on him frequently.
Do you want to use real books (biographies, historical novels, books written about particular
science topics, etc.) as part of your curriculum?
Definitely.
Do you want to include field trips? What type field trips?
Yes. Field trips related to unit study topics plus any good opportunities that come up.
Do you like to make up curriculum as you go, adapting to the needs and interests of your
children or do you prefer things well planned out in advance?
I like to have a general plan completed during the summer for the coming school year, then adapt
as I go.
Do you need a set schedule to get things done or would you prefer more flexibility?
Flexibility, although we need to start with together time first thing in the morning.
 102 Top Picks
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Do you prefer a curriculum that is thoroughly laid out in advance and that tells you what to do
when? No.
Any additional thoughts about how you want to operate?
I want my lesson plans to become my record keeping books, so I work from my spiral notebook that
I use during each summer to make general plans for the year. I periodically fill in my lesson plan/
record book for the next few weeks with specific books and page numbers, activities, field trips, etc.
so it is easy to make changes to my original plan.
I’m not concerned about grading in the elementary grade levels, but I will give grades once in
a while so they have concrete feedback about how I think they are doing. Grading becomes more
important to me in junior high.
Note: When I complete this chart I come up with high numbers (and large fractions) for unit
study, Charlotte Mason, unschooling, classical education, and eclectic approaches. Traditional
education, independent study, and packaged programs are clearly not my preferences.
Approaches to Education

Unschooling

Independent
Traditional

Unit Study

Packaged
Charlotte
I prefer:

Classical

Program
Eclectic
Mason

Study
predictable structure. 2 1 2 2 2 2
that children have many real life experiences for learning—
2 1 2 2 2 2
nature studies in the woods, building projects,etc.
children read historical novels and biographies rather
2 2 2 2 2 1
than textbooks.
a program that is thoroughly laid out for the teacher and
2 2 2
provides a feeling of security.
a grammar program that emphasizes rules and memorization. 2 2 2 1 2
workbooks, teacher manuals, and answer keys for most or
2 2 1 2
all subjects.
children to work independently as much as possible. 1 2 2 1 1
mental training and mental discipline be placed as higher
2 1 2 1 1
goals than stimulating curiosity and interest.
curriculum that ensures that my children cover the same
2 2 1 1
things other school children might be learning.
informal evaluation of my children by talking over what they’ve
2 2 2 2 1
read and looking at their work rather than by testing.
that younger children do a significant amount of memori-
1 1 1 1 1
zation, repetition, and recitation.

that teens gets a strong background in the Great Books of

1 2 1 1 1 1
western civilization.
to emphasize developing a love for learning more than the
2 2 2 1
ability to work in a structured, methodical way.
that teens develop a “life of the mind” more than vocational skills. 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
Total points for each column on THIS page 1 11 9 11 10 4 8 2
 Putting Together Your Philosophy of Education
29
presenting children with facts and information to learn
rather than allowing them to choose their own topics to 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
investigate.
highly structured resources that script what teacher and
child are supposed to say and do. 1 1 1 1 1

lots of discussion and interaction in the learning process. 2 2 2 1 2 1

covering subjects (e.g., history, science, religion) at the
same time with the same material with as many of my 2 2 2 2
children as possible.
making connections between different subject areas,
showing how pieces of information relate to one another, 2 2 2 2 1
and viewing that as a high priority in learning.

project-based learning. 1 2 2 1
to teach children one-on-one as much as possible. 2 1 1 1 2 2
that children learn grammar in a casual manner—e.g.,
some instruction, use of a grammar handbook, then work-
ing on mastery in their own writing rather than working 1 2 2 1
primarily through a grammar text.
to keep structure to a minimum so that interesting learning
ideas can be pursued as they arise. 1 1 2 1

to make field trips an essential part of schooling. 1 2 1 1 2 1

to give children freedom to determine what they will study
and when and how they will do so. 1 2 1

an investigative approach that stimulates children to pur-

sue information and research on their own. 1 2 2 1 1

flexible curriculum and schedules so I can capitalize on

“teachable moments.” 1 1 2 2 1

a mixture of structured learning and experiential/

discovery learning. 2 2 2

to set my own goals and schedule rather than adopting

someone else’s. 1 1 1 2 1

to select curriculum and methods that suit my child’s

learning style rather than curriculum and methods widely 1 1 2 2 1
recognized and accepted by authorities.
that computer-based learning be a significant part of
the curriculum. 1 1 1

Total points for each column on THIS page 1 17 10 21 19 1 15 1

Total points for each column on PREVIOUS page 1 11 9 11 10 4 8 2

Total for each column: add the above two lines

2 28 19 32 29 5 23 3
and enter total as the numerator (top number)
22 31 29 34 34 24 36 22
of the fraction

Percentage for each column: divide numerator

9% 90% 66% 94% 85% 21% 64% 14%
by denominator
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Check Your Results
As I read through the actual descriptions in Chapter Two, I find that there are elements of
unschooling that appeal to me, but not enough of the philosophy that I would really consider
unschooling as my own approach.
I really like certain aspects of classical education—Great Books, discussions, higher level
thinking—but I’m not enamored with some of the memorization-based programs that are also
called classical education. This dilutes my strong preference for the aspects I like and makes my
preference for classical education appear weaker than it actually is. (This should be a caution
to others who, like me, prefer some aspects of what is labeled classical education. You need to
investigate resources described as classical to ensure that they really are what you want.)
With my highest numbers appearing for unit study and Charlotte Mason approaches, it would
make sense for me to see if there is a way to incorporate the classical education and Charlotte
Mason ideas I like within a unit study format. (Yes, such curriculum actually exists!)

The Next Four Questions—The Reality Check

Next, I wrote down some notes on the next four questions, thinking back a few years to when
I had children in elementary grades through junior high:

1.) How much confidence and/or experience do you have regarding homeschooling?
I have lots of confidence and enough experience that I don’t mind trying unusual approaches.

2.) How much time do you have available for working directly with your children?
My time is very limited because of other demands. My husband doesn’t have much time to help.
But I can work with other families to do some group classes, so that will help on the time question. I
have about 3 hours a day available for direct teaching and interaction. I need to do a lot of planning
over the summer when I have more time, then I should have about three or four hours each weekend
to plan for each week.

3.) How much money can you spend?

We’re on a limited budget, so I should spend less than $1000 total this year.

4.) How do your religious beliefs impact your homeschooling?

My religious beliefs are a critical part of homeschooling. They will underlie everything we do. I
would like to use resources that reflect my beliefs, but I can work with others as long as they are not
in direct conflict.

When I consider my answers to these four questions, I can see that my time constraints will
make time-consuming planning and projects difficult. I need to compromise on my desire to do
unit studies and a lot of project learning. Money will be a limitation, but I’m not set on only one
way of doing this, so I can look at many different options.
Incorporating religious beliefs is easy within Charlotte Mason, unit study, and classical educa-
tion approaches since they use real books and require discussion and interaction.
 Putting Together Your Philosophy of Education
31
Putting It All Together
Now I am ready to gather what I have learned so that I can verbalize my own personal phi-
losophy of education and what that might look like for my family. While you can do this in any
order you wish, I will describe my own process.
First, I summarized my educational philosophy primarily from the first section, actually copying
from some of what I wrote there. I did not need to include everything from that section.

My philosophy of education: I believe that my children’s education should help them develop a
strong sense of God’s reality in all aspects of their lives. I want my children to love to learn so they will
become self-educators who choose to learn on their own. I also want them to have strong academic skills
so they have the tools for independent learning. I want them to have a broad education since I do not
know what direction God has for each of them.

Next, I looked at the chart where I’ve circled numbers reflecting different educational
approaches. I’ve already come to some conclusions about which approaches I like. In my notes
following the last four questions, I already noted that one of my highest priorities, incorporating
religious goals into education, is easier to do within one of the “real books” approaches.
Another priority I set in the first section—and one of my strongest—is that my children love
to learn. That means I will want to be particularly attentive to methods and resources that are
appealing to them and that encourage that love of learning. I know enough about learning
styles to recognize that this might mean choosing different resources for each of them. However,
I noted in the last section that we have a limited budget so I might not be able to purchase
everything I would like to use. Time is also a precious commodity. I know I don’t want to plunk
my boys down with workbooks all the time if I really want them to love learning. On the other
hand, they will have to do some independent work both for their sakes and mine. I do not have
time to do everything with them, and I want them to eventually become independent learners,
so they DO need to learn how to work independently.
I will need to come up with a balance of interesting, interactive learning activities and inde-
pendent work. I realize that I can primarily use the educational approaches I prefer, but I will
probably have to include some traditional workbooks just to make things manageable.
I want to incorporate education with a Christian worldview, even more so at junior high and
high school levels. That will narrow down my choices in some ways. I would like to use classical
methods from the dialectic and rhetoric stages for a good part of worldview education.
Realistically, I can see that my time demands are going to be heavy. One of the smartest things
I can do is work with all three of my sons together whenever possible. Unit studies might help
me do that. Group classes with other families will be another way to help with the time issue.
All of this tells me that I should probably look to unit study ideas, especially those that have
a strong Christian worldview orientation plus those based on either Charlotte Mason’s ideas or
classical education (the latter especially for my eldest sons). I can likely use traditional textbooks
for subjects not covered by the unit study.
Now it’s your turn. When you’ve completed this section, go on to Chapter Four to see how
understanding both your own learning style and the learning styles of the children you'll be
teaching will help fine tune your curriculum choices.
 CHAPTER
4
Learning Styles: How does
MY child learn best?

If you are like me and most other parents I’ve asked, teaching your child to read is probably
the scariest part of homeschooling. We have this sense that if we blow it with reading, then how
can we possibly accomplish anything else?
Given that so many of us share this common insecurity, you might well be one of the thousands
of parents who shelled out $200 to $300 for one of those reading programs that have been widely
advertised. The glowing testimonials really convinced you that this would be money well spent.
Like thousands of parents who invested in such programs, you might have had a very dis-
couraging experience with the program. Let’s say you bought the one that teaches the alphabet
and phonetic sounds to rap tunes. When you played the first CD for your child to listen to, you
discovered a couple of disconcerting things: your child doesn’t like rap music, and your child
couldn’t make any connection between what he was hearing and letters on a piece of paper.
If you figured this out quickly enough, you were able to return the program within the allow-
able time and get your money back. If not, the program got added to your collection of white
elephants.
So how do we save ourselves this sort of expensive grief? One of the best ways is tuning in to
our children’s learning styles.
Unfortunately, this was something I learned after making some big mistakes in my initial cur-
riculum choices. When we first began homeschooling in 1982, my strongest conviction was that
I wanted to use a Christian curriculum. The only Christian curriculum publisher I knew of was A
Beka Book. This was the “dark ages” of homeschooling—a time when most publishers were not
interested in selling to homeschoolers, if they even knew such a thing as homeschooling existed.
Nevertheless, I went to a great deal of trouble to obtain A Beka worktexts to use with my two
eldest sons, first and third graders at the time.
It took no more than two weeks to figure out that this sort of curriculum was about the worst
 Learning Styles: How does MY child learn best?
33
choice possible for my eldest son, Chris. You’ll understand why shortly when you read the
description of the Wiggly Willy learning style. I had to get busy adapting and doing other things
to enable Chris to learn. If it depended upon him working through A Beka lessons—reading the
text and completing the activity pages—we were doomed.
So I first started using methods relating to learning modalities. You might already be familiar
with learning modalities, the idea that people tend to prefer one of three types (or modes) of
sensory input:
• auditory (hearing)
• visual (seeing)
• kinesthetic (feeling or experiencing with one’s body)
Understanding learning modalities might forewarn the parent whose child is not an auditory
learner to avoid phonics programs that rely heavily upon audio CD’s. Learning by listening
would not be the method of choice for such a child.
Learning modalities helped me with Chris since I knew he was a kinesthetic learner. I pulled
out math manipulatives and other concrete objects to teach lessons even though A Beka made
no provision for that sort of learning. However, it was a lot of work to come up with such adap-
tations for different subjects while also sorting out what parts of the A Beka worktexts I might
still be able to use.
Learning modalities help to a certain extent, but it’s a bit too simplistic. For example, what do
you do with a child who is a strong auditory learner but who can’t sit still long enough to listen
to a lesson being read to him?
That’s where learning styles come in. The term learning style refers to the way (or style) a
person most easily learns and processes new information or skills. Learning styles are just a bit
more complex than learning modalities. Learning styles include awareness of children’s preferred
learning modalities, but they go further to look at other personality and learning traits such as a
desire to work with other people or independently, an orientation toward either the big picture
or the details, and preferences for a more or less structured environment.
Learning modalities play a partial role in understanding learning styles. For example, the kin-
esthetic learning modality is an obvious match with Wiggly Willy learners. However, visual and
auditory modalities cross learning style boundaries, and should be taken into account no matter
which style learner a child seems to be.

Which System Is Best?

Experts have come up with many different systems and labels for identifying a person’s learn-
ing style. All of them are useful. The most significant differences are in their complexity. Some
systems are so complex that an expert needs to administer an assessment and analyze the results.
When I first read about learning styles, hardly anyone was using them to address the needs of
children. The first book I found that did so was titled Learning Patterns and Temperament Styles
(published by Manas Systems) by Dr. Keith Golay. Dr. Golay discussed learning styles in rela-
tion to traditional, public school classroom settings. Although it was very useful, the fact that it
lacked a Christian outlook and didn’t address homeschooling motivated me to come up with my
own approach that I use in this book.
The learning styles I use in this book fall into four categories. Yes, it could be much more com-
plex, but our goal with learning styles is not a thorough analysis of each of our children so much
 102 Top Picks
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as developing an awareness that each one will have ways of learning that are easier and ways that
are tougher. By identifying learning styles, we are able to choose teaching methods and materials
that are more likely to be successful for each child.
For example, one child’s learning style might be very physical in a whole-body sense. This child
learns math best when she puts two blocks plus two more blocks together, then counts to see that
there are four. She needs to move her body as she counts each number. She learns prepositions
best by putting her teddy bear ON the chair, UNDER the chair, OVER the chair, and BESIDE
the chair. You can imagine how challenging children with this learning style might be to teach
in a typical classroom setting!
Another child with a different learning style responds well to traditional classroom textbooks.
He learns just fine by reading textbooks and doing workbook exercises. He doesn’t need to feel
or experience things to learn. But he also depends upon the predictability and security of those
workbooks. He really struggles when it comes to creative writing and art projects.
Yet another child learns best when it’s a social experience. She thrives on “unit study days”
when you get together with a few other families to do all those creative unit study activities
together. She blossoms when she gets to role play a character in a historical event. Her writing is
impressive because she wants to do her very best on her writing project that she will be reading
aloud to her group class.
Recognizing these differences within each of your children will help you make better choices
in the methods and materials you use. But that’s only part of the curriculum equation.

But Of Course My Way Is Best!

The other part of the equation is the parent’s own learning style. The reality is that we parents
have our own learning style preferences. And we tend to teach our children in ways that WE
learn best rather than ways THEY learn best. So our preferred learning style, by default, becomes
our teaching style. That’s what we’re most comfortable with. That’s what comes naturally to us.
Structure, organization, and schedules will be important to some of us, while exploration, cre-
ativity, and flexibility will be higher priorities for another parent. Some parents love to do messy
art projects while others would rather their children watch an art appreciation video. There’s
no right and wrong to such choices. Rather, it is a matter of recognizing your own preferences
then checking to see if those methods are really what work best with your own children. I like
to think that in God’s graciousness and wisdom, He usually gives parents children of contrasting
learning styles so we have more opportunities to stretch and grow.
The next two pages will help you identify your own learning and teaching style. Read through
the description of each learning style. Don’t get hung up on the names at the top (Wiggly Willy,
Perfect Paula, etc.). These are the labels I use to help you remember each style, but they don’t
mean that those with a Wiggly Willy style are all male and that Perfect Paulas are exclusively
female.
Also, for adult learning styles, I intermix both learning and teaching examples. If you have
not yet experienced teaching, consider some of these characteristics from your perspective as a
learner.
You are not likely to find that every item under any one learning style fits you while none under
the other three do. More likely, you will find a number of items under one learning style that
describe you and only a few under one or more of the other learning styles. Try to rank yourself
 Learning Styles: How does MY child learn best?
35
in descending order from the learning style most like you down to the one least like you. If you
should find that you are fairly evenly spread across one or more learning styles, that’s just fine.

Adult Learning/Teaching Styles

Wiggly Willy
• has trouble organizing and following through
• would rather play and have fun than work
• tends to do things impulsively
• probably did poorly in school (often due to lack of interest or boredom)
• looks for creative and efficient solutions to tasks
• dislikes paperwork and record keeping
• prefers activity over reading books
• prefers to teach (or learn) the fine arts, physical education, and activity-oriented classes
Perfect Paula
• likes everything neatly planned ahead of time
• likes to follow a schedule
• is not very good at coming up with creative ideas
• is comfortable with memorization and drill
• gets upset easily when children don’t cooperate
• worries about meeting requirements
• often prefers to work under an umbrella program for home educators
• prefers to teach (or learn) with pre-planned curricula
• is more comfortable with “cut and dry” subjects than those which require exploration with
no clear answers
Competent Carl
• likes to be in control
• thinks and acts logically
• likes to understand the reasoning and logic behind ideas
• is selectively organized
• likes to work alone and be independent
• is impatient with those who are slow to grasp concepts and those who are disorganized
• is often uncomfortable in social situations and has trouble understanding others’ feelings
and emotions
• tends to avoid difficult social situations
• likes to make long-term plans
• prefers to teach (or learn) math, science, and other logic-related subjects rather than
language arts and social studies
Sociable Sue
• enjoys social interaction
• likes to belong to groups, especially for activities
• worries about what other people think
• tends to be insecure about how well he/she is doing
• is idealistic about expectations and goals
• may or may not be organized, depending upon accountability
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36
• is more interested in general concepts than details
• prefers to teach (or learn) subjects related to language arts, social studies, and, possibly, the
fine arts

If I create an analogy as to how adults with different learning styles might visit Disneyland (or
Disney World or Universal Studios, etc.), I think it might help you sort this out even better. For
Wiggly Willy, it’s all about the rides. He wants to experience all of them. Forget the shops and
the shows that you sit and watch.
Perfect Paula is likely to have organized the event in the first place. She’ll make sure there’s a
meeting place in case someone gets lost. She’ll know what time various events take place and try
to schedule out the day to make sure she gets to all the things that are on her list.
Competent Carl won’t mind going off on his own if everyone else takes too long figuring out
what they want to do. He’ll choose rides over shops, but particular shows might also intrigue
him. His choice activities will be ones with special effects, because the fun for him is in figuring
out how they did it.
Sociable Sue will make sure all her friends have come along. She’ll enjoy whatever happens
as long as everyone sticks together. For her, the fun is in the company. They could spend hours
standing in lines waiting for rides and that would be as much or more fun than anything else.
Pay attention to your group next time you go to a theme park and see if you can’t identify some
of these patterns!
If you matched up a single learning style with most of your characteristics and found very few
that described you under the other three, you will have to pay more attention to learning styles
than a parent who is more evenly spread across the learning styles. You might tend to be lopsided
in the learning methods you use with your children, leaning heavily toward those favoring that
especially strong learning style of yours.
On the other hand, if you recognized a number of your characteristics in two or more learn-
ing styles, you are likely to have an easier time adapting to the needs of your children since you
already have a tendency to work across one or more learning styles.
Keeping in mind what you’ve discovered about your own learning and teaching style, it’s now
time to try to identify your children’s learning styles. Remember that your children, just like
adults, are not likely to fit neatly into only one category. They, too, are likely to have one stronger
learning style, and one or two that are weaker, and maybe one that just doesn’t fit them at all.

Children’s Learning Styles

Wiggly Willy
Wiggly Willys are those children who learn best by doing—the hands-on learners. They like to
be free to move around and act spontaneously. Do you have a little boy who just seems to fall off
his chair if he has tried to stay put for more than ten minutes? That’s typical for a Wiggly Willy.
They have short attention spans most of the time, although it’s interesting to see how their
attention span lengthens when they get into something of their own choosing! These children
are usually not interested in deep thinking or analysis if it means sitting still very long.
On the other hand, they generally do very well with hands-on projects. They can be very
creative and imaginative.
These are carefree children who live for the moment. However, they can be difficult to
 Learning Styles: How does MY child learn best?
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motivate. Wiggly Willys hate being bored. They’ll create “interesting moments” to break the
boredom.
They don’t think ahead about consequences, positive or negative. You cannot usually motivate
them with: “Study hard and get good grades so you can get into a good college ten years from
now.” Ten years from now is a non-existent concept for them, so why on earth would they sac-
rifice present pleasure for that? These children need short-term goals and immediate rewards.
Wiggly Willys can be disruptive in groups. Sometimes these children are labeled as having
attention deficit disorder (a disorder that I do believe is real), although the actual problem is
that, because of their age and temperament, they really need to be moving around more than is
allowed in a typical classroom.
Perfect Paula
I call our second type of learner Perfect Paula. This is the responsible child who likes to see that
everything is done correctly. She likes things to be clearly structured, planned, and organized.
Perfect Paulas have a narrow comfort zone. They feel more secure when things are orderly.
Consequently, they seldom act spontaneously and are uncomfortable with creative activities that
lack specific guidelines. For example, if you want them to do an art project, they will say, “Show
me what it’s supposed to look like.” They want to make sure they will do it correctly rather than
seize an opportunity to express their own creativity.
They follow rules and respect authority, and they often feel it their duty to make sure everyone
else does likewise. They like to follow a typical school curriculum and feel that they are accom-
plishing the same things as other children their age. They prefer to be part of groups, and they
need approval and affirmation to let them know that they are doing what is proper.
Perfect Paulas can be easier to homeschool than other learners, but you might have to work at
helping them develop more flexibility and creativity.
Competent Carl
Competent Carl likes to be in control of himself and his surroundings. He tends to be analyti-
cal, constantly trying to figure out what makes things tick. Problem solving is typically something
he enjoys.
Their analytical and logical bent typically makes math and science their strong subjects while
the more subjective humanities (i.e., language arts, literature, social studies) might be weaker
subjects.
Social skills can be another weak area. Often Competent Carls have difficulty understanding
and relating to their peers. Because of this, and sometimes simply by choice, they enjoy solitary
activity. They expect others to operate the same way they do, and they don’t find it easy to adapt
to other ways of doing things.
Competent Carls tend to be self-motivated and enjoy long-term, independent projects. They
have their own ideas about what they want to learn, as well as when and how they want to learn.
Some Competent Carls love to brainstorm—think out loud. These more verbal Competent
Carls will probably want a more interactive learning environment or at least one that allows
them to ask questions and talk through what they are learning. One-on-one teaching or small
groups are likely to be better than large groups for Competent Carl.
Sociable Sue
Sociable Sues are, of course, sociable. They often have warm, responsive personalities. They
are interested in people, and as they get older, that interest expands into ideas, principles, and
values.
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But they also tend to be big picture people; concepts are more interesting to them than details
and technicalities. They don’t like memorizing names and dates for history, but they want to
understand how different cultures and events affect one another.
They love change and new things. They can be very excited about a new project or assignment
but easily “lose steam” once the novelty has worn off. Sometimes you have to switch what you
are doing or add something new with Sociable Sues to reignite their interest—a different cur-
riculum, a new supplemental workbook, an educational game, a field trip, etc.
They are motivated by relationships and care a great deal about what others think of them.
They like to be recognized and acknowledged for their achievements. Because of this they will
sometimes be over-achievers, putting out extraordinary effort to impress people.
For the same reason, they are vulnerable to conflict and criticism. They often dislike and avoid
competitions, preferring cooperation so that no one’s feelings are hurt.

Cautions
I have to throw out a few cautions here as we talk about children’s learning styles. First of all,
think of a typical two-year-old child in terms of learning styles. Most two-year-old children fit
into the Wiggly Willy category. They don’t sit still very well. They are totally hands-on as they
explore their new and expanding world. They aren’t interested in deep thinking, long-range
planning, or delayed gratification.
But they grow beyond their two-year-old world and, eventually, their true learning style
becomes evident. This might happen at age five, eight, or ten. They might seem one learning
style as they begin kindergarten then seem a very different style at age ten. So don’t try to peg
your preschooler’s learning style. And don’t think you’ve figured out your older child’s learning
style and expect it to remain forever the same.
Another caution. It’s tempting to use learning styles as an excuse to ignore bad behavior or
spiritual issues: “My son’s a Wiggly Willy, and he just can’t sit still.”
Every learning style has both positive and negative character qualities. Wiggly Willys can be
enthusiastic and fun-loving, but they struggle with self-discipline. Perfect Paulas can be very
self-disciplined, but they might also be bossy or self-righteous. Competent Carls can be so self-
sufficient that they lack charity or concern for others. Sociable Sues can be very concerned about
people but absolutely hopeless when it comes to other areas of personal responsibility.
Recognizing these strengths and weaknesses in each of our children helps us identify our job as
parents. We build on their strengths, but we also help them overcome their weaknesses.

Conflicting Learning Styles

Maybe you have already spotted the biggest problem with learning styles—the potential con-
flict between the learning styles of parents and children. For example, let’s say you identify many
of your own characteristics under “Competent Carl.” You tend to be a very logical, analytical
type person. You like independent work. And you’ve got little patience with drama queens. You
might have an especially hard time with your Sociable Sue daughter who tries to use emotional
manipulation to get out of doing what she doesn’t want to do.
Or consider a very common situation in homeschooling, Perfect Paula mom and Wiggly Willy
son. Mom has her lesson plans organized, her curriculum well-planned, and her daily schedule
 Learning Styles: How does MY child learn best?
39
on the refrigerator for all to see. Wiggly Willy would much rather be outside doing practically
anything other than school. He freaks out at the sight of the inch-thick math workbook, not to
mention the pile of other books mom has purchased to make schooling easy for her to manage.
A far less common situation might be the reverse of our last scenario: Wiggly Willy mom
and Perfect Paula daughter. Mom gets up in the morning and it’s a beautiful day for a field trip.
Besides, she has yet to get around to creating any lesson plans, so a field trip is a good excuse
to put off planning for another day. Meanwhile, her daughter has compared notes with her age-
mates and knows that she is way behind on math. And she worries that their real-book and field-
trip approach to history might not help her know enough to get a high score on the standardized
test she’ll have to take at the end of the year. She would just love it if her mom would get some
REAL school books and let her stay home and do school.
Most of us parents tend to think that the way we like to approach homeschooling will be
equally appealing to our children. One of the most important lessons we can take from learning
styles is that the opposite is more likely true. As parents, we need to stretch ourselves out of our
own learning style comfort zones to try to meet our children’s needs.
For parents without a single, strongly-dominant learning and teaching style, this will likely be
easier. Such parents will more easily adapt to their children’s needs than will the parent with a
narrower range of personal learning styles.

Teaching to Their Strengths: Methods That Work Best

Meeting your children’s needs in terms of learning styles does not mean that you have to
construct your entire curriculum around these learning styles. Generally, your children will have
stronger subjects and weaker subjects.
Perhaps your child is good at math and weak in language arts. If you are using a math program
that doesn’t really use methods best for that child’s learning style, but he is still learning just fine
because math comes easily for him, then don’t worry about it. Stick with what you are using.
But if language arts are a challenge, then you will want to look for resources and methods for
composition, grammar, spelling, etc. that work best with his learning style.
Use your knowledge of learning styles as a tool to help you tune into your child’s needs and to
choose methods and materials that help in troublesome areas.
Let’s look at methods that are most likely to work with different learning styles.

Wiggly Willy
Wiggly Willy is a kinesthetic learner. The more he can use his body and his senses to learn, the
better. So hands-on learning works well. That might be math manipulatives, building projects,
making 3-D maps, learning facts set to music, and anything else that involves both large and
small-muscle movement plus as many senses as possible.
When you need to directly teach Willy, it is best if you can use a multi-sensory approach; the
more he can hear, see, and touch what he’s learning, the easier it will be for him to tune into
and remember the lesson.
If you recall, Willy has a short attention span, so if you have something important to say to
him, say it quickly. Don’t use it as the final point in a five-minute lecture. He won’t have heard
you past the first minute unless you’ve done something interesting to re-engage him.
These children really need freedom to move around. Often they learn best when their bodies
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are moving. Some therapists have recommended that children with attention-deficit disorders
do things like practice saying math facts while jumping on a trampoline. I know this isn’t the way
they do things in school, but it might be a very good idea to let Willy play with something in his
hands while you are trying to present a grammar or history lesson.
Project learning can work well with Wiggly Willys, but you need to keep in mind that these
children do not think about consequences so they need supervision. If they tackle a project, set
up periodic checkpoints so you can ensure they are staying on task and making progress in the
right direction.
Likewise, unit studies often are a good choice for Wiggly Willys. Many unit studies include a
healthy mix of book learning (including real books) and activities that stimulate and hold his
interest. Unit studies that offer a number of activity options are especially good since Willy prob-
ably will need more hands-on activities than the average learner.
If you do not want to get into a total unit study approach, you should still consider using real
books rather than textbooks, especially for history and science, but also for other subjects. It
can be like creating your own mini unit studies that stay within a subject area. For example, for
science in the elementary grades, choose three or four topics to study during that school year.
Find one or two good resource books on each topic as your sources of information—these will
have far more information than a typical textbook, and will invariably be more interesting. Find
ideas for hands-on activities, experiments, and field trips related to each topic. Then study those
three or four topics in-depth instead of trying to cover ten to twenty topics superficially as do
most textbooks. (Actually, this approach to science is good not just for Wiggly Willy, but for all
types of learners.)
Willys are easily overwhelmed by what seems to them too much reading or pencil-and-paper
work. A math book with one hundred practice problems on a page might look impossible.
However, half that number of problems broken down into 25 per worksheet, supplemented with
practice using manipulatives or a computer game, would be no problem at all, even if the total
number of practice problems were higher.
Another example: an assignment for an older child to write a lengthy report should be broken
down into manageable chunks due each day rather than one big project due in two months.
If math is a problem area, you should use manipulatives like Cuisenaire Rods or Base Ten
Blocks to teach new concepts. You can purchase these as supplements to use alongside a more
traditional math text or you can purchase a program that has manipulatives built in such as
Math-U-See (reviewed in this book) or Right Start Math (www.rightstartmath.com).
Consider supplementing even these manipulative-based programs with math games (card
games, board games, or computer games), applications through building projects, cooking activi-
ties, etc.
For beginning readers, use a movable alphabet (i.e., rubber or magnetic letters children can
arrange into words), phonics games, and interesting reading material.
For Willys who are generally reluctant writers, try first making a shape book (like a boat or
a car) or some other interesting art format for presentation of the writing project. Then have
Willy write what goes into the book. Houghton Mifflin Publishing has a website with free
shape book patterns at www.eduplace.com/rdg/hme/k_5/shapebook/toc.html. Lapbooks might
be another way to accomplish this within some subject areas. (Learn about lapbooks at www.
lapbooking.wordpress.com.)
With Wiggly Willys you should probably reduce your use of traditional texts and workbooks,
 Learning Styles: How does MY child learn best?
41
and try to find resources that are stimulating and interesting.
Wiggly Willys pose special challenges, but the trick is for parents to pay attention to what does
and doesn’t work, no matter how unusual it might seem. In summary:
Wiggly Willy Prefers:
• hands-on activity
• multi-sensory audio-visual aids
• short, dynamic presentations
• freedom to move around
• whole-body physical involvement
• project learning
• texts or workbooks that are not overwhelming
• learning games
• variety in learning methods

Perfect Paula
Many parents wish all their children were Perfect Paulas when it comes to homeschooling
because they actually care about doing what’s expected and pleasing you. Perfect Paula tends
to work well with typical school curricula. She likes the security and predictability of knowing
what’s expected and how it is to be done each day. She can usually work well independently as
long as instructions are clear.
However, recall that Paula has a narrow comfort zone. She’s most comfortable with review,
repetition, and drill because she’s already familiar with most of the answers. New concepts can be
challenging. So work closely with her when introducing new concepts. Give her lots of encour-
agement at this stage.
Paula would rather receive information than think creatively. She’s not likely to do as well in
a Socratic discussion (classical education method) as most other learners. If you are planning
such a discussion or other activity that will take Paula out of her comfort zone, give her plenty
of advance notice, reassurance, and as much encouragement as possible.
She’s not likely to be enthusiastic about creative writing, dramatizations or other self-expres-
sive learning activities. You should not eliminate these from her experience but introduce them
gently, a little at a time. Unit studies might be a good tool for stretching Paula since most of them
offer a variety of activities that might be used in this way.
One of the biggest problems for Paula is that she might do well memorizing and repeating
information (typical for early elementary grades) but struggle when it comes time to start making
connections, analyzing and synthesizing information.
For example, A Beka’s math program might be working fine up through third or fourth grade.
Paula loves the continual practice, clear presentation of the rules for each process, and she does
well on timed drills. But by fourth or fifth grade, she might be struggling because A Beka has
not explained concepts—why math processes work the way they do. She memorizes her math
facts very well and knows how to do multi-digit multiplication and division, but two-step word
problems throw her for a loop. You might want to use math manipulatives or supplemental books
alongside A Beka that present math “brain teasers” to push her to deeper levels of thinking so
she develops conceptual understanding. Or you might want to choose a program that incorpo-
rates more work with math concepts like Math Mammoth or Singapore’s Primary Mathematics.
Paula probably will not need as much hands-on work as Wiggly Willy, so a manipulative-based
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program is generally not essential, although it might be helpful.
Perfect Paula is likely to be weak in creative writing skills so you should look carefully at some
of my Top Picks for developing composition skills.
Since the structure of most traditional curricula fits Perfect Paula’s learning style fairly well,
you should probably look for supplements to help with difficult areas and to stretch her beyond
her comfort zone. In summary:
Perfect Paula Prefers:
• workbooks
• consistent structure in both schedule and curriculum
• rules and predictability
• lectures or lessons that follow an outline
• repetition and memorization
• drill and review
• time to prepare for any discussion
• gentle help to develop creativity and deeper thinking skills

Competent Carl
If you recall from looking at adult learning styles, control is a big issue for Competent Carl.
He has lots of ideas of his own and little patience for listening to others. So discussions are okay
only if he gets to do a lot of talking. He’ll tune out of an hour-long lecture—or even a fifteen-
minute lecture! Unlike Perfect Paula, however, he might love Socratic discussions if questions
are meaningful and such discussions are productive.
Many Competent Carls like to think out loud or brainstorm. For example, you might find that
he writes better when you first take plenty of time to talk through possible organizational strate-
gies or ways to tackle writing assignments rather than leaving him on his own to figure it out.
Because of his logical mind, he prefers curriculum that is well-organized and purposeful rather
than entertaining with lots of extra activity involved. He wants to know in advance what he is
doing and why. Structured, traditional curriculum can work well for Carl as long as it doesn’t
have too much busy work built into it.
Carl has plenty of his own ideas to explore, so long-term independent projects can work well
for him. One approach that can work well is to present the learning objective and offer two or
three possible ways for Carl to achieve it. Let him choose, then write up a learning contract that
details what assignments will be completed and when they will be turned in.
Competent Carls are more likely than other learners to challenge you with, “Why do I need to
learn this?” It’s probably wise to take time to explain why to him since it will improve his motiva-
tion if he understands the purpose for each task.
He’s also likely to challenge you about repetition, practice and busy work. Sometimes Carl
doesn’t like to do review and practice once he’s already covered something, even though he
really needs the practice for proficiency. However, sometimes he is correct, so you should choose
curriculum with a minimal amount of busy work and review or have him skip such material when
it is unnecessary.
For instance, once Carl knows how to read fairly well, let him read books selected from your
“approved” list rather than reading anthologies (textbooks). You can use novel study guides
(such as those from Total Language Plus and Progeny Press) or carefully selected supplemental
activity books or workbooks if you want to work on comprehension, vocabulary, literary analysis,
 Learning Styles: How does MY child learn best?
43
and other reading skills. He will be more engaged in the process if he is able to select what he
wants to read and if he isn’t bogged down with what he might consider redundant exercises in
a reading text or workbook. You can focus on particular skills he needs to develop rather than
that wide range of skills covered in a text.
While Competent Carls generally prefer independent work, you will probably want to involve
them in some group learning situations simply to help them develop social skills. For example,
you might do a family unit study where everyone is together for foundational reading or discus-
sion. Carl would then pursue the same topic as your other children by doing more independent
research, reading, and writing while you continue with group activities with the rest of your
children. You might also have Carl participate in a Friday afternoon art activity with the whole
family.
Probably the most important thing to keep in mind with Carl is that he wants his learning to be
efficient. Don’t bog him down with manipulatives and hands-on activities if they aren’t helpful.
That can do more harm than good. In summary:
Competent Carl Prefers:
• independent work
• logically organized lessons
• clear sense of purpose for lessons
• long-term projects
• talking rather than listening
• problem solving
• brainstorming

Sociable Sue
Sociable Sue is a perfect candidate for unit studies such as TRISMS, Tapestry of Grace, and
Five in a Row—all reviewed in Chapter Thirteen. She will thrive on group projects and interac-
tive learning. Read-aloud sessions will also be appealing to her, so using real books rather than
textbooks might be a good choice.
Sue picks up on social dynamics better than other learners. She’s sensitive to your attitude
toward subjects, so you had better choose curriculum that you can be enthusiastic about. If she
senses that you don’t like the curriculum, she probably won’t like it either. You will also notice
a dynamic that makes things even more complicated—if her friends like or use a particular
resource, she’s likely to be have a positive attitude about it solely for that reason. This can play
havoc when you try to purchase resources since you’re not likely to know ahead of time what her
friends are going to be enthusiastic about.
Because approval from others matters so much to Sue, she generally likes public presentations
such as reading her writing assignment aloud, dramatic reading of a poem or speech, perfor-
mances (e.g., music recitals), or sharing her artwork.
Creative activities usually are more appealing than repetitious review and drill. Sue gets bored
with the same learning format. She thrives on variety. Choosing a resource that alters the lesson
format from time to time is a good idea. Otherwise, you will need to supplement or adapt what
you’re using to keep her motivated. Often, hands-on resources you might choose for Wiggly
Willy work well for Sue because they require social interaction.
One of the worst things you can do with Sociable Sue is to purchase a workbook-based pro-
gram that is designed for independent study and expect her to spend three hours a day working
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in isolation through her books. She can work like this for short periods, but not all day. If you
have to use independent workbooks, alternate sociable or interactive learning activities with the
workbooks to keep her going.
Sue will also need help learning how to persevere even when learning isn’t sociable and fun.
She has to develop the self-discipline to follow through on assignments even when it gets boring.
In summary:
Sociable Sue Prefers:
• real books
• unit studies
• discussions
• social interaction
• enthusiastic teaching
• variety in types of resources
• creative writing
• public presentations
• novelty and creativity in curriculum presentation
• situations where she is personally recognized and valued
• (needs but does not necessarily enjoy) repetition for detail and help with self-discipline

Keep In Mind Learning Modalities

As I mentioned earlier, your children might also have a strong learning modality—visual,
auditory, or kinesthetic. They might learn best by seeing, hearing, or hands-on experiences. For
example, a Sociable Sue who is kinesthetic will prefer more project-oriented learning while an
auditory Sociable Sue will prefer more sedentary, read-aloud activity. Coupling what you dis-
cover about both learning styles and learning modalities gives you a great deal of information
that you can use to make better curriculum choices for each child.

Teach to Their Strengths

You can see that teaching methods appropriate for one type of learner might be ineffective for
another type. This does not mean that you teach each type of learner only with methods that
suit his personality and temperament. For some children, it would be all fun and games, and they
would learn no self-discipline.
Instead, you use methods that work best for each child when introducing new or difficult sub-
ject matter. Once they have grasped a concept, use other more challenging methods when they
are less likely to be stressful or produce failure.
You can help strengthen students’ weak areas such as short attention span or lack of creativity
by working on these problem areas within subjects that are especially interesting to your child or
subjects in which they excel. For example, many Wiggly Willys do not like writing assignments,
but reading an exciting historical adventure or biography aloud, then asking them to draw a
picture about the story and write a few descriptive sentences will develop writing skills in a more
enjoyable way than most workbook activity.
After initial instruction, you should review and reinforce learning through methods that will
help each child stretch himself and strengthen his weak areas. For example, a very active Wiggly
 Learning Styles: How does MY child learn best?
45
Willy can learn math by using objects, without paper and pencil. Once he has mastered a con-
cept, he can get out the paper and pencil to do review and practice.
To sum it up, with both younger and older children you should teach new concepts through a
child’s strongest learning style then review and practice using other learning style methods that
are not as comfortable.
It helps if you recognize those subjects that are easier and those that are more difficult for each
child. While there are some typically strong subjects within each learning style, there are many
exceptions. Wiggly Willys usually prefer physically-active subjects such as music, the arts, and
athletics. Perfect Paulas like more structured and predictable subjects like math, spelling, his-
tory, and geography. Competent Carls often excel in math and science, exhibiting less interest
in the humanities. Sociable Sues will often prefer whatever subjects are presented with the most
enthusiasm and interaction, but their strong areas tend to be writing and literature, languages,
social studies, and performing arts. These are very general observations that may or may not
apply to your child.
You must observe which subjects consistently are handled with ease and which cause frus-
tration. Then, for the frustrating subjects, consider using other teaching methods that better
fit your child’s learning style. Avoid using the difficult learning methods with a child until he
understands the basic concept and has reached a review or application stage.

Matching Learning Styles To Curricula

When I put together the charts of my Top Picks (in Chapter Six), I did not include columns
headed only Wiggly Willy, etc. This is because there are rarely direct matches between resources
and learning styles. Instead, there are columns for primary characteristics of curriculum that
tends to suit each of the four learning styles: “Multi-sensory/hands-on (WW),” “Structure/rule-
oriented (PP),” “Appeals to logical/analytical learners (CC),” and “Has social activity/interaction
(SS).”
But you also need to look at other columns that might be equally important such as whether
or not it works for independent study, how easy it is for the teacher to use, how much writing is
required, or what methodology it reflects. Only you can decide which characteristics of a par-
ticular curriculum are most important.
Sometimes your teaching style and your child’s learning style are drastically different. Suppose
your child really needs a unit study approach with lots of creative activity. But your Perfect Paula
style makes you shudder at the thought of trying to gather all the stuff you need plus having to
choose among activities. What if you choose the wrong ones? And then how will you know if
your children did enough or too much?
There are what I call “compromise solutions” for such situations. For example, KONOS (www.
konos.com) publishes KONOS In-A-Box, a unit study that includes step-by-step instructions
plus all the books and materials (even craft materials) you need. Cornerstone Curriculum pub-
lishes Making Math Meaningful, a math program that includes manipulatives but has scripted
lessons that tell parents exactly what to say and do. (If you need to look beyond the Top Picks,
check out over one thousand reviews at my website: www.CathyDuffyReviews.com.)
So keep in mind that while you are looking for resources that suit your children’s learning
styles, you must also choose resources with which you can work.
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Motivation
Motivation is often a two-part process. If you want a child to do well in math, then you moti-
vate him first by providing a program that fits his learning style and makes it easier for him to
grasp concepts. If you can make learning more enjoyable for children (not that it always will be!),
you solve part of the motivation problem. By using creative approaches and relating learning to
the interests of your children, you make learning more of a partnership than a struggle.
You also might try to improve motivation by using rewards or incentives. You will have to
decide where to draw the line between incentives and bribery, but bribery doesn't usually work
well in the long run.
Just as different style learners are likely to be successful with different learning methods, they
are also likely to respond to different types of rewards or incentives.
Wiggly Willy might respond well to prizes, special trips, play time, or food—the more immedi-
ate the reward, the more effective. Perfect Paula can be motivated with stickers, good grades,
and other concrete affirmations as well as with personal praise. Competent Carl, who enjoys
being independent, can be motivated by self-designed contracts, or rewards of free time. Sociable
Sue—interested in people and relationships—is more likely to be motivated by personal affirma-
tion (praise) and recognition or an opportunity to do something special with a friend.
Experiment with different types of motivation to figure out what works best with each of your
children. Don’t be afraid to use different incentives with each of your children.

Disguised Learning Disabilities

A word of caution is needed here. Sometimes you can mistake the characteristics or evidence
of a learning disability for a learning style. If you have tried everything—paid attention to learn-
ing styles and methods and retaught five different ways—and your child still “doesn’t get it,”
he or she might have a learning disability. Sometimes a child will appear to be a Wiggly Willy
because a learning disability interferes with reading, writing, or thinking processes. If the work is
too difficult, your child might act bored, restless, or inattentive to avoid dealing with the “impos-
sible” task. Active learning that requires less paper and pencil work or reading will appear suc-
cessful, but it is only masking the real problem. You will see this when you have already taught
a concept and they seem to have grasped it. Picture teaching multiplication with manipulative
blocks—when you transition from the blocks to writing down what they have done, they are
unable to make the shift.
If you suspect that your child has a learning disability, you should seek professional assistance.
Generally, your local homeschool support group can recommend a professional in your area who
can help you determine what is going on.

Fine Tuning
The goal here is not labeling your child but becoming aware that each child will have strengths
and weaknesses in the ways he or she learns. You have to recognize your own tendency to teach
the way you like to learn rather than the way your children learn best. Then you need to look
for resources and methods that best meet the needs of your child, while still being practical for
 Learning Styles: How does MY child learn best?
47
you to use.
When you combine your philosophy of education and ideas about approaches you would like
to use with what you have discovered about learning styles, you can fine tune your curriculum
choices.
For example, I ended Chapter Three noting that unit study, Charlotte Mason, and classical
education ideas should be part of the curriculum for my sons. When I add learning styles to the
mix, I know that my Wiggly Willy eldest son still needs some projects and hands-on learning
mixed in with the worldview and unit study type education I would like to pursue. I would still
like to shift toward classical education, so when I look at the charts of my Top Picks in Chapter
Six, I find that Tapestry of Grace looks like it fits the situation quite well.
In addition, since math is my eldest son’s most challenging subject, I need to be particularly
careful about his math program to find one that still has manipulatives at junior high level.
In Chapter Six, I look for math programs with a “4” or “5” in the first column for multi-
sensory/hands-on, then go to the actual reviews in Chapter Ten to find those that carry on with
manipulatives up into junior high and beyond. Math-U-See looks like a good option since it has
manipulatives and continues with them up even into high school.
Now there’s one more thing to take into consideration: what will you actually teach your chil-
dren this year? The next chapter will help you figure that out.
 CHAPTER
5
Who should learn what,
and when?

Most home educators worry about whether or not their children are keeping up with what
“other schools” are teaching. This sort of concern can be a helpful prod to keep us focused and
making progress. However, it can also be a distraction or even a diversion from what we really
need to be teaching each of our children.
On both state and national levels, there has been a push to develop common standards for
each subject area that describe what all government school students should be learning. As those
standards have been developed, textbooks have been rewritten to reflect them. While there are
minor variations from state to state, standards are actually similar enough across the country that
a handful of textbook publishers produce books that can be used in just about every state. The
current push toward adoption of the Common Core State Standards is the natural progression
of a decades-long process. Thus far, Common Core Standards have been developed for math and
language arts. Here are a few examples from the Common Core State Standards so you can see
what I am talking about:

From kindergarten English language arts standards:

RF.K.1. Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.
Follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page.
Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters.
Understand that words are separated by spaces in print.
Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.1

From fourth grade mathematics standards for "Operations and Algebraic Thinking":
Use the four operations with whole numbers to solve problems.
4.OA.A.1 Interpret a multiplication equation as a comparison, e.g., interpret 35 = 5 × 7
 Who should learn what, and when?
49
as a statement that 35 is 5 times as many as 7 and 7 times as many as 5. Represent verbal
statements of multiplicative comparisons as multiplication equations.
4.OA.A.2 Multiply or divide to solve word problems involving multiplicative comparison,
e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent
the problem, distinguishing multiplicative comparison from additive comparison.
4.OA.A.3 Solve multistep word problems posed with whole numbers and having whole-
number answers using the four operations, including problems in which remainders must
be interpreted. Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the
unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and
estimation strategies including rounding.
Gain familiarity with factors and multiples.
4.OA.B.4 Find all factor pairs for a whole number in the range 1-100. Recognize that a whole
number is a multiple of each of its factors. Determine whether a given whole number in the
range 1-100 is a multiple of a given one-digit number. Determine whether a given whole
number in the range 1-100 is prime or composite.
Generate and analyze patterns.
4.OA.C.5 Generate a number or shape pattern that follows a given rule. Identify apparent
features of the pattern that were not explicit in the rule itself. For example, given the rule
"Add 3" and the starting number 1, generate terms in the resulting sequence and observe
that the terms appear to alternate between odd and even numbers. Explain informally why
the numbers will continue to alternate in this way.2

For a number of reasons, national standards for science and history are being developed
by different organizations. You should be particularly aware of the Next Generation Science
Standards, which have already been adopted by at least ten states as I write. While they are
not under the "Common Core" banner, the Next Generation Science Standards operate in the
same fashion as Common Core standards. These science standards promise to be controversial,
especially because of their treatment of the topic of evolution.
If your state hasn’t adopted the Common Core or the Next Generation Science Standards, you
might want to investigate your own state’s standards for math, language, and science as well as
those for other subjects.
Because these standards are so detailed, the compilation of standards for each state could fill
an entire book per state! So I cannot, of course, include the standards themselves within this
chapter. Instead, here are websites where you can access standards for yourself:
• www.corestandards.org - Common Core State Standards Initiative website where you can
find the newest national standards for math and language arts
• www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards - website for the Next
Generation Science Standards
• www.educationworld.com/standards/state/ - Education World, a site that links you quickly
to sets of standards for each state
It is important that you notice how detailed and prescriptive some of these standards are. In
years past, schools had much more freedom to teach what they deemed most useful within the
general subject areas. A class with many English as a Second Language students would spend
more time on language fundamentals and oral language before tackling more sophisticated
grammar and composition skills. The more general directives left much to individual schools
 102 Top Picks
50
and teachers to determine as far as teaching each classroom of children. Interestingly, the
Common Core Standards use more general language than do some other standards documents.
Nevertheless, state and national standards leave little room for schools or teachers to determine
what to teach because coverage of so many specific topics is required.
Schools are held accountable for teaching to the standards by high-stakes standardized tests,
the type of testing required under recent educational reforms. These tests ask questions based
upon the standards. Such tests have big consequences for students as well as for schools and
teachers. Student advancement to the next grade level, or even high school graduation, might
hang in the balance. High-stakes tests might also determine whether schools (and teachers) gain
or lose funding, whether principals and teachers lose their jobs, whether schools get taken over
by the state, and even whether students might be given vouchers to attend private schools.
Homeschoolers are in the awkward situation of having to determine whether or not they need
be concerned with the standards. It depends upon homeschooling requirements in your state,
whether or not your children are required to take standardized tests (as well as what type of
standardized test), your own goals, and maybe even your willingness to “work outside the box.”
A side effect of the standards movement has been that private and homeschools have often
adopted those same standards by default rather than on purpose as more and more resources are
written to align closely with the Common Core. And that means many homeschoolers end up
teaching the same things as do government schools simply because that is what is in textbooks.

Challenging the Standards

Most parents rarely question what their children are learning in school unless it has to do with
sex or drug education. They assume that whatever the school has decided to teach must be what
children need to learn. This might or might not be true.
There are two underlying assumptions within the standardized approach that need to be chal-
lenged: the uniformity of children and the authority of government to dictate education.
As to the uniformity of children, anyone who has spent any time at all around children knows
that they are as different as pistachio ice cream and pepperoni pizza. The notion that they should
be learning the same things as all other children who happen to be their age is silly when you
think about it.
Children develop on their own personal timetables. Some are ready to read at age four and oth-
ers at age six or seven. Some can easily learn their multiplication tables at age seven and others
at age nine. As I discuss in Chapter Four on learning styles, some children can read something
in a book and learn it easily while others need to touch, handle, or manipulate things to get
information into their brains.
The notion that you can put thirty children of the same age in a classroom and expect that all
will learn at approximately the same rate and through the limited ways information is presented
might work if children were machines to be programmed. But children are so much more com-
plex than this.
Personally, I believe that God created each child as an individual with particular gifts, abili-
ties, and interests. He has a unique plan for each one. God’s creativity gradually becomes visible
within each child as he or she matures, an unfolding delight that we can either appreciate or
deny. We appreciate it by recognizing and working with each individual child, or we deny it by
trying to force children to adapt to others’ ideas about how they should grow and learn.
 Who should learn what, and when?
51
Regardless of religious beliefs, in light of the individuality of each child, parents should view
their state’s educational standards or the Common Core Standards with skepticism rather than
accept them as a foundational directive for homeschooling.
The second problem with standards challenges the right of government to dictate what a child
should learn. In addition to the issue of children’s individuality, there’s a problem regarding the
purpose of education and, consequently, its content.
Government management of schools springs from a societal concern that everyone be edu-
cated, as well as the government's desire to maintain peace and order—a sort of conformity—
within society. It has nothing to do with religious beliefs and personal development except as it
affects larger societal goals. At the present time, societal goals are primarily economic.
The mantra of much of the national education reform legislation over the past three decades
has been “educating for the high-skill, high-wage jobs of the 21st century.” Translation: children
need to learn knowledge and skills that others have predetermined are necessary to prepare
them for the workforce.
We see this very clearly in our present educational system at the high school level. Education
is becoming primarily about vocational training rather than development of an individual person
with a body, mind, and soul. Part of that training might require learning enough to get into col-
lege, so they can get a degree, so they can get a job—simply a more complex form of vocational
training.
While young people should be prepared to get a job when they get out of school, many par-
ents believe that education is as much or more about personal development, learning to think,
developing integrity, and spiritual development. After all, what benefit is it to raise young people
who have the knowledge and skills to make lots of money if they are culturally, spiritually, and
ethically clueless?

Worldview
Speaking personally, as a Christian I think one of the most important components of home-
schooling is worldview education. Our worldview is a reflection of our foundational beliefs. It
addresses some of the most important life questions: Is there a God? Who is man in relation to
God? What is the purpose of our life on earth? Is there life after death? Our worldview deter-
mines how we think about life at the deepest level as well as how we live.
Everyone operates by one worldview or another. The default worldview of our modern society
is a materialistic humanist worldview. (Some might call it secular humanist.) It teaches that man
is an accidental product of evolution. There is nothing more to him than his physical existence.
God doesn’t exist and there’s nothing after death. It shouldn't be surprising if people with this
worldview believe that they should to try to get the most they can from this life because this is
all there is.
In contrast, a Christian worldview colors everything with the belief in God’s existence. Because
God is real, we believe He has revealed truth to us. Part of that revelation is the reality of life
after death, the fact that we have a soul, and the fact that Jesus Christ died for us so that we can
have eternal life with God. This understanding means there’s much more to life than the present
physical reality. There is a larger purpose and meaning to almost everything. Our lives are not to
be lived as if we are accidental entities. Instead, God calls us to live life mindful of the purposes
to which He has called us.
 102 Top Picks
52
Conflicting worldviews—whether they be Christian, Secular, Jewish, Buddhist, or something
else— produce some conflicting educational goals. Certainly, they all share some common goals
such as acquiring reading, writing, and computation skills. However, we are likely to differ in
some choices of other subjects to be taught, what is to be taught each year, the amount of time
and attention we spend on each subject, and details within subject areas.
Homeschooling parents should use Common Core or other standards as well as the resources
built around them with caution. Parents need to have goals for their children’s education, but
these should not simply be copied from government schools. The time required to teach to
government-selected standards steals time that you might devote to other goals that are more
important to you.

Choosing Your Own Goals

The ideal way to come up with your own goals is to start from scratch and figure out what you
think is important for each child to learn, then write it all out. For example:
• Religion or Bible study might be a major subject in your curriculum even though it is not
on any standards list and no standardized test asks any religion questions. It might be
important enough to you that this is the first subject covered every day of the week.
• If your family lives abroad for months or years, you might want your history studies to
spend much more time on other cultures and civilizations than that of your homeland.
• If you are following a classical education model, you might teach your children Latin in the
elementary grades as a foundation for study of primary sources written in Latin in high
school.
• You might be a musically inclined family, so music education is a higher priority for you
than for most other families because much of your family life and activities involve music.
• If you live in a seismically active area that just experienced an earthquake, you might want
your children to study geology now rather than two years after the event.
Realistically, this approach will probably be too cumbersome for setting all of your goals. The
more realistic way to do this is to also look at one or more lists of standards for inspiration, then
work from those to come up with your own goals. (Of course, this assumes that you have the
freedom to create your own goals which is, fortunately, still true for most homeschoolers.)
A shortcut might be to simply adopt the goals of a curriculum program that you trust. However,
you have to establish at least a few of your own goals to figure out what curriculum you might
trust, and even then you will still need to make some adaptations.
Generally, you will start by setting goals before selecting curriculum. You can use the sets of
educational standards available on the internet as a starting place for selecting goals for different
subject areas. You might look across a range of grade levels to find standards that are appropriate.
Then you can add additional goals of your own.
For example, I might agree with most of the Common Core standards for third grade math-
ematics, but I do not agree that children at this age need to be able to determine the perimeter
of polygons (CCSS Math Content 3.MD.D.8). If my children have to take a standardized test,
this is an item they are likely to be tested upon. So I then have to decide whether a higher test
score or sticking to my conviction is more important. Since I live in a state that does not require
standardized testing for homeschoolers, I would opt to drop determining perimeters from my
goals for third grade. I also believe it important that children develop a Christian understanding
 Who should learn what, and when?
53
of math from the earliest years, so I would add a goal that my child understand that mathemat-
ics reflects God’s order and consistency. I might illustrate this concept for my child by trying
to get him to come up with another sum than four when I add two items plus two items. The
impossibility helps him understand that the consistency of math reflects the nature of God. So,
essentially, I use the standards as a guideline and customize.
My situation might be a bit more complicated if my third grader has already mastered about
one quarter of the standards or goals listed for third grade. Then I look to the fourth grade list
to see which goals might be better drawn from that level.
I do this for each subject as much as is practical. When it comes to history and science, I gen-
erally find my goals are so different from the state goals that I work from scratch. Further on in
this chapter, I will share some ideas about studying those subjects.
There are no goals or standards already written for religion or study of the Bible, so you’re on
your own there. However, once you’ve worked through the other subjects, you should under-
stand how you might do this for religion or Bible study if you choose that as a subject for your
curriculum. Likewise, you will not find goals for learning Latin or other foreign languages for the
elementary grades, and you will have to come up with your own standards or goals.
Now some of you might be considering unit studies or a real books approach at this point and
are wondering how you can match up your goals or standards with these approaches. Actually, it
works well as long as you understand that all of the objectives or standards covered in a year-long
unit study or real books program are unlikely to be found in a single grade level list of standards.
Unit studies and real books programs usually assume that children will be at many different
grade levels. Some programs try to categorize learning activities by groups of grade levels (e.g.,
K-2, 3-6, 7-8, 9-12). Some are written for only grades four through eight or some other limited
audience. Still others leave it to you to sort through all of the activity choices on your own to
identify grade levels. You might find that the study you undertake this year and the activities you
choose reflect goals from second, third, fourth, and fifth grade levels. You will not be covering
all the “normal” goals for any one of those levels in a single year, but over the course of three
or four years you will have done so. Consequently, using unit studies will require you to have a
more long-range view of your goals.
In reality, if you stick with a comprehensive unit study program such as Tapestry of Grace or
Connecting With History, or a real books program like My Father's World or Sonlight, the authors
have thought this through so that the necessary material is covered over a span of years. Many
unit studies and real books programs will also tell you what subject areas they do and do not
cover so you will know what other resources you might need to purchase. More traditional cur-
ricula have their own sets of goals, and you might do well to simply adopt those goals. Just keep
in mind that you can always teach more or less than what is in any textbook.

What Do I Do With My Goals Now?

Writing down your goals is next. You can use the reproducible chart at the end of this chap-
ter or you can work from other lists of goals that might come from a list of standards, from a
publisher, or from another resource. If you start with someone else's list, I suggest you add three
columns to the right as is done on my reproducible chart. For example, in the sample below, I’ve
adopted some goals from California's Common Core State Standards for Mathematics for second
grade math6 then added the columns to the right.
 102 Top Picks
54
Sample Chart: Writing Out Your Own Goals

School Year: 2014-15 Student Name: Brandon Smith

Review/
Goals for Math Introduction Practice Mastery

1. "Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one-

and two-step word problems involving situations of adding
to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and compar-
ing, with unknowns in all positions...."

2. "Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental

strategies. By end of Grade 2, know from memory all sums
of two one-digit numbers."

3. "Determine whether a group of objects (up to 20) has

an odd or even number of members...; write an equation to
express an even number as a sum of two equal addends."

4. "Use addition to find the total number of objects

arranged in rectangular arrays with up to 5 rows and up to
5 columns; write an equation to express the total as a sum
of equal addends."

5. "Read and write numbers to 1000 using base-ten

numerals, number names, and expanded form."

6. "Count within 1000; skip-count by 5s, 10s, and 100s."

The reason I add the three additional columns is that teaching a child about a concept one
time rarely means he or she has learned it. Generally, you’ll need to review and/or practice the
material until they know it. By setting up the three columns, you will remind yourself to go back
over these goals to make sure you work toward actual mastery rather than simple, short-term
retention.
These standards or goals can now help you in three ways:
• figuring out what to teach
• checking progress through the school year
• assessing year-end accomplishments
Note that many resources state their goals clearly and have forms or charts for tracking prog-
ress that might work just as well.

Figuring Out What to Teach

Sometimes when we start homeschooling, we have no idea where to begin. It really is helpful
to have a list of standards or goals to use as a reference point for what others might be doing.
Assuming you are familiar with what your child already knows (through observation, your
 Who should learn what, and when?
55
own experience, testing, or an evaluation by someone else), you can look at these lists and
determine at what grade level your child seems to be functioning. My hope is that you will
consider your goals before selecting your resources so that you choose those that are accom-
plishing what is most necessary for your child each year.
You should set goals that are challenging but not frustrating. If there are goals listed at a
lower grade level that your child hasn’t yet mastered, you need to consider whether to make
them a priority, put them off until later, or skip them altogether. If you choose to add them,
write them down on the list with your other goals.
Your lists of goals might also help you figure out what comes next. For example, if your child
has mastered construction of basic sentences, your list of goals will remind you that writing a
paragraph might be the next skill to tackle. Or if you are using a real books curriculum, you
can check your list of goals to ensure that the appropriate skills or concepts are being taught
as you progress. For many, the curriculum you choose will set the sequence for teaching, but
your list of goals might remind you of additional goals that need attention.

Checking Your Progress

Are you pushing your children too hard? Are you too lax in getting things accomplished?
Your list of goals can help answer questions like these. Refer back to these lists of goals for each
subject as often as you need to. How many have been introduced, reviewed and practiced,
and mastered? Are you making reasonable progress on checking them off? If you’ve checked
them all off by the end of the first quarter you might be pushing your children too hard. If by
the end of that same first quarter, you have checked off fewer than a third of the introduction
boxes and nothing beyond that, you might need to get more focused on reinforcing your ini-
tial lessons. If you reach the end of the third quarter and half of your goals remain untouched,
you need to do some serious evaluation of how you are operating—too many field trips and
park days? Lack of self-discipline on the part of parents, children, or both? Overly ambitious
goals? Don’t panic. You still have time to make mid-course corrections.

Assessing Year-End Accomplishments

At the end of the year, instead of judging your accomplishments by completed (or incom-
plete) textbooks, judge by how many of your goals have reached mastery level. If you find
that you have fallen far short, don’t despair. If you’ve gone way beyond your goals, don’t plan
to take a year off.
Instead, spend some time evaluating. Did you set reasonable goals? Did you set too many
goals? Did you include some that could have been skipped? Did you underestimate your
child’s ability? Did the curriculum you selected work well in helping you meet your goals? Did
your child go through a period of emotional turmoil causing some of your goals to be put on
temporary hold? Did you move, have a baby, experience a death in the family or some other
event that accounted for lost school time? Do you have too many books for your children to
get through, some of which contain material that is purposeless busywork?
If you haven’t a clue why you are having trouble, it might help to find a veteran home-
schooler or someone else with some educational experience who will look over what you
are doing and give you some advice. Sometimes enrollment in a program to get professional
 102 Top Picks
56
advice is a wise investment.
After this, consider what you might do about what you have learned from your evaluation.
Should you plan to do summer school? Should you consider following a different type school
schedule, e.g., shifting from nine months on/three months off to year-round schooling with peri-
odic week-long breaks? Do you need to get more organized or work out a different type schedule?
Is your child having such difficulty accomplishing things that you ought to get him or her tested
for learning disabilities? Are you all so unhappy with the way you are doing things that neither
you nor your children are motivated to get things done? Do you need to rearrange things so that
a particular child gets more one-on-one attention? Perhaps a different curriculum might help
the situation.
I know you will be able to add more questions to these lists, but I think you get the idea. Your
goals should be your touchstone to help you get focused, stay focused, and accomplish what
needs to be done.
Of course, you never want to become a slave to those goals to the point where you ignore the
needs of your children. Even the best of plans needs to be modified from time to time. You might
even find yourself adjusting your goals on a quarterly basis rather than waiting till the end of the
year. That’s great! It means you’ve taken control of what is going on and are really tuning in to
your children’s needs.
As you gain experience, generally you will feel freer to create your own goals and worry less
about what everyone else is doing.
 Who should learn what, and when?
57
School Year: Student Name:
Review/
Goals for ________________________ Introduction Practice Mastery
 CHAPTER
6
Top 102 Picks

By this point you should have some insight into what philosophy of education appeals to you.
You know what teaching style is most comfortable for you as well as which learning styles work
best for each of your children. You should also have a fairly good idea of what subject matter and
skills you actually need to teach this year.
That’s a lot of information, but it doesn’t do you much good unless you can match up what
you’ve learned with the many curriculum options available to you. That’s the purpose of the
chart at the end of this chapter. The chart helps you easily identify key features or characteristics
of each resource.
The following descriptions of the meaning of each column will help you understand the
information in the chart. I have generally used a scale of “1” to “5” with “5” representing the
highest correlation with the feature listed in that column while a “1” usually means that it has
little or none of this feature.
I’ll explain the chart headings as well as other “codes” that I use below.

Column Headings
• Multi-sensory/hands-on (WW) - A “5” in this column means this is a particularly good
choice for the kinesthetic learner, the one who needs movement and multi-sensory activity.
This resource fits Wiggly Willys best, but Sociable Sues often benefit from similar curriculum
since it usually involves some sort of personal interaction.
• Structure/rule-oriented (PP) - This is likely a more traditionally-structured resource that
has a consistent format and/or a rules and memorization approach. Perfect Paulas generally
prefer this sort of resource because it’s predictable.
• Appeals to logical/analytical learners (CC) - Resources with a “4” or “5” in this column
 Top 102 Picks
59
require higher-level thinking and analysis and particularly appeal to Competent Carls.
• Has social activity/interaction (SS) - items with a “4” or “5” in this column require an
interactive setting. Sociable Sues prefer learning in such settings rather than independently.
The interactive setting might be as minimal as a parent working directly with one child.
• Needs parent/teacher instruction - A “4” or “5” means you will need to read, explain, or
otherwise present information to your child. It might be only a short introduction after which
a child can work independently, in which case it has a mid-range number of “2” or “3.” If you
are short on time, don’t choose many resources with a high number in this column.
• Independent study - This column helps you plan your time as well as select resources that
are best for each child. Some resources are specifically designed for one type of setting while
others can be used in a number of ways. Abbreviations for each setting that should work for
that resource are included. An independent study resource, "ind," allows the student to do
most or all of his work on his own. One-on-one, indicated by "1 on 1," means a parent works
directly with a child as he or she progresses through the lesson. Group, indicated by "g," means
the resource works well in a setting with two or more students. Most resources will still have
independent assignments or other work to be done in addition to a required group or one-on-
one presentation.
• Amount of writing - If you have a child who is resistant to writing, you probably want to
teach new concepts with resources that do not rely on a great deal of writing. On the other
hand, if you are teaching a child at a stage where he or she needs to practice writing skills, you
might purposely choose a resource that requires more writing. Generally, you’ll want no more
than one or two resources that require a good deal of writing. A “5” indicates the resource
requires a great deal of writing while a “1” means little to none. A “u” means it’s “up to you”—
that the parent has a great deal of discretion to decide how much writing to require.
• Prep time - This one is fairly obvious. It will give you some idea about how much time you
will need to spend preparing lessons or learning to teach the program. “5” means it will take a
great deal of time, "4" less time, and so on.
• Grade level specific (s) or multi-level (m) - If you want to teach children at more than one
grade level using the same resource, ungraded resources obviously work better because they
will generally address the needs of a span of grade levels such as grades 1-5 or maybe even 1-12.
An “m” indicates one of these multi-level resources. You might also want to use an ungraded
resource for a third grade child who is working below grade level in reading and who will be
discouraged by a textbook that advertises that fact with a “grade 2” designation. An “s”
indicates resources designed to be used only for single grade levels. Some resources, marked
"m/s" might be used either way or might differ by grade level.
• Ease of use for teacher - A resource might be great once you can figure out how to use it,
but getting past that hurdle might be impossible for one reason or another. Most resources are
not that difficult to use, but some do require more time than others to sort out. The most
challenging ones are marked “1” or “2.” A “5” means it’s easy to figure out. You should avoid
the more challenging resources if you are short on time. Also, if you are easily discouraged or
confused, stick with resources labeled “4” or “5.” This might apply also if you are new to
homeschooling.
• Teacher’s manual - Teacher's manuals are not created equal. Some are essential—the book
or program cannot be used properly without them "e." Some are useful, but if you don’t mind
figuring out answers yourself and skipping the extra helps they offer, you can manage without
 102 Top Picks
60
them "u." Some, marked "ak," serve only as an answer key—usually you will want these if you
are past second grade level material. And, of course, some resources do not have separate
teacher manuals. Those are marked "na."
• Supports Charlotte Mason’s philosophy (see page 13) - A “4” or “5” indicates that this
resource is very much based upon or supportive of Charlotte Mason’s ideas. Mason’s ideas
about secondary education are a bit different from those for the elementary grades, so it is
difficult or impossible to rate upper level resources in this column. Those have generally been
marked "na."
• Supports classical education (see page 15) - Resources with a “4” or “5” are based on or
supportive of classical education. However, keep in mind that folks have differing ideas about
what classical education requires, especially in the elementary grades, so read my reviews of
these items carefully.
• Religious content - This column reflects the religious or non-religious perspective presented.
Secular resources, marked "s," might sometimes have content offensive to Christians, although
many strive for religious neutrality. Because religious resources I review fall within limited
categories, I use "p" for Protestant and "c" for Catholic. Be aware that some religious resources
have minimal religious content or it is expressed such that almost everyone is able to use the
resource. Similarly, many secular resources will be inoffensive to those wanting to provide their
children with a religion-based education. I use the "sc" designation for resources that, while
written for secular or non-sectarian audiences, have content that should present no problems
for Christians. The code "p/c" indicates resources suitable for all Christians. Check the full
reviews for details or cautions.
• Page # for review - This is where you will go to find the complete review for each resource.

Working Through The Charts

Let’s consider our first example. You’ve worked through the earlier chapters and discovered
the following.
~ You lean toward traditional curriculum, but you also like the idea of using real books to
make learning more interesting.
~ Your ten-year-old daughter, an only child, seems to be a Perfect Paula in regard to
learning style.
~ She is likely to thrive on traditional workbooks and independent study for just about
every subject except composition.
~ You want Christian curriculum.
~ You like structured lessons that do most of the work for you.
~ Teacher preparation and presentation time is not an issue since you have plenty of
time.
~ You don’t really need hands-on or multi-sensory resources, but they might be more fun.
~ She doesn’t like to write, so that area needs special work this year.
~ Your daughter will be working at fifth grade level.

Starting on the left-hand page of the first chart, read through the charts looking for resources
that reflect the characteristics and needs you've identified such as those listed above.
Given this situation, you don't really need items with a high rating in the second column. The
 Top 102 Picks
61
third column will be more useful as a starting place since it lets you know which resources fit your
daughter's Perfect Paula need for structure and order. Then the sixth column deals with direct
teaching needed. She really likes to work independently, so you want to look for resources with
a low number in this column.
The seventh column will help you spot items that will work for independent study, but you
might also look for one or two that you can use one-on-one since you have time for some inter-
action with your daughter.
Also, you should specifically focus on a composition resource appropriate for a group so you
can invite another child to join your daughter for a writing class to make that subject more
interesting to her.
Continuing on the right-hand page, “Amount of writing” is of concern in that she needs more
writing practice than she’s had. You might look for at least one or two resources that require at
least some writing and one that requires a great deal.
Prep time isn’t an issue, and either multi-level or specific grade level resources will suffice since
you will be teaching only one child most of the time. You want resources that are easy to mod-
erately demanding for the teacher (“5” to “3”) because even though you have the time, you do
not want to be bothered figuring out a complicated program. You are easily overwhelmed if you
have to get very creative in putting together lessons.
You like to purchase teacher’s manuals when they’re available so you’ll order those that are
marked as essential or useful.
You want Christian material, but you’re willing to use secular resources as long as they’re not
offensive to you. (You will need to check the individual reviews on secular items for mention of
possible content problems.)
Resources among my Top Picks that seem to fit the bill for this example:
• Horizons Math is a structured math program that has minimal hands-on work and works well
for independent learners.
• Switched-on Schoolhouse/Monarch Social Studies is a computerized course that allows
independent study.
• Progeny Press study guides and the associated novels for literature allow students to read and
write about real books, while providing you, the teacher, direction as to how to ask appropriate
questions and teach reading skills within the context of each book.
• Wordsmith Apprentice should work well for that "group" writing class you plan to organize for
your daughter and a friend to provide more interaction.
• Easy Grammar is a simple-to-use workbook approach for learning grammar independently.
• Either BJU Press Science OR Switched-on Schoolhouse/Monarch Science should work since your
daughter wants structure and accountability in her learning, and you like quizzes and tests to
help ensure she is actually learning something, either of these might do. You might also plan
to get together with another family to do science experiments, using those from the curriculum
or experiments from a supplemental book.
• Then you will need to choose your own Bible curriculum.

Let’s take another example. We’ll say you’re a harried mom for whom time is the most critical
element since you’ve got five children, three of them school age. We’ll focus primarily on your
eight-year-old son to keep this example manageable.
You’ve determined the following.
 102 Top Picks
62
~ You lean toward an eclectic approach to education.
~ You put a high priority on making learning engaging so that your children will love to
learn.
~ You don’t mind using Christian resources as long as they aren’t too “preachy.”
~ You are not overly concerned about tests and grading in these early grade levels.
~ Wiggly Willy describes your son so you’ll be looking for hands-on and multi-sensory
resources.
~ You have minimal preparation and presentation time.
~ You want to teach all of your children together whenever possible to save time, energy
and the hassle of dealing with three different texts for every subject. You will look for
resources that allow you to teach history, science and fine arts to the whole group.
~ Your Wiggly Willy can work independently in short bursts, so using some workbooks for
independent study would be helpful.
~ You son is in third grade, but he'll need a lower level math course since he's working
below grade level in that subject. He can work at third grade level for other subjects.

Given this challenging situation, you might choose the following:

• Susan Wise Bauer’s The Story of the World, Volume I is a book that you can read aloud and
discuss with all of your children together for history. You will appreciate the minimal preparation
time required. You would also purchase the companion curriculum guide and use ideas and
activities from it with all of your children.
• Noeo Biology I lets all of your children participate together listening to the books and doing
activities. The pre-packaged experiment kits make this a practical choice. The amount of
writing seems perfect.
• Easy Grammar provides grammar basics in preparation for next year when you want to move
into a more challenging grammar resource. Again, no prep or presentation required once you
are past initial lessons on prepositions.
• Spellwell C teaches spelling rules while reinforcing his phonics knowledge. He can do this
independently most of the time.
• Since math is so difficult for him, Math-U-See Beta level might be the solution. The hands-on
materials for this program make it easier for him to grasp math concepts. You will need to
watch the videos to understand how to present concepts, but once you’ve been through it,
you’ll be able to work much more efficiently with your other children. Alternatively, you can
let your son sometimes watch with you, stopping the DVD and trying out what has been
shown. The Beta title won't alert him that this program is typically for second grade.

Why Aren’t There Any Bible or Religion Top Picks?

Good question! I suspect that most of those reading this book will see Bible or religion as an
essential part of their curriculum. In Chapter Five, I also mentioned teaching a Christian world-
view as a possible goal very much related to Bible and religion. The problem here is the huge
number of possible options.
Do you want to focus more on scripture memorization, doctrinal teaching, developing a rela-
tionship with Jesus, studying church history, or some other area? Are you ready to get into an
intense worldview study? Each of these might be appealing at one time or another to families,
 Top 102 Picks
63
but you cannot do it all at once. And the content and methodology might differ based on each
family’s faith tradition. Consequently, aside from two possible worldview courses reviewed
in Chapter 14, I decided to leave those choices up to you rather than state my own prefer-
ences. However, if you want to investigate the possibilities, check out my reviews online at
www.CathyDuffyReviews.com under the sections for both "Bible/Religion" and "Worldview."

A Few Last Notes

Just because I have included an item within my Top Picks does not mean it is perfect. I have
selected some items about which I have reservations. But I know they meet certain needs very
well. After working through the charts, please take time to read through the reviews of items
you think will meet your needs. Remember the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s trea-
sure”—things that bother me about a particular resource might be the very things that make that
resource a good choice for you!
From time to time, I mention one or more of my Top Picks within a review of another product,
usually for comparison or because the products work well together. When you see a product
mentioned without a website address or source, it is generally going to be a Top Pick reviewed
within this book. It should be easiest to find reviews of those products by using the index at the
back of the book rather than these charts. The biggest exception to this is in Chapter Thirteen
where I list many resources without source information that are used for single levels of each
comprehensive program. Many of these listed resources are not Top Picks. My purpose there is
to give you a sense of the types of resources used. Also, those resources are available from the
publisher of each program, so there's no searching required.
The charts begin on the following page. Please note that contact information and prices listed
for resources in the following chapters are the most current information available from publishers
at the time this book was written. I try to post updates for significant changes in the resources
reviewed in this book under "Updates for Top Picks" on my website. However, you will need to
confirm current price information when you make your purchases.
 102 Top Picks
64 Chart of Top Picks (1 = low, 5 = high)

Multi-sensory/ Structure/ Appeals Has social Needs Independent

hands-on rule-oriented to logical/ activity/ parent/ study=ind,
(Wiggly Willy) (Perfect Paula) analytical interaction teacher one-on-one
learners (Sociable instruction =1 on 1, or
(Competent Sue) group=g
Carl)
Phonics, Reading, and
Literature
All About Reading 4 5 3 5 5 1 on 1
print-1, print-1,
Explode the Code 5 3 2 ind
online-3 online-3

Logic of English Foundations 4 5 5 4 5 1 on 1, g

McRuffy Phonics and Reading 4 4 2 5 5 1 on 1, g

Noah Webster’s Reading

2 3 3 3 5 1 on 1
Handbook
Phonics Pathways 3 4 4 4 5 1 on 1, g
Teach a Child to Read with
4 1 2 5 5 1 on 1
Children’s Books
Daily Reading Practice 3 3 3 3 3-5 1 on 1, g
Drawn into the Heart of
3 3 4 5 3 ind, 1 on 1, g
Reading
Progeny Press Study Guides
2 3 3 3 3 ind, 1 on 1, g
for Literature

Teaching the Classics 1 3 4 5 5 1 on 1, g

Total Language Plus 2 3 4 4 3 ind, 1 on 1, g

BJU Press Literature (grades

2 3 4 3 4 ind, 1 on 1, g
7-12)

Old Western Culture 1 2 5 optional 2 ind, g

Language Arts: Grammar
and Composition
A Beka Book Language series 1 4 4 1 2 ind, 1 on 1, g
Analytical Grammar 2 5 4 3 4 1 on 1, g
Building Christian English series 1 5 2 2 3 ind, 1 on 1
Create-A-Story group of at
5 2 4 5 4
least 2
Easy Grammar 2 5 3 1 2 ind
Essentials in Writing 4 4 2 2 1-3 ind
depends on
Jump In 3 3 2 interaction 3 1 on 1, g
provided
Language Lessons for Today 2 3 2 5 5 1 on 1
Michael Clay Thompson
2 3 4 4 4 1 on 1, g
Language Arts
Saxon Grammar and Writing 1 5 5 2 2 mostly ind
 Top 102 Picks
Chart of Top Picks (1 = low, 5 = high)
65
Amount of Prep time Grade Ease of Teacher's manual: Supports Sup- Religious content: Page
Writing: level use for e=essential, Charlotte ports Protestant=p, # for
1-5 or specific teacher: na=not available, Mason’s classical Catholic=c, review
u=up to =s 1=difficult u=useful, philosophy educa- Secular=s, Secular
parent or multi- through ak=answer key only (na=not tion but “Christian-
level=m 5=easy applicable) friendly”=sc

1 2 m 3 e 3 3 sc 73

2 1 m 5 ak 3 3 s 76

3 2 m 4 e 1 3 sc 78

3-5,
increases 2 s 2 e 3 3 sc 80
by level

1 1 m 4 e 3 3 p 84

2 2 m 5 e 3 3 sc 85

1 varies m 2 e 5 3 sc 86

4 1 s 4 e 3 3 s 90

u 4 m 3 e 5 4 p/c 91

u 2 m 4 e 5 4 p 93

5, less with
4 m 2 e 5 5 sc 94
experience
u 2 m 5 e 5 4 p/c 97

depends on
parent’s
u familiarity s 3 e 3 3 p 99
with the
readings
5 1 m 5 e 4 5 p/c 102

4 1 s 5 ak 2 5 p 108

3 1 m 4 na 2 4 sc 111

4 1 s 4 e 1 3 p 113

4 2 m 3 na 4 3 s 115

3 1 m/s 5 e 2 2 sc 117

4 1 s 5 e 2 2 sc 120

4 2 m 4 e 2 2 p 123

3 1 s 5 na 5 3 p/c 124

4-5 3 m 3 e 5 5 s 125

4 1 s 5 e 3 4 sc 129
 102 Top Picks
66 Chart of Top Picks (1 = low, 5 = high)

Multi-sensory/ Structure/ Appeals Has social Needs Independent

hands-on rule-oriented to logical/ activity/ parent/ study=ind,
(Wiggly Willy) (Perfect Paula) analytical interaction teacher one-on-one
learners (Sociable instruction =1 on 1, or
(Competent Sue) group=g
Carl)

Teaching Writing Structure

3 4 4 4 5 1 on 1, g
and Style Seminar

Winston Grammar 4 4 3 4 4 1 on 1, g
depends on
Wordsmith series 3 3 4 interaction 3 ind, 1 on 1, g
provided
WriteShop 4 4 3 4 5 1 on 1, g
Language Arts: Spelling,
Vocabulary, and
Handwriting
All About Spelling 4 5 3 5 5 1 on 1
Building Spelling Skills 1 5 4 2 2 ind
English from the Roots Up 2 4 4 3 5 1 on 1, g
Spelling Wisdom 1 4 2 4 5 1 on 1, g
SpellingYouSee 2 5 2 4 4 1 on 1, g
Spellwell Series 3 4 3 5 3 ind, 1 on 1, g
Vocabulary from
2 5 5 2 3 ind, 1 on 1, g
Classical Roots
Vocabu-Lit 3 3 4 2 3 1 on 1, g
Wordly Wise 2 3 4 3 3 ind, 1 on 1, g
3-5, depend-
Handwriting Without Tears ing on op- 3 3 3 5 1 on 1, g
tional items
Peterson Directed
2 4 3 3 5 1 on 1, g
Handwriting
A Reason for Handwriting 2 4 3 4 3 ind, 1 on 1, g
Getty-Dubay Italic Handwrit-
3 4 3 4 4 1 on 1, g
ing Series
Mathematics
CTC Math 4 4 3 2 1 ind
Horizons Math 3 5 4 3 4 ind, 1 on 1
Life of Fred 3 3 2 5 varies ind, 1 on 1
Mathematical Reasoning 4 1 4 5 4 1 on 1, g
Math Mammoth 3 4 4 4 4 1 on 1, g
Math-U-See 5 4 5 5 4 1 on 1, g
Singapore Math (Primary
2 4 5 3 4 ind, 1 on 1, g
Mathematics)
Teaching Textbooks 3 3 4 1 1 ind
Saxon Math
1 4 4 2 2 ind, 1 on 1, g
Intermediate 3 and up
Horizons Pre-Algebra 4 4 4 3 3 ind, 1 on 1, g
Kinetic Books 3 4 4 2 1 ind
MathHelp 3 4 4 2 1 ind
 Top 102 Picks
Chart of Top Picks (1 = low, 5 = high)
67
Amount of Prep time Grade Ease of Teacher's manual: Supports Sup- Religious content: Page
Writing: level use for e=essential, Charlotte ports Protestant=p, # for
1-5 or specific teacher: na=not available, Mason’s classical Catholic=c, review
u=up to =s 1=difficult u=useful, philosophy educa- Secular=s, Secular
parent or multi- through ak=answer key only (na=not tion but “Christian-
level=m 5=easy applicable) friendly”=sc
3-depends
on how the
4 m 3 e 5 5 sc 131
course is
used
2 2 m 3 e 3 3 sc 133

4 2 m 4 e 4 3 sc 134

4 2 m 4 e 5 4 p 137

1 2 m 3 e 3 3 sc 140

3 1 s 5 ak 2 5 p 143

u 5 m 2 e 4 5 s 145

5 1 s 4 na 5 1 p 146

4 1 s 4 e 4 4 sc 147

2 1 s 4 ak 2 2 s 150

2 1 m 4 e 3 5 s 151

3 1 s 4 ak 3 2 s 152

3 1 m/s 4 ak 2 5 s 153

3 2 m 4 e 3 3 s 155

4 1 m 4 e 3 3 s 156

4 1 m/s 5 u 3 3 p 157

4 1 m/s 3 e 4 3 s 158

1 1 m/s 5 na na na s 162

5 2 s 4 e 3 4 p 164

2 1 m 4 na 4 3 sc 168

2 1 s 2 na 4 2 s 170

3 2 s 3 ak 4 3 sc 173

3 3 s 3 e 4 3 sc 175

3 2 s 3 e 4 4 s 179

2 1 s 5 na 3 3 sc 182

3 1 s 5 ak 1 3 s 186

4 3 m 3 e 4 4 p 194

1-2 1 m 5 na na 3 s 196

2 1 m 5 na na 3 s 197
 102 Top Picks
68 Chart of Top Picks (1 = low, 5 = high)

Multi-sensory/ Structure/ Appeals Has social Needs Independent

hands-on rule-oriented to logical/ activity/ parent/ study=ind,
(Wiggly Willy) (Perfect Paula) analytical interaction teacher one-on-one
learners (Sociable instruction =1 on 1, or
(Competent Sue) group=g
Carl)
Discovering Geometry
4 3 4 4 4 1 on 1, g

Math Without Borders 1 4 4 1 1 ind

History/Social Studies

ind (high school

All American History 3 4 5 4 3
only), 1 on 1, g
BiblioPlan 4 3 3 5 5 1 on 1, g
Catholic Schools Textbook Project 2 4 3 3 varies ind, 1 on 1, g
A Child’s First Book of Ameri-
4 3 3 4 4 ind, 1 on 1, g
can History

2, higher with
A Child’s History of the World 2 3 5 4 ind, 1 on 1, g
full course

The Classical Historian 2 2 5 4 5 1 on 1, g

Genevieve Foster books 2 2 4 4 2 ind, 1 on 1, g
Guerber History Series 2 3 3 4 2 ind, 1 on 1, g
History of the World
4 3 5 3 3 ind, 1 on 1
(MFW edition of DK Book)
The Mystery of History 4 3 3 5 5 ind, 1 on 1, g
The Story of the World
4 3 4 5 5 1 on 1, g
(with study guides)
TruthQuest History 3 3 4 4 4 1 on 1, g
Ultimate Geography &
5 3 5 5 5 ind, 1 on 1, g
Timeline Guide
Science

Apologia Science for

3 3 4 2 1 ind, g
Jr. & Sr. High
Behold and See Science
3 3 3 3 3 1 on 1, g
Series
Berean Builders Science 4 2 4 4 5 1 on 1, g
BJU Press Science, grades
3 4 3 3 4 1 on 1, g
1-6
Christian Kids Explore
4 2 4 5 5 1 on 1, g
Science Series
Elemental Science 4 3 3 4 varies 1 on 1, g
Exploring Creation Young 4, but might
Explorer Science (Apologia have too 4 4 4 5 1 on 1, g
for grades 1-6) much writing
God’s Design Science Series 4 4 4 4 4 1 on 1, g
Noeo Science 5 3 4 4 5 1 on 1, g
The Rainbow 4 4 4 4 4 ind, 1 on 1, g
Supercharged Science depends on
5 2 5 3 ind, 1 on 1, g
program
The World of Science (MFW/ depends how
5 1 3 3 ind,1on 1, g
Master Books Edition) it is used
 Top 102 Picks
Chart of Top Picks (1 = low, 5 = high)
69
Amount of Prep time Grade Ease of Teacher's manual: Supports Sup- Religious content: Page
Writing: level use for e=essential, Charlotte ports Protestant=p, # for
1-5 or specific teacher: na=not available, Mason’s classical Catholic=c, review
u=up to =s 1=difficult u=useful, philosophy educa- Secular=s, Secular
parent or multi- through ak=answer key only (na=not tion but “Christian-
level=m 5=easy applicable) friendly”=sc
1, but 4
3 3 m e n/a 4 s 198
with videos
3 1 m 5 see review na 4 s 200

varies 2 m 4 e 3 3 mildly Christian 213

4 4 m 2 e 3 5 p, see review 215

3 2 m 4 e 2 3 c 218

1 1 m 5 na 5 5 sc 223

1, more 1, more
5, 4 with
with full with full m u 5 5 s 224
course
course course
5 4 m 2 e 4 5 sc 225

1 1 m 5 see review 4 3 s 229

1 1 m 5 na 3 4 p/c 230

1 1 m 5 na 4 2 sc 231

u 4 m 4 e 5 2 p 232

sc except Vol. 2
u 3 m 3 e 5 5 235
(see review)
u 3 m 2 e 4 4 p 238

3 4 m 2 e 5 4 sc 240

2, labs re-
3 m 4 ak 4 4 p/c 246
quire more

varies varies s 3 na 2 2 c 250

varies 2-3 m 3 e 4 5 p/c 253

u 4 s 4 e 3 3 p 256

u 5 m 3 e 5 3 p/c 257

1-4 4 m 4 e 5 4 s 260

4 3 m 3 na 3 3 p 262

3 3 m 3 e 3 3 p 264
3 2 m 4 e 4 3 p/c 266
3 2 s 4 e 3 3 p/c 269

varies varies m 3 na 3 3 sc 270

272
1 1 m 4 na 4 3 sc
 102 Top Picks
70 Chart of Top Picks (1 = low, 5 = high)

Multi-sensory/ Structure/ Appeals Has social Needs Independent

hands-on rule-oriented to logical/ activity/ parent/ study=ind,
(Wiggly Willy) (Perfect Paula) analytical interaction teacher one-on-one
learners (Sociable instruction =1 on 1, or
(Competent Sue) group=g
Carl)
Unit Studies/All-in-One
Programs
4, lots of
BookShark 3 3 3 3 reading ind, 1 on 1, g
together
Complete Curriculum 2 5 4 2 3 ind, 1 on 1
3-5, ind (older stu-
Connecting with History 4 3 4 5
varies by age dents), 1 on 1, g
Easy Peasy 2 3 3 3 varies by age ind, 1 on 1
Five in a Row 3 3 1 5 5 1 on 1, g
ind (older stu-
Heart of Dakota 5 4 3 5 varies by age
dents), 1 on 1, g
2-5, varies by ind (older stu-
My Father’s World 3 3 4 4
level dents), 1 on 1, g
4, lots of
Sonlight 3 3 3 3 reading ind, 1 on 1, g
together

Switched-On Schoolhouse or
2 5 2 1 1 ind
Monarch

Tapestry of Grace 4 3 3 5 5 g
Time4Learning 4 3 2 2 1 ind
varies by 1 on 1, small
Trail Guide to Learning 4 3 4 4
level group
varies by
TRISMS 2 4 5 3 ind, 1 on 1, g
student
3-5,
WinterPromise 3 3 3 4 1 on 1, g
varies by age
Electives

The Critical Thinking Co. 3 3 5 3 3 ind, 1 on 1, g

The Fallacy Detective 1 3 5 2 2 ind
The Art of Argument 1 4 5 2 3 primarily ind
A Young Historian's Introduc-
3 2 4 4 5 1 on 1, g
tion to Worldview
What We Believe series
2 3 3 4 5 1 on 1, g
(worldview)
Artistic Pursuits 3 3 3 3 varies 1 on 1, g
Feed My Sheep 5 2 4 4 4 ind, 1 on 1, g
Beethoven Who? 4 2 3 4 5 1 on 1, g
 Top 102 Picks
Chart of Top Picks (1 = low, 5 = high)
71
Amount of Prep time Grade Ease of Teacher's manual: Supports Sup- Religious content: Page
Writing: level use for e=essential, Charlotte ports Protestant=p, # for
1-5 or specific teacher: na=not available, Mason’s classical Catholic=c, review
u=up to =s 1=difficult u=useful, philosophy educa- Secular=s, Secular
parent or multi- through ak=answer key only (na=not tion but “Christian-
level=m 5=easy applicable) friendly”=sc

3 2 m/s 4 e 5 3 sc 278

varies 2 s 3 e 1 1 s 278

u 4 m 1 e 4 5 c 281

varies 1 m/s 4 na 4 2 p 285

u 2 m 4 e 5 1 s, p with supplement 287

u 2 m 4 e 5 3 p 289

293
varies 2 m/s 3 e 5 3 p

299
3 2 m/s 4 e 5 3 p

3, much is 301
na, except for specific
on the 1 s 5 1 1 p
courses
computer
u 5 m 1 e 5 5 p 304

1 1 m/s 5 na 1 1 s 307

310
u 4 m 3 e 4 3 p

314
5 3 m 3 e 3 4 s/p/c - adaptable

317
varies 3 m 3 e 4 1 p

2 1 m 4 e 3 5 s 323

1 1 m 5 na 5 5 p/c 325

3 varies m 4 ak 3 4 p/c 326

1 5 m 3 na 3 4 p/c 327

1 1 m 5 na 3 3 p 328

2 3 m 3 na 4 3 sc 331

1 3 m 4 e 5 4 p 333

1 1 m 4 na 3 3 p/c 334
 CHAPTER
7

Phonics, Reading,
and Literature

While I believe that phonics is a critical component of a good reading program, not all children
learn best from programs that use an intensive phonics approach. One child seems to figure out
the phonetic elements in words on his own with little direct instruction while another needs
explicit instruction with plenty of practice and reinforcement. One child is content to learn to
read with syllables and lists of disconnected words while another prefers the context of meaning-
ful sentences.
Whatever you decide works best for each of your children, please make sure that they do not
learn to read only by memorizing individual words. Sight-reading without any decoding skills
(identifying phonetic elements) makes it practically impossible for children to sound out unfa-
miliar words.
You might choose to work with any one of the excellent reading/phonics programs available.
These programs are generally similar in their goals, but they vary greatly when it comes to meth-
ods and presentation. Some programs offer leeway for a less formal presentation while others
are more rigid and detailed. Some begin teaching phonics with the “consonant-vowel” approach
(e.g., "ba, be, bi, bo, bu") while others reverse this, beginning with vowel-consonant combina-
tions (e.g., "at, am, ad"). Some programs include readers, while others don’t. Some have games
or hands-on activities, while others rely only on oral and written activity.
I have selected programs that approach reading from a variety of educational philosophies.
There is certainly something for everyone amidst all the choices.
I have to mention that there are many other excellent phonics and reading programs that
I could have included. Please forgive me if I’ve left out your favorite! Also, don’t forget that
some comprehensive programs such as Sonlight and My Father’s World incorporate reading and
phonics into at least their kindergarten and first grade levels, while teaching other reading skills
in subsequent grades.
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
73
I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention one of the most valuable resources for teaching
beginning reading, even though it isn’t a program. Ruth Beechick’s The Three R’s (Mott Media,
www.mottmedia.com) is a compilation of three smaller booklets that were previously published
separately. Two of the booklets are on math and language arts, while the third, titled A Home
Start in Reading, addresses phonics and reading. A Home Start in Reading de-mystifies the process
of teaching a child to read and gives you enough instructional material that you could actually
teach your child to read from those 32 pages. I know that this approach is too “bare bones” for
most parents, but even if you choose to use a more complete resource, this book will help you
know what’s important and what is not so that you are in control of your program rather than
the reverse.
Following the reviews of phonics programs, I’ve listed some beginning readers (beginning on
page 87) that you might want to use alongside your program. Once past the beginning reading
and phonics stage, children need to shift their primary focus to comprehension and understand-
ing as well as the study of worthwhile literature. While some reading programs build these
aspects into their courses, others do not. To make certain you consider resources for broader
reading skills, I have included some Top Picks that address those needs following the list of read-
ers. Then at the end of this chapter are reviews of resources for teaching literature for junior and
senior high school, along with a list of recommended literature (real books) titles.

Phonics and Beginning grade that uses Orton-Gillingham methodol-

Reading ogy. With this method, 97% of English words
can be learned according to phonetic rules,
leaving only 3% to be learned as sight words.
All About Reading AAR consists of two main parts: the Pre-
reading program (teaching essential pre-read-
ing skills) and the Reading program (consisting
of Levels 1 through 4). I will briefly discuss a
few features that apply to the entire program,
then I will divide my review into two parts,
covering the Pre-reading program first, then the
rest of the program.
AAR is a highly interactive multi-sensory
program that needs to be taught by the parent
or teacher. However, the open-and-go lesson
plans are scripted and illustrated, making it
by Marie Rippel simple for the inexperienced parent or teacher
All About Learning Press, Inc. to present the lessons with little or no prep
615 Commerce Loop time. Even though it is scripted, AAR is easy to
Eagle River, WI 54521 adapt to each child’s needs by selecting among
715-477-1976 the suggested hands-on activities, choosing
www.allaboutlearningpress.com their favorite books for read-aloud time, and
All About Reading (AAR) is an intensive pho- adjusting the pace and amount of interaction.
nics program for preK through about fourth The phonetic readers are beautifully
 102 Top Picks
74
illustrated hardcover books that could stand to separate and store in the special card filing
on their own. They feature finely detailed box that comes with the complete set. The
black-and-white drawings that are a delight in alphabet charts in the student packet are used
themselves. as teaching tools.
All About Reading Pre-reading Program The read-aloud books are titled The Zigzag
basic package: $79.95, Zebra and Lizard Lou. The Zigzag Zebra intro-
deluxe package: $119.95 duces letters and their sounds in the context of
The All About Reading Pre-reading Program rhymed text that often is a bit silly—just what
teaches essential pre-reading skills. The pri- children love. Alligators, kangaroos, frogs,
mary focus is on what Rippel calls the Big Five snails, yaks, and other “critters” are the sub-
Skills™ that are foundational to a child’s future ject matter. Lizard Lou continues in the same
reading and spelling abilities: print awareness, vein but with lengthier poems, some from
phonological awareness, letter knowledge, lis- famous authors. These read-aloud books are
tening comprehension, and motivation to read. used to develop listening comprehension and
The AAR Pre-reading Program components recognition of sounds in relation to illustra-
are a teacher’s manual, a student packet, two tions. Poems contain sentence structure and
read-aloud books, the Letter Sounds A to Z app, vocabulary likely a little beyond what is already
a Ziggy the Zebra hand puppet used to help familiar to most preschoolers, so you might
teach many of the lessons, a card filing box, have discussions about some of the words and
reading divider cards, and a tote bag. sentences. The nature topics themselves are
Lesson plans include pictures and illustrations also likely to engender discussion.
so you can quickly see which components of The Letter Sounds A to Z app (for computers
the program you’ll need for each lesson. It and mobile devices) displays the letters of the
should take no more than fifteen minutes to alphabet. Children click on a letter to hear the
read the introduction and start teaching. sound. Only short vowels are included. Parents
The student packet includes the My Book of already familiar with the phonetic sounds
Letters student activity book, a progress chart, might not need this.
picture cards, letter sound cards, uppercase All of the components and activities in
and lowercase alphabet charts, and a certifi- the Pre-reading Program work together nicely
cate of completion. to contribute to the development of other
My Book of Letters contains one or two activ- readiness skills as children work with follow-
ity sheets for each lesson in its 192 pages. Some ing directions, cutting, and coloring as well
activity pages function more as teaching tools as listening, comprehending, identifying syl-
while others focus on arts and crafts, but all lables auditorily, making inferences, develop-
activity sheets contribute toward teaching the ing vocabulary, and otherwise acquiring the
Big Five Skills. The activities can be simplified Big Five Skills.
for children who don’t need as much of the Although you can purchase individual com-
cut-and-paste craft work. You will need some ponents, you will probably want to purchase
additional resources for the activity pages such one of the packages. The deluxe package
as scissors, glue, crayons, scraps of fabric and includes all eight components, while the basic
yarn, paint, toothpicks, cotton swabs, colored package includes all items except the puppet,
pencils, a hole punch, star stickers, pipe clean- the tote bag, and the card filing box.
ers, glitter, and twigs. Levels 1 through 4
The cards in the student packet are printed Basic Interactive Kit - $21.85,
and perforated on card stock, ready for you Deluxe Interactive Kit - $43.85
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
75
Beginning in AAR Level 1 and continuing blending for three-letter words and to demon-
through Level 4, the five key components strate how switching the first letter (e.g., using
of reading shift to: phonological awareness, the words Sam and Pam) changes only the
phonics/decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and initial sound. Students also learn to identify
comprehension. vowels and consonants, which are color coded
Before starting Level 1, students should on the tiles. Activity sheets in the student
already know the alphabet and be able to iden- workbook add additional practice and, some-
tify both uppercase and lowercase letters. They times, additional instruction.
might have completed the All About Reading Lessons continue in this fashion, occasion-
Pre-reading Program, but that is not required if ally alerting teachers to strategies for overcom-
you have introduced the alphabet and other ing common problems they might encounter.
pre-reading skills in some other fashion. The introduction of letters follows a progres-
You will also need an Interactive Kit, which sion similar to that of other intensive phonics
is used in Levels 1 through 4 of the reading programs, gradually introducing vowels with
program as well as the free Phonogram Sounds consonants in a way that allows students to
app for computers and mobile devices that you begin reading immediately.
can download from the website. There are two All levels of AAR provide fluency practice
Interactive Kit options: Basic or Deluxe. Both through the word cards, practice sheets in the
kits include a set of letter tiles, magnets, and activity book, and readers.
reading divider cards to organize the phono- The student activity books are a major com-
gram and word cards in your index card box. ponent and add much variety to the lessons
The Deluxe Kit adds a customized storage box through short reading games and activities
for the cards, star stickers for use on the prog- that motivate young learners. For example, in
ress chart, and a custom tote bag for storing all Lesson 3 of Level 1, students play “Feed the
the components. (Note: the All About Spelling Monster” by reading words and then “feeding”
program uses the same letter tiles, so if you are them to the monster.
using both the reading and spelling programs, The hardcover readers in Levels 1 through
you can avoid duplicates by purchasing indi- 4 are just as top-notch as those for the Pre-
vidual items instead of a complete Interactive reading Program, with lovely illustrations and
Kit.) relatively interesting content for vocabulary-
In addition to the essential items for AAR, controlled reading material.
you should also have a 2’ x 3’ magnetic white AAR can be used independently or togeth-
board for both storing and working with the er with the All About Spelling program.
letter tiles. Once you have set up your letter Handwriting is not included as part of this
tiles and separated the phonogram and word reading program.
cards, the program is easy to use. The scripted All About Reading Level 1
lesson plans guide you step by step. If you are materials: $99.95
not familiar with the sounds of the phono- Lessons in Level 1 cover both short and long
grams being taught in a lesson, you can use vowels, as well as some consonant digraphs,
the Phonogram Sounds app to click on any sight words, and even compound words.
phonogram to hear the pronunciation. AAR Level 1 materials include a teacher’s
The AAR program is incremental. The first manual, a student packet, and three hardcover
lesson of Level 1 uses phonogram cards and readers. The student packet contains the Blast
letter tiles to teach the four sounds: /m/, /s/, Off to Reading! student activity book, pho-
/p/, and /ă/. Tiles are also used to introduce nogram cards, word cards, and a viewfinder
 102 Top Picks
76
bookmark. The perforated phonogram and introduces students to more advanced con-
word cards need to be separated and stored in cepts such as word morphology, dialects, and
a 3” x 5” index card box or the Reading Review words with influence from other languages
Box offered by the publisher. (Greek, Spanish, French, and Italian). The
All About Reading Level 2 Level 4 materials include a teacher’s manual,
materials: $99.95 a student packet (including the Soar with
AAR Level 2 continues to teach additional Reading activity book), and two hardcover
phonograms and rules such as the jobs of "silent readers. A variety of story elements and addi-
e" and twelve new phonograms. Students use tional examples of figurative language are also
letter tiles to learn how to divide words into covered.
syllables as a decoding strategy. Summary
The Level 2 materials include a teacher’s All About Reading is a very reasonably priced
manual, a student packet (including the Leap option for an interactive, multi-sensory read-
into Reading activity book), and two hardcover ing program that is scripted and easy to use.
readers. You will continue to use the letter All components except the student workbooks
tiles from the previous level. Practice sheets and star stickers are reusable, so the value is
are separated into “Easier Vocabulary” and even greater when you use it with more than
“Harder Vocabulary” sections; you can work one student.
with both sections or just one, depending on
your student’s needs. They include phrases and
sentences to provide practice that is closer to Explode The Code
reality than simply reading word lists. by Nancy M. Hall
All About Reading Level 3 EPS Literacy and
materials: $119.95 Intervention
All About Reading Level 3 broadens students’ PO Box 9031
horizons by teaching 17 new phonograms and Cambridge, MA
exploring syllable types, suffixes, prefixes, and 02139-9031
syllable division rules. Increasing emphasis 800-225-5750
is placed on reading comprehension and flu- www.epsbooks.com
ency through pre- and post-reading discussion student books -
activities. The Level 3 materials include a $9.40 each,
teacher’s manual, a student packet (includ- teacher’s guides -
ing the Swing into Reading activity book), and $9.35 each
two hardcover readers. Figurative language There are fourteen separate workbooks in
(personification, similes, onomatopoeia) is this series, although you might not want to use
introduced, and practice is provided to help them all. Many families use Explode The Code
students develop meaningful expression when as their primary phonics teaching resource,
reading aloud. but you might want to use these for phonics
All About Reading Level 4 reinforcement alongside something like Noah
materials: $119.95 Webster’s Reading Handbook (reviewed later
The fourth and final level in the AAR pro- in this chapter) that doesn’t have a writing or
gram builds on previously introduced con- workbook component. Some families also use
cepts by teaching a wide range of suffixes, 15 Explode the Code with older children who have
new phonograms, words with silent letters, a weak phonics foundation.
and words with unaccented syllables. It also These workbooks each teach selected
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
77
phonetic concepts rather than covering most books that teach letter formation, phone-
or all of them in each book. Students learn mic awareness, sound/letter correspondence,
all phonetic concepts by completing Books 1 tracking, and other pre-reading skills. The
through 8. While phonic decoding skills are three books are titled Get Ready for The Code,
the primary focus, reading comprehension and Get Set for The Code, and Go for The Code—
vocabulary also get some attention. also known as Books A, B, and C. A single
Books are printed in black and white. They teacher's guide covers all three books.
feature large print and less of it per page than Explode The Code Online
some other phonics workbooks, making them 12-month subscription for one student - $65
a good choice for children who can do only Explode The Code Online provides web-
limited amounts of writing or have trouble based instruction using lessons adapted from
focusing. the entire series of Explode The Code books.
Students should be able to do most work Lessons are presented in full-color with audio
independently once someone has read the instructions so that children may work inde-
instructions for that page to them. After a pendently. Student responses are recorded
while, students will become familiar with the and their progress assessed. The program then
types of exercises and will seldom need even makes adjustments for students to move ahead
that assistance. or review so that they are working only on
Books 1 through 8 are the most impor- skills they need to learn. The program might
tant. The content of each is as follows: Book even skip lessons that review a concept if
1 - short vowels; Book 2 - initial and final the student has demonstrated mastery. As a
consonant blends; Book 3 - open syllables, helpful extra feature, students are rewarded
silent-e rule, digraphs, and simple diphthongs; with various colored “buttons.” The parent or
Book 4 - syllable division rules; Book 5 - word teacher can quickly glance at the buttons and
families, three-letter blends, "qu, ey," and the see how well a student is doing by the color of
three sounds of "ed"; Book 6 - more difficult the buttons instead of analyzing results.
diphthongs and r-controlled vowels; Book 7 - You can use the program by purchasing
soft "c" and "g," silent letters, sounds of "ear, a one-year subscription. Explode The Code
ei, eigh," and the digraph "ph"; Book 8 - suf- Online can be accessed from your computer or
fixes and irregular endings. Books 1½, 2½, 3½, from your iPad or Android device. Students
4½, 5½, and 6½ offer more practice on topics may access all levels during that subscription
covered within Books 1, 2, 3, etc. respectively. period. You can renew for subsequent years as
Post-tests are included within each book. needed. The program will track one student
If you use Explode The Code as your primary per subscription, and you can purchase addi-
teaching tool, you will need to provide reading tional subscriptions. This program can serve as
practice with other books. your core program for teaching reading.
Teacher’s guides each cover a number of I think the online option might be even more
books. For example, the teacher’s guide for appealing than the books since it tailors assign-
Books 1-2 covers Books 1, 2, 1½, and 2½. Guides ments for students. This keeps students from
include the program description, answers, and getting bored and frees the parent from having
dictations for the post-tests. Other teacher’s to decide which books or lessons a student
guides are for Books 3-4 (includes 3 ½ and 4 needs to complete.
½), 5-6 (includes 5 ½ and 6 ½), and 7-8.
Those with preschoolers or kindergartners
might want to use the “primer” series of three
 102 Top Picks
78
Logic of English Foundations sounds by listening for the sounds, feeling how
by Denise Eide they are pronouncing them, and watching the
Pedia Learning, Inc. teacher pronounce them.
10800 Lyndale Ave. S Foundations recommends teaching cursive
Bloomington, MN 55420 first rather than printing (called "manuscript"
507-250-2557 in Foundations), but it includes instructions
www.logicofenglish.com for both so that you may choose which you
See review for prices. prefer. They do this very clearly in the teach-
Foundations courses er’s manuals with side-by-side green boxes for
A through D comprise cursive instruction and blue boxes for print-
the beginning program ing. You need to be sure to choose either the
within the Logic of manuscript or cursive student workbook for
English’s language arts each level.
program. Foundations is a thoroughly multi-sensory
While it can be used program, although it is left to the teacher to
with children ages decide whether or not children are ready for
four through seven, handwriting worksheets in course A. Author
Foundations is prob- Denise Eide points out that some children
ably ideal to begin at kindergarten level for should practice forming letters with large
most children. You will generally use two or motor movements while they are develop-
more courses per year. The publisher suggests ing the requisite fine motor skills. Both large
various sequences on their website, but the and small motor activities are included in the
most common sequence will be to complete program with many interactive activities and
two courses per year. That means you might games built into the lessons. Multi-sensory
complete levels A and B in kindergarten and activities are presented both as basic learning
levels C and D in first grade. From there, you strategies and as “Multi-Sensory Fun” sidebars
can move into Logic of English Essentials. that are sometimes optional.
Some might recognize the underlying Writing Lessons are written for classroom instruction
Road to Reading philosophy for teaching lan- but can easily be used for teaching a single
guage arts in Foundations. In her book, The student. There are occasional group activities
Writing Road to Reading (WRR), Romalda such as a “Writing Relay” game that you might
Spalding promotes teaching reading, writing, have to skip. Some group activities really help
handwriting, and spelling together for mutual students grasp the concepts, and you can often
reinforcement. WRR also has students learn all do them with just a parent and a child.
of the sounds for each phonogram at the same Detailed lesson plans are scripted with
time. That means that when the letter “a” is instructions for each step of the lesson which
introduced, students learn the three primary makes it easy for the inexperienced teacher or
sounds the vowel is likely to make rather than parent. Some lesson preparation is required.
just the short-a sound as is taught in most pro- Each lesson lists the objectives and materials
grams. These WRR strategies are included in needed at the beginning. In addition to the
Foundations. course materials, you will need a few items
In addition, Foundations helps children learn such as Lego® blocks (or something similar),
the way sounds are formed by the mouth, markers, crayons, chalk, scissors, glue, and
tongue, and voice box from the very beginning crackers. For course A, you will also create a
so that children develop awareness of these “sensory box” using a shallow pan or box filled
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
79
with salt or cornmeal; students can practice a few other optional items you might consider
writing phonograms in the sensory box. such as letter tiles and Bob Books readers.
The program also comes with a custom Foundations A
whiteboard with a five-inch tall writing line Course A has 40 lessons and 8 review lessons.
on one side and rows of 1 inch lines on It teaches all of the single-letter phonograms
the reverse. The teacher generally uses the “a” through “z” and their various pronuncia-
large line to demonstrate strokes and letter tions as well as the phonogram “qu.” This level
formation. Students practice in various ways. presents only the lower-case forms. Students
First, they “write” with their arms or fingers develop phonemic awareness in words as they
in the air, on the ground, in the sensory box, learn to identify initial, middle, and ending
on handwriting cards (that come with the sounds in words. Students are introduced to
program), and on the whiteboard. Then they blending with auditory activities from the
write with markers on the whiteboard, in the beginning of the program. The blending activi-
workbook, or on handwriting practice pages. ties prepare students for lesson 21 which
Gradually they progress to writing with pencils presents the first three spelling (and reading)
and pens. Methods vary from lesson to lesson. words: cat, dad, and sad. Students might write
After every fifth lesson there is a review and the words or spell them with letter tiles. By the
assessment lesson so that parents and teach- end of course A, students can read many high-
ers can make sure students have mastered frequency consonant-vowel-consonant words
concepts before moving on rather than for and some one-syllable words with consonant
assigning grades. Optional practice ideas are blends.
included for you to use as needed to address A colorful hardcover book, Doodling Dragons:
weak areas identified by the assessments. An ABC Book of Sounds is part of the course
Student workbooks are printed in full color. materials for course A. The first week or two,
Some pages at the back are used to construct you will also be reading aloud your own Dr.
readers. The student workbook is used within Seuss books as part of each day’s lesson since
the context of the teacher’s lesson presenta- these books help introduce phonograms by
tion and cannot be used for independent study. “playing” with the sounds of words in a delight-
You will need one student workbook for each ful way.
level in your choice of cursive or manuscript. Foundations B
The Foundations program also requires other Course B continues with upper-case letters
specialized items from Pedia Learning: Basic and more complex phonograms with lessons
Phonogram Flashcards, Phonogram Game numbered 41 through 80. As with course A,
Cards, the custom whiteboard described there are eight review lessons. Students learn
above, Rhythm of Handwriting Tactile Cards how to identify vowel sounds by marking them
(with raised, sandpaper-like strokes, letters, with curved lines, straight lines, and two dots
and numbers), and the Rhythm of Handwriting (i.e., breves, macrons, and umlauts). They
Quick Reference folder. (For the last two items also draw lines to identify phonograms such
you will choose either manuscript or cursive as “tch.” Ten spelling rules are taught in the
style.) Foundations recommends that you have course. Spelling lists are included in every
two decks of the Phonogram Game Cards. lesson except the review lessons. Students
These are published in three versions: manu- practice forming the words by writing them or
script, cursive, and bookface. You should prob- using letter tiles. There are no spelling tests.
ably purchase a bookface deck plus either of By the end of course B, students are read-
the other decks. The publisher recommends ing and writing sentences such as, “Did you
 102 Top Picks
80
clean the sink?” The emphasis is on auditory for each child, using the multi-sensory activi-
and visual recognition more than on written ties and pausing at the review lessons to make
work at this level. Optional challenge activi- sure students have mastered the necessary
ties include dictation sentences. Eight readers concepts before moving ahead.
that you assemble yourself are at the back of You can purchase the Foundations Complete
the student workbook, but you can purchase Set which at this time includes courses A, B,
pre-made readers if you wish. You might want and C ($268 for print editions, but price will
to use additional practice readers. vary with customization) or you can purchase
Foundations C a Foundations Reusable Resources Set (about
Course C adds 11 more spelling rules, 27 $85) and only course A ($56) and Doodling
multi-letter phonograms, and the schwa sound. Dragons ($15) to get started. Sets are config-
Students learn to read multi-syllable words. As ured to reflect your preferences for manuscript
students become more fluent readers they are and cursive styles. Workbooks are sold either
given paragraphs to read with questions to as print books or as PDFs with either a family
answer about what they have read. This level or classroom license. A family license is the
has 40 lessons with eight review lessons. Eight same cost as the print book, so you might con-
readers are again included at the back of the sider this option, perhaps printing some pages
student book, but as children become more in black-and-white and others (such as the
fluent readers they often need even more addi- storybooks) in color.
tional reading material. Foundations makes the Writing Road to Reading
Foundations D methodology easy to use without any training.
Course D has 40 lessons and 8 review les- It provides thorough coverage of language arts
sons. Instead of the readers at the back of for the early grades in an integrated fashion
the student workbook, it now uses real books that saves you the trouble of selecting separate
such as Little Bear and Mouse and Mole that handwriting and spelling programs.
you obtain separately. Students learn ten more
spelling rules and some advanced phonograms.
They are expected to write sentences with McRuffy Language Arts Programs
minimal help and begin to construct their own
sentences. Reading comprehension skills are
taught as students learn to sequence events,
identify the main idea and the main character,
and explain how the story was resolved. Note
that course D is being released as I go to print
with this book.
Summary
Foundations is a little more advanced than
some other programs if you begin with A and
B at kindergarten level. Correlation to the
Common Core Standards at the front of each by Brian Davis, M.A. Ed.
teacher’s manual shows that A covers some McRuffy Press
first grade level standards as well as those PO Box 212
for kindergarten while B covers even a few Raymore, MO 64083
standards for second grade. Consequently, you 816-331-7831
should proceed at a pace that is comfortable email: [email protected]
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
81
www.mcruffy.com type program.
Kindergarten, First Grade, or Second There are two teacher’s manuals for each
Grade Complete Special Edition level for first grade and above. At the begin-
Curriculum - $129.95 per level ning of each teacher’s manual (only in the first
McRuffy Language Arts programs for kin- volume of two-volume sets) are an overview of
dergarten through fourth grade cover phonics, the program and its components, a scope and
reading, spelling, grammar, and composition. sequence, spelling lists, game ideas, suggestions
Optional handwriting workbooks easily inte- for helping students with creative writing, and
grate with the other components of each other helps. There are also two student work-
course. While the complete programs for all books for each level.
levels are very good, I particularly like the I reviewed the Special Edition which is the
kindergarten, first, and second-grade pro- latest edition and the one most readily avail-
grams, especially their coverage of reading and able to home educators. The most noticeable
phonics. difference is that these are printed in color
Most phonics programs require direct instruc- while earlier editions were not. However, the
tion for the beginning levels, but some reduce Special Editions also have more material than
the amount of direct teaching around third the earlier editions.
grade. However, McRuffy continues with a Kindergarten Level
teacher-intensive program all the way through. McRuffy teaches phonics in a fairly tradi-
This might be helpful for struggling readers, tional fashion. Students should have some
but I think some parents might want to use a exposure to the alphabet before beginning the
program that does not require so much direct kindergarten program. The first lesson begins
instruction once students are able to read by having children identify the letters "a"
independently. through "e." They learn that there are capital
This program made my Top Picks list for and small letters as well as how to distinguish
a number of reasons. It is a comprehensive between them. They learn the /ă/ sound and
program that uses proven teaching methods, they write both capital and small "a"—all
and it has full-color workbooks and readers. within the first lesson. Students begin blend-
Teacher’s manuals are easy to use. It incorpo- ing the letters "b" and "a" together in lesson
rates multi-sensory learning, and it is surpris- three. This is a rapid pace for students who do
ingly low priced. Even better, if you have more not already have fairly good phonemic aware-
than one student or reuse the program another ness and who do not already recognize the
year, you need only purchase a second set of letters of the alphabet by name. The program
workbooks. quickly moves students into reading sentences
Both teacher and student books have lay-flat with lesson 23 presenting “Pat has a cat” for
spiral bindings, student books have laminated students to read. The kindergarten level intro-
covers and sturdy pages, so they should hold duces all of the letters, both long and short
up well. Teacher’s manuals have step-by-step vowels, some digraphs, a few sight words, and
lesson plans and include reduced, color repro- the names of colors. Spelling is taught as rein-
ductions of student pages. Lessons are scripted, forcement for phonics.
making it easy for the inexperienced teacher There are two sets of readers for kindergarten.
to know exactly what to do and say. Even so, These are printed in color on matte-finish
there are frequent open-ended questions that card stock. In the first set of ten readers, each
might lead you off the script for a short time. book has only four pages. In the second set of
This is not a predictable question-response twenty readers, each book has from 12 to 15
 102 Top Picks
82
pages. Illustrations do provide visual clues, but with figures from each storybook. These can
as sentences get longer, and especially when be cut out, colored, and mounted on ice cream
there is more than one sentence on a page sticks for use as puppets. Students use these
to read, students will not be able to rely on to retell the stories or do creative story telling.
visual clues to decode the words. The teacher’s Each story has a coloring sheet with lines for
manual directs conversation about each story writing at the bottom so that students can add
that expands beyond simple comprehension a caption or write a sentence. Students who
into critical and creative thinking. Students prefer to draw might instead use the formatted
practice “story creating” orally, in writing, and pages in the resource pack that have space for
with cut-out puppets. drawing their own pictures and writing their
The program does include some drill. As own captions or sentences.
part of a daily routine, children are drilled McRuffy Press Flip & Draw™: Ruff’s Pre-
on the alphabet, sounds of the letters, short Writing is an extra bonus included in the
vowels, long vowels, capital and small-letter Kindergarten Resource Pack. This resource for
identification, color names, and other words developing eye-hand coordination helps chil-
they have been learning. Flashcards and dren learn basic handwriting strokes and skills
laminated charts for drill and review are in the such as controlled lines, curves, and slant. This
resource pack for this level. ingenious book has a clear overlay that can flip
A typical lesson might begin with some drill to cover either the front or back of any page in
and review. Then following the script in the this book. Students should use fine line wipe-
teacher’s manual, you introduce a new concept. off markers as they practice tracing the vari-
Students complete a workbook activity related ous lines and shapes as well as printing their
to the new concept. These activities might be own names. The 30 pages in the book are also
matching columns, circling the correct answer, reproducible. The Flip & Draw is not incorpo-
reading and writing phonograms or words, rated into the lesson plans. Use it as you wish.
puzzles, fill-in-the-blanks, word searches, or The teacher’s manual includes models for
cut-and-paste activities. handwriting in both traditional and modern
In some lessons students will use “sliders.” manuscript (printed) forms. At the front of the
Sliders are sleeves constructed from heavy card teacher’s manual you will find suggestions for
stock into which you insert strips of letters or tactile learning for students who might benefit.
phonograms that will appear in the window. Also, there are “Assessment Item Analysis”
Corresponding phonograms that will allow grids for the weekly assessments that will help
students to create words are already printed on you identify potential problem areas.
each slider. Preprinted forms with sliders and The kindergarten program also teaches
instructions as well as preprinted strips for the language fundamentals: sentences, periods,
sliders are in the resource pack. question marks, capitalization of the first word
Games add another hands-on, interactive in sentences, rhyming words, antonyms, and
dimension to this program. Laminated game vocabulary. Adding handwriting instruction
boards and playing pieces come in the Resource with McRuffy’s books (choose from traditional
Pack that comes with the program. You will cut or modern manuscript or cursive workbooks)
out game cards and other pieces from card or those from another publisher rounds this
stock in the resource pack. Many games can out into a total language arts program.
be played solo, but most are more fun with at First Grade
least one other player, even if it’s a parent. The The McRuffy program for first grade pro-
Resource Pack also includes cardstock pages vides students with a Language and Reading
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
83
workbook (LAR) and a Spelling and Phonics words each week. Words with common pho-
workbook (SAP). Instructions in the two-vol- netic elements are introduced on Monday,
ume teacher’s manual direct you to teach from and students complete workbook activities
both workbooks and one of the storybooks in Monday through Thursday. Friday is for the
most lessons. weekly spelling test. Four weeks out of the
The first unit of LAR is largely review of year, the lessons review phonetic concepts
concepts taught in kindergarten. From there previously covered in spelling lessons—sort of
it progresses to more challenges phonograms, a comprehensive review and reinforcement.
prefixes and suffixes, contractions, and two- Activities vary from lesson to lesson, some-
syllable words. By the end of first grade, most times overlapping with broader language arts
of the phonograms will have been introduced. skills such as adding suffixes and identifying
LAR workbook activities include writing rhyming words.
words or sentences, sorting, circling, matching, First grade level includes 34 storybooks that
alphabetizing, unscrambling words, proofread- each have about 16 pages. The resource pack
ing and making corrections, puzzles, fill-in-the- for first grade is very similar to that for kinder-
blanks, and multiple-choice questions. The garten minus the flash cards. While it also has
amount of writing increases significantly from games, there is no packet with dice and pawns
the kindergarten level. The LAR workbook as there is for kindergarten. (You can use those
also includes a few original poems that stu- from the kindergarten set or from any other
dents will read with the teacher. Phonics game.)
activities that follow relate to each poem. Second Grade
Every fifth workbook page is an assessment of The second grade program is constructed
phonics, language, and reading skills. like the first grade program with a two-volume
The teacher's manual instructs you to direct teacher’s manual and two student workbooks:
students in writing their own stories, often Language and Reading (LAR) and Spelling and
developing their ideas based on discussion Phonics (SAP). It quickly reviews previously
of one of the storybooks. For story writing, taught phonics skills then adds more chal-
you can use the reproducible forms from the lenging phonograms such as "ou, ough, augh,"
resource pack that comes with the program and "ph." Common phonetic elements con-
(your choice of either single pages or forms to tinue to serve as the basis for spelling lists. The
create books) or any other paper you choose. grammar component is much stronger as the
Instructions for creative writing, the writing program introduces nouns, verbs, adjectives,
process, and how to make a book are at the adverbs, pronouns, types of sentences, tenses,
front of the first volume of the teacher’s quotation marks, syllables, homophones, con-
manual. Creative writing is one area where the tractions, root words, prefixes, suffixes, and
instructions are general rather than detailed. other topics. It teaches then reviews each topic
Students determine what they want to write a number of times.
about from your discussion time, then it is up The second grade course is very strong in
to you to direct and assist them with ideas from developing reading skills. Some lessons use
the manual. graphic organizers to analyze story elements,
The SAP workbook is somewhat similar to but much reading skill development occurs
other spelling programs, although the lessons through the interactive dialogue led by the
relate directly to LAR. The first five weeks teacher. The 28 readers for this level generally
review concepts taught in kindergarten. After have 16 pages each. Stories are quite complex
that the lessons work with a new list of spelling with lengthy dialogues and many paragraphs
 102 Top Picks
84
per page. However, they still retain full-color
should not be surprising since it’s an updated
illustrations on every other page. In addition,
version of Webster’s original Blue-Backed
the LAR workbook includes non-fiction read- Speller that was used to teach thousands (at
ing activities. The newest edition has added least!) of children in past centuries.
ten lessons on fables and folktales. It follows a fairly
Composition work continues to challenge standard progression,
students with creative writing activities, but introducing short
it also teaches book report writing, letter vowels first then
writing, recipe writing, and a few other forms using consonant-
of expository writing. vowel practice to
Instead of a resource pack there is a Test help beginning read-
and Assessment Packet. While there are ers learn to blend.
assessments in the earlier levels, those for Next, long vowels
second grade include four-page quarterly tests are taught, followed
along with phonics and language tests for every by consonant blends
fifth lesson. and digraphs, vowel
McRuffy’s optional handwriting workbooks blends (diphthongs), the various sounds of the
include either printing or cursive options orvowel "o," modified vowels ("ar, er, ir, or, ur"),
a transitional book that covers both, with suffixes ("ing, er"), and silent letters.
your choice of either traditional or slant-printPractice words and sentences are includ-
style printing. Handwriting lessons correlateed on each page as soon as is appropriate.
with phonics and spelling instruction. These Lengthier reading selections (Bible-based) are
worktexts are bound at the top and lie flat at the back of the book. Rules are presented in
which makes them easy for either right- or left-
boxes at the bottom of pages, but this program
handed students to use. does not teach very many rules compared to
Of course you can continue with this programs such as All About Reading and others
excellent program beyond second grade level, based on The Writing Road to Reading meth-
but I especially like the very solid and easy-to-
odology. A few pages of technical information
use foundation in reading and language arts are at the back of the book for parents who
it provides for the early grades when it is so
want to better understand the functions of the
crucial. alphabet and sounds.
No frills, no confusion, straight-to-the-point
phonics, and there seems to be little missing
Noah Webster’s Reading other than more work on sight words, complete
Handbook treatment of the “ough” sounds, and the extra
Christian Liberty Press practice and review students need to really
502 W. Euclid Ave. master reading skills.
Arlington Heights, IL 60004 Add this to your list of possibilities if you’re
800-348-0899 looking for a simple, uncluttered approach for
email: [email protected] teaching basic phonics. This book also suits
www.shopchristianliberty.com remedial learners of all ages who need to learn
$10 phonics. If using it with kindergartners or
This has got to be just about the cheapest first graders, consider using Christian Liberty
resource for teaching phonics and beginning Press’s Adventures in Phonics series for written
reading! It does a very adequate job, which practice and reinforcement which I review at
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
85
www.CathyDuffyReviews.com. the vowel sound.
Multi-sensory learning methods (hearing,
saying, tracing, writing) are used with each
Phonics Pathways letter. Upper and lower case letters are
by Dolores G. Hiskes shown from the beginning, although children
Jossey-Bass/an imprint of John Wiley & Sons work primarily with lower case letters. You
800-956-7739 might need to take some extra time to work
www.josseybass.com specifically on recognition and writing of upper
Also available through the author at case letters, although this could be done late in
Dorbooks, Inc. the program.
800-852-4890 Each new concept taught is followed by words,
www.dorbooks.com phrases, or sentences for practice, so no extra
Phonics Pathways - $32.95 reading material is necessary. Reading practice
Phonics Pathways is a is designed to improve tracking skills from left
complete phonics pro- to right. Some of the phrases and sentences
gram, self-contained are purposely nonsensical or humorous to keep
within one large book it entertaining. The “Dewey the Bookworm”
so you do not need character and positive-thinking type proverbs
a separate teacher’s are also used throughout the book for the same
manual. reason.
The program will The program covers all phonetic sounds,
work for all ages as well diacritical markings, suffixes and prefixes,
as for remedial read- plurals and possessives, contractions, and
ers. Sounds of the letters are taught, begin- compound words. Teaching instruction is on
ning with short vowels. As each consonant is each page, and it is brief enough that no
taught, it is immediately used to begin making significant preparation time is needed.
blends with the short vowels. Beginning blends One oddity worth noting pops up frequently
are taught “consonant-vowel” (i.e., "ba, bi, bo," in the instructions. Sometimes they are written
etc.). Because of the quick movement into directly to students even though students
blending practice, children are soon reading of this program cannot yet read sentences
three-letter words. this complex. But this is no big deal. Parents
One problem that crops up in this and or teachers just need to read through the
other programs that begin with consonant- instructions and present whatever is necessary
vowel combinations is that children guess at to students.
vowel sounds since actual vowel sounds are An index to spelling rules, spelling and
generally determined by what comes after the pronunciation charts, plural and suffix spelling
vowel—and in the early stages of the program charts, and two pages of “Vision and Motor
there’s nothing “coming after” to give them a Coordination Training Exercises” are at the
clue. When children start reading long vowel back of the book. Try some of these exercises
words they need to be taught to scan ahead if you have a child who seems to have minor
for signals such as silent-e that determine the learning disabilities.
vowel sound. Phonics Pathways has tried to Phonics Pathways introduces “pyramids” as
address this problem in their newest editions another reading strategy within its lessons.
by adding diacritical markings to vowels when Reading exercises expand in pyramid fashion
children might run into problems determining from a single word to complex sentences.
 102 Top Picks
86
Within each pyramid, the single word is repeat- on hand, the most successful “learn to read”
ed in each subsequent line, but each time one books were my sons’ own favorite books like
or more additional words are added to create Green Eggs and Ham.
and then expand a sentence. As I read through Teach a Child to Read with
Phonics Pathways is among my Top Picks Children’s Books, I felt like I was reading a
because it does a great job of teaching phonics, description of my own experience. One of the
it is very reasonably priced for such a com- most important recommendations in this book
prehensive program, it is easy for parents to is that we read lots and lots of books to our
use, and it has options that can make it more children from the time they are little. Children
multi-sensory. develop a love of books, and they learn what
reading is all about and how it works by
watching and interacting with someone who
Teach a Child to Read with reads to them. This is so foundational that
Children’s Books, fourth edition the authors point to a study that tells us that,
by Mark Thogmartin and Mary Gallagher “Children who entered school with a large
New Learning Concepts, Inc. bank of vocabulary words they had heard and
PO Box 338 used consistently scored higher on vocabulary
Bloomington, IN 47402 and comprehension tests at ages 9 and 10 than
800-925-7853 those whose vocabulary was limited” (p. 14).
www.teachachildtoread.net But it’s not just about good test scores. Rather
$24.95 it’s about developing a love for reading.
I have reviewed more The authors, Mark Thogmartin and Mary
phonics and reading Gallagher, discuss the conflicts between the
programs than I can intensive phonics and whole language camps
recall over the years. over how to teach reading, showing that the
I have written up best approach uses both methods. The authors
reviews of many that identify problems at both extremes. Children
I liked and found use- taught with pure whole language approaches
ful and ignored many do not usually learn how to decode; everything
others. However, when is learned through sight and context. On
I actually taught my the other hand, children taught with some
own children to read, I intensive phonics programs, get so bogged
never used a complete phonics program. I used down in the rules and minutiae of phonics that
bits and pieces and ideas from some programs, they associate the drills and workbooks very
but we primarily used real books, magnetic negatively with the whole idea of reading.
letters, and encounters with the real world for Instead of either extreme, they propose a
developing reading skills. combination of both, but one that starts with
This might sound totally disorganized to you, and continually works from good children’s
but there was an underlying progression as my literature with phonics used when and as is
children first learned some of the letters and appropriate. The phonics instruction grows
their sounds, then started recognizing some from the child’s own curiosity and interaction
words, then mastered more letters and sounds, with words.
gradually building up a reading vocabulary Recognizing that word formation and writing
from simple words to more complex. While I reinforce reading skills, the authors present
had a few simple beginning practice readers an integrated use of magnetic alphabets, all
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
87
sorts of beginning writing formats, dictation, Identification Check Sheet,” (these last two
copying, story writing, writing letters, and are two different forms) “Lesson Plan/Journal,”
much more. “Books Read,” and “Known Words.” While
This is not a step-by-step program, but you might use other methods of accountability
rather a guide for parents to create their own such as writing “known words” on a large sheet
program. Lest that sound overwhelming, they of paper covering the back of a door, these
present very concrete suggestions and steps forms might provide parents the security and
that you might follow, including a lengthy accountability they need.
journal from one homeschooling mother who I think that Mark Thogmartin and Mary
taught her daughter this way. But the method- Gallagher’s research and recommendations
ology cannot be presented as scheduled lesson are so important that I would love to see
plans, because the essence of it requires that every parent of preschoolers read this before
we respond to our children’s own developmen- making a decision about purchasing any other
tal timetable and select books that appeal to program.
them.
One parent might find herself working Beginning Phonics Readers
through Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham over
and over with her child as I did while another When children are learning phonics they
might be focused on Eric Carle’s Do You Want need lots of practice with simple reading
to Be My Friend? Parents will likely have a shelf material. Beginning readers are sometimes
full of favorite books that a child requests to included in phonics programs, but other times
hear every day, but each child is likely to have you need to find your own. Those listed below
his or her own personal favorites that make are not included in my Top Picks since they are
great jumping off points for beginning reading. only representative of what is available.
At the back of the book are lengthy lists of
children’s literature that might be good choic- A Beka Book
es for different levels. One list recommends Box 18000
read-aloud books that are predictable and use Pensacola, FL 32532
rhymes and patterns—elements that are par- 877-223-5226
ticularly appealing to preschoolers. Some books www.abeka.org
on this list, such as Shel Silverstein’s Where the $16.95 for all 13, teacher edition - $17.95
Sidewalk Ends, might appeal to older children. These are 13 small, colorful readers, divided
The read-aloud recommendations also have a into three sets of readers. The sets progress in
separate list for chapter books and short novels difficulty, reflected in the set titles: “I Learn to
that you can continue to read aloud to older Read,” “I Do Read,” and “I Can Read Well.”
children. Other lists are recommendations for They begin with short-vowel words, shift into
books that children might tackle themselves at long vowels by the fourth book, and continue
each of five developmental levels from emer- up through words like “south,” “ground,” and
gent readers (preK) through about second “bright.” You can purchase the individual
grade level. books or you might purchase the teacher
Lest you still think this is a totally disorganized edition that includes all of the readers in one
method, record keeping forms are included. comb-bound book.
Among these are a checklist for tracking
“Basic Concepts about Books and Print,” Bob Books
a “Letter Identification Checklist,” “Letter Scholastic, Inc.
 102 Top Picks
88
800-325-6149 complexity. For most children, you will still
www.scholastic.com need additional practice with short vowel
$16.99 per set words beyond these readers. While there are a
These sets of beginning readers are phoneti- few Bible stories and some character-building
cally organized with controlled vocabulary, yet stories, most are about children, fairy tales,
the stories are a bit more interesting than many nature, and other common subjects. Books
other such readers. Illustrations are simple are illustrated in full color. The price is very
black-and-white line drawings with occasional reasonable for so much good quality reading
color accents. Both the stories and drawings material.
have a child-like character. Teaching instruc-
tions are short and simple. Phonics Practice Readers
The series begins with My First Bob Books: Modern Curriculum Press/Pearson Learning
Pre-Reading Skills and My First Bob Books: 800-848-9500
Alphabet to prepare a child for reading. Each www.pearsonschool.com
set contains 12 books. $26.97 per set
The next five sets are the actual readers that For variety’s sake, Modern Curriculum Press
will correlate with many phonics programs. offers two different series (B and C) of these
Set 1: Beginning Readers (12 books) concen- secular readers from which you can choose.
trates on short-vowel words. Set 2: Advancing You need not purchase them all. Within each
Beginners (12 books) continues with short- series are four sets: short vowels, long vowels,
vowel, consistent words, adding double conso- blends, and digraphs. Each set consists of ten,
nants, blends, endings, some sight words, and eight-page books. You might need only short
longer stories. Set 3: Word Families (10 books) and long vowels before your children are ready
adds longer words and suffixes. Set 4: Complex for many beginning reading books. These are
Words (8 books) adds sight words, new blends, inexpensive and colorfully illustrated. Each set
and longer complex words. Set 5: Long Vowels comes with a teacher’s guide.
(8 books) adds long vowel words.
In addition, there are two sets of Sight Words Beyond Phonics
readers, one for kindergarten and one for first
grade. Each of these sets has ten readers. Both Once children have begun to read, the
sets support a phonics approach while intro- natural inclination is to get a reading program
ducing sight words. Finally, the newest set, with readers and workbooks. However, this is
Rhyming Words (10 books) focuses on three- another place where focusing on your goals can
and four-letter rhyming words. save you time, money, and effort, and possibly
produce better results with your children. Here
Reading for Fun Enrichment Library are four things to think about before deciding
A Beka Book what to do next:
877-223-5226 1.) If one of your goals is to improve decoding
www.abeka.com proficiency—which means being able to figure
$49.45 out how to say or read words—just about any
Fifty-four small readers come in this boxed set. reading material that is not too difficult can
While they do not follow as strict a phonetic be used as fodder for practice. Those early
progression as the Phonics Practice Readers reading books by Dr. Seuss and others can be
(reviewed next), they do begin with short much more fun than readers while providing
vowels and gradually increase the phonetic essentially the same type decoding practice.
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
89
2.) Other goals should have to do with and effective for all concerned. There are so
children understanding what they are reading. many supplemental resources for reading that
You begin at lower levels of thinking, asking are useful that I want to warn you that the
children to narrate back simple data or events selections I have made for my Top Picks are
from what they have read. As they progress, very arbitrary and limited. Please explore other
you move on to more challenging levels of options too. You can easily find them at teacher
thinking. Children begin to interpret what they supply stores, in catalogs, and online. Some will
read, draw parallels to their own experience, or be broad in their skills coverage, while others
make connections to other things they know. might focus narrowly on comprehension, work
Later, they begin to compare and contrast, with analogies, or other particular aspects.
analyze, and otherwise focus more on the Here I have gravitated toward some that I
content than on the mechanics of reading. believe work well when you skip traditional
Reading programs can help with this, but reading programs with children past the
simply applying Charlotte Mason’s narration beginning reading stage. Since reading real
techniques with real books can accomplish the books is part of my recommended strategy,
same thing. many of my recommendations here include
3.) Readers and workbooks were created guides for doing this. (Note: some resources for
to help teachers with classroom management vocabulary are reviewed in Chapter Nine, and
rather than because they are the best way they might also be part of your reading skills
for children to develop reading skills. With development strategy.)
groups of children, it is much easier to manage For those who might be leery of abandoning
them if everyone is reading the same book traditional reading programs, I suggest you pay
and completing the same workbook pages. particular attention to Drawn into the Heart of
However, in our homeschools, our children are Reading (reviewed later in this chapter) since
generally all at different levels with reading, so it provides structure for a real-books approach
we are not trying to keep all our children on that might give you the confidence to give it
the same page at the same time. In fact, I wish a try.
you luck if you even try to do such a thing! Those who still want traditional readers or
4.) A reading program might help you stay on reading programs might check out one of the
track and focus on some of the necessary skills following series.
if you are working with a child individually. A A Beka Books has a number of readers with
program might be more useful for the parent teacher guides for each grade level. Many
than for the child! But the downside is that readers have a single theme such as nature,
your child has to read someone else’s collected heroes, or fables; some are anthologies; and
anthology of readings, many of which might some are novels. (www.abeka.com)
have little appeal for your child. Your child also Christian Liberty Press Readers are an
has to work through the exercises created to go assortment of readers with different themes
with that particular anthology whether or not for different levels. (www.shopchristianliberty.
those exercises really target skills your child com)
needs at the time. Little Angel Readers (Stone Tablet Press)
All of this doesn’t mean that reading are a set of beginning readers for Catholic
programs are necessarily bad. But I have found children. (www.stonetabletpress.com)
that selecting real books for my children to Nature Readers (Christian Liberty Press)
read and using supplemental resources to feature science topics as the content. They are
focus on particular skills has been far more fun a bit more like real books than other readers.
 102 Top Picks
90
(www.shopchristianliberty.com) will be completed independently. With two or
Pathway Readers (Pathway Books) are more children, you will probably work through
an excellent Amish series that reflect the some activities together. Younger children will
rural, agricultural Amish community. Content definitely need more interaction. On some
is God-honoring and wholesome. These days the activities will take just a few minutes
readers also have companion workbooks. while others will require more time.
(available through distributors such as www. Each week’s activities build progressively
rainbowresource.com or www.milestonebooks. upon the previous weeks' lessons. During each
com) week, each day’s lesson begins with students
BJU Press reading courses combine anthologies reading the same literary passage. For example,
and novels in complete reading programs that in fifth grade, students begin on Monday by
include workbooks. (www.bjup.com) identifying the subject of the passage, the
Rod and Staff’s Bible Nurture and Reader author’s purpose, and the genre, and they cre-
series has been very popular with homeschool- ate their own title for the passage. On Tuesday,
ers looking for Biblical content and no fantasy they work on vocabulary to identify synonyms,
or modern sagas of cultural decadence. This antonyms, base words, definitions, and con-
series also includes workbooks. (606-522-4348 textual meanings. Wednesday is devoted to
or Milestone Books at www.milestonebooks. reading skills such as inferences, reading com-
com/?rodstaff.com - an unofficial site) prehension, understanding idioms, identifying
the “conflict,” and using visualization skills to
Resources for Developing draw something mentioned in the passage. On
Reading Skills Thursdays, students identify the main idea, the
topic sentence and details, and the author’s
Daily Reading Practice viewpoint. On some Thursdays they might,
by Judith Holbrook instead, practice “skimming,” use graphic orga-
DGP Publishing, Inc. nizers to clarify information in the passage,
630 Becky Road or work with figurative language. On Friday,
Blairsville, GA students identify key words in the passage then
30512 write their own summary of the passage from
706-745-1005 those key words.
www.dgppublishing. The activities I have described for fifth grade
com level are simplified and limited for younger
teacher guides students and expanded for older students. For
- $29.95 example, on Mondays, first graders listen to
each, student the passage as it is read aloud, discuss what the
workbooks - $5.95 each passage is about, and work with the parent or
The Daily Reading Practice series helps stu- teacher to come up with a title. In contrast,
dents in grades one through ten develop a tenth graders take it up a notch or two from
surprisingly broad range of reading skills. Each what I’ve described for fifth grade by also doing
week, students read and reread a short pas- such tasks as identifying the author’s tone,
sage then practice a variety of language arts identifying genres from a broader list, and writ-
skills based primarily on the reading passage. ing definitions of idioms.
Daily activities for the week are repeated with For each level there is a teacher guide as
a different passage each week. Some activities well as a student workbook. The teacher guide
will be led by the parent or teacher while some begins with a few pages about using the course
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
91
that you really should take time to read. These comprehension, Daily Reading Practice also
pages are followed by Help Pages (which are works on vocabulary, literary analysis, critical
also included in the student workbooks) that thinking, and composition.
provide notes for completing the tasks for each One might question the value of working
day. Think of these pages as a quick reference with the same reading passage for an entire
guide. Both students and teachers might need week, but the variety of exercises that work
to refer to these notes throughout the course. with the material in such different ways teach
The teacher guide also includes copies of an attentiveness in reading that students sel-
each week’s reading passage in a larger font. dom experience.
These are most useful in a class or group situ-
ation where students do not have individual
workbooks. However, student workbooks are Drawn into the Heart of Reading
very inexpensive, so I expect most homeschool by Carrie Austin
students will work directly in workbooks. Heart of Dakota Publishing, Inc.
Following the reading passages in the teacher 1004 Westview Dr.
guide are the answer keys. These are identical Dell Rapids, SD 57022
to student pages but with all of the answers 605-428-4068
overprinted. Suggested key words and sum- www.heartofdakota.com
maries are provided for Friday’s lessons, and packages: Level 2/3 - $78.12, Level 4/5
graphic organizers are shown for some of - $84.55, Level 6/7/8 - $88.98, Superset
Thursday’s assignments. The layout makes it - $134.29; individual student books: Level
easy for the teacher or parent to guide students 2/3 - $21.95, Level 4/5 - $28.95, Level
through each day’s activities. On the other 6/7/8 - $33.95
hand, the layout is my only area of complaint. Subtitled, “A
Each week’s activities, including the reading Multi-Level Reading
passage, are all presented on a single page Program to Use
at every grade level. Since first graders have with Any Books You
briefer reading passages and fewer assignments, Choose,” this guide
the font is relatively large and the pages don’t can be used along
appear overly crowded. The pages gradu- with your choice of
ally become more crowded. While this is okay real books for chil-
through the middle grades, by tenth grade, the dren in grades two
font has gotten very small, and pages are quite through eight. It
crowded. Some students won’t have trouble consists of a teach-
with this, but others might. You can view free er’s guide that covers all levels plus student
sample pages on the publisher’s website in workbooks, available at three levels: grades
advance so you can judge for yourself. 2-3, grades 4-5, and grades 6-8. You will also
While there are other reading skills resources want to purchase the appropriate level of Book
that tackle some of the objectives addressed Projects to Send Home, small activity books pub-
in Daily Reading Practice, I don’t know of any- lished by McGraw-Hill and available through
thing else that does such a comprehensive Heart of Dakota Publishing for $9.95 each.
job. By focusing on the same reading passage You should start with one of the packages
every day for a week, students learn to read that each include the teacher’s guide plus one
closely and develop skill in finding and retain- student book and a Sample Book Ideas list.
ing information. But moving beyond reading The Superset includes the teacher’s guide plus
 102 Top Picks
92
all three student books and the Sample Book drawing, and lots of project ideas. This can be a
Ideas list. You may also purchase additional strong multi-sensory program depending upon
student books individually. which elements you choose to use.
You can use Drawn into the Heart of Reading The large, softbound teacher’s guide (with
as a core reading program (assuming young lay flat binding) features daily lesson plans
students are already able to read indepen- with specific instructions for work to be done
dently) or as a supplement. It is arranged into together with students as well as for indepen-
nine sections, each focused upon a different dent work for each of the three levels. I really
genre: biography, adventure, historical fiction, appreciate an extra feature found in each stu-
fantasy, mystery, folk tales, nonfiction, humor, dent book called “emergency options.” On days
and realistic fiction. You or your students select when there is no time for the “together” activi-
books representative of each genre. Because ties, you can turn to emergency options that
the program is structured for different levels of will fill in with independent-work assignments.
difficulty you can reuse it for a number of years, Overall, I really like the flexibility of this sort
even reusing the same level but having your of reading program that allows parents and
student read different books from each genre. children to select their own reading material.
The program is written for use with groups The drawback to this approach is that children
or individual students; groups can be either might be reading books with which parents
your own children working at various levels are unfamiliar. Unless parents have time to
or same-level groups. Drawn into the Heart of also read the books, they might have trouble
Reading is also a Christian character-building determining whether or not their children are
program that incorporates scripture and biblical identifying characters, actions, motives, plot,
standards. For most families this means that etc. correctly. Children might narrate to a par-
your entire family will be reading books from ent about what they are reading, but a parent’s
the same genre, discussing and comparing ability to ask probing questions is limited. The
similar story elements, and learning about the teacher’s guide does direct students in the
same character traits. first two levels to read some portions of their
Some broader language arts skills are cov- books aloud to parents, which helps somewhat
ered, and students do a good deal of writing, to overcome this potential problem. Another
increasingly so as you move up each level. The possible strategy is for parents to provide a list
guide suggests that young students may dictate of books as options—books with which parents
some of their lengthier responses rather than are already familiar. In response to my concern,
writing them themselves. It also suggests writ- Carrie Austin told me that “having the par-
ing responses on a whiteboard for students to ent skim the chapter as the child answers the
copy. questions provides accountability and helps
The writing assignments themselves actually give the parent a good idea of whether the
bring up one point of concern I have with the child’s answers to the questions are going in
student workbooks. Workbook pages are for- the right direction.”
matted for students to fill in boxes, blanks, and Suggested questions range from simple
circles in response to questions and instruc- comprehension through higher-level think-
tions. However, once in a while the space ing skills. Thus, children learn to read more
allowed seems inadequate, especially in the thoughtfully and analytically as they work
Level 2/3 workbook. through the “lessons.”
In addition to writing activities, the program I suspect that after parents and students
incorporates a good deal of discussion, a little have worked through a number of books using
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
93
this program, parents will feel more comfort- 7, how did he comfort her?” (from The Courage
able allowing children to use unfamiliar books of Sarah Noble study guide).
since children will have become accustomed to The study guides deal with both literature
noticing key information and thinking beyond as art and literature as a reflection or source
the surface of the story. of ideas. At the primary level children study
vocabulary and meaning and introduce literary
constructions and style. At older levels there
Progeny Press Study are studies of vocabulary, literary terms, plot,
Guides for Literature and so forth, as well as studies about the
Progeny Press characters, events, and ideas presented.
PO Box 100 The format varies from one study guide to
Fall Creek, WI 54743 another but with many common character-
877-776-4369 istics. A synopsis and some background are
email: [email protected] presented first. Ideas for pre-reading (and
www.progenypress.com sometimes mid- and post-reading) activities
guides in either CD-ROM or digital are next. Then studies are divided up to cover
download versions for: lower elementary - groups of chapters at a time. Questions go well
$11.99 each, upper elementary - $17.99 beyond the recall level, asking students to infer
each, middle school - $18.99 each, guides meanings, identify symbolism, draw analogies,
for high school level - $21.99 each and apply principles to their own lives. Each
study section has vocabulary activities along
with comprehension, analysis, personal appli-
cation, and thought questions. At older levels,
a lengthier writing assignment completes each
section. A variety of vocabulary activities are
used within each guide, so the studies maintain
a higher level of interest than those that use
the same format for every lesson. Particularly
at younger levels, guides include extra activity
Progeny Press novel study guides are tools suggestions; for example, The Courage of Sarah
for parents who want to use real books rather Noble study guide includes some art, craft,
than literature anthologies with their children game, and cooking suggestions.
or for supplementing study of an anthology. Students might be able to work through the
Available for all grade levels, they focus more study guides independently if their reading
on critical analysis and reading comprehension skills are adequate, although discussion
than on writing and spelling skills (as in Total enhances any literature study. Answer keys are
Language Plus which is also reviewed in this found at the back of each book, so each study
chapter). Four guides are recommended per guide is self-contained aside from the novel
year for one full literature credit. itself. For independent study, all answer keys
Although written by different authors, all for grades four and up are now removable from
come from a Christian perspective. Thus, we the printed workbooks. All study guides are
find questions that refer to scripture such as reproducible for your family.
“Read Proverbs 17:17. ‘A friend loves at all Within the Progeny Press series are a number
times, and a brother is born for adversity.’ Tall of study guides geared for the primary grades.
John was Sarah’s friend. At the end of Chapter They are for books such as The Courage of
 102 Top Picks
94
Sarah Noble; Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie; The Center for Literary Education
The Long Way to a New Land; Ox-Cart Man; 3350 Beck Road
Sam the Minuteman; and Wagon Wheels. Rice, WA 99167
Study guides geared for the upper elementary 509-738-2837
grades include such titles as The Best Christmas www.centerforlit.com
Pageant Ever; The Cricket in Times Square; The DVDs and book - $89, Ready Readers -
Door in the Wall; Little House in the Big Woods; $29 each, Reading Roadmaps - print: $39,
Sarah, Plain and Tall; and Charlotte’s Web. download - $29
Middle school titles stretch sometimes as Te a c h i n g
low as fifth grade and up through eighth grade. the Classics:
Among them are Amos Fortune, Free Man; A Socratic
Bridge to Terabithia; Carry On Mr. Bowditch; Method for
The Hiding Place; The Giver; Johnny Tremain; Literary Edu-
The Magician’s Nephew; Maniac Magee; Roll cation teaches
of Thunder, Hear My Cry; and The Lion, The parents and
Witch and the Wardrobe. teachers how
For high school level, there are a number of to understand
study guides for both novels and plays such as and analyze
The Red Badge of Courage, The Yearling, Heart literature
of Darkness, Jane Eyre, Hamlet, Out of the Silent using Socratic questioning and discussion.
Planet, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Day No Pigs This seminar consists of a book and a set of
Would Die, The Great Gatsby, A Tale of Two four DVD’s.
Cities, and Perelandra. I began my review by reading through the
Guides for 109 books (with more being added book. Halfway through the book, I began won-
each year) are available as printed books, dering why I would need the DVDs. The book
on CD-ROM, or as downloadable PDF files. was so well explained and provided concrete
The CD-ROM and downloadable versions for models to work with. I expected the DVDs to
grades four through twelve are fully interactive. be redundant. To my surprise, they were not.
The interactive versions include weblinks, but On the DVDs, Adam Andrews presents a live
even more useful is the fact that students seminar, covering the material in the book and
can answer multiple-choice questions and much more. His goal in the seminar presenta-
complete their written work entirely on the tion is to ensure that parents and teachers
computer. However, you will probably still want leave feeling competent to apply the meth-
to have students participate in discussions and odology themselves. I think he accomplishes
complete some of the other optional activities this very well while also providing the sort of
that will not be done on the computer. The inspiration that makes you feel like you just
digital answer keys are in a separate file so can’t wait to try this out.
you can keep the key on a separate computer The DVDs run about 5½ hours. I expect you
if need be. The novels themselves are also might watch through the entire course, then
available from Progeny Press. come back and re-watch sections as you begin
to work with the different teaching strategies
with your students.
Teaching the Classics: A Socratic In the first half hour or so of the seminar,
Method for Literary Education Andrews lays the foundation. This part could
by Adam and Missy Andrews possibly be a little redundant for those already
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
95
very familiar with classical education, Socratic and questions at the back of the Teaching the
questions, and their use in conjunction with Classics book provide the rest of your “lesson
literature. But, it is absolutely essential for plan.”
those unfamiliar with these things. Once past You can begin to have Socratic discussions
the introduction, Andrews introduces a meth- with younger children, assisting them in com-
od of tackling literature that applies to adult pleting the Story Chart until they are able
level fiction all the way down to children’s to do this on their own. Older students can
story books. In fact, children’s stories are gen- follow up with essays or papers that further
erally easier to work with, so he recommends develop a particular topic. Andrews recom-
beginning (even with high school students) by mends Teaching Writing: Structure and Style's
analyzing a story written for children. approach for teaching composition skills.) See
Three very useful appendices at the back of that review in Chapter Eight.) The two pro-
the book are referenced during the seminar. grams fit together very well.
The first appendix contains “The Socratic The Socratic dialogues generated by this type
List,” an extensive, ten-page list of questions of learning are effective far beyond the knowl-
to use for discussions, arranged under broader edge of literature. They teach children how
categories of key questions. Questions are to think and how to express their thoughts.
arranged from easier to more challenging lev- Within those dialogues, it will be up to the
els of difficulty in each category. The teacher parent or teacher to introduce his or her own
should select just a few of these questions worldview perspective. Some of the questions
to use for each discussion. Appendix B is an naturally lead into that type of discussion, par-
annotated, recommended reading list cata- ticularly with certain books. Andrews’ recom-
logued under three levels for young children mended reading list includes a wide variety of
through high school. Appendix C lists and books while shying away from current popular
defines literary devices students will learn to literature in favor of more classics that are
identify such as metaphors, alliterations, and likely to be great for discussion.
onomatopoeias. For those who want a stronger worldview
To help you get started, Andrews uses a emphasis, the Worldview Supplement has two
number of literary works to demonstrate how DVD’s and a 60-page book that expand ideas
to work through different aspects of analysis for worldview analysis.
and discussion. Among this eclectic selection Reading Roadmaps
are “Paul Revere’s Ride,” The Tale of Peter Many parents have requested additional
Rabbit, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, The Adventures of Tom help in selecting literature and identifying
Sawyer, Macbeth, To Kill a Mockingbird, and themes. So Adam and Missy Andrews have
“Casey at the Bat.” also published Reading Roadmaps: A Literary
You can teach all types of literature once Scope & Sequence for K-12. In this book, they
you’ve gone through this seminar. No other lay out a number of options that range from
student books need to be purchased other daily or weekly literature lessons to "seasonal"
than the literature itself. You might pur- lessons that are taught about four times a year.
chase (or borrow) one or more of the Norton They identify their top recommendations for
Anthologies, Cliff’s Notes, or other resources literature to be used and chart out plot, con-
that will provide you with context and back- flict, theme, aids/devices (e.g. allusion, parody,
ground information for a particular piece. But epic) for each literary work, arranging them
the reproducible “Story Chart” (for identifying by grade level. They also offer an alternative
plot, theme, characters, setting, and conflict) literary selection for each of the recommended
 102 Top Picks
96
works. Additional helps at the back of the where the order in which books are read will
book address writing from literature, learn- matter is Ready Readers: The Chronicles of
ing objectives for each grade level, grading, Narnia. Note that most of the books featured
and the major historical periods for literature in Ready Readers appear on the lists in Reading
with lists of exemplary works and the authors. Roadmaps.
Reading Roadmaps simplifies the process of Parents and teachers should first become
using Teaching the Classics by doing some of the familiar with Teaching the Classics methodol-
work for you. ogy before using the Ready Readers. Guides all
Ready Readers follow the Teaching the Classics approach to
And if that's not enough, the Center for literary analysis and interpretation. Children
Literary Education also offers Ready Readers identify the context, structure, and style of
that do even more of the work for you. You can each work and complete a "Story Chart"
teach just about any literary works you want graphic organizer for each book. A series of
using the format taught in Teaching the Classics. Socratic questions keyed to "The Socratic List"
Reading Roadmaps helps you select titles and in Teaching the Classics is used to help students
know the key elements to address. However, move from comprehension level to deeper
some parents prefer more guidance, especially thinking and analysis of the literary works.
if they tackle literature with which they are not The teacher's guides include overview sum-
very familiar. Ready Readers are teacher's guides maries of plot, the conflict, setting, characters,
for specific collections of books that provide and the theme for the benefit of the parent or
solid guidance for teachers who want to teach teacher. Then they present the questions that
literary skills with great literature. help children to identify all of these things
Thus far there are four guides. Ready Readers and more at a deeper level. For example, in
1, Ready Readers 2, and Ready Readers 3 each the study of Prince Caspian in the fourth of the
cover from five to ten children's books. Ready Ready Readers, the parent or teacher will ask,
Readers: The Chronicles of Narnia covers the "What does the protagonist think is the most
seven books in that series. important thing in life?" The teacher's guide
While any of the Ready Readers might be then provides you with a detailed answer so
used with students even up through high you will know what sort of response to expect
school, they each present literature that is suit- from your child. Completed story charts are
able for children who have achieved a mini- also included.
mum reading level. Reader Readers 1 might be I love the approach of Teaching the Classics,
used as young as kindergarten, since it uses ten and I'm very pleased that the Center for
children's books, most of which might be read Literary Education has taken extra steps to
in one sitting. For Ready Readers 2, children in make the methodology that much easier to
at least third grade will be reading up to five use.
books, including The Trumpet of the Swan and Summary
Misty of Chincoteague. For Ready Readers 3, they Socratic teaching requires more from the par-
should be at least sixth grade since they will be ent or teacher than most of the study guides for
reading up to five novels, including Treasure novels that are popular among homeschoolers.
Island and The Hobbit. For Ready Readers: The The teacher must read and be familiar with the
Chronicles of Narnia, students should be in at literary works to be able to lead a discussion.
least fifth grade. You need not read all of the Once a parent or teacher becomes famil-
books covered in a guide in one year. You can iar with the techniques taught by Teaching
use whichever titles you like. The only guide the Classics, those techniques are likely to
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
97
become “second nature”—teaching this way dealing with grammar, writing, and spelling
will become easier and easier. And you are rules are for application and review rather than
likely to enjoy it so much that you won’t mind instruction. There are occasional exceptions
the extra time it might take. in some of the high school level guides such as
To Kill a Mockingbird and Around the World in
80 Days which do include some instruction in
Total Language Plus composition and literary analysis. Aside from
by Barbara Blakey that, a basic understanding of grammar, spell-
Total Language Plus, Inc. ing, and composition skills is assumed in the
PO Box 12622 guides for grades five and up.
Olympia, WA 98508 The TLP guides targeting grades three and
360-754-3660 four maintain intensive coverage of reading
email: [email protected] comprehension, spelling, and vocabulary, while
www.totallanguageplus.com they add detailed grammar and composition
guides for grades 3-4 - $25.95 each, instruction along with some spelling rules.
guides for grades 5 and up - $21.95 each These levels also have students create and
Total Language Plus work with spelling and vocabulary flash cards
(TLP) novel study in drills and games. Keep in mind that you
guides cover “...read- might need to use other resources for grammar
ing, comprehension, for these levels because grammar instruction
spelling, grammar, is spotty; there is no set progression of skill
vocabulary, writing, or topic coverage. Because of the additional
listening, and analyti- content, these guides are larger than the
cal and critical think- others.
ing with a Christian In all of the guides, students create their own
perspective.” Each glossary toward the back of the book by enter-
volume is both stu- ing definitions and parts of speech labels for
dent study guide and workbook for study of their vocabulary words each week.
a companion novel. Study guides are written At the beginning of each unit are Enrichment/
for various levels from third through twelfth Writing suggestions. These always include writ-
grades. For example, the study of Caddie ing activities, but other activities depend upon
Woodlawn is suggested for grades five and six the book being studied. For example, the guide
while Anne of Green Gables is for grades seven for Around the World in Eighty Days includes
through nine. map and geography work. Some activities are
Students read sections of the novel each not tied directly to any one chapter so you can
week and answer comprehension questions. use them when, if, and how you wish. You can
But that’s only one aspect of TLP. The week’s select more activities to turn your study into an
study also includes vocabulary work consisting in-depth unit study or choose fewer and stick
of four lessons working with words drawn from to the basics. You might use some of these for
the reading. There are also four activities for a discussion and some for writing assignments.
list of spelling words drawn from the reading. The activities are presented as suggestions
Grammar worksheet activities include dicta- rather than as fully developed plans, so they
tion exercises and grammatical work with the will require independent research and work
dictated material. beyond what is presented in the guide. TLP’s
In the guides for fifth grade and up, lessons effectiveness in developing broader writing
 102 Top Picks
98
skills is also dependent upon your selection of they can do so covering the comprehension
assignments from the Enrichment/Writing sug- and critical thinking questions as they go and
gestions as well as upon your work with your working through the remainder of each week’s
students on the writing process within those lessons on a slower schedule.
assignments. You need to obtain the novel for each study,
Study guides get more challenging at high so TLP sells inexpensive copies. There are
school level, especially with the addition of more than 50 guides for novels available at
extensive writing activities and oral readings. this time. Among novels covered for third
I am particularly impressed with the quality and fourth grade are Charlotte’s Web, Pippi
of the writing activities. They teach and stress Longstocking, Shiloh, Sign of the Beaver, and The
organization and planning, while offering stu- Whipping Boy.
dents ideas about the main points they might Among novels for which TLP has guides
wish to include. This is very helpful since for fifth grades and up are My Side of the
this seems to be a challenging area for many Mountain; The Cricket in Times Square; The
students, and many parents are unsure about Light in the Forest; The Lion, the Witch, and the
how to develop these writing skills. TLP's Wardrobe; A Wrinkle in Time; Johnny Tremain;
writing assignments at upper levels should The Bronze Bow; Wheel on the School; The Call
provide a significant part of your composition of the Wild; The Hiding Place; The Swiss Family
instruction. Robinson; Carry on, Mr. Bowditch; Anne of
In addition, the level of the vocabulary Green Gables; The Scarlet Letter; Oliver Twist;
and spelling in advanced-level guides is quite To Kill a Mockingbird; and Jane Eyre.
challenging. The amount of both vocabulary Three additional anthology guides are also
and spelling practice is appropriate for high available. American Literature: Nonfiction,
schoolers, although some students might need American Literature: Poetry and American
to work on additional vocabulary words that Literature: Short Stories are intended to be used
are at a less challenging level. along with the guides for To Kill a Mockingbird
A “Note to Teachers and Students” at the and The Scarlet Letter to comprise a high
beginning explains how to use each study school level American Literature course. The
guide. Answer keys are at the back of each American Literature guides include examples
book. Suggested responses are given for some of poetry and short stories, but you will need
questions, but parents really need to read the to find most of the readings used along with
novels themselves to be able to fairly evaluate the study guides within anthologies or on the
all student responses as well as to be prepared internet. These guides include planning sched-
for discussions. Other than that, preparation ules for completing the modules that might
time is minimal. Students will need access to take from six to ten weeks each depending
a Bible, dictionary and thesaurus for some of upon the academic needs of students and the
their work. time available.
The number of lessons in the various vol- In all of the aforementioned guides, scrip-
umes of TLP ranges from five to eight, so some ture verses are often used for dictation, and
books are likely to take longer to study than exercises have very general Christian refer-
others. Generally, a volume should take from ences once in a while such as in the example
nine to ten weeks to complete, so plan to com- sentence given for the word “approbation”
plete about four per school year. which reads, “God bestows His approbation on
If impatient students want to read through all who seek to do His will” (TLP: The Swiss
the novel quickly rather than spread it out, Family Robinson, p. 80).
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
99
TLP guides might serve as a supplement easier way to introduce them to more variety
or a primary learning tool depending upon in literary genres than you could cover with
the needs of each student. It should be your complete books. So sometimes it makes sense
primary resource for reading skills; you do to select a literature anthology for study rather
not need another reading program. It comple- than a selection of complete books. Keep this
ments other instruction in grammar, com- in mind when making choices for your chil-
position, and spelling. However, it might be dren. If they need broader exposure or if that
your primary resource for composition at high better fits your educational goals, then you
school level. should use an anthology like the BJU Press
Focus Guides ($8.50 each), a new series of literature courses or extra resources such as the
much smaller guides to novels, do not include Norton Anthologies (found at www.wwnorton.
spelling or grammar and have limited work com but easily located at libraries or through
with vocabulary. Instead, they focus on read- online sources such as Amazon). If you would
ing comprehension, substantial writing assign- rather go in-depth with a few of the best
ments, scripture applications with memory books, then Teaching the Classics, Old Western
verses, and either a particular writing skill or Culture courses, or the novel study guides from
a character trait. For example, the study of Progeny Press or Total Language Plus might
Animal Farm works on discernment, while the better suit your situation.
study of Crispin: The Cross of Lead pays special No matter which way you go, junior and
attention to descriptive writing. Guides are senior high school students should be read-
written for students about sixth grade level ing at least a few full-length books each year.
and above. These guides should each take Because this is so important, after the upper
only about three weeks to complete. There level reviews I have included a list of recom-
are more than ten Focus Guides at this point, mended reading for high school level (gath-
and you might use a few of them as a signifi- ered from a number of sources) that might
cant part of your language arts program each help you make selections. Notice that some of
year. The scripture applications give the Focus these books are covered by study guides in the
Guides more overt Christian content than the Progeny Press and Total Language Plus series
other TLP guides. reviewed earlier in this chapter.

Junior/Senior High Level

BJU Press literature courses
Literary analysis becomes more important for grades 7-12
with older students. There are some excellent BJU Press
series that use high quality literature and Greenville, SC 29614
do a good job teaching literary analysis and 800-845-5731
appreciation. Some of my personal favorites www.bjup.com
use the literature as a springboard for teaching Not all literature courses are created equal.
Christian worldview. Some seem to have selected reading material to
Anthologies that contain collections of meet multicultural or social goals rather than
short stories, poetry, scripts, and excerpts from as examples of good literature. Others seem to
lengthier writings can be very helpful for focus on simple comprehension questions (e.g.,
exposing students to a broad range of literary identify the protagonist and the antagonist)
types without overwhelming them with ones and never get into “meaty” discussion questions
they find less appealing. It might also be an that really engage students.
 102 Top Picks
100
The BJU Press series for grades seven through Literature includes a short story “The Minister’s
twelve does a great job on both literary selec- Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Among
tions and worthwhile questions, especially the discussion questions are the following: “In
if you are interested in developing a strong your opinion, does Hooper’s self-imposed isola-
Christian worldview in your students. Courses tion represent self-denial for the edification of
in the series are Explorations in Literature (7th), others, or is it symbolic of misdirected religious
Excursions in Literature (8th), Fundamentals of zeal? Discuss Hawthorne’s theme in light of I
Literature (9th), Elements of Literature (10th), John 1:8-10” (p. 306).
American Literature (11th), and British Literature Parents and teachers need to be familiar
(12th). with the readings so they can lead discussions.
They feature an interesting mix of reading While students can do a certain amount of
material. Many reading selections authored work independently, parents will need to invest
by non-Christians are included both for liter- some time preparing for each lesson. Teacher
ary value and to help students learn how to editions provide background, analysis, and
identify different perspectives authors bring suggested answers, so even teachers without
to their works. However, literary analysis and a background in literature can teach these
enjoyment is taught from a Protestant perspec- courses. As with all literature anthologies,
tive; so much so in American Literature and parents and teachers are not expected to
British Literature that those with other religious use every selection. Choose some from each
beliefs will have trouble with some of the section to fit your own goals and time schedule.
selected readings, discussion questions, and Each course includes a student text and
the “Scriptural Application” part of the lessons a two-volume, spiral-bound teacher edition.
presented in the teacher editions. Application Teacher editions have images of reduced stu-
sections at all levels almost always relate the dent pages. Below the images of student pages
reading selection to biblical ideas or principles. and in the side margins is valuable teaching
One of the main purposes of this series is to information. Also, words, sentences, or para-
help students progress beyond reading simply graphs in the reduced student pages of the
for pleasure to enjoying reading for inspiration teacher’s edition are highlighted in different
and wisdom. Discussion questions are one of colors to match corresponding colored mar-
the primary tools used to make that happen. gin notes for the teacher. These highlighted
The discussion questions are particularly sections can indicate a point of discussion, a
good in this series, and they can be used for definition, an example of a literary element, or
either oral discussion or writing assignments. At a cross-reference.
junior high level, they focus more on recall and Teacher editions for American Literature and
comprehension. Fundamentals and Elements British Literature provide reproducible, supple-
shift toward more literary analysis, helping stu- mental activity pages and teaching helps locat-
dents grasp the fundamentals of critical inter- ed at the back of the book. Teacher editions
pretation and recognize the literary elements for Explorations, Excursions, Fundamentals, and
at work in a piece of literature. American Elements include a Teacher’s Toolkit CD-ROM
Literature and British Literature draw upon the (inside the back cover) with teacher sup-
literary concepts taught in earlier grades and port materials, such as worksheets, graphic
challenge students to think critically about organizers, reading quizzes, writing rubrics,
the pieces they read—to analyze the text, to and standardized test practice in reading and
synthesize ideas, and to evaluate ideas from vocabulary.
a biblical worldview. For example, American Tests and answer keys for each course can
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
101
be ordered separately, but subject kits for all emphasizing character. Content sections are
courses include tests and answer keys along titled Courage, Nature and Man, Generosity,
with a student text and the teacher edition. Our Land, Humility, and Family. While some
Explorations in Literature, selections are by well-known authors (e.g., Carl
Fourth Edition Sandburg, O. Henry, Charles Finney, James
subject kit $137 Thurber, and Gary Paulsen), most authors
Explorations in Literature and Excursions in are not readily recognized. Nevertheless, both
Literature courses for junior high are similar in literary quality and appeal for young teens are
format, so these first two paragraphs describe high. Selections are primarily prose, but there
both courses. Lessons in the teacher edition is also some poetry.
follow a format of overview, objectives, poten- Excursions in Literature, Third Edition
tial problems (e.g., objections to authors por- subject kit $137
traying animals as having human qualities), See the descrip-
introductory discussion, the reading, analysis, tion in the first two
application, and additional activities. paragraphs under
Suggestions for journal writing are given. Explorations in
Vocabulary words with definitions are inserted Literature since the
right into the text of each piece in the student format of these two
text. texts is similar. The
There are questions unifying theme of this
at the end of each eighth-grade text is
literary piece (or a Christian’s journey
section of a piece for through life, includ-
lengthier writings), ing choices he must face. Illustrations from
and these are scripture appear at the end of each unit. The
preceded by an insert text continues the character emphasis of the
called the “Thinking seventh-grade book. Units are titled Choices,
Zone.” Thinking Friends, Viewpoints, Adventures, Discoveries,
Zones are visually- and Heroes and Villains. Some authors and
separated inserts writings (or excerpts) included are Ben-Hur
that might take up about a third of a page. by Lew Wallace, Little Women by Louisa May
Thinking Zones highlight key literary elements Alcott, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens,
and show how they have been implemented in "The Banks of the Sacramento" by Jack
the selection students have just read. They feel London, The Princess and Curdie by George
more like sidebars than instructional material MacDonald, and "Make Me Thy Fuel" by Amy
although they accomplish the latter’s purpose. Carmichael. A short novel, In Search of Honor,
Questions that follow are thought provoking, is studied in the final unit; it is included within
addressing literal, critical, interpretive, and the textbook.
appreciative elements. Each unit has a review Fundamentals of Literature,
in the student textbook. Reviews are tests that Second Edition
include multiple-choice, true/false, matching, subject kit $142, Cyrano De
and short-answer questions along with one or Bergerac DVD - $14.95
two essay questions. Suggested for grade nine, this textbook is the
Explorations in Literature, written for seventh foundation for the study of literature through-
grade, covers a wide range of themes while out high school. It teaches conflict, character,
 102 Top Picks
102
theme, structure, point of view, and moral is significant discussion of the worldviews
tone through both traditional and contem- reflected by authors and their works.
porary selections. Representative authors are British Literature, Second Edition
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Shakespeare, Carl subject kit $142, Macbeth DVD $14.95
Sandburg, Sir Walter Scott, John Donne, and This twelfth-grade course covers eight lit-
Saki (H.H. Munro). The drama Cyrano De erary periods from Old English to Modern.
Bergerac is also included within the text, but Selections are often chosen to illustrate philo-
an optional DVD presentation of the story is sophical and cultural issues from various per-
available separately. spectives. Religious developments receive far
Elements of Literature, Second Edition more attention here than they do in most other
subject kit $137, Romeo and Juliet DVD British literature texts. Representative authors
$14.95 include John Wycliffe, Geoffrey Chaucer,
This text, suggest- Thomas More, Shakespeare, Ben Jonson,
ed for tenth grade, and Robert Browning. The play Macbeth is
teaches literary anal- also included for study. An optional DVD of
ysis at a more chal- Macbeth is available.
lenging level than
does Fundamentals
of Literature. It Old Western Culture: A Christian
delves into topics Approach to the Great Books
such as imaginative by Wesley Callihan
comparison, sound Roman Road Media, LLC
and syntax, allusion 739 S. Hayes St.
and symbol, and Moscow, ID 83843
irony through literary selections from genres 208-596-6936
such as fiction, poetry, biography, and drama. www.romanroadsmedia.com
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is included for DVDs: $56 per unit or $224 for all four
study within the text. You might want to use units, Blue Ray DVDs: $62 per unit;
the optional DVD of selected scenes from a one-year online streaming subscription
BJU Press production of Romeo and Juliet. The for complete course (four units) - $224;
DVD also has director’s explanations of what printed student workbook - $12 each
has happened leading up to each scene. Old Western
American Literature, Culture: A
Updated Second Edition Christian
subject kit $142 Approach to the
This text, written for eleventh grade, covers Great Books will
American literature from the colonial period up eventually be a series of four Great Books
through the twentieth century. Representative courses for high school students. Thus far
authors are William Bradford, Benjamin only the first two courses, The Greeks and The
Franklin, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Romans, are available. The next two courses
Thoreau, Herman Melville, Samuel Clemens, will be Christendom and The Moderns.
Thornton Wilder, and Bruce Catton. Selections The Old Western Culture video course series
are organized by historical literary periods, makes it possible for students to get a Great
while addressing some of the philosophical Books education through independent study
movements that influenced literature. There using video lectures, student workbooks, and
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
103
term papers along with the literary works. This unit includes two PDF files: one for the student
is high-quality classical education although it workbook and one for the teacher edition. The
lacks the element of Socratic discussion with teacher edition is the same as the student
other students and a mentor. Each completed workbook but with answers overprinted. If you
course should earn a student two high school prefer, you may purchase a print edition of the
credits: one for literature, one-half credit for workbook that has the student pages at the
history, and one-half credit for philosophy or front and the answer key presented separately
theology. at the back. You can also download these files
Students will read many classic works of from the publisher’s website, something you
literature as they become familiar with some will need to do if you select the streaming
of the most influential books that have shaped option.
western civilization. Each unit begins with one or two introduc-
Classic Christian works will also be included tory lectures. Students answer questions in the
in the series, including some not on the Great workbook after watching each lecture. After
Books list. In the introduction to The Greeks, the introduction, students immediately begin
course teacher Wesley Callihan presents a to read the assigned pages in the work being
great explanation of how the Enlightenment studied. They have “Reading Questions” in
influenced the generally-accepted lists of the their workbook to answer before they watch
Great Books, and resulted in the exclusion of the next video lecture. Video lessons continue
many classic Christian works—some of which along with both Lecture and Reading ques-
he will be teaching in this course. tions. The questions include some compre-
Each course is presented in four units, with hension questions, but they also pose more
12 lessons per unit. It should take about nine challenging questions that get into literary
weeks to complete each unit, although an analysis and the author’s intent.
alternate schedule shows how each unit might “Discussion Topics” show up at the end of
be completed in as little as seven weeks. The most lessons. These might be used for discus-
amount of reading is about 30 to 40 pages a sion if someone is available with whom to
day with the nine-week schedule, so I would be discuss them, but they might also be used as
very cautious about shortening the schedule. essay assignments. For each unit, students will
Each unit has its own theme. In The Greeks, write a 750- to 1200-word term paper, and
the four units are “The Epics,” “Drama some of the Discussion Topics would be great
and Lyric,” “The Histories,” and “The for those papers. For example, one "topic" in
Philosophers.” In The Romans, the four units the “Drama and Lyric” unit is, “Why is pride
are "The Aeneid," "The Historians," "Early such an important theme in Greek literature?
Christianity," and "Nicene Christianity." You If hubris was a fatal flaw, then why was humil-
can see from these unit titles that the courses ity not considered a virtue?” (p. 24).
delve into history, religion, the arts, and phi- A Christian outlook is assumed as is evident
losophy as well as literature. in questions such as, “Of which book of the
For each unit there is a set of four DVDs that Bible do some passages in [Hesiod’s] The Works
comes in a case—four sets of DVDs per course. and Days remind you?” (“Drama and Lyric,” p.
You can choose standard DVDs or Blue-Ray. 34).
There is also a streaming option that you might Lectures, which are all presented by Wesley
consider. Callihan, make readily apparent his complete
There are separate student and teacher familiarity with each of these works. He speaks
books for each unit. The first DVD of each comfortably without notes as he provides
 102 Top Picks
104
background and commentary to help students more. (Sometimes, as with The Greeks: The
understand each work at a much deeper level Histories, digital versions of the recommended
than if they read the books on their own. readings are already included on the DVDs.)
Callihan is a gifted teacher—so much so that Also, Roman Roads Media has produced a
I think parents might want to watch the lec- companion text titled The Roman Roads Reader
tures along with their students for their own for Drama and Lyric (to accompany The Greeks:
enlightenment. Drama and Lyric) that covers seven out of
Lectures include images of art works that the ten required authors for that unit. Keep
relate to the stories or the period under dis- this in mind rather than purchasing all of the
cussion. Within each DVD set, you get a resources for that unit separately.
full-color booklet of about 20 pages with rela- Roman Roads Media has web pages for
tively small images of just some of the featured each published unit with links to the required
artwork, each accompanied by commentary. literary works plus titles and authors of recom-
Students might simply enjoy the art work as mended translations. There are sometimes
interesting graphics with their lectures, but if links to free audio-book versions. These web
you wish you can expand the study into the pages also include free supplemental resources
art to add another dimension, and probably such as a chart of the Greek and Roman gods.
another half-credit. These booklets can also For many years, I’ve believed that it should
be downloaded from the publisher’s site (www. be possible to provide study of the Great Books
romanroadsmedia.com/materials/) for free, and for those unable to participate in group classes
you can enlarge images for better viewing with either in person or online. Great Books enthu-
the downloaded files. This allows students to siasts rightly are concerned about the value of
see the full-color details of each work for more the discussion process in learning. But I would
in-depth art exploration. rather have something available that makes
Free final exams are available to download at the Great Books accessible to more students
the publisher’s website. Two versions are made even if it does not conform to the ideal. I think
available. If students score lower than 90%, Wesley Callihan has done a fantastic job of
they should take the alternate version a few providing such an option, and doing it in such
days later. a way that students engage with great liter-
The course includes a note about the ques- ary works at a deep level and begin to ponder
tionable content in some of the course mate- some of the most important life questions. His
rial such as mature themes, sexual immorality, inclusion of Christian works and a Christian
worship of Greek and Roman gods, and graph- perspective might even make this an improve-
ic battles in the literature plus nudity in ment on some “live” Great Books courses.
classical artwork. Parents should decide in Note: Christendom is due in Spring of 2015
advance whether or not they want their chil- and The Moderns in Autumn of 2015.
dren exposed to these things, and if so, how
they might discuss them.
At appropriate points, Callihan suggests his
favorite translations of each of the works,
but he also has links to free online versions
of each work even though these might not
include the best translations. Nevertheless,
students can access all of the assigned reading
material without having to purchase anything
 Phonics, Reading, and Literature
105
• The Death of Socrates and other works by
Recommended Reading for Plato
High School Level Literature • “The Devil and Daniel Webster” and
other works by Stephen Vincent Benet
The following are taken primarily from core • The Divine Comedy by Dante
literature recommendations for high school • Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
students, but I have added a few titles I think • Exodus by Leon Uris
important from a Christian perspective (indi- • A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
cated with [c]). Some of the listed titles are • The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
recommended by educational authorities but • The Grapes of Wrath, The Pearl, The Red
are not necessarily titles I personally would Pony, Of Mice and Men, and other works by
recommend. John Steinbeck
• The Great Divorce, Screwtape Letters, Mere
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Christianity, and other non-fiction by C.S.
other works by Mark Twain Lewis [c]
• The Aeneid of Virgil • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis • Gulliver’s Travels and other works by
Carroll Jonathan Swift
• All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich • The Guns of August by Barbara W.
Maria Remarque Tuchman
• All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren • Hamlet, Henry V, Macbeth, A Midsummer
• Anna Karenina, War and Peace, and other Night’s Dream, Othello, The Merchant of
works by Leo Tolstoy Venice, and other works by William
• Anne Frank: Diary of A Young Girl by Shakespeare
Anne Frank • “The Hollow Men” and other works by
• Anne of Green Gables and other titles by T.S. Eliot
Lucy Maud Montgomery • The Hound of the Baskervilles and other
• Billy Budd, Moby Dick, and other works by works by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Herman Melville • The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer
• Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin • In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak • The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee • “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and other
Brown works by Washington Irving
• Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer • Lés Miserables by Victor Hugo
• ”The Charge of the Light Brigade” and • The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass by
other works by Alfred Lord Tennyson Frederick Douglass
• The Chosen by Chaim Potok • The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
• Christy by Catherine Marshall • Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor • A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt
Dostoyevsky • The Marquis’ Secret and other works by
• Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton George MacDonald (in updated versions)
• David Copperfield, Great Expectations, A • The Martian Chronicles and other works by
Tale of Two Cities, and other works by Ray Bradbury
Charles Dickens • Men of Iron by Howard Pyle
 102 Top Picks
106
• The Miracle Worker by William Gibson • Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A.
• 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell Heinlein
• “Oedipus Rex,” “Antigone,” and other • “Tiger, Tiger” and other poems by William
plays by Sophocles Blake
• Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt • The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
• One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch by • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Alexandr Solzhenitsyn • Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and other
• “Ozymandias” and other works by Percy works by Robert Louis Stevenson
Bysshe Shelley • A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
• Paradise Lost by John Milton [c] • The Trilogy of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkein
• Perelandra, Out of the Silent Planet, and • Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,
other fictional works by C.S. Lewis Around the World in Eighty Days, and other
• Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan works by Jules Verne
• “The Pit and the Pendulum” and other • Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher
works by Edgar Allen Poe Stowe
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen • Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
• The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli • The Yearling, Cross Creek, and other works
• The Princess Bride by William Goldman by Marjorie K. Rawlings
• Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
• A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
• “The Road Not Taken” and other works Obviously, the above list is not comprehen-
by Robert Frost sive. You might also want to focus more on the
• Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe Great Books, only a few of which are included
• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the above list. Websites where you can find
• Silas Marner by George Elliott lists of the Great Books are on page 16.
• The Spy and other works by James
Fenimore Cooper
 CHAPTER
8
Language Arts: Grammar
and Composition

“Language Arts” is a broad term that encompasses all areas of English communication. Thus,
reading, phonics, grammar, composition, handwriting, spelling, and vocabulary are all part of lan-
guage arts. However, in the world of curriculum each of these subjects is often isolated from the
others. While focusing on a single area can be useful at times, it often makes sense to integrate
the various language arts areas with each other. You might want to use resources such as Total
Language Plus study guides for novels (reviewed in Chapter Seven) that develop various language
arts skills in relation to each novel that is read. Or maybe you will choose a unit study program
(such as those reviewed in Chapter Thirteen) that integrates language arts with other subjects
such as science and history.
Since I have already covered reading and phonics recommendations in Chapter Seven, in
this chapter, I will present my Top Picks for composition and grammar. Then you will find my
Top Picks for spelling, vocabulary, and handwriting in Chapter Nine. I combine composition
and grammar resources in this chapter since these two subject areas are often combined within
language arts courses. Also, they are usually the primary focus of language arts once past the
beginning reading stage. Reviews of my Top Picks are in alphabetical order, but notice that some
resources are just for grammar, some just for composition, and some for both.
 102 Top Picks
108
A Beka Book Language series their own for third grade and above, so only
A Beka Book those courses are the focus of this review.
PO Box 19100 A Beka is well known for strong Christian
Pensacola, FL 32523 and patriotic content in their books. They
877-223-5226 incorporate these topics throughout their exer-
www.abeka.com cises. For example, in Language 3, a lesson
I include A Beka’s Language series in my Top about capitalizing the first words of sentences
Picks with some hesitation. I know that some has five practice sentences that, taken togeth-
homeschoolers have strong negative feelings er, read as a paragraph about the American
about these books. However, I think they are flag. In a lesson on quotation marks, one child
very useful when used with discretion. That asks his friend, “Have you accepted Jesus as
means parents pick and choose how much of your Savior?” A punctuation exercise uses the
which activities to use within each book. sentence “D.L. Moody was a great preacher.”
On the plus side, A Beka Language does a Bible stories are frequently used in the same
thorough job with grammar instruction. I’ve manner.
yet to find anything I like better, especially at All books except those for grades 11 and 12
upper grade levels. Over the years, as A Beka are in worktext format; instruction and exer-
has published new editions of these worktexts, cises are in a single, consumable student book.
they have beefed up instruction in composition This makes it easy for students to complete
skills. However, A Beka's composition instruc- most of their work independently.
tion remains pedestrian in comparison to other An answer key for each book has answers
available options. overprinted on reproduced student pages.
Grammar and broader language instruction Books for grades one through six are printed
is A Beka’s forté, and their approach will be in full color with appealing illustrations. Upper
especially appealing to parents who want their level books are very businesslike in appearance,
children to know all the ins and outs of gram- printed in two colors with no illustrations.
mar, including sentence diagramming. Separate student quiz/test books and answer
As good as the grammar coverage is, it does keys are available for every level. A Beka
repeat much of the same material from year to also has either Homeschool Language Arts
year. So you might use A Beka for alternating Curriculum/Lesson Plans or Parent Guide and
years. For example, use A Beka one year, then Student Daily Lessons for each grade level.
the next year focus on composition with one of Both have detailed lesson plans and extra
the other great resources available, while using teaching ideas. Homeschool editions of these
Daily Grams (reviewed under Easy Grammar), teacher's books for each level coordinate spell-
Editor in Chief (www.criticalthinking.com), or ing, vocabulary, handwriting, reading, and lan-
another such tool to review grammar skills. guage lessons from A Beka books for all these
For first and second grade A Beka closely subjects—not just language. These teacher's
integrates grammar and composition instruc- books are not essential, and I suspect most
tion within their curriculum for teaching pho- homeschoolers will be able to function well
nics, reading, spelling, and handwriting. It is without them.
possible to use only the Language books (espe- For grades one through six, A Beka offers a
cially Language 2) for these early grades apart parent kit and a child kit for each grade level
from the rest of the curriculum, but since that for language arts. These kits include all of the
is not the publisher's intent, I do not encourage resources for all of language arts (grammar and
you to do so. A Beka Language books stand on composition, reading, spelling, etc.). The kits
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
109
might be helpful if you are using A Beka for all God’s Gift of Language A (grade 4)
of your language arts, but not otherwise. student worktext - $16.60, answer key -
The book titles in A Beka's language series $21.50, curriculum - $35, quiz/test book -
are a little confusing. Language 1, 2, and 3 $5.75, quiz/test key - $11
are for grades 1, 2, and 3 respectively. Then Most instructional information is found in
Language A, B, and C are for grades 4, 5, and the worktext. Compared to the rest of the
6. Grammar and Composition I through IV are series, Language A, B, and C do a more thor-
for grades 7 through 10. ough job on composition skills. Consequently,
For grades 11 and 12, A Beka provides a the first third of Language A focuses on the
single Handbook of Grammar and Composition writing process, although it also includes
and companion workbooks for each year. mechanics such as punctuation, abbreviation,
Instruction is in the handbook, while practice capitalization, and possessives in this section.
activity is done in the workbooks and separate The second section teaches all eight parts
writing assignments. of speech along with traditional sentence
I provide brief descriptions of each level diagramming. The third section concentrates
below, but you can access a detailed scope and on word usage and dictionary skills. Review
sequence at www.abeka.com/HomeSchool/ exercises or quizzes (depending upon how you
ScopeAndSequence.aspx. choose to use them) are at the end of each
Language 3 section. One quibble: When they teach letter
student worktext - $16.35, answer key - writing and addressing envelopes, they spell
$21.50, curriculum - $40, test book - $5.75, out state names in addresses which is unac-
test key - $11 ceptable to the post office.
Language 3 reviews beginning grammar skills A set of Language Charts ($11) is also avail-
such as punctuation, capitalization, suffixes, able. These are small “posters” with the steps
and proper word usage that are typically taught of the writing process, state of being verbs, and
in resources for this level. It also introduces other helpful items that you might post in your
parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives), “classroom” area. The same charts are used for
simple diagramming, and beginning composi- grades four through six.
tion skills. God’s Gift of Language B (grade 5)
The Language Arts 3 Curriculum book adds student worktext - $16.60, answer key -
suggestions for developing composition skills $21.50, curriculum - $35, quiz/test book -
not found in the worktext, so if you are relying $5.75, quiz/test key - $11
on this course for composition as well as gram- Both writing
mar coverage, you might want to purchase the and grammar skills
Curriculum book. However, instruction and receive compre-
assignments are in the student worktext, so hensive coverage in
there is some composition coverage without Language B. Writing
the Curriculum book. instruction cov-
A “Handbook of Rules and Definitions” ers topic sentences,
toward the end of the student book is handy for paragraphs, and tran-
reference. Periodic quizzes are in the worktext. sitions. Outlining,
It is possible to work only from the student taking notes, and
worktext, but you should probably also pur- preparing bibliogra-
chase the answer key. A separate student test phies are also taught in the context of report
booklet and answer key are also available. writing. Students complete a library research
 102 Top Picks
110
report, including use of note cards and cre- than 75 pages in Book IV) is at the back of each
ation of a bibliography. book for handy reference.
Capitalization, punctuation, word usage, dic- Instruction is presented in a rules-and-expla-
tionary skills, and parts of speech are reviewed nation format in boxes at the beginning of each
extensively, with more complex concepts added lesson. In the composition lessons, the expla-
to those taught last year. The text also intro- nation sometimes extends to a few pages. This
duces complements and the use of a thesaurus. is followed by practice and application
God’s Gift of Language C (grade 6) exercises.
student worktext - $16.60, answer Students who have
key - $21.50, curriculum - $35, been studying gram-
quiz/test book - $5.75, quiz/test key - $11 mar every year will
Language C covers most of the same material find these books rep-
we find in Language B but at more challenging etitious. However,
levels. Grammar, composition, and mechan- those who have
ics are thoroughly reviewed. If your child has neglected grammar
studied grammar in a hit-or-miss fashion up to for a few years should
this point, this is a good book for reviewing and find them compre-
making sure that everything has been covered. hensive enough to
However, it will probably be overwhelming for catch up on missed
a child who has studied little to no grammar. concepts. Since these books review parts of
While this worktext is intended for sixth grad- speech, punctuation, capitalization, types of
ers, the “C” designation allows you to use it for sentences, diagramming, library skills, and
an older child if need be since the grade level other concepts they need to know, students
is not obvious. are certain to cover anything they might have
The writing process is taught with expla- missed or forgotten in regard to grammar.
nations and examples. However, instruction Composition skills begin with paragraph
moves quickly from composing a paragraph structure, outlines, improving style, writing
to writing a research paper using note cards summaries, book reports, and research papers
and including a bibliography. As with gram- in the first two books. The series contin-
mar instruction, there is some review, but it ues through writing projects such as critical
is likely to be too challenging for the student book reviews, character sketches, and research
who has not already done a significant amount papers in the fourth book. From the first book
of writing. “The Student Writer’s Handbook” on, lessons on writing research papers include
is a helpful reference aid placed at the end of instructions for footnotes and endnotes as well
the text. Note that cursive rather than printed as how to document digital sources. The fourth
words are used in diagramming examples. level adds an unusual but helpful section on
Grammar and Composition, Books I – IV diction.
(grades 7-10) If you purchase only the student texts and
worktexts - $18.05 each, teacher keys - $21 teacher keys, you might have difficulty figur-
each, quiz/test books - $6.75 each, answer ing out how to use the writing instruction and
keys - $10.75 each, either homeschool assignments. If this is the case, you might want
curriculum or parent guides - $17 each the Homeschool Curriculum/Lesson Plans for
These worktexts offer thorough review of grades seven or eight or the Parent Guide and
grammar with fairly comprehensive coverage Student Daily Lessons books for grades nine or
of writing skills. A significant handbook (more ten. The Homeschool Curriculum/Lesson Plans
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
111
are intended for parental use but could eas- assignments as they complete them; lines for
ily be referred to by students. They list daily them to note time started, time completed,
activities and page numbers so it is easy to and total time; and lines for parents to initial
see what needs to be done each day. I really when they have checked the student work.
like the Parent Guide and Student Daily Lessons
books for ninth and tenth grades since they
are written for students to use. These include Analytical Grammar
detailed, daily lesson plan assignments for by Robin Finley and Erin Karl
students. Students can use them to check off Analytical Grammar
assignments as they complete them and to 7615 Vista Del Rey Lane
keep track of time spent each day. Parents have Raleigh, NC 27613
a line to initial when they have checked each 919-783-0795
day’s assignment. Separate test and test key www.analyticalgrammar.com
booklets are available. JAG or JAG Mechanics: student and teacher
Handbook of Grammar and Composition book set - $39.95 each, student books -
plus Workbooks V and VI (grades 11-12) $19.95 each, DVDs - $19.95 each
handbook - $19.40, workbooks - $9.05 AG: student and teacher book set - $94.95
each, answer keys - $11.75 each, student book - $49.95, DVD set - $39.95
test/quiz booklets - $6.75 each, answer keys AG Reinforcement & Review - $19.95
to tests/quizzes - $10.75 each, Homeschool High School Grammar Reinforcement books
English Parent Guide and Student Daily - $19.95 each
Lessons - $17 each Robin Finley drew upon her years of teach-
Workbook V is for 11th grade and Workbook ing experience to come up with very practical
VI is for 12th, while the Handbook is the pri- course material for covering English grammar.
mary instructional resource used for both. Junior Analytical Grammar (JAG) and Junior
The Handbook presents numbered rules with Analytical Grammar: Mechanics (JAGM) are
examples in a more comprehensive fashion appropriate for fourth or fifth graders, while
than some other handbooks since some do not Analytical Grammar (AG) should be used for
include examples. This is an excellent hand- students in grades six and up.
book with thorough coverage of both grammar JAG might be completed in as few as eleven
and composition, including research papers weeks. It focuses on
and up-to-date information on footnotes and parts of speech and
citations. Grammar coverage, which includes syntax (word func-
sentence diagramming, is extensive. The com- tions within a sen-
panion Workbooks V and VI direct students to tence), introducing
study particular sections in the Handbook, then sentence diagram-
apply what they have learned in exercises or ming early in the pro-
writing activities. cess. While it also has
You will want the answer keys to the stu- writing assignments at
dent workbooks, but the test books and their the end of each les-
answer keys are optional. The Homeschool son, it does not cover
English Parent Guide and Student Daily Lessons punctuation, usage issues such as verb tenses
should be very useful. These are daily, detailed and comparative forms of adjectives, diction-
lesson plans that tell the student exactly what ary skills, comprehensive composition skills,
to do. There are lines for students to check off and other language art skills. JAGM can be
 102 Top Picks
112
used to cover punctuation, capitalization, and exercise, and then each unit ends with a test.
usage when students have completed JAG (or Complete grading information is provided for
even for older students just after the first part the teacher. Finley thought out all of the dif-
of AG.) With fifteen week-long units, JAGM ficulties in grading sentence diagrams as well as
can be used in the same year as JAG. writing assignments, and she has come up with
AG is more comprehensive than JAG. It easy ways for parents to score student work.
reviews and expands upon JAG in the first ten These courses have a combination of special
units. These ten units should be used during a features that set them apart from others:
single school year (likely sixth grade). You can • Students learn parts of speech and syntax
continue that same year with the next section at the same time.
(units 11 through 17) which cover sentence • Diagramming is a key component.
structure, clauses (adjective, adverb, and ver- • A sentence parsing process is used that is
bal), and appositives. Or you might save this similar to a flow chart approach with
section for the next school year. questions and answers.
Units 18 • Grammar is taught thoroughly so students
through 28 of need not repeat the same material year after
AG teach punc- year. It is taught in context so students are
tuation. Of more likely to understand and remember it.
course, students • “Notes” pages remain in student books
will have learned while exercise pages are removed. The
some basic punc- student ends up with a reference notebook at
tuation before the end of the course.
this point, but Finley saves intensive punc- Since Finley suggests taking a break from
tuation instruction until this point because she AG after the first ten units, she has created a
says, “students must understand the grammar Reinforcement & Review (RR) book with exer-
of the English language before they can be cises for students to continue sharpening their
expected to internalize rules of punctuation.” grammar and writing skills. As with AG, RR is
The final lessons in units 29 through 35 deal divided into sections. The first 18 worksheets
with specialized usage issues such as pronoun- use excerpts from well-known literary works
antecedent agreement, who/whom, and errors and are intended for students to use, one every
regarding adverbs and adjectives. Although other week, during the break from doing AG.
the book is divided into its three “seasons” to Students parse sentences, write paraphrases,
spread out over two or three years, an older then parse AND diagram sentences using all
student (grade nine or higher) can easily get of the concepts taught in units 1 through 10.
through the entire program in less than a full Answer keys for these worksheets are in this
school year. same book. The next section in RR is intended
Lessons follow a common format in both as a week-long review after the break between
books, beginning with an introductory page units 10 and 11 for those who need to do a
or more of “notes” that teach the lesson. The little more intensive work before continu-
parent/teacher should go through this material ing on into the next section of AG. Students
with the students, especially in JAG. Three review their notes pages from AG then com-
exercises follow. Students should complete plete these worksheets in RR. At the end,
only one of these per day, going over each ten more reinforcement lessons like those at
completed exercise with you before going on to the beginning of RR are to be used during the
the next one. A writing assignment follows the next scheduled break between units 17 and
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
113
18. These are higher-level reinforcements that punctuation, and usage. With 18 lessons per
cover everything from unit 1 through unit 17. book, you would use approximately one lesson
While RR is not essential, I think breaking up every two weeks for a school year. Each book
the AG course with the RR worksheets will also contains its own answer key. You might
be more interesting for students in addition to select a book to coordinate with literature stud-
giving them more practice. ies. The titles are The Great American Authors,
A few additional notes on AG: while this The Great British Authors, Shakespeare’s Plays,
book has composition activities, it isn’t intend- and The Great World Authors. Sentences and
ed for composition instruction such as how to passages with which students work all provide
structure a paragraph or essay. Also note that information about authors and their works
although the AG course is expensive, you will that is readable for its own sake––something
be using it over at least two years. While AG we rarely find in grammar resources.
isn’t a specifically Christian curriculum, one of
the literary selections is Psalm 23, and I spot-
ted one sample sentence that mentioned Jesus Building Christian English series
and His disciples. Books are all plastic-spiral Rod and Staff
bound. Publishers
Overall, these courses do a thorough job with PO Box 3
grammar and diagramming and are easy for 14193 Hwy. 172
both teacher and student to use. However, you Crockett, KY 41413
might need to work through sentence analysis 606-522-4348
and diagramming together with some students The Building Christian
more than others. Optional teaching DVDs English series for grades
are available for JAG, JAGM, and AG; these two through ten is
feature Robin Finley or Erin Karl providing excellent for those who
instruction for each lesson and demonstrat- prefer a formal aca-
ing a few practice sentences. The DVDs can demic approach and don’t need any fluff.
lighten the load for parents. In the end, I think Comprehensive coverage, clear explanations,
most students will appreciate the efficiency of examples, and plenty of practice provide a
this approach even if it is challenging. solid, if unexciting, foundation in the lan-
High School Grammar Reinforcements guage arts. A great deal of scriptural content
If high school as well as frequent references to farm life also
students have serve to differentiate this program’s content
completed AG from most others. Some of the examples and
or another rig- writing assignments reflect Mennonite life so
orous grammar strongly that non-Mennonite children might
program, parents have trouble relating to them. Despite these
and teachers possible drawbacks, instruction in grammar
generally want and other language arts is better than in most
them to have some sort of review or practice other programs.
on skills. Books are all hardbound, printed in black-
Robin Finley and Erin Karl have teamed up and-white with minimal illustrations. Children
to create four books for this purpose. Each do not write in the textbooks, so they can be
book has activities that reinforce sentence reused. But that means that students need
parsing and diagramming, grammar analysis, to write their answers and compositions in
 102 Top Picks
114
a notebook. The teacher’s manuals include Building Christian English 3, Beginning
teaching instructions plus answers to student Wisely
exercises. Lessons require teacher involvement student book - $12.95,
and allow for some independent work, increas- teacher’s manual - $15.95
ing the latter at higher grade levels. This level introduces nouns, pronouns,
Like other classroom-designed texts, these verbs, adjectives, and adverbs as well as noun
books include extra busywork for classroom usage as subject or direct object. Diagramming
purposes, so it is not necessary for children to is taught along with each part of speech.
do all exercises. Both oral and written exercises Dictionary work, capitalization, punctuation,
are included within each lesson. The amount and oral communication are also taught. At
of writing might be too much for some stu- this level, the teacher’s manual states that the
dents, especially at the younger levels. If this is worksheets, oral reviews, and written quizzes
the case, more exercises can be done orally or are not required for the course.
skipped altogether. Building Christian English 4, Building
Original composition work is included, with Diligence
but there is a minimal amount in compari- student book - $15.95,
son to other written exercises until students teacher’s manual - $20.95
reach ninth and tenth grades. Answers, oral The grade four text includes all basic parts
reviews and written quizzes are in the teacher’s of speech except interjections, along with
manuals. diagramming. Original composition writing is
For grades three through eight there is a set included, but it teaches within limited patterns
of extra worksheets ($3.25 each level). Grades reflecting Rod and Staff’s educational philoso-
two through eight have test booklets ($2.25 phy—emphasis is on organization and clear
each). Tests are combined with editing work- writing rather than upon creativity. There are
sheets for assessment for grades nine and ten. many student exercises in the textbook, so it is
While worksheet sets are essential for levels unnecessary to purchase the extra worksheets
nine and ten, for other levels they provide with even more exercises.
additional work rather than serve as the pri- Building Christian English 5, Following
mary source of student exercises. the Plan
Building Christian English 2, student book - $16.95,
Preparing to Build teacher's manual - $22.95
student book - $12.95, This comprehensive text covers the eight
teacher’s manual - $15.95 basic parts of speech, writing skills, speaking
In keeping with its subtitle, this book lays and listening.
groundwork by providing substantial work in Building Christian English 6, Progressing
both composition and grammar. Coverage is with Courage
very broad and comprehensive for a second student book - $17.95,
grade text. Composition work includes basic teacher's manual - $24.95
sentence structure up through paragraph devel- This text reviews and expands upon previous
opment and writing poetry. Grammar includes levels. There is heavy emphasis upon grammar.
parts of speech (nouns, verbs, pronouns, and It might be too detailed for some students,
adjectives) and usage. Other chapters work on but Rod and Staff’s comprehensive grammar
alphabetical order, dictionary use, synonyms, coverage in elementary grades allows students
antonyms, and homonyms. Diagramming is to concentrate on other language skills in high
not introduced until the third grade. school if they master grammar by the end of
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
115
eighth grade. Composition, listening, reading, poetry while the second covers parliamen-
and speaking skills are also taught. tary procedure, descriptive essays, expository
Building Christian English 7, Building essays, bibliographies and footnotes, and story
Securely writing.
student book - $17.95, I appreciate the fact that Rod and Staff is
teacher’s manual - $24.95 one of the rare publishers that recognizes that
English 7 covers grammatical concepts that grammar skills can be mastered in fewer than
other publishers spread out through high twelve years.
school, so this text is more difficult and more
comprehensive than most others for seventh
grade. While that might be fine for some Create-A-Story
students, it might be too detailed or have too
much busywork for others. Using the exercises
selectively helps overcome such problems.
Building Christian English 8, Preparing
for Usefulness
student book - $17.95,
teacher’s manual - $24.95
This book reflects the shift from learning
grammar to applying it. Remaining elements
of grammar are covered, but more importantly,
students work with many forms of written Create! Press
communication. PO Box 2785
Building Christian English 9 and 10, Carlsbad, CA 92018
Communicating Effectively, Books One 760-739-9550
and Two email: [email protected]
student books - $15.95 each, teacher's www.createpress.com
manuals - $19.95 each, tests and Create-A-Story game - $44.95, Stepping
editing sheets - $2.90 each Stones game - $24.95, workbooks - $21.95
By high school, students have thoroughly each, Writing Adventures Game Pack
studied grammar, so the emphasis shifts toward - $24.95
composition and speech. For the most part The folks who came up with the Create-
grammar and mechanics are reviewed, although A-Story board game deserve high praise for
a few more complex grammatical concepts are incorporating some of the best story-writing
taught. Chapters alternate between grammar strategies into a game format that should be
and composition/speech. Even then, grammar great for students about fourth grade and
chapters all have subsections on “Improving above.
Your Writing Style,” “Improving Your Editing The game actually has two parts: the first,
Skills,” or “Improving Your Speaking Style”— moving around the game board and collect-
students are continually working to improve ing cards that will become components of
writing and speaking skills. your story; and the second, putting the pieces
These two books were written with much in together into an actual story, then writing and
common so that either can be used first. Book scoring the story according to how many of
One covers outlining, arguments, writing book your game cards were incorporated into it.
reports, character sketches, letter writing, and Part of the difficulty for young writers is
 102 Top Picks
116
figuring out what to write about. It is some- might require them to sort through all their
times difficult for them to come up with char- cards and limit their selections to fewer than
acters, plot, theme, setting, conflict, climax, I would allow an older child, just to keep the
and resolution, all while using elements of style story brief. Generally, I would expect stories to
like description and dialogue. This game makes be anywhere from one to two pages long, but it
the process much easier by providing a number certainly is possible for students to write much
of these elements for the writer. longer stories if time permits.
There are decks of cards that have topic Once stories are complete, you use the score
sentences, settings, characters, plot elements, pad that assigns point values for the various
resolutions (as in how the story turns out), story elements that were used in the story.
lessons (the moral of the story is…), descrip- As the teacher, you can also set your own
tions (e.g., hairy, cold and rainy, majestic), and standards for spelling and grammar, perhaps
dialogue (words like “laughed,” “questioned,” giving extra points in those areas. Note that
and “roared” that are to be used after direct references to transition words on the score
quotes). Some blank cards are included so you sheet and in the instructions are a bit confus-
can add story elements of your own. ing since no list of transition words is actu-
Every player selects a topic sentence card ally included in the game. However, the list is
before play begins, then as they move around available on the publisher’s website at: www.
the board they land on other story elements and createpress.com/pages/tips.htm along with free
draw a card each time from the dialogue deck if downloads of a “Writing Adventures Journal
the space says “dialogue,” from the description Plan” (to help students learn to journal) and a
deck if the space says “description,” etc. There supplemental teacher’s manual for the Create-
are some “Free Choice” spaces so players can A-Story Game.
select a story element they are lacking. The game requires adult assistance unless
When they reach the end of the game board you have older students who have become
path, they are ready to put their story together. familiar with the game and who are able to
They need not use all story element cards they select and fashion story elements together
have drawn, but they get points for those they without assistance. There are pawns for up to
do use. They will generally have some cards six individuals or groups of players; children
that just won’t fit with the others, but they can write stories on their own or as teams in
should still have plenty with which to work. a cooperative effort. However, the game will
Each player takes an Outline Sheet from actually work with only one child if you think
the pad provided with the game and begins of it as a tool for writing a story rather than a
to write down story elements he or she plans competition. Ultimately, story writing is the
to use. Players decide which characters will goal more than winning the game even though
be good guys or bad guys. They choose which children might not catch on to that right away.
plot to use. Then they write down the key plot The story elements in the game will frequently
elements: the conflict and four steps for what require silliness and creativity to fit them
happens first, second, etc. All of this has to together into a cohesive story. That means that
lead up to the resolution shown on one of the children are likely to have a lot of fun figuring
cards they have drawn. out which ones to use and how to put them
After they’ve written down these story ele- together.
ments, they actually write their story. The Stepping Stones, another game from the same
length of the story should depend upon the age publisher, provides students (about sixth grade
and ability of a child. With a younger child, I and above) with guidance and inspiration for
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
117
expository writing. Students tackle informa- collected as players move around the board,
tive, persuasive, comparison/contrast, or oper- constructing compound sentences, and identi-
ational essays as they move through the game fying similes. Although designed as a compan-
board, actually writing as they move through ion for the workbooks, these games also work
each step. This game is more controlled than well on their own.
Create-A-Story in that students select cards in
a particular order that fits the writing process.
Graphic organizers and outline masters serve Easy Grammar series
as additional tools to guide students step-by- by Dr. Wanda Phillips
step. Parent or teacher assistance is required. Easy Grammar Systems™
This game is a little more complex to figure PO Box 25970
out at first, but like Create-A-Story, it makes Scottsdale, AZ 85255
the writing process much more interesting and 480-502-9454
manageable. 800-641-6015
Create! Press publishes other products www.easygrammar.com
that you might find useful for composition There are essentially two strands in the Easy
and grammar. Their two workbooks, Writing Grammar series for the elementary grades:
Adventures, Books 1 and 2, teach basic gram- teaching books and review books. I will use the
mar, punctuation, and composition skills in a term Easy Grammar to refer to the teaching
format that seems most suitable for older stu- books and Daily Grams for the review books.
dents needing remedial work. Beginning with To make things interesting, Easy Grammar:
identification of subjects and verbs, the first Grade 2 is actually a teaching and review book!
book presents simplified, condensed coverage You can use either teaching or review books or
that should help a student gain a foundational both for all other levels.
grasp of grammar. All activities include writ- Easy Grammar
ing as well as what I would consider optional Easy Grammar teacher editions: Grade 2
drawing activities. Composition lessons move - $26.95, Grades 3 & 4 - $29.95 each,
quickly from sentence building, through para- Grades 5, 6, and Plus - $34.95 each;
graphs to very short stories (as students might student workbooks: Grades 2-6 - $13.95
write in the Create-A-Story game). The sec- each, Plus - $14.95;
ond book adds more challenging grammar les- test booklets - $4.95 each for 2-6, $5.95 for
sons and shifts into essay writing. A number of Plus
reproducible visual organizers for essay writing Let’s start with
are included. the teaching series.
The Writing Adventures Game Pack rein- There are six books
forces lesson material in the Writing Adventures in the Easy Grammar
workbooks. A double-sided game board comes series: Grade 2,
with sets of sturdy cards (that you need to Grade 3, Grade 4,
cut out) and playing pieces. You can play Grade 5, Grade 6,
numerous variations depending upon which and Plus (for grades
side of the board and which cards you choose 7 and above). The
to use: identifying parts of speech, punctua- Easy Grammar books,
tion corrections, subject/verb agreement, edit- with the exception of
ing sentences with errors, identifying phrases, Easy Grammar: Grade 2, are very similar to
constructing sentences from sentence parts one another. These books are not really that
 102 Top Picks
118
specific to grade levels, so, for example, you instruction followed by examples then exer-
might use the book for grade five with chil- cises. Most of the time, younger level books
dren in grades four through six. Also, you do combine instruction and activity so that both
not need to use all of these books since they together take up just one page per lesson.
contain so much repetition. You can use one Upper levels sometimes take a page or two for
volume then follow up with Daily Grams for a instruction followed by one page of exercises.
few years before switching back to a teaching You will need a teacher edition that includes
volume. everything in the student book plus answer
I will begin with Easy Grammar Grade 2. keys. Student pages in the teacher edition are
This book is unique (in this series) with a for- reproducible, but that’s a lot of photocopying.
mat of daily lesson plans. Grade 2 can be used Instead of photocopying, you can purchase
either as your primary teaching resource or as student workbooks that contain instruction
a supplement. Lessons need to be taught rather and activity pages.
than used independently, although some stu- The layout makes Easy Grammar self-instruc-
dents might be able to complete a good part of tional for the most part. In the teacher editions,
the work on their own. one page is the reproducible student worksheet,
Each daily lesson consists of four to five while facing it is an identical student page with
types of exercises that include capitalization, answers overprinted. This arrangement makes
punctuation, alphabetizing, dictionary work, these answer keys very easy to use. Teacher
parts of speech, prefixes/roots/suffixes, syn- editions include reviews, tests, cumulative
onyms, homonyms, antonyms, rhymes, and reviews, and cumulative tests, all of which help
sentence combining. Rules or explanations students retain previously-taught information.
and examples are provided within the les- Separate test booklets are also available if you
sons for each topic that is likely to be new or do not want to photocopy or use those in the
in need of review. The book has 180 lessons teacher edition.
and is intended to be completed in one school This program is unique in presenting preposi-
year. All principal parts of speech up through tions before other parts of speech. By teaching
interjections and conjunctions are introduced students to identify prepositions and preposi-
although with only a very brief introduction for tional phrases before other parts of the sen-
each of the more difficult parts of speech. My tence, it eliminates such problems as confusing
biggest hesitation with this book is whether or the object of a preposition with the subject.
not it is necessary to go that far into parts of Parts of the sentence are designated by
speech in second grade. Other than that, the underlining, circling, and making notations
coverage of other language skills is great. rather than by diagramming. In addition, it
Now we can move on to Easy Grammar: covers phrases, clauses, punctuation, capital-
Grades 3 and up. Easy Grammar books use ization, types of sentences, fragments and run-
the same approach and repeat much of the on sentences, and letter writing.
same material from book to book, albeit at Author Dr. Wanda Phillips strongly recom-
slightly higher levels of difficulty. For example, mends that you teach the lessons in order
Grade 3 teaches a list of 28 prepositions while since they include cumulative review of previ-
the two highest level books teach a list of 53 ously covered topics. The exceptions might be
prepositions. punctuation, capitalization, and letter writing,
Each very large—the smallest volume is which can be taught whenever you choose.
almost 500 pages—Easy Grammar book follows Grammar topics are taught one at a time
a pattern of brief, straightforward grammar without significant integration of topics. You
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
119
will find more grammatical detail taught in book. You can make photocopies of the work
programs from Rod and Staff and A Beka than pages or purchase student workbooks.
in Easy Grammar, but the essentials are here. There are five Daily Grams volumes for
The format is repetitious. To add variety, you grades three through seven plus a single book
might supplement with Grammar Songs (www. for junior and senior high. These are available
audiomemory.com), Editor in Chief workbooks as printed books or as ebooks.
(www.criticalthinking.com), or other resources. While you can use these alongside an Easy
Easy Grammar is especially good for students Grammar volume, I recommend using them
who struggle with grammar. Sentences are fair- for a year or two in between Easy Grammar
ly short which makes identification exercises volumes. You would skip some levels of Easy
easier. Once students figure out what is being Grammar. Daily Grams might also be used in
done in the exercise, they can continue the the same way with other publishers' grammar
pattern without much effort. Also, there are courses since most repeat the same material
fewer exercises per lesson compared to most year after year and Daily Grams' scope and
other courses. sequence is similar to that of most programs.
After completing Easy Grammar Plus, stu- Ultimate Series
dents can continue with the Easy Grammar Ultimate Series: teacher editions - $26.95
Ultimate Series which I review after Daily each, student workbooks - $13.95 each,
Grams. test booklets for Grades 8-11 - $5.95 each
Daily Grams Older students have yet another choice with
Daily Grams: teacher editions, either the new Easy
print or digital download - $26.95 each, Grammar Ultimate
student workbooks - $13.95 each Series. While some
Daily Grams are a marvelous tool for review- students have used
ing and practicing grammar skills without bor- Easy Grammar Plus
ing students with an entire grammar course and Daily Grams in
year after year. These books assume that stu- junior and senior
dents have already been instructed in the rel- high, the Ultimate
evant grammar concepts and simply provide Series offers more
reinforcement and practice without instruc- challenging material,
tion. Each grade-level book becomes progres- but in a format simi-
sively more difficult reflecting what is assumed lar to Daily Grams. The Ultimate Series books,
to have been taught in corresponding Easy one for each year for grades eight through
Grammar books. twelve, require only about ten minutes per day.
I love the easy-to- The format for each of the 180 lessons in each
use, page-a-day for- book is the same with work on five topics per
mat. It should take day. Every lesson has sections on punctuation,
only about ten min- capitalization, and sentence combining. The
utes per day. Each other two sections cover other grammar con-
page has exercises cepts such as parts of speech, phrases and
in capitalization, clauses, homonyms, analogies, and types of
punctuation, general sentences. Brief instruction is provided. These
review, and sentence texts do not assume that students have already
combining. Answers attained a mastery of grammar. Students who
are at the back of the already know the rules and concepts can
 102 Top Picks
120
simply complete the exercises to practice their downloadable PDF files is required for each
skills while those who need explanations may student. For each lesson, students first look
read through them. at the manual's assignment, then watch a
You need only purchase the teacher edition segment on the DVD. Afterward, they read
since it has reproducible student pages and through and complete the manual pages for
an answer key at the back. However, student that lesson. There is often a significant amount
workbooks are also available to save photo- of instructional material in the manual, espe-
copying. Information for the teacher at the cially at older levels, so no textbook is needed.
beginning of each book is brief, and a brief list In fact, the manuals for levels nine through
of skills taught will help you find a lesson on a twelve are referred to as textbooks. Sometimes
particular skill if you need to target an imme- students will watch a DVD lesson then work
diate issue. Separate assessment booklets are on manual assignments for one, two, or three
available for Grades 8 through 11—there is no days, but generally video and manual assign-
assessment booklet for Grade 12. The Ultimate ments are completed the same day.
Series seems like an excellent way to provide While most of the teaching is done for you
just the right amount of grammar instruction via the DVDs, some parent interaction will
for older students. be necessary, especially for younger children.
Answer keys are at the end of the set of manu-
als for the younger levels.
Essentials in Writing Older students will probably need to discuss
by Matthew Stephens their ideas for their compositions and get feed-
Essentials in Writing back as they proceed. High school level courses
5337 S. Campbell Avenue, Ste. AA do not require answer keys; instead they have
Springfield, MO 65810 rubrics and scoring guides that assist parents in
417-256-4191 evaluating compositions. These, too, are found
www.essentialsinwriting.com in the downloadable PDF files or print books.
DVDs only - $50 per course, set of DVDs and In addition, there are samples of student work
printed manual - $67 per course within the books so parents have something to
Essentials in Writing which they can compare their own student's
is a complete lan- work. The samples should also help students
guage arts pro- understand what is expected.
gram for grades one The combination of DVD lessons and manu-
through twelve with als is equivalent in amount of content to
teaching presented other comprehensive language arts courses,
on DVDs. and instruction on composition skills is more
Instructor Matthew advanced than in most other programs. For
Stephens is energet- example, composition skills are developed
ic, interacting with beginning in first grade. Parts of speech (but
an unseen classroom of students for each level. not diagramming skills) are introduced gradu-
He continually works on a whiteboard while ally, beginning in first grade.
teaching. DVD lessons vary in length depend- The sequence of topics is somewhat similar
ing upon the topic to be covered. from level to level, beginning each level with
An instructional manual/student workbook instruction on sentence structure and gram-
(which I will continue to refer to as the man- mar, shifting toward more composition work,
ual) in your choice of either printed book or and generally concluding with poetry in the
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
121
elementary grades. Upper levels begin with presentations can be watched on any DVD
sentence structure (e.g., clauses and proper viewing device. Manual pages are designed
construction), then progress through para- with a large font, plenty of space to write (even
graphs, essays, and research papers. There is for some composition activities), and some clip
enough repetition that you might even be able art illustrations. If you use the PDF files, you
to skip a year once or twice. should probably print the entire collection out
The "Letter to Parent," found in each manu- and have it accessible since the pages them-
al, includes instructions for parents for admin- selves make it clear when they are to be used;
istering the course. For the older levels, it this information is not presented on the DVDs.
suggests various options, including working Level 1
on some of the essay lessons, switching to the First grade begins with review of proper let-
research paper, then returning to work on ter formation then moves into beginning sen-
more essays. tence formation, punctuation, capitalization,
I mentioned that composition instruction is and other introductory grammar. It introduces
advanced, but Stephens teaches in increments nouns and their use as subjects as well as action
that are manageable for children to handle, verbs. Students learn to write paragraphs, let-
walking students through the steps of the writ- ters, and poems.
ing process on most assignments. He always Level 2
models the type of writing students are to The course for second grade teaches sen-
do. So while it might be more advanced, it is tences, subjects, predicates, nouns, pronouns,
not more difficult. Stephens also uses graphic verbs, adjectives, plurals, capitalization, and
organizers at different points to make it easy for punctuation. For composition, it introduces
students to organize their ideas before begin- the writing process, teaching students how to
ning to write. Check list forms are included write narratives, paragraphs, notes, journaling,
for students to verify that they have met the invitations, and poetry.
requirements of an assignment. Level 3
While there is repetition from year to year, The Level 3 course covers sentences, com-
much more time is spent developing writing plete subjects and complete predicates, plurals
skills rather than reviewing grammar. This pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, predicate adjec-
means these courses are likely to appeal to stu- tives, possessives, capitalization and punctua-
dents who might be bored with other courses tion, and alphabetical order. Working through
that spend a great deal of time on grammar the writing process, children learn to write
review each year. friendly letters, paragraphs, narratives, descrip-
The publisher's website lists the table of con- tive paragraphs, thank you notes, invitations,
tents for each course and includes the number journal entries, informational reports, and
of class periods the course should require, the poetry. It even introduces the creation of a
number of video lessons, the number of manu- bibliography with a fill-in-the-blanks approach
al pages, and a list of each lesson's title. (This in lesson 51.
information is not in the downloadable files.) Level 4
Each level is packaged in a DVD case, with Fourth graders review subjects and predi-
two to four DVDs per level, but the printed, cates, adding compound subjects and predi-
spiral-bound workbook is optional. With each cates. They expand their learning about
set you receive a link for the downloadable sentences to include more complex sentence
manual files. PDF files need to be viewed and forms as well as independent and depen-
printed from your computer while the video dent clauses. Nouns, pronouns, and verbs are
 102 Top Picks
122
reviewed. Composition work includes writing paragraphs, and essays, also introducing
letters, narratives, descriptive paragraphs, per- research papers this year. Students really work
suasive paragraphs, informational reports with through the writing process as they draft, edit,
source documentation, poetry, and other forms and rewrite their papers. As with seventh
of writing. grade, optional, intensive grammar lessons
Level 5 (without worksheets) follow the final lesson of
Level 5 reviews sentences, subjects, predi- the rest of the course.
cates, clauses, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjec- Levels 9-12
tives, and adverbs, with additional work with High school level courses are all very similar
prepositions and prepositional phrases. It to one another, gradually increasing in the
teaches about the use of figurative language level of difficulty. They each review sentence
as well as how to write dialogue, narratives, structure and paragraphs so that students
letters, descriptive paragraphs, persuasive without adequate prior instruction should still
paragraphs, comparison/contrast writing, sum- be able to work at their grade level. Work on
maries, informational reports, and poetry. essays and research papers gradually increases
Level 6 in difficulty, and students tackle many different
Level 6 covers most of the same topics again, types of essays. Eleventh grade adds writing
adding appositives, writing with a point of responses to literature. Research papers are to
view, expository essays, persuasive letters, and include MLA (Modern Language Association)
a research project, spending significantly more references, including a list of "works cited."
time on expository essays and the research Stephens teaches students how to write their
project in comparison to other topics. own citations, but he also recommends inter-
Level 7 net sites that are helpful for creating correct
Level 7 is similar in content to the sixth grade citations; users enter the required information
course with the addition of an intensive gram- on forms, and the site formats it into the cor-
mar review at the conclusion of the course. rect citation. (Note: It is not cheating to use
However, these grammar lessons are optional these websites since the mechanics of creat-
and there are no worksheets for the grammar ing citations are complex, varying by the type
review. Stephens suggests showing these les- of reference work. Professional authors and
sons to students at the beginning of the school academics often use them.) High school stu-
year, then coming back and reviewing the les- dents should probably have an MLA Handbook
sons if or when needed. I applaud Stephens’ for reference. While Stephens explains how
choice to make these lessons optional since to look up MLA guidelines on the internet,
most students have had sufficient grammar having the MLA Handbook is probably more
at this point and should spend more time on efficient.
composition work. Writing assignments at this Watch for High School Creative Writing and
level are challenging enough that this course High School Technical Writing courses which are
could also be used by older students who also in the works.
haven’t yet mastered the skills taught in these Summary
lessons. Grading rubrics are added beginning Essentials in Writing courses free up parents’
with this seventh grade course so that parents time by providing the instruction along with
can actually score the compositions if they so reinforcement activities and writing assign-
desire. ments. Courses require little to no preparation
Level 8 time and are very easy to use. The price is very
Lessons work through sentence structure, reasonable for courses that include both DVD
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
123
instruction and manuals. Even better, Stephens from five to twenty minutes per lesson on
offers free support via phone or email. writing activities. I particularly like the way
Watson has interspersed activities throughout
the instruction to ensure that students are
Jump In processing and applying as they learn. At the
by Sharon Watson end of each section of skill lessons students are
Apologia given a number of writing assignments from
Educational which to choose. These lengthier assignments
Ministries, Inc. might take anywhere from two to ten days to
1106 Meridian complete and will likely be done either in a
Plaza, Ste. 220 notebook or on the computer.
Anderson, IN Jump In is a fairly comprehensive course. It
46016 provides instruction from brainstorming, topic
888-524-4724 selection, and construction of a composition
www.apologia.com (with an introduction, body, and conclusion)
student worktext - all the way through the use of citations and
$30, Lifeguard’s Locker - $10 creation of a bibliography. The exposition sec-
Jump In is a two-year writing program for tion of the workbook expands to include les-
middle school students. While most appropri- sons on writing biographies, book reports, book
ate for grades six through eight, it can also be responses, newspaper articles, how-to articles,
used with high schoolers who need more work and compare-and-contrast essays.
on basic writing skills or need a user-friendly The student workbook itself can be complet-
approach to motivate them to improve their ed in one school year. What transforms Jump
skills. Written particularly for Christian home- In into a two-year program are the “10-Minute
schoolers, it is designed for students to work Writing Plunges” found in the teacher manual.
independently most of the time, and it assumes These are a number of writing prompts—four
a Christian audience with references to favor- per week for September through May—that are
ite Bible verses, church activities, judgments the basis for ten-minute writing assignments to
about Greek gods and goddesses, spiritual be completed Monday through Thursday. You
motivations of characters in stories, and other are free to substitute your own writing prompts
Christian experiences and attitudes. if you wish. On Friday, students select their
The course consists of a student book plus a favorite of the four papers they have written
teacher manual titled The Lifeguard’s Locker: that week and polish it to be turned in on the
A Parent/Teacher Manual for Jump In. Both following Monday. The “Writing Plunges” are
are essential. The 248-page student worktext not intended to be used at the same time as
includes instruction, activities, and assign- students are working through their other les-
ments plus helpful reference tools at the back. sons. They should be used on their own as the
Assignments are presented in seven sections second year of the program or they can be used
of varying length: pre-writing skills, opinion, to break up the workbook lessons by spend-
persuasion, exposition, description, narration, ing a month or more on “Writing Plunges”
and poetry. Within each section, lessons are between sections of the book.
presented as a series of skills so that students The student workbook is very attractive.
approach each type of writing in bite-size Printed in full-color, it includes illustrations
chunks. For most of the activities student will and graphics that break up the print and keep
write directly in their workbook, spending students from getting overwhelmed. Students
 102 Top Picks
124
will also need a grammar reference book or LLT starts a little more “gently” than the
additional instruction if they are weak in gram- original book. For example, lesson 2 requires
mar; suggestions are included in the teacher only copywork rather than copywork and dic-
manual. tation. Grammatical work with “is” and “are”
The Lifeguard's Locker has answers for the in the third lesson of the original book has
activities when they are predictable answers, been shifted back to the seventh lesson in LLT.
and it also has an extensive section on evalu- Instead, the third lesson in LLT Grade 2 has
ating lengthier student work with reproducible students practice oral composition by explain-
forms and samples of completed forms—very ing about squirrels in complete sentences.
helpful for the inexperienced parent or teacher. These differences in pacing are very minimal,
but they do provide children a little more time
and practice to acquire the necessary skills.
Language Lessons for Today LLT’s content is also updated in other ways.
My Father's World Dates are more current rather than refer-
PO Box 2140 ences to 1911 and other dates from the original
Rolla, MO 65402 book. When students learn about initials used
573-202-2000 in a person’s name, they work with names that
email: info@ might be more familiar such as C.S. Lewis,
mfwbooks.com Ulysses S. Grant, and A.A. Milne rather than
www.mfwbooks.com names of poets from past centuries. Letter writ-
$19.95 each ing and addressing an envelope reflect current
Language Lessons usage. A letter written in cursive to be used for
for Today (LLT) is copywork in the original has been replaced by
adapted from Emma a letter in a manuscript font, and that letter is a
Serl’s Primary Language Lessons (PLL) and is model for the student’s own letter rather than
presented in two separate books: Grade 2 and straight copywork. (This reflects the current
Grade 3. LLT books cover all of the elements of ambivalence over cursive instruction, leaving
language arts for grades two and three except it up to parents to decide when or if to teach
reading, phonics, and spelling. it rather than assuming second graders have
Like PLL, LLT is very much a Charlotte learned cursive.) And finally, God is men-
Mason approach to language arts with its tioned more frequently in LLT than in PLL,
underlying presupposition that exposure to especially in Grade 3.
excellent use of language is in itself an impor- While there are significant revisions, many
tant method of learning. LLT also bears the poems, fables, and pictures as well as lesson
Charlotte Mason hallmarks of narration, pic- material from the original have been retained.
ture study, copywork, oral composition, dicta- However, even then, some sentences have
tion, drawing, and poetry memorization. been rewritten. For example in LLT Grade 3,
While a number of other publishers have a conversation between a hummingbird and
reprinted revised versions of PLL since it is a butterfly has been rewritten to remove the
now in the public domain, My Father's World's word “stupid,” and the conclusion to that
LLT versions probably have the most signifi- conversation has been rewritten in what I
cant revisions as well as much new content not think many would consider a more appropriate
in the original. There are 102 lessons in each fashion. Many of the original black-and-white
LLT book (204 lessons in all) while the original illustrations have been retained from PLL, but
book has only 164 lessons. additional images have been added, including
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
125
a few printed in full color in each book. Most needed, but parents must work closely with
of the added images and lessons fit seamlessly their children through each lesson most of the
into the original material, but a few images time.
such as the full-color “Zuni Pottery Maker” PLL and various revisions of it have been
image are clearly of a different character than very popular among homeschoolers. However,
the originals. until now Hillside Education’s versions written
Lessons in PLL gradually became more chal- for Catholic homeschoolers have been the only
lenging, and we see the same progression ones with really significant content revisions.
through the two books of LLT. In addition, LLT now provides the entire homeschool
instruction in dictionary usage has been added market with a much improved option, and I
to LLT Grade 3. look forward to an LLT version of Intermediate
Following Charlotte Mason’s recommenda- Language Lessons for higher grade levels.
tions, discussion is used for many of the les-
sons, and a child will answer many questions
orally. Some questions provide opportunities Michael Clay Thompson Language
for children to give either a written or oral Arts
response. You can choose which option works by Michael
best with your child, especially as you first Clay
begin these lessons. Children will eventually Thompson
be providing written responses, and they will Royal
also be doing copywork and drawing. You will Fireworks
need separate notebook and drawing paper on Press
which students will work. These pages should PO Box 399
be collected into a binder. First Avenue
You can choose how much copywork a child Unionville, NY 10988
should do each day. LLT often reminds parents 845-726-4444
that a particular copywork or other writing www.rfwp.com
assignment might be completed over a number Classical educators have brought attention to
of days. a language arts program that might otherwise
Parents should find LLT much more helpful have had little visibility in the homeschool
to them than PLL. If a topic has been intro- marketplace. Michael Clay Thompson’s lan-
duced previously in an earlier lesson, that les- guage arts program (MCT) should be viewed
son might be referenced at the beginning of a as collections of five books per level beginning
follow-up lesson. For example, when students about third or fourth grade level. There are
are to address an envelope for the second time, six levels (or years) available. Although writ-
the lesson references the first lesson where it ten with gifted students in mind, these might
shows how to address an envelope. Probably be used for a much broader range of students
even more useful are answer keys at the back up through high school, adjusting the choice
of each book that have suggested answers for of levels appropriately. The program covers
exercises. grammar, composition, poetry, and vocabulary,
LLT books are not meant to be written in. all at more challenging levels than are typi-
You can use one book with all of your chil- cally found in other texts for comparable grade
dren, and there is no need to photocopy pages levels. While you can use some of the books
as worksheets. Lessons should take about 15 on their own, the integration of the five books
minutes per day. No advance preparation is for each level creates a synergistic effect: the
 102 Top Picks
126
whole is greater than the sum of the individual student and teacher may work together in a
parts. The catalog shows the six levels divided book if need be, but the student DOES need
into two sets with the first three levels desig- access to each book. (Students definitely need
nated “elementary” and the second three lev- to write in the Practice books—Practice Island,
els “secondary.” However, “secondary” books Practice Town, etc, but these are the only ones
are suggested for grades six and up. Despite the that function like workbooks.) Teaching infor-
grade level recommendations, I would suggest mation is often separated into a section at the
starting at the beginning of the series in most back of the teacher manual, but some of the
situations since there is a cumulative “build- teacher manuals have small boxes and circles
ing” process that occurs with these books with teaching suggestions overprinted on stu-
that might be difficult to plug into midstream. dent pages. These are unobtrusive enough
Following is a list of the five titles for each level that you can still have a child reading from the
with suggested grade levels. book. (Less expensive Home School Parent
• Level 1 - for 3rd grade and up: Answer Manuals can be purchased instead of
Grammar Island, Practice Island, Building teacher manuals for The Word Within the Word
Language, The Music of the Hemispheres, series and The Magic Lens series as well as for
Sentence Island Advanced Academic Writing 2.)
• Level 2 - for 4th grade and up: Thompson’s approach especially appeals to
Grammar Town, Practice Town, Caesar’s classical educators for a number of reasons.
English I (or CEE 1), Building Poems, Paragraph Most obvious is vocabulary study based upon
Town Latin and Greek stems. (A brilliant addition is
• Level 3 - for 5th grade and up: Thompson’s occasional references to Spanish
Grammar Voyage, Practice Voyage, Caesar’s vocabulary and grammar since Spanish, too,
English II (or CEE 2), A World of Poetry, Essay draws on Latin roots and is a “living” language
Voyage with which students can easily connect.) Use
• Level 4 - for 6th grade and up: of classical literary examples as lesson mate-
Magic Lens 1, 4 Practice 1, The Word Within rial and composition assignments based upon
the Word 1, Poetry and Humanity, Advanced literature are just a few examples of how lit-
Academic Writing 1 erature is incorporated. Thompson frequently
• Level 5 - for 7th grade and up: uses a Socratic approach for teaching—using
Magic Lens 2; 4 Practice 2; The Word Within questions to help students discover answers
the Word 2; Poetry, Plato and the Problem of or concepts for themselves. Socratic ques-
Beauty; Advanced Academic Writing 2 tions are really just part of a comprehensive
• Level 6 - for 8th grade and up: teaching methodology that both expects and
Magic Lens 3; 4 Practice 3; The Word Within demands students to be mentally engaged with
the Word 3; Poetry, Plato and the Problem of the learning process at a high level. It is very
Truth; Advanced Academic Writing 3 respectful of the student, but it will not work
Each book has both a student text and a well for an unmotivated student.
teacher manual. However, in some cases you Another critical element—sometimes miss-
are able to get away with purchasing only the ing in other classical resources—is the inclu-
teacher manual if you are teaching a single sion of poetry instruction at each level.
student since the manual includes the stu- Although the five books for each level have
dent’s text. Students always need to see the different titles from year to year, they cover five
pages since artwork and layout are often as strands: grammar, grammar practice, writing
much a part of a lesson as the text. Thus, a (composition), vocabulary, and poetry.
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
127
MCT Grammar guidelines. Advanced Academic Writing teacher
Grammar books (in sequential order by manuals each include a CD-ROM with a
level) are titled Grammar Island, Grammar library of Thompson’s comments on student
Town, Grammar Voyage, Magic Lens 1, Magic papers that he has accumulated over the years.
Lens 2, and Magic Lens 3. In all six grammar These are comments that he has used repeat-
books, Thompson strives to simplify the pre- edly enough that he “recorded” them rather
sentation of grammar by using four “lenses” than rewrite them each time. A parent or
through which a sentence might be studied: teacher can use these comments to save the
parts of speech, parts of the sentence, phrases, time it would take to figure out how to create
and clauses. his or her own comments.
While grammar instruction is thorough, the MCT Vocabulary
core instruction is given at the beginning of Vocabulary study eschews the idea of grade
each year, with practice and application dur- level vocabulary. Instead, from the very begin-
ing the rest of the year. Thompson calls it ning, students are introduced to interesting
“front-loading.” and challenging words such as aqueduct, sub-
All eight parts of speech are covered each urbs, spectacular, spectrum, introduction, and
year, with the level of complexity gradually reduction. The first book, Building Language,
increasing from year to year. Similarly, parts offers a gentle, artistic introduction to vocabu-
of the sentence are studied, with even the lary by creating an analogy of architectural
first level (Grammar Island) including subject arches to word stems. This heavily illustrated
complements, prepositional phrases, and iden- book should be a fun exploration of language
tification of clauses. that includes reading, discussion, creative writ-
Thompson teaches a variation on traditional ing, oral review, and quizzes that might be
diagramming. He begins by teaching a strong done orally or in writing. Caesar’s English (CE)
vertical break between complete subject and books I and II ratchet up the academic chal-
complete predicate. But after that, diagram- lenge significantly with a number of interactive
ming plays a minor role in comparison to activities that challenge students to analyze
“four-level analysis,” a technique used at all and apply stems and words. Analogies play a
levels as students analyze sentences for parts prominent role. Vocabulary continues to tran-
of speech, parts of the sentence, phrases, and scend typical grade-level lists with words such
clauses. The four-level analysis is introduced in as vulgar, undulate, countenance, and prodi-
both Sentence Island and Practice Island at the gious in CE I and derision, sanguine, inexora-
first level then used in all the grammar books ble, alacrity, and obsequious in CE II. Spanish
for the rest of the levels. The Practice books for gets special attention in both CE books.
subsequent levels provide pages with sentences Classical home educators requested even
for students to analyze at the four levels. more content than what is already in Caesar’s
MCT Writing English, and Thompson obliged by greatly
Writing is taught with a strong grammatical expanding those two books into two, two-vol-
approach. Titles of the first three books— ume Classical Education Editions (CEE)—both
Sentence Island, Paragraph Town, and Essay the original and CEE are available. The CEE
Voyage—reflect the sequential development of I has 192 additional pages of material with
composition skills. Advanced Academic Writing many new photographs of Greek and Roman
books 1, 2, and 3 (for the last three levels) teach art and architecture, maps, word searches, a
students to write formal academic papers fol- biography of Julius Caesar spread throughout
lowing MLA (Modern Language Association) both volumes, original poems by Michael Clay
 102 Top Picks
128
Thompson, more on English-Spanish language MCT Poetry
relationships, and fifteen essays by Dr. Thomas If you want to instill in your children a love
Milton Kemnitz on topics such as Roman of poetry but find most teaching resources less
architecture and methods of construction. A than inspiring, you will likely love Thompson’s
single Implementation Manual for the teacher approach that includes poetry study at every
for each CEE course includes reproduced level. Even from the youngest level, students
student pages with answers and comments learn to appreciate the beauty of language
overprinted or inserted where appropriate. I and the skill of an outstanding poet who has
particularly like the way the CEEs reinforce carefully selected words not just for meaning
and build vocabulary through the poetry and and rhyme but also for the actual sounds the
essays. words make. All six books explore the techni-
The Word Within the Word (WWW), books 1, cal and mechanical aspects of poetry as well
2, and 3 (vocabulary books for the last three as the aesthetic and emotional. The last three
levels), emphasize the Latin and Greek roots books delve further into philosophical ques-
of words. Many activities can be done inde- tions such as the nature of man and whether
pendently or through group discussion while beauty and truth are relative or absolute.
some written activities must be done inde- Thompson presents the questions in a Socratic
pendently. For example, one activity directs manner, encouraging thought without offering
students to “translate the following ostenta- definitive answers. Those teaching a Christian
tious, ponderous passage into graceful, direct worldview might want to expand such discus-
English.” Lengthy passages follow that include sions within that context.
sentences such as, “He had seen it all: menda- MCT Literature Courses
cious miscreants, peripatetic mendicants in A literature component has recently been
dishabille, philandering officials, hedonistic added to this curriculum. Five courses are
values, pulchritudinous youths wallowing in available thus far, and they are suggested for
puerile narcissism, venial sins, dissembling use with specific levels in the MCT language
sycophants, refractory recidivists, querulous arts curriculum since they become progres-
neighbors—a world replete with sins and prob- sively more challenging. (The Search Trilogy
lems” (WWW:3, p. 123). You can see how this course is suggested for both Levels 3 and 4
type of assignment really challenges a student which leads me to believe that the new tril-
to understand and apply vocabulary. ogy in the works covering Charles Dickens’
The newest editions of WWW have added Christmas stories: The Chimes, The Cricket
classical content. WWW: 1 adds a discussion on the Hearth, and The Haunted Man will be
of the Greek experience in the classical age suitable for one of those levels.) Each course
between 490 and 323 B.C., including rela- consists of three complete books (novels for all
tionships among the Greeks and between the but the final course) plus a parent manual. The
Greeks and the Persians. WWW: 2 has a similar five courses are:
discussion of Roman history from the found- • Level 1, The Mud Trilogy, features three
ing of Rome until the assassination of Julius novels about Mud the fish (from Sentence
Caesar. WWW: 3 looks at how the Romans Island) written by Michael Clay Thompson.
healed their divisions and found peace by • Level 2, Alice, Peter, and Mole, includes
resorting to a government based on a strong the three novels Alice’s Adventures in
man, and then how they used the peace and Wonderland, Peter Pan, and The Wind in the
resulting prosperity to transform the ancient Willows.
world. • Level 3 and/or 4, The Search Trilogy,
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
129
includes Treasure Island, The Call of the Wild, Royal Fireworks Press offers either complete
and The Invisible Man or basic homeschool packages for the language
• Level 5, The Time Trilogy, studies A arts curriculum at discounted prices through
Christmas Carol, The Time Machine, and A their website with package prices ranging from
Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. $135 to $230 per level. Basic packages elimi-
• Level 6, Autobiography, studies the non- nate teacher manuals or student books when
fiction works The Autobiography of Benjamin it is possible to work with only one or the
Franklin, The Narrative of Frederick Douglass, other. Prices for the MCT literature program
and Walden. can be found at http://www.rfwp.com/series/
The books studied are special editions anno- mct-literature-program.
tated by Thompson that include original illus- The Royal Fireworks Press website also has
trations when they are critical to the text. Michael Clay Thompson’s free downloads,
Annotations include vocabulary definitions, video clips and implementation slide shows
four-level analysis of selected sentences, and to assist parents, and the publisher sponsors
comments on literary elements. Thompson online support forums to which both the pub-
places the emphasis on reading and discus- lisher and the author regularly contribute.
sion instead of worksheets and comprehension
questions. He includes in the parent manual
selected quotations for oral “quote quizzes” Saxon Grammar and Writing
where students identify either the speaker or by Christie Curtis and Mary Hake
who or what is being described. He also pro- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
vides “Creative Questions and Activities” that 10801 North Mopac Expressway, Bldg. 3
you will most likely use for discussion as well Austin, TX 78759
as “Study Questions” that may be assigned for 800-289-4490
written work. Thompson provides many sug- email: [email protected]
gestions as to how you might use the various www.saxonhomeschool.com
learning strategies with children of different $78 per kit for each level
ages. Saxon Grammar
Summary and Writing
As I mentioned previously, the five books for (SGW) uses the
each level work together, and literature studies same educational
now round out the language arts curriculum. methodology that
Grammar books provide an understanding of has popularized
the structure of language used throughout all the Saxon math
the books. Vocabulary study prepares students books. Courses
to explore a wider variety of literature with for grades four
understanding. Poetry books feed the imagina- through eight are
tion for writing and allow students to experi- designed so that students can do much of their
ence the beauty of aptly chosen words they work independently. New concepts are taught
might have just learned in their vocabulary in small increments, building upon prior con-
study. And all of this prepares students to be cepts in a spiral fashion that helps students
able to express ideas in their own writing. I sus- retain what they have learned. Lessons also
pect that most parents will be inspired by these offer continual review.
books, just as I was, since they reveal aspects There are three components for each level:
of language arts that offer beauty and meaning. student edition, student workbook, and teacher
 102 Top Picks
130
guide. Both the student edition and student punctuation, and vocabulary. Literature and
workbook serve as worktexts with instruction, reading are the only areas missing. Grammar
exercises, and assignments. instruction is very challenging and includes
The student edition, the largest of the three sentence diagramming.
books (with 107 to 112 lessons per volume) is The program does review and repeat through
the starting place. A brief introduction suc- each level, so it is possible for a student to
cinctly describes course content. At the top begin at any level. In fact the review is so
of the first page of each lesson is a box that extensive that you can easily skip some levels.
says “Dictation or Journal Entry” followed by For example, in both SGW 4 and SGW 5 stu-
“Vocabulary”—a few words with definitions dent edition lessons have the exact same titles
and sample sentences. Without instruction, and cover essentially the same material in all
students would not know that there are dicta- except two lessons. However, SGW 4 provides
tion passages for each week at the back of their diagramming templates for exercises while
student edition. (In the introductions to the SGW 5 does not. Other levels are not quite
student editions for grades seven and eight, this repetitive.
a few vital lines have been added to direct Aside from the dictation and journal assign-
students to dictation and journal topics in the ments in the student edition, the separate
appendices.) Students copy dictation passages student workbook is where composition
on the first day they begin a group of lessons instruction occurs. SGW has a stronger com-
and study them on remaining lesson days until position component than many other compre-
they reach a test day. Then they write the pas- hensive programs, and it was increased even
sage out from oral dictation as part of testing. more with the second editions of levels five
Spelling and punctuation are learned primarily through eight published in 2013.
through the dictation exercises. A schedule for the lessons—showing which
Each student edition has 100 journaling top- days students are to do lessons from either the
ics at the back. Students should write about student edition or the student workbook—is
these topics between the first day when they found in the teacher guide. I would recom-
copy the dictation and test day, although they mend making a copy of this schedule for stu-
are not assigned for particular days. The bulk dents to have handy.
of the book is dedicated to instruction, exam- All levels work on paragraph writing as well
ples, and exercises in grammar. Lessons follow as essay writing—persuasive, descriptive, and
a standard format of instruction accompanied informative essays at first, but gradually adding
by examples. This is followed by some practice other types of essays and honing essay-writing
exercises on the new concept and the vocabu- skills. Students also write personal narratives
lary for that lesson. The review set is where and imaginative stories, and they write in
students find the bulk of the exercises for a response to both literature and informational
lesson. Reviews tackle previously-taught con- texts. Surprisingly, even fourth graders tackle
cepts. Italicized numbers next to each question a research paper with an outline, note cards,
indicate which lesson(s) taught the concept and a working bibliography. Research paper
in case students need to review. While many instruction is almost identical through all lev-
students will like the variety in these exercises, els, but I question whether most fourth and
others might prefer exercises all on one topic fifth graders are ready to work at this level. Use
such as you find in Easy Grammar. your own judgment.
This is a fairly comprehensive English pro- In addition to composition lessons, student
gram covering grammar, writing, spelling, workbooks have “More Practice” lessons that
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
131
are to be used in conjunction with student edi- to the more rigorous grammar program in
tion lessons. (Note that in the student editions its coverage of grammar, and its composition
it says “See More Practice Lesson 'x' in the instruction is better than that in most com-
Student Workbook.”) prehensive programs. Also, the inclusion of
The student workbooks also include a few diagramming distinguishes it from many other
supplemental activities that are similar to Mad options. The distinctive Saxon incremental
Libs where students come up with a list of teaching and review approach—the same
words that fit designations such as “abstract approach used in the Saxon Math series—will
common noun,” “preposition,” or “nominative also attract fans as well as put off those who
case personal pronoun (feminine).” They then prefer more concentrated coverage of each
slot these “parts of speech” into a pre-written topic in each lesson. I suspect parents will like
story in the workbook, and the result is bound this program since students can complete most
to be silly. This is a great way to review gram- of their work on their own, and even with
matical terms. composition assignments, students learn to
The content of the lessons sometimes inte- self-evaluate to a certain extent. The content
grates information about literature, history, appeals to a broad audience that might be
geography, and character building. While U.S. either secular or religious.
history gets some attention at all levels, the
eighth grade text brings in U.S. history and
government even more through examples, Teaching Writing: Structure and
exercises, dictation, and journal topics. This Style seminar
makes the eighth grade course an excellent by Andrew
companion for simultaneous study of U.S. his- Pudewa
tory in social studies or history. Institute for
After the first ten lessons, tests are in the Excellence
student edition after every fifth lesson. This in Writing
does not follow a predictable schedule such as 8799 N 387 Rd.
testing every Friday since there are five student Locust Grove,
edition lessons and sometimes one or more OK 74352
student workbook lessons between tests. Tests 800-856-5815
and answer keys for all components are in the email: [email protected]
teacher guide. www.excellenceinwriting.com
All three components for each level are Teaching Writing Seminar - $169, seminar
printed in black and white in softcover books. workbook alone - $35, Student Writing
There are no graphics other than those required Intensive Courses (Levels A, B, or C) - $109
for diagramming or other exercises. The books per set, Continuation Courses (Levels A, B, or
are definitely meant to be consumable books. C) - $199 per set
Students can complete many of their exercises A few homeschoolers were so impressed with
directly in the student edition and student Andrew Pudewa’s Teaching Writing: Structure
workbook, but sometimes they will need more and Style (TWSS) writing seminar that they
space for such tasks as rewriting sentences or went out of their way to make sure I reviewed
diagramming. Thus, students will also need to it. I believe that their enthusiasm was well
maintain a notebook for some of their exercises founded.
as well as for composition assignments. Two things seem to be stumbling blocks
Saxon Grammar and Writing seems comparable for homeschooling parents when it comes to
 102 Top Picks
132
teaching composition skills: the difficulty of this foundational development should be
finding the right resources and lack of confi- excellent preparation for students to build
dence in their own abilities to teach and evalu- upon as they explore other forms of writing.
ate. Andrew Pudewa presents writing seminars For example, one of the strategies Pudewa
for parents and students that overcome the uses is to have students begin by making notes
confidence barrier better than anything else I from a model composition. Students come up
have yet seen. And his Institute for Excellence with key words to convey main ideas. Then
in Writing (IEW®) resources give parents they work from their notes to reconstruct the
easy-to-use tools that help parents successfully piece, not attempting to copy it, but using their
teach a wide range of students. own words, expanding with their own ideas
Since attending Pudewa’s seminars is not and expressions. This strategy works very well
practical for many parents and teachers, he since it provides a secure starting place so stu-
offers those same seminars in the Teaching dents are not worrying excessively about what
Writing: Structure and Style course on DVDs. to say. Instead, they concentrate on structure
(An online streaming option will soon be avail- and style. The basic strategy of taking notes is
able as well.) The video course consists of a then used throughout the program for various
seminar workbook plus ten DVDs: six DVDs types of writing assignments.
with ten hours of seminar presentation, a two- The course as presented to students consists
hour DVD titled Tips & Tricks for Teaching of nine units: 1. Note Making and Outlines, 2.
Through the Nine Units, and three Student Summarizing from Notes, 3. Summarizing from
Workshop DVDs. Narrative Stories, 4. Summarizing References,
Parents and teachers learn how to teach both 5. Writing from Pictures, 6. Library Reports,
creative and expository writing. The course 7. Creative or Inventive Writing, 8. Essay
teaches both structure and style in such a Writing, and 9. Critiques (book reports or basic
clear manner that parents and teachers can literary analysis). It is best for your students if
quickly begin teaching students a repertoire of you teach the units in order, using a one-a-
writing techniques. In addition, selected gram- month model. The seminar workbook includes
mar skills are taught and applied periodically reproducible models that are an essential part
through the course so students better under- of each lesson.
stand the relationship between grammar and What I like most about this course is that
good writing. Students continue to develop Pudewa walks you through each strategy in
and apply techniques through actual writing detail. His teaching experience is very evident
activities taught throughout the course. as he identifies and deals with problems that
Parents may watch the entire course all at tend to crop up for both teacher and student.
once or spread it out over weeks or months. The lessons move along slowly enough for you
Students might watch with them, but the to think and work through the process with
DVDs really are focused on teacher training. his “live” DVD audience. This means that
Families who purchase the Teaching Writing/ teachers are more likely to end up with a solid
Student Writing Value Packages or Deluxe grasp of the course content, especially if they
Combo Teacher/Student Writing Packages will complete the writing assignments themselves
have a week-by-week schedule available to as they watch the seminar lessons.
help them pace the teacher training materials. As mentioned above, the seminar set
Pudewa does not try to cover all types of includes three Student Workshop presentations.
creative and expository writing but focuses on Student Workshops are recordings of hour-long
basic structures and approaches. Regardless, classes conducted with different age groups:
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
133
elementary, intermediate, and high school. help you implement what is taught in the
These serve as demonstration classes. You original seminar such as Rockets, Radar, &
might have students work alongside a “video” Robotics; Following Narnia; a variety of history-
class to introduce them to some of the meth- based lesson books; and more. These can be
ods of this course. used in conjunction with the Structure and
Even more help is available through Student Style program or afterward. Bible-Based Writing
Writing Intensive DVDs (SWI). There are three Lessons in Structure and Style has lessons that
levels (A, B, and C), each consisting of four- you can begin using from the very beginning of
discs of actual classes, running about 7½ hours the Structure and Style program while most of
total. Each SWI also includes a Structure and the other books need to wait until a little later.
Style Overview DVD which is a brief intro- Many of IEW’s materials, including the core
duction to the various units so parents and courses discussed here (except for Bible-Based
teachers can get a quick overview of the Writing Lessons and history-based writing les-
Structure and Style course outline. However, sons) are written from a secular, but "Christian
this is not intended to replace TWSS. Level friendly" viewpoint. Materials with distinctly
A is for grades three through five, Level B is Christian content are designated on their web-
for grades six through eight, and Level C is for site as such.
high school. Students shown in the classroom Note that the TWSS video course and com-
settings reflect similar age group breakdowns panion seminar workbook are being updat-
as in the Student Workshops. Video classes focus ed for release in February 2015. Although
on selected lessons from the seminar. A binder the Structure and Style methodology remains
and a set of reproducible papers (models, unchanged, the revision will include features
checklists, reference sheets, and worksheets such as subtitles for the deaf and hard of
plus lesson plans and teacher instructions) hearing, a video streaming option, and other
come with the set of discs. As with the Student upgrades.
Workshop videos, students may work through
these along with the video classes.
Once you have worked through the basic Winston Grammar
TWSS seminar and SWI, the Student Writing by Paul Erwin
Intensive Continuation Course picks up where Precious Memories Educational Resources
SWI ends. It features nine DVDs of video 18403 NE 111th Ave.
instruction, a CD-ROM with the teacher’s Battle Ground, WA 98604
manual, ten class handouts, student samples, 360-687-0282
and a student packet with 162 pages of three- email: [email protected]
hole-punched, loose-leaf handouts that con- www.winstongrammar.com
tain 32 weeks or more of writing assignments complete set - $41 per level, extra student
lasting one to two years. packet - $17.50, supplemental workbook
For all of their courses, IEW allows parents - $11 each, supplemental workbook and
to make copies of the printed material for their answer key - $18
own children. However, each family in a co-op One of the toughest parts of most English
setting is expected to purchase their own set of language courses is the part that deals with
student materials. structure and syntax—the sort of thing that
IEW also offers other related resources in diagramming teaches. However, for one reason
their catalog or through their website. Among or another many students just don’t get dia-
them are some actual lesson books that will gramming. Instead of traditional diagramming,
 102 Top Picks
134
you might prefer to use Winston Grammar. keys for additional students.
Winston Once students have mastered the basic
Grammar course, they should continue with Advanced
has both Winston Grammar, but not before seventh
Basic and grade. This level moves on to more complex
Advanced noun functions, reflexive pronouns, posses-
sets. All sives, gerunds, infinitives, participles, and vari-
students ous kinds of clauses. Some of these sentences
should begin with the Basic set. Although the get very tricky! I think many of the lessons are
Advanced set does some review, it assumes fun for a parent and student to work through
familiarity with the components and method- together, sort of like trying to solve a puzzle.
ology introduced in the first set. Precious Memories also publishes Winston
Winston Grammar uses key questions and Word Works: A Usage Program ($27). This is a
clues for word identification. Rather than con- complementary program that focuses on the
structing diagrams, students begin by laying most common usage errors such as subject-
out color-coded cards in a horizontal fashion verb agreement, use of personal pronouns,
that correlates with the sentence under study. use of who/whom, correct forms of indirect
Then they use symbols and arrows to “mark object pronouns, and comparative and super-
up” sentences on their worksheets, showing lative forms of adjectives. (The components
parts of speech. There are larger colored cards are similar to the other courses, but there is
that lead students through strategies for figur- an additional quiz in the student book.) This
ing out word functions within sentences. It course builds upon the Basic Winston Grammar
begins by identifying only articles and nouns, procedures for identifying sentence elements.
but progresses up through prepositional phras- It can be used any time after completing the
es and predicate nominatives. Overall, it is a Basic set. You might use Winston Word Works
much more multi-sensory approach than most between the two courses if a student completes
others. the Basic set in fourth or fifth grade or if you
The Basic Winston Grammar set teaches parts want to save the Advanced set for high school.
of speech, noun functions, prepositional phras-
es, and modifiers. It can be used with students
at least fourth grade level or above. It includes Wordsmith series
a teacher manual, student workbook, and the by Janie B. Cheaney
cards, all of which are stored in a heavy-duty Common Sense Press
vinyl case. Four quizzes, a pre-test and a post- 352-475-5757
test are included in the student book. Extra email: [email protected]
student packets (student workbook and a set www.commonsensepress.com
of cards) can be purchased since each student print books - $16 each, ebooks - $11
needs his or her own set. each, teacher's guide for A Creative Writing
In addition to the above, there is also an Course: print - $7, ebook - $5
optional Supplemental Workbook for extra Wordsmith is a series of three books for
practice. This workbook corresponds exactly developing writing skills. All books are avail-
with the original in content and difficulty, able in either print or ebook formats. These
offering “more of the same” for those students are not age-graded, but they address skills at
who need it. It comes with an answer key, but three different levels. My favorite book in the
workbooks can be purchased without answer series is the original Wordsmith: A Creative
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
135
Writing Course for Young People, which targets Some teaching is required, primarily in the
students around junior high or beginning high form of discussion and evaluation. However,
school level. My review begins with that book students will complete much of the work on
then discusses the other two volumes in rela- their own. The author’s humorous touches
tion to it. scattered throughout the book add special
Wordsmith: A Creative Writing Course appeal.
for Young People (revised edition) Parents or teachers who lack confidence in
Many students in their ability to teach students how to write will
upper elementary appreciate the inexpensive teacher’s guide.
grades and junior It includes answers, lesson plans, teaching
high have learned the suggestions, and ideas for expanding lessons.
basics in grammar and Parents with strong writing skills will probably
need some help trans- be able to manage without it.
ferring grammatical Other books attempt to meet the same goals,
knowledge into their but the presentation here is better than almost
writing. everything else at this level.
Wordsmith assumes Wordsmith Apprentice
the student knows Wordsmith Appren-
basic grammar. It moves on from there to work tice is a “prequel” to
with grammar through written applications. Wordsmith: A Creative
For example, one assignment has them come Writing Course for
up with vivid action verbs to replace weak Young People. Author
verbs accompanied by adverbs. The goal is Janie Cheaney
to sharpen writing skills by carefully choosing translates the same
words for the best effect. enthusiasm, humor,
After working on grammar, they tackle sen- and energy that so
tence construction, again with the goal of impressed me in the
writing more interesting yet concise sentences. older-level book to
Once grammar and sentence structure are this course for younger students.
under control, they can apply those skills to Using a newspaper-writing approach, she
compositions. creates interesting writing activities that devel-
Although Wordsmith does not teach all the op both grammar and composition skills. For
different forms of writing such as reports, example, in the first section teaching about
research papers, etc., it covers techniques that sentences, students learn the four types of sen-
can be applied in almost any writing situation. tences then write four sentences to describe a
Lessons work on skills such as describing peo- news photo, mixing declarative, interrogatory,
ple, narrowing the topic, and writing dialogue. and exclamatory sentences. Stretching beyond
At the end of the course, students write their the limitations of the newspaper format, stu-
own short story. Helps for proofreading and dents also write invitations, letters, and thank-
editing are included along with review quizzes. you notes. “Comic-strips” introduce each new
The student book may be written in or used section.
as a reusable text by doing the brief activities Topics covered are nouns, verbs, sentences,
in a notebook. Lesson organization is clear and modifiers, prepositions, paragraphs, synopsis
well designed. Most students should need a writing (often neglected in other courses!),
year or more to work through all of the lessons. dialogue, opinion writing, and more. These
 102 Top Picks
136
are covered within the context of newspaper Writing Course before jumping into Wordsmith
tasks such as writing classified ads, travel Craftsman.
articles, book reviews, articles, and headlines, This book is divid-
as well as editing. Examples and some forms ed into three parts
are included, not to stifle or limit students, but which can be used
to help stimulate their imaginations and give over a span of any-
them organizing tools. where from one to
Cheaney writes from a Christian perspective, four years depending
although it comes through subtly. For example, upon the student.
students learn to recognize good synopses by Part One draws stu-
deciding which one of three synopses most dents into the writing
accurately conveys the story of David and process with practi-
Goliath. Then an assignment follows to write cal, everyday writing
three synopses, one of which is for the story of tasks like note taking, outlining, summarizing,
The Good Samaritan. personal letters, business letters, and even
This study is designed for students in grades business reports (although the last topic is
four through six, and it can be used by students addressed very briefly).
working independently (if parents or teachers Part Two gets more technical with exercises
read and respond to student assignments) or by on paragraph writing (narrative, descriptive,
a group of students of mixed ages and abilities. persuasive, and expository), word usage, and
There is a two-page answer key at the back style.
of the book. There is no teacher manual Part Three concentrates on essay writing but
since none is needed. Suggested lesson plans builds on paragraph writing skills to create five
are available free at www.commonsensepress. types of essays: descriptive, narrative, exposi-
com/wordsmith/wordsmith_apprentice_lesson tory, critical, and persuasive.
_plan.htm. Cheaney does an excellent job of point-
Students who have already been introduced ing out different organizational strategies you
to grammar basics will find this a great way to might use to construct different types of essays.
apply what they have learned. Those without Plentiful examples help students visualize their
prior grammar instruction will need supple- goals. Cheaney’s emphasis on style encourages
mental study defining and identifying gram- students to move beyond mechanical correct-
matical concepts. All students will need a ness to excellence in communication skills.
thesaurus and they should also have a newspa- The book is written for a student to work
per to consult for examples. It need not be cur- through independently, receiving feedback and
rent, so you can carefully screen a newspaper encouragement from a parent or teacher as
for objectionable content. needed. There is no teacher manual or answer
Wordsmith Craftsman key since they are unnecessary. Students
Designed for high school students, Wordsmith should work through the lessons at a pace
Craftsman can be used after completion of slow enough to allow time for them to practice
Wordsmith: A Creative Writing Course for Young and master the various skills. A ninth or tenth
People or any other courses that have built up a grader should not expect to complete the book
basic foundation in grammar, mechanics, and in one year, although an eleventh of twelfth
composition. High school students who have grader might do so.
done a great deal of grammar but little compo-
sition should probably complete the Creative
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
137
WriteShop: An Incremental Writing are answer keys; reproducible check-off lists,
Program reference sheets, and forms; supplemental
activity ideas; story starters; essay topics; and
suggestions for writing across the curriculum.
These features walk you all the way through
activities, evaluation, and grading.
Not only do these features make the program
easy to use but the authors have structured
lessons to build from the ground up, covering
sentence and paragraph structure and style
by Kim Kautzer and Debra Oldar before tackling lengthier assignments. The
WriteShop subtitle, “An Incremental Writing Program,”
5753 Klusman Ave. refers to the way the program incorporates and
Alta Loma, CA 91737 builds upon skills taught in previous lessons.
909-989-5576 Because of this you should not skip lessons or
email: [email protected] change the order.
www.writeshop.com WriteShop is a great starting place for parents
Basic Set (teacher’s manual and WriteShop who have done minimal writing instruction
I) - $117.95 with their children. WriteShop I targets students
WriteShop I student workbook - $55.95 in grades seven through ten, though it can be
Starter Pack - $139.95 used with students as young as sixth grade.
WriteShop II student workbook - $55.95, Lessons in descriptive, informative, and narra-
teacher’s manual - $65.95 tive writing include describing a person, food,
Handbook for Teaching in a Group Setting and place; explaining a process; writing a short
ebook - $13.50, report; and learning about tense, omniscience,
Copying and Dictation Exercises - $6.95 and point of view in narratives. WriteShop II
WriteShop is another great resource for par- is written for students in grades eight through
ents who lack confidence in their own ability twelve, picking up where WriteShop I leaves
to teach their students to write. It takes the off. Following a brief review of WriteShop I
guesswork out of the process. concepts, WriteShop II lessons cover advanced
The program is presented in a single teacher’s descriptive narration, point of view, narrative
volume and two student volumes, Write Shop I voice, and essay writing (including how to
and II. WriteShop provides detailed daily lesson write a timed essay).
plans and instructions for teachers, and the None of the writing assignments are very
student volumes have all the worksheets and lengthy. High schoolers will still need to prac-
forms they will need. The teacher’s manual, tice writing lengthier papers and research
which covers both WriteShop I and II, offers reports than are required by WriteShop. (Keep
more than lesson plans. It also has instructions in mind that this program is not intended to
on how to edit and make comments as well as cover all types of writing assignments. For
descriptions of typical student errors and prob- example, there are no lessons on poetry or
able solutions. Student sample writings are writing business letters.)
accompanied by edited versions and check-off If you start this program with younger stu-
lists with teacher comments so you can get a dents, move through it more slowly, taking at
feel for how you might write your own respons- least three years rather than two. Older stu-
es to student work. Other helps in the manual dents might be able to complete both volumes
 102 Top Picks
138
in a single year if they are very diligent and vocabulary. The WriteShop teacher's manual
have already developed basic writing skills. directs parents and teachers to choose their
The program works well for parents working own copying and dictation selections from the
with one or more of their own children, but it Bible or exemplary literature. While this is
will also work in a group class situation. Co-op fairly easy to do, WriteShop also has published
teachers will find the Handbook for Teaching a small booklet, Copying and Dictation Exercises
in a Group Setting a helpful supplement to the for WriteShop I, with excerpts from well-known
teacher’s manual. The Handbook is only avail- literary works that relate to each of the sixteen
able as an ebook.) lessons. This saves parents and teachers from
WriteShop does need to be taught. It is not having to come up with their own passages.
designed for independent study even though I think the authors have actually resolved a
students do much writing on their own. critical problem some of us have encountered
Lessons—each of which might take about with copying and dictation by requiring copy-
two weeks to complete—include “skill builder” ing first, followed by dictation of the same
exercises that focus on a particular skill, usu- piece. This way, students have already encoun-
ally related to grammar or vocabulary. The tered unusual punctuation or sentence breaks
“skill builder” activity feeds directly into the that otherwise might be unpredictable when
main lesson. For example, the second lesson is encountered only through dictation.
“Describing a Pet.” The “skill builder” teaches The program is written by Christians; you
students to use a thesaurus to come up with will find occasional biblical references, pri-
more interesting words to replace overused marily in the teacher’s manual. However, the
adjectives and weak verbs. This skill is then authors’ Christian perspective also appears
incorporated into the pet description. Many very subtly in lessons such as writing a descrip-
of the grammar-oriented skill builders help tion of a person where the authors caution the
students finally see the use of some of their student to remember to be gracious and focus
grammar lessons. on a person’s positive features.
Two weeks per lesson sounds like a lot of WriteShop sells a Starter Pack at a slightly
time, but the authors have incorporated more discounted price that includes the teacher’s
than the “skill builder” focus into each lesson. manual and WriteShop I student workbook plus
For example, the pet description also works The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation by
with topic sentences, metaphors, similes, and Jane Straus, Copying and Dictation Exercises
concluding sentences. In addition, WriteShop for WriteShop I, and a poster showing the
teaches students to self-edit. Using lesson- five steps of the writing process. Older stu-
specific “Writing Skills Checklists,” students dents using WriteShop should have a grammar
work through their original assignment to edit, handbook for reference. While WriteShop is
revise, and rewrite. The parent or teacher also not dependent upon any particular grammar
has a unique “Teacher Writing Skills Checklist” handbook, the Starter Pack includes a Tips
for each lesson so you know what to look for sheet that gives suggestions for incorporating
when editing their papers. An evaluation form the Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation with
helps you come up with an objective grade for WriteShop lessons, so this should be a great
each final draft. package for getting started.
Students should also be completing the copy- Overall, WriteShop is one of the best resourc-
ing and dictation assignments that build skills es I’ve seen for group classes and for parents
of observation and attention, while working who need lots of help to teach writing.
on various sentence constructions and broader Note that WriteShop also publishes a series
 Language Arts: Grammar and Composition
139
of three courses for kindergarten through by Nancy I. Sanders and are structured dif-
third grade called WriteShop Primary and two ferently. See my review of WriteShop Primary
courses for grades three through six called and WriteShop Junior on my website at www.
WriteShop Junior. These resources were written CathyDuffyReviews.com.
 CHAPTER
9
Language Arts: Spelling,
Vocabulary & Handwriting

Spelling and vocabulary are lumped together because some spelling courses actually serve more
as vocabulary courses as they move to upper grade levels. Also, if you have a child who is born
with the “perfect-spelling gene” or a child who masters phonic and spelling rules in the early
grades, it makes more sense to work on vocabulary than to waste time in a spelling program.
Handwriting recommendations follow spelling and vocabulary recommendations in their own
section at the end of this chapter.

Spelling and Vocabulary 2-7 teacher’s manual and student packet -

$39.95 per level
All About Spelling (AAS) is an incremental
All About Spelling spelling program based on the intensive pho-
by Marie Rippel nics approach of the Orton-Gillingham meth-
All About odology. It uses multi-sensory activities that
Learning Press, should work well with most learners.
Inc. Each lesson focuses on a single concept, such
615 Commerce as a particular phonogram or spelling rule, and
Loop includes a spelling word list that reinforces
Eagle River, WI 54521 that concept. Although the program shares
715-477-1976 many features with reading programs, and
www.allaboutlearningpress.com students will learn to read and write words, it
Basic Interactive Kit: $22.85, Deluxe is specifically geared toward teaching spelling.
Interactive Kit - $44.85 - Level 1 teacher’s You might want to use it alongside All About
manual and student packet - $29.95, Levels Reading (also reviewed in this book) from the
 Spelling, Vocabulary & Handwriting
141
same publisher since the lessons will reinforce a magnetic white board. Author Marie Rippel
one another. recommends using a 2’ x 3’ magnetic, erasable
Because Level 1 teaches foundational spell- white board that you can also use for storing
ing rules that apply to more advanced words in the tiles. Labels for various groups of tiles and
higher levels, most students should begin there an organizing diagram are included to help you
regardless of what grade they are in. A place- arrange the tiles into categories. Some children
ment test on the publisher’s website will help may not need or enjoy the hands-on work with
you determine the correct level for your child. letter tiles, and for those students Rippel sug-
Each level of AAS requires three essential gests that you write out words on paper or a
components: the teacher’s manual, the stu- white board instead.
dent packet, and either the Basic or Deluxe AAS lessons are presented as “Steps.” The
Interactive Kit. Steps are fully customizable and designed to be
The student packet for Level 1 contains four completed at the student’s pace, so depending
sets of color-coded flashcards: Phonogram on the needs of the student, each one might
Cards, Sound Cards (for dictation), Key Cards take a couple of days or weeks to complete.
(spelling rules), and Word Cards (spelling Level 1
words). It also includes tokens for segment- Step 1 in the Level 1 book teaches the
ing words, a progress chart, and a certificate sounds of the individual letters—including
of completion. Flashcards are printed on per- such variations as the two sounds of the letter
forated cardstock, so you’ll need to separate "g"—using phonogram flashcards. Parents who
them and store them in your own 3” x 5” index aren’t familiar with the sounds of the phono-
card box or the Spelling Review Box offered by grams, can learn them from the Phonogram
the publisher. With the exception of the Word Sounds app.
Cards, the Level 1 flashcards are all used again After introducing the letters and their
in Levels 2 through 7. Student packets for sub- sounds, Level 1 teaches students how to “seg-
sequent levels include additional flashcards, ment” words by identifying the individual
level-specific materials, a progress chart, and a sounds within them. Color-coded letter tiles
certificate of completion. are introduced, first for learning how to alpha-
The Basic Interactive Kit includes the betize the letters, then for constructing words.
Phonogram Sounds app that will run on com- Dictation begins early in the program in
puters and mobile devices, a set of letter tiles, Step 4 when students are asked to listen to the
magnets for the letter tiles, and spelling divider sound of a phonogram and then point to the
cards for your index card box. (As the child letter tile that makes the sound. In later les-
moves through the program, flashcards are sons, students write the phonogram on lined
sorted behind dividers labeled “Review” and paper then listen to and spell words with letter
“Mastered.”) The Deluxe Interactive Kit adds tiles.
the Spelling Review Box, sparkling bee stick- By the end of Step 11, students are writing
ers for use on the progress chart, and a custom spelling words and several phrases such as “big
tote bag for storing all of the components. dog.” Step 12 introduces consonant digraphs
The Phonogram Sounds app gives students "th, sh," and "ch," with subsequent Steps
practice in seeing, hearing, and identifying continuing to add more challenging phono-
the phonograms. The letter tiles are one-inch grams and concepts like compound words and
square laminated tiles of all the letters and syllabication.
phonograms. The adhesive magnets go on the Level 2
back of the letter tiles so you can use them on Level 2 quickly reviews Level 1 content
 102 Top Picks
142
then adds 11 more phonograms. The program "ough," while continuing work on other pho-
emphasizes rules and generalizations for spell- nograms such as those that make the /er/
ing, and syllabication plays an increasingly sound. Students also work on plurals, includ-
important role. For example, students learn ing irregular plurals. One sample from the
rules such as those on Key Card 5, which dictation on page 62 is, “What flavor is the
teaches that the vowel in a closed syllable is cake you’re baking for us tonight?” Some
usually short and the vowel in an open syllable more-challenging spelling words from Level 5
is usually long. The student packet includes are encouraged, equipment, gnome, perfection,
“syllable tags” that students use in conjunc- and volcanoes.
tion with the letter tiles to identify types of Level 6
syllables. Level 6 teaches phonograms like "mb, gu,"
“Rule breaker” words like of and was are and "augh;" exceptions to the i-before-e rule;
taught at this level, but there are very few suffixes such as "able" and "ible;" some “rule
sight words. The amount of dictation expands breakers”; and other advanced facets of spell-
to several phrases and sentences per day. ing. Examples of the more-challenging words
Vocabulary introduced in Level 2 ranges from are agreeably, collectible, encouragement, sheik,
simple words like cake, late, and car to more and sheriff. Many of the words are familiar
challenging words like compost, humid, and words with suffixes that are often misspelled.
prevent. Level 7
Level 3 Level 7 provides coverage through high
Level 3 adds suffix tiles and more syllable tags school. The program covers advanced sounds,
to the letter tile collection. In addition to work Latin roots, Greek word elements, French end-
on suffixes and syllables, silent-e words receive ings and silent letters, and some Spanish and
more attention as students complete the Silent Italian words. Examples of some of the words
E Book that comes in the student packet. More are extinguish, convenient, solemn, bankruptcy,
challenging phonograms like the sounds of transformation, and psychology. Students work
"oo" and ways to spell /k/ are taught along with on word analysis and learn to identify prefixes,
contractions and homophones. Spelling words suffixes, and roots. Letter tiles are frequently
taught in Level 3 are generally longer and more used for word analysis and word building.
complex, with words like childhood, graceful, Summary
we’ll, and giggle being representative. Although All About Spelling is a rules-orient-
Level 4 ed program, the multi-sensory approach helps
Level 4 adds prefix tiles to the tile set, then students to be successful. AAS addresses the
continues to advance with more challenging three learning modalities in these ways:
phonograms like "eigh" and the four sounds of • Visual: spelling rules are demonstrated
the letter "y." Syllable types, syllable division with color-coded letter tiles. Flashcards for
rules, and spelling strategies are also taught at phonograms, rules, and spelling words also
this level. provide visual cues.
An example of a dictation sentence from the • Auditory: lessons are taught aloud and
page 20 of this level is, “None of the students flashcards are reviewed orally. When learning
took the test today.” Examples of some of the new words, students hear themselves say the
more difficult words taught are chimney, eigh- sounds as they write the corresponding
teen, and unhinged. phonograms.
Level 5 • Kinesthetic: children build new words with
Level 5 adds phonograms such as "si" and letter tiles; write phonograms, words, phrases,
 Spelling, Vocabulary & Handwriting
143
and sentences from dictation; and handle and “challenging.” Illustrations are mostly clip
flashcards. art, and books are printed in two colors.
While AAS is not as multi-sensory as a E a c h
program that includes songs and games, it worktext is
should meet the needs of most children. And divided into
it uniquely incorporates multi-sensory learning thirty- six
all the way through high school. units with
AAS does not teach handwriting or letter five lessons
formation. If you are teaching a young child per unit; this
who has not yet learned to write, you might corresponds
choose a handwriting program to use in con- to a basic thirty-six week school year with one
junction with AAS. lesson per day. Space for students to take their
With the exception of the stickers and weekly unit tests is provided at the back of
progress chart, all items are non-consumable, each book.
so you could use them with another student. Courses begin in the early grades with a
However, if you are teaching two or more stu- strong basis in phonics, shifting toward word
dents simultaneously, each student will need origins and language principles in upper grades.
his or her own student packet so you can cus- The level of difficulty is higher than in most
tomize the review portion of the lesson. other series and even more so at upper levels.
One of the most impressive features of this Also, there is Christian content throughout.
program is the instruction for teachers. Lessons Each book is a self-contained, consumable
are explained thoroughly and include teaching student worktext. Students should be able to
tips and cautions about common problems at work independently through these books for
pertinent points in each lesson. Because you the most part, especially past the early grades.
learn as you go, the layout eliminates the need Inexpensive answer keys are available for all
for you to first read through a separate manual books. There are no separate teacher guides.
whenever you need information. If you should These last features coupled with cost effective-
need additional help, the publisher offers free ness make these books very appealing for busy
phone and email support. families with limited budgets.
Book 1
This first grade workbook serves as much for
Building Spelling Skills phonics reinforcement as it does for spelling.
Christian Liberty Press All but the last two units are designed around
502 W. Euclid Ave. a phonics rule. (The last two units work on
Arlington Heights, IL 60004 syllables.) The first five units cover the short
847-259-4444 vowels, working only on words with the des-
email: [email protected] ignated short vowel sound. Almost all of the
www.shopchristianliberty.com phonograms are covered in Book 1.
student books - $10 each, The variety of exercises within the lessons
answer keys - $5 each induces the child to practice writing words
It doesn’t get any more affordable for solid over and over. The number of words per lesson
spelling coverage than the Building Spelling seems a little large in comparison to other pro-
Skills series. However, you can’t describe these grams, and the difficulty level also is advanced.
books as “fun” or “colorful.” Instead, I would Examples of the more difficult words are
use words like “comprehensive,” “thorough,” voyage, poison, grudge, because, awkward, and
 102 Top Picks
144
laundry. Book 5
Space for children to take their weekly tests Book 5 is subtitled The World of Words.
is provided at the back of the book. Teaching The first eight units deal with geography-
instructions are at the front. Some content and related words, and the ninth unit deals with
inserted verses and quotations identify the cur- astronomical terms. Remaining units feature
riculum as Christian. individual topics such as birds, sports, anato-
Book 2 my, economics, and terms related to church.
Book 2 accelerates the emphasis on phonics Exercises are very eclectic rather than follow-
rules with some intense phonics vocabulary. ing similar formats each time. One might have
Weekly word lists are introduced with defini- students practice with antonyms or suffixes,
tions of phonetic concepts (such as consonant while others concentrate on the unit topic
digraphs) or rules of syllabication. Some of with vocabulary and practical usage. There is
the lessons deal with root words, prefixes, and a great deal of practical and academic usage
suffixes, and words with the digraphs "ch, sh, in this book. For example, in Unit 2 students
th," and "wh." There is plenty of practice in learn the names given to citizens in various
Book 2, but as in Book 1 the word lists are countries (e.g., the Danish live in Denmark).
generally more advanced than in other second In another example from Unit 19 on “Titles for
grade programs. Examples of the more difficult Civil Officers,” students learn job descriptions
words: adage, foreign, cyclone, musician, disap- for mayor, notary, auditor, magistrate, con-
pear, although, exodus, and accomplish. stable, assessor, etc. Book 5 strikes me as one
Book 3 that might be used whenever this type of study
This book seems to build on Book 2, assum- seems appropriate for a student rather than at
ing that much of the phonetic vocabulary is a particular grade level.
familiar. Among lesson topics are consonant Book 6
blends, consonant digraphs, hard and soft Book 6 differs from the other books in this
sounds of “c” and “g,” vowel digraphs, and series since it reviews the basic spelling rules
diphthongs. Phonics “Rules and Definitions” students should have encountered in the early
appear at the back of the book for reference. elementary years. This is a good time to review
Like Book 2, it is very rule-oriented, reviewing because most students have forgotten there are
previously-covered phonetic rules, then mov- patterns to help them figure out the spelling of
ing on to still more rules. The difficulty level unfamiliar words even if they use that knowl-
still seems advanced with words such as audi- edge without realizing it.
ence, dynamite, and luncheon, but not quite as Review does not take students back to
much so as the first two books. one-syllable words but introduces challeng-
Book 4 ing words. Suffixes and prefixes (including
Book 4 continues in the same vein but moves Latin and Greek prefixes) are also addressed
on to accents, more complicated prefix and suf- in depth.
fix work, contractions, possessives, compound Spelling rule coverage is not as thorough
words, and calendar and measurement words. as that found in All About Spelling or other
Lessons also cover consonant digraphs, plural resources that stress mastery of many spelling
words, and irregular spellings. In addition, rules. However, this book should be very use-
often challenging word endings are included, ful for the student who either never learned
such as “el, le, al, ol, er, or, ent, ant, ible,” and the rules or does not use them as a tool when
“able." Another interesting feature is a lesson needed. Many junior high students would do
on computer-related terms, updated in 2011. well to go through these lessons.
 Spelling, Vocabulary & Handwriting
145
Book 7 Children are unlikely to find the majority of
Book 7 is obviously more difficult than Book 6the vocabulary words they learn here in their
with its smaller, more abundant print. Suffixes everyday reading, but they will be well pre-
and prefixes are the organizing themes for all pared for new vocabulary they’ll encounter in
lessons, but vocabulary development is the high school and college. Even more important
overall emphasis. Students become familiar than the actual vocabulary words they learn
with many new and challenging words. Since is the skill children develop in analyzing new
spelling is practiced rather than taught in thiswords they encounter and being able to figure
book, students lacking spelling skills (rule out their meanings.
familiarity) should use Book 6 first. Book 7 can Each lesson begins with one Greek or Latin
also be used with students at older grade lev- word, teaches its meaning, then gives chil-
els. Typical of words in the lessons are psychic,
dren a list of from three to ten English words
infirmary, apologize, and noticeable. Examples derived from the root word. For example,
of some of the more challenging words: prereq- lesson ten introduces the Greek word kinesis
uisite, antediluvian, expatriate, ostentatious, and
meaning movement. The lesson then teaches
recapitulate. five words derived from kinesis: kinetic, kine-
Book 8 siology, kinescope, cinema, and cinematogra-
Word origins are the theme of Book 8, and pher. The words photos (light) and graph (write
this does not mean studying only Greek and or draw) were introduced in the first two les-
Latin roots. Instead, lessons explore words fromsons, so children are connecting the last word
many languages and cultures including African to two Greek words they have already learned.
languages, Arabic, Celtic, French, Hebrew, This can create a picture in students’ minds of
Italian, Persian, Scandinavian, Spanish, and someone who can “draw” with “moving light,”
more. Students need an unabridged diction- making it easier for children to understand
ary to use alongside the lessons. Lessons are that a big word like cinematographer refers to
both fascinating and challenging—maybe too the person who decides how to compose the
challenging for some eighth graders. I would scenes that he wants a movie camera to cap-
also consider using this book with high school ture. Children each need a set of 100 cards,
students. one for each lesson. Each card has the Greek
or Latin word with a border of green for Greek
words and red for Latin words. On the reverse
English from the Roots Up: Help are the derived words and their meanings. You
for Reading, Writing, Spelling and can purchase sets of pre-made cards or make
S.A.T. Scores them along with your students.
by Joegil Lundquist The goal is similar to that of Vocabulary from
Literacy Unlimited Classical Roots (also reviewed in this book)
PO Box 278 although the vocabulary words here are less
Medina, WA 98039-0278 commonly used than those in Vocabulary from
425-454-5830 Classical Roots. This program requires teacher
email: [email protected] presentation and interaction. Instead of a
www.literacyunlimited.com workbook, index cards (or purchased sets of
$29.95 each, Word Cards - $18 cards), a file box, and a good dictionary are the
In English From the Roots Up, Greek and primary learning tools.
Latin words are the foundation for vocabulary The program might be used with students
study in the broader sense of word derivations. from middle elementary grades through college,
 102 Top Picks
146
but I think junior high through high school the for about two years or longer.
best time to use it. The bulk of each
Actual teaching information provided is Spelling Wisdom book
brief but loaded with activity suggestions. consists of dicta-
The teacher is on his or her own to imple- tion passages, many
ment the ideas. Here are some examples of of which are taken
activity ideas: for the root graph, a number of from literary works by
related words are presented with accompany- famous authors such
ing ideas: “Telegraph—Let someone present as Charles Dickens,
a research report on Thomas Edison’s early Daniel DeFoe,
days as a telegrapher. Let someone do a report Winston Churchill,
on Morse code and give a demonstration and Jane Austen.
of it.” “Lithograph—Discuss the process of Literary works include excerpts from nov-
lithography and talk about Currier and Ives. els, autobiographies, poems, speeches, Psalms,
Their lithographs are still used every year as readers, and letters—almost all of these are
Christmas cards. Make potato or linoleum from older works in the public domain. Shafer
block prints.” These activity ideas could be has added a few original passages so as to
turned into great unit studies. This resource is include newer words such as “computer” and
especially suited to the creative teacher who “infrastructure,” and she has updated spelling
prefers general guidelines rather than detailed and punctuation in some instances to match
lesson plans. modern usage. More than 12,500 different
A second volume is also available. It targets words are used in the Spelling Wisdom series.
a slightly older audience, so it makes a good These include the 6,000 most-frequently-used
follow-up to the first volume. It teaches an words in the English language. An index in
additional 100 Greek and Latin root words the back of each book shows in which exercise
with new activities and teaching notes. each word appears in the book, so you can
select a particular passage if there is a word a
student needs to learn.
Spelling Wisdom Students might use one or two passages
compiled and edited by Sonya Shafer per week. Passages become increasingly dif-
Simply Charlotte Mason, LLC ficult and lengthier from book to book as well
930 New Hope Rd. #11-892 as within each book. Book 1 is suitable for
Lawrenceville, GA 30045 grades three through five, Book 2 for grades
www.simplycharlottemason.com five through seven, Book 3 for grades seven
print editions - $21.95 each, $87.95 for the through nine, Book 4 for grades nine through
series of 5 books; eleven, and Book 5 for grades eleven and
downloadable books $14.95 each, $49.95 twelve.
for the series Students begin each lesson by studying the
Charlotte Mason taught spelling in the context passage with a parent or teacher to identify
of reading and writing rather than as an words likely to be challenging. Students then
isolated subject. She used the method of study the challenging words by copying them,
“prepared dictation,” which Sonya Shafer has visually memorizing them, and practicing writ-
adopted for her Spelling Wisdom series. The ing them. This process might take a short time
series consists of five books that cover grades or several days. Once students are confident
three through twelve. Each book will be used that they can write every word accurately, they
 Spelling, Vocabulary & Handwriting
147
will write the passage as the parent or teacher Demme Learning
dictates it. Any misspelled words are restudied. 888-854-6284
Literary passages often feature lengthier sen- www.spellingyousee.com
tences and uncommon phrasing that might Level A: instructor's handbook - $14, student
be unfamiliar to students who have not been pack - $20; Level B: instructor's handbook -
exposed to literature of past centuries. This $16, student pack - $30; Levels C - E:
probably adds an extra dimension of difficulty instructor's handbook - $14 each, student
as students listen to, recall, and write the pas- pack - $30 each
sages from dictation. You might do well to have Forget weekly
your children read some of the referenced liter- spelling lists and
ary works apart from Spelling Wisdom exercises spelling tests!
so that they become more familiar with the SpellingYouSee
language. (SYS), instead,
Christian works are referenced often enough uses a devel-
that the series really appeals primarily to a opmental
Christian audience. approach to
Brief instructions are at the front of each spelling that is quite different from what we
book. You can view these pages as part of a are used to in most spelling programs. Rather
free downloadable sample file on the publish- than grade level designations, the series identi-
er’s website. A parent or teacher needs to be fies courses with letters A through G.
involved in much of the lesson, although stu- Level A Listen and Write
dents might study words on their own. Shafer Level B Jack and Jill
cautions against allowing a student to write a Level C Wild Tales
word incorrectly without immediately rewrit- Level D Americana
ing it correctly; you can see that this would Level E American Spirit
require supervision most of the time. Level F Ancient Achievements (not yet available)
The books are not consumable, and permis- Level G Modern Milestones (not yet available)
sion is given to copy pages for use by those in You start your child at the developmentally
your immediate household. Generally, both appropriate level. This is so critical that I'm
parent and student should be able to work including the website address for their place-
directly from a single book. ment guidelines here: www.spellingyousee.com
Spelling Wisdom books are also available as /getting-started/. Check the placement guide-
digital downloads. A British version of Spelling lines before ordering.
Wisdom offers the same series with British The program progresses through five devel-
spelling preferences. British versions are avail- opmental stages: preliterate, phonetic, skill
able only as downloadable files. See the pub- development, word extension (syllables, pre-
lisher's website for British prices. fixes, and suffixes), and derivational constancy
A free YouTube video at: http://www. (words related by derivation of origins that
youtube.com/watch?v=SGqakdjcS_U features share common patterns). While SpellingYouSee
Sonya Shafer demonstrating how prepared dic- builds on a phonetic base, it goes beyond that
tation (and Spelling Wisdom) works. to help students also master irregular words
and words borrowed from other languages that
make spelling so challenging.
SpellingYouSee Continual review is a hallmark of this pro-
by Karen J. Holinga Ph.D. gram. Consequently, children practice basic
 102 Top Picks
148
letter formation over and over in the younger Extra helps, including videos explaining
levels, then practice writing very similar words some aspects of the course are available on
and the same passages almost every day for a a password-protected site. Use the code that
week. This way they develop a visual memory comes with each instructor's handbook for free
of words. access.
Students also learn to identify "chunks" Level A Listen and Write
(phonetic elements and consistent patterns) Level A begins with letter formation, con-
within words up though Level G, marking centrating on lowercase letters. The course
the chunks with colored pencils or highlight- includes a laminated "Guide to Handwriting"
ers. This process is referred to as "chunking." showing the proper directions for letter forma-
Students begin to color code the chunks in tion. The style is a simple manuscript that—
Level B, so sets of colored pencils are included unlike the ball-and-stick method—teaches
with each course for Levels B and above. The students to form letters without lifting their
program does not have children memorize pencil except for just a few letters. The pro-
spelling rules, but children learn the com- gram stresses the importance of children hold-
mon patterns through continual exposure and ing their pencil properly. The font for a few of
"chunking" exercises. the letters—"a, l," and "t"—includes a slight
SYS introduces a form of printing and uses it curve at the bottom. While this is unusual,
through all levels. The instructor's handbooks there is nothing wrong about it, and it might
say that children should not do their copywork facilitate the transition to cursive.
in cursive. They point out that "Copywork Children trace and write six letters per day
should be printed in order to develop visual for six weeks. They also begin to trace and
memory. When students read, everything they copy words such as cat, dad, and gas—only
see is in print, so they should use printing "short-a" words for the first four weeks—in
while learning to spell" (Frequently Asked preparation for upcoming dictation activities
Questions). There might be some truth to that begin the fourth week.
this, and I also realize that chunking is more "Short-i" words are introduced the fifth week,
difficult when students are writing with cur- with words for the other short vowels gradually
sive forms. However, I think printing becomes introduced later. The seventh week, students
quite cumbersome for writing lengthy passages. begin to read words back to the teacher after
This is an issue to consider if you are using the dictation. Lessons for the first half of the
program with older students. course use only three-letter words, while four-
SYS has daily lessons for 36 weeks for each and five-letter words are taught the second
level. Each week's lessons are labeled A through semester along with consonant blends (e.g.,
E for the five days of each week. "st"), digraphs (e.g., "ck"), and double conso-
For each level there are a student workbook nant endings (e.g., tall). Children write from
and instructor's handbook. For all except Level 10 to 12 words each day from dictation.
A the student workbook has two volumes Level A has only one worksheet per day, and
called Part 1 and Part 2. Instructor's hand- each day's lesson should take only about ten
books are relatively small books that offer minutes to complete. A child might not com-
teaching assistance that is most valuable at the plete a page if it seems like too much work at
first two levels. They also include answers keys that point. A sticker pack is included that can
and dictation material that is essential for each be used either for motivation or along with the
level. Answer keys include the color coding for suggested activities.
the chunking. Once you are past the first few lessons and
 Spelling, Vocabulary & Handwriting
149
understand how the lessons are completed at "y" is changed before adding an ending.
each level, the instructor's handbook has only "No rule days" appear on the fourth day of
one or two paragraphs of instructions per les- each lesson in Part 2. These offer opportunities
son. Lesson preparation time is very minimal for drawing or creative writing that should be
even for the first few lessons. very relaxed.
Level B Jack and Jill Copywork and dictation exercises for Level
Level B has two worksheets per day, so B and above should always be kept to no more
there are now two student workbooks, Part 1 than 10 minutes. Counting the number of
and Part 2. Students will use colored pencils words written from dictation correctly within
(or highlighters) along with a regular pencil 10 minutes helps you to evaluate a student's
to complete the worksheets. The laminated progress. Students should continually improve
"Guide to Handwriting" is included. their speed and accuracy.
As in Level A, students begin by tracing and Level C Wild Tales
copying letters and words. They quickly move Level C begins with a few nursery rhymes as
on to dictation with short-vowel words. in Level B then shifts to non-fiction passages
Level B also incorporates well-known nurs- about all sorts of living creatures from black
ery rhymes into the lessons, using the same bears and bats to seahorses and penguins.
nursery rhyme every day for one week. The From the eighth week till the end of the
rhymes provide copywork practice, serve as course, lessons follow the same pattern each
simple narrative devices, help with vocabulary week. Students have chunking exercises every
development, help students distinguish similar day, copywork the first three days, drawing or
sounds, and provide an auditory component to creative writing added on the fourth day, and
the lessons. Students begin by copying parts of dictation on the last day.
the rhyme each day, paying attention to capi- Level D Americana
talization and punctuation as well as spelling. Level D continues in the same fashion as
By the end of Level B students are expected to Level B with students completing chunking
write an entire nursery rhyme from dictation. exercises each day. The reading passages are
Students learn "chunking"—the method now from American history and culture fea-
used throughout the rest of the program. turing topics such as Thomas Jefferson, the
(The publisher will provide a symbol-coded Liberty Bell, Rosa Parks, Paul Bunyan, and
answer key for parents who are color blind.) Levi Strauss.
Instructions are given within the instructor's The first three days of each lesson students
handbook, but they are also conveniently copy parts of the passage and mark the chunks.
included at the beginning of each day's lesson. On day four, they are given the passage through
For example, for the second day of the ninth dictation, with the parent or teacher supplying
week, instructions at the top of the page tell assistance as needed. On the fifth day, they
the teacher how to present the nursery rhyme write the same passage from dictation but with
that day, then it introduces chunking with help only for punctuation and capitalization.
instructions about identifying "Bossy r" chunks Level E American Spirit
and highlighting them with a purple colored Level E uses reading passages that highlight
pencil or highlighter. Through the rest of Level American ingenuity and inventiveness along
B and beyond, students become familiar with with other positive character traits with stories
both vowel and consonant chunks as well as of Patrick Henry, Mary Hays, P.T. Barnum,
silent letters, endings such as "es" and "ful," as Harry Houdini, President John F. Kennedy,
well as "overlapping chunks" where the final and others. The lesson format for each week is
 102 Top Picks
150
the same as for Level D. While some passages around spelling rules or generalizations. Some
in Level E appear to be more challenging than of these are discovered by students as they
those in Level D, many seem to be on about the look for patterns, while others are specifically
same level. identified. One or more “outlaw” words appear
Levels F and G are not yet available. in each lesson, and space is provided for you to
Summary add your own words to be studied.
While the program is unusual, the use of Lessons begin with a pretest. Students who
copywork and dictation reflect elements of get most or all words correct might be given
both Charlotte Mason and Classical approach- an additional list of more-challenging words to
es that home educators have found to be study or the “alternative homework” I describe
very effective. Also, chunking bears some below.
similarity to methods used in other programs A variety of age-appropriate activities help
that emphasize learning the phonograms, even students recognize spelling patterns. Other
though it is presented in a unique fashion in thinking skills come into play in activities such
SYS. Some programs use only one or two of as identifying rhyming words, words that fit the
these three strategies but this combination same categories, and antonyms and synonyms.
of all three—chunking, copywork, and dicta- Some assignments take students outside the
tion—makes SpellingYouSee a promising option workbook. They might be instructed to “find
for helping children learn to spell. Free sample as many words with ow as you can.” To do
lessons for each level are available at the pub- so, they can use spelling words, ask friends or
lisher's website. relatives, or consult a dictionary. There are
. occasional composition assignments as well
as puzzles, scrambled letters, crosswords, and
Spellwell Series other more-entertaining activities.
by Nancy Hall A really nice feature is the “alternative
EPS Literacy and Intervention homework” option at the bottom of many
PO Box 9031 pages. If a student does well on the pretest, he
Cambridge, MA 02139 or she should tackle the alternative homework
800-225-5750 option rather than the regular lesson activities.
www.epsbooks.com Of course, parents are always welcome to use
student books - $8.60 each, teacher keys alternative homework assignments whenever
- $5.05 each they seem appropriate. Alternative homework
The Spellwell series suggestions are very diverse. For example,
targets grades two page 23 in Book CC says, “Choose two of your
through five with two longest spelling words. Make as many words
worktexts per grade as possible using these letters.” Page 33 of that
level. Books are des- same book instructs, “Write synonyms or ant-
ignated A and AA for onyms for eight of your spelling words.”
second grade level, B All worktexts have lists of all spelling words
and BB for third grade covered at the back of the book. Some books
level, C and CC for have progress charts for recording spelling test
fourth, and D and DD grades.
for fifth. Teacher keys Because of the variety, these worktexts might
are single books that each cover the two books require more teaching or interaction than some
for a grade level. This series designs lessons others, but even using the most challenging
 Spelling, Vocabulary & Handwriting
151
activities does not require a lot of input from through eleven, although the letter designa-
the parent or teacher. Generally, these are very tions for the upper level books make them eas-
easy to use and will not require any lesson ily adaptable to students above and below the
preparation. recommended levels.
Worktexts are printed in black-and-white, The series draws upon both Greek and
but they have some cartoonish illustrations Latin roots simultaneously to expand students’
and creative page designs that make them more English vocabulary. For example, the second
visually interesting than books like Building lesson in Book A begins by introducing the
Spelling Skills. Greek word tri and the Latin word tres, both
The flexibility and variety within Spellwell les- meaning three. It goes on to a study of the
sons is likely to make these especially appealing words trilogy, trisect, and triumvirate. Greek
to Sociable Sues, although they should work and Latin words are not always this similar.
well for all students. Another plus is the very Lesson four introduces the Greek word pan
low cost for both the student worktexts and and the Latin word omnis, both meaning all.
the teacher keys. Students with some exposure to Greek or
Latin will immediately recognize the derivation
of words from those languages. Other students
Vocabulary from Classical Roots without prior knowledge of those languages
Books 4-6 and A-E will develop some familiarity with Greek and
by Lee Mountain, Norma Fifer, Latin simply by using these workbooks.
and Nancy Flowers Each book is written at an increasingly diffi-
EPS Literacy and Intervention cult level. Words with similar roots are grouped
PO Box 9031 thematically for ease of study. A variety of
Cambridge, MA 02139 exercises, including work with synonyms, ant-
800-225-5750 onyms, analogies, and sentence completion,
www.epsbooks.com helps students develop full understanding.
student books 4-6 and A-C - $13.25 each, "Nota benes" (important notes) include ety-
D-E - $14.20 each; teacher’s guides - mological, literary, historical, and geographic
$22.90 each references that help develop cultural literacy.
General vocabulary Suggestions for extended writing activities in
study makes sense for Books A through E help older students to apply
the younger grades, new vocabulary. Books D and E add exercises
but the type of more for testing vocabulary within the context of
specialized study with short articles. Periodic review exercises help
Greek and Latin roots students retain knowledge.
we find in Vocabulary While students can work independently
from Classical Roots through most of the lessons, discussion should
becomes more use- be helpful for most students.
ful for older chil- A teachers guide and answer key for each
dren since they have level has teaching suggestions, exercise
already built up a foundational vocabulary and answers, and glossaries of some of the literary
can start to make connections with prefixes, and historical references.
suffixes, and roots. The publisher recommends
levels 4, 5, and 6 for grades four through
six and Books A through E for grades seven
 102 Top Picks
152
Vocabu-Lit series other two lower-level books. They are simpler
Perfection Learning with students doing such things as circling yes/
1000 North Second Ave. no answers or selecting one of two answers by
Logan, IA 51546 checking a box. They skip the graphic orga-
800-831-4190 nizers, but they do include puzzles and some
email: [email protected] composition activities.
www.perfectionlearning.com Book E steps up the level of difficulty with
student workbook (softcover) - $11.95 more lessons and some activities more similar
each, teacher edition - $19.95 each to those in books F through K. However, it has
The Vocabu-Lit puzzles, games, and drawing activities for the
series begins each les- final lesson exercise rather than introducing a
son with an excerpt writing assignment. Books B through E each
from a book, story, have three or four reviews and no assessments.
essay, poem, or You will need the separate text booklets for
speech. Within each testing if you think it worthwhile to test.
literary piece, ten Books F through K for grades six and up have
vocabulary words been rewritten for better alignment with the
in bold become the Common Core State Standards. The improve-
focus of each lesson ments should appeal even to those who oppose
as students encounter the Common Core. Students begin by reading
the words in a number of ways to develop a an excerpt from fiction, non-fiction, speech-
nuanced understanding of each word’s mean- es, and primary sources—both classic and
ing. After the literary piece, the layout in the contemporary.
first four books (B through E for grades two In the first two exercises for each week's les-
through five) differs from that of the rest of son, students work with context clues and prior
the series (Books F through K for grades six knowledge to try to write definitions of the ten
through eleven). master words in that lesson. This serves as sort
In Books B through D (not including Book of a pre-test. Students then look up and write
E), students first copy definitions for each the definitions from a dictionary, comparing
word from the dictionary in the back of their these with their own definitions. The third
books. The next exercise focuses on context exercise has students work with the words in
clues as students fill in the blanks with the cor- different contexts as well as with antonyms
rect words; in books for grades three and four and synonyms in a variety of ways. Students
students also circle the context clue within are encouraged to consult a dictionary as
the sentence. Students identify synonyms and needed. The next exercise seems easier as stu-
antonyms and work with word relationships dents fill in the blanks of ten sentences with
in the next two sections. There are still two the correct word. The fifth and sixth exercises
more activities for each lesson! One of them vary from week to week. They include work
uses a graphic organizer to work with words. with analogies, shades of meaning, words with
For example, one graphic organizer presents multiple meanings, figurative language, root
a word web for students to identify words or words, affixes, synonyms, idioms, foreign words
phrases from the story that relate to a particu- and phrases, etymologies of words, oxymorons,
lar topic. The final activity is a puzzle of some and euphemisms. Each week's lesson con-
sort that uses the words from that week’s list. cludes with an interesting writing assignment.
Grade two exercises differ from those in the Each assignment is different, reflecting many
 Spelling, Vocabulary & Handwriting
153
different modes of writing. Some students will Sample pages are available at the publisher’s
need assistance with composition skills for website.
some assignments. The writing assignments are
worth using as a substantial part of a student's
composition work. Wordly Wise, Original series and
There are six review lessons, with one after 3000 series
every five lessons, and each review is fol- EPS Literacy and Intervention
lowed by an assessment. You will likely spend PO Box 9031
at least one or two days on the review and a Cambridge, MA 02139
few days on the assessment. Both reviews and 800-225-5750
assessments use a variety of question formats. www.epsbooks.com
Reviews often require students to write full student books - about $11- $12 each,
sentence responses. Assessments include ques- answer keys for original series - about $10
tions in the same formats that students will each
encounter on both the PARCC (Partnership I’ve seen many
for Assessment of Readiness for College and vocabulary resourc-
Careers) and Smarter Balanced Assessment es over the years,
Consortium exams—new exams tied to the but my favorite for
Common Core. In addition, assessments always general use remains
include a written assignment. Interestingly, for the original Wordly
the assessment composition tasks students are Wise series, Books 1
supposed to work through the writing process through 9. (Books
with peer review, revisions, and rewrites. And A through C in the
some writing assignments require research. original series are also
Clearly, these extend the time required for the available, but I think
assessments beyond a single session. Note that other academic priorities preclude their use in
previous editions of the upper level books used the early grades.)
to conclude with puzzles and games rather I suspect the popularity of Wordly Wise stems
than the writing assignments at the end. In my from its effectiveness and reasonable cost as
opinion, the new exercises are much more sub- well as the fact that students can work inde-
stantial and worthwhile in the new editions. pendently most of the time. Books 1 through
For all levels, teacher editions are the same 9 are intended for grades four through twelve.
as student workbooks but with overprinted However, vocabulary is somewhat advanced,
answers. so choose lower level books if your children
You can easily skip the teacher edition for are average in their vocabulary skills. I suggest
second grade, but you will probably want starting average to bright students at fourth
them for other levels to save you time even if grade level with Book 1.
you can easily figure out the answers yourself. In this series, students use one list of words
Separate text booklets are available for grades through four or five different types of exer-
five and up, but you shouldn't need them. cises to become familiar with the word’s usage
I particularly like this series for a number of in different contexts as well as its various
reasons: the use of literary excerpts, the variety meanings. Exercises include definitions, rec-
of activities, the selection of words (challeng- ognition of proper usage, word origins, prefixes
ing yet more practical than in some other and suffixes, analogies, and synonym substitu-
resources), and reasonable cost. tion. Crossword puzzles at the end of each
 102 Top Picks
154
unit reinforce learning from earlier lessons. it such as www.christianbook.com, www.
Children must truly understand meanings to rainbowresource.com, and www.exodusbooks.
complete the activities. com. You do not need the expensive teacher’s
The answer key for each level is relatively resource books that are listed at the publisher’s
inexpensive and you will certainly want it to website.
save time and energy since the exercises are
often quite challenging. Handwriting
One issue that might be viewed as a draw-
back occurs in Books 4 through 9 of the origi- There are quite a few factors to consider
nal series. While Books 1 through 3 include when selecting a handwriting program, factors
glossaries in the back listing all vocabulary such as which method to use, when to intro-
words and their definitions, from Book 4 on duce cursive, the format for practice, and the
students must use a separate dictionary. content of the practice exercises.
EPS Literacy and Intervention has contin- Among the methods to consider are tradi-
ued to sell the original series, but they have tional handwriting with ball-and-stick printing
also produced a newer series, Wordly Wise and cursive with simple loops, the method
3000®, and that series is already in its third that is most common. Another option might
editions. Wordly Wise 3000 retains many of be programs that use slant print forms that are
the features of the original series. It teaches very similar to their cursive forms. These make
multiple meanings of some words. A variety of the transition between printing and cursive lit-
activities encourages students to think about tle more than learning how to join the letters.
vocabulary words and their meanings in ways Italic style bears some resemblance to a simple
that are more likely to help them actually make calligraphy. Some styles such as Handwriting
the words part of their vocabulary. A major Without Tears do not fit neatly into any of these
difference is that the new series has added three categories.
reading passages and some questions that Some methods work better for left-handed
require complete-sentence, original responses. writers, another factor to consider. The style
Because some of these answers are more sub- you choose does not matter as long as it works
jective, they require more time for parents to for your child. After all, by the time we reach
evaluate responses. adulthood, most of us have modified whatever
Book 1 requires direct teaching and differs style we learned to create our own personal
significantly from the rest of the series. As with style of handwriting.
the original series Books A through C, I would While traditionally publishers have struc-
probably skip it. However, I like Books 2 and 3 tured programs so that students make the
of Wordly Wise 3000 and consider them more transition to cursive writing in second or third
useful than the original Books B and C. grade, there are many who prefer to teach cur-
The Wordly Wise 3000 series numbers books sive earlier, perhaps even omitting printing and
to correlate with grade levels. Book 1 is for first beginning with cursive.
grade with the series concluding with Book 12 Programs vary in the amount and style of
for twelfth grade. practice activities. You need to select a pro-
The inexpensive answer keys (about $6) for gram with the correct amount of practice for
home educators for any of the Wordly Wise each of your children.
3000 editions are not listed on the publisher’s Some programs have fairly bland content
website, so you would do best to order through for handwriting practice, while others provide
any of the homeschool distributors who carry more interesting content or strong Christian
 Spelling, Vocabulary & Handwriting
155
content. • uppercase letters are taught before
Parents might even question the need to lowercase
teach their children to write cursive at all, • groups of letters that have similar strokes
especially when they have resistant learners. or the same starting points are taught
They rationalize that much writing will be together
done on computers or other devices. However, • letters are not slanted for either printing or
circumstances inevitably arise in life where you cursive
need to make quick notes, and there might be • multi-sensory learning methods are used
times where you need to take lengthy notes for instruction
without mechanical assistance. Printing can HWT’s style is simpler than traditional cur-
be too slow a process in such instances, so you sive, but it differs from most of the other “sim-
will likely handicap your child by not teaching plified cursive” forms in that there is no slant
cursive. and some of the letters such as “e”, “f”, and “k”
Selecting from among the many handwriting change form from printing to cursive.
programs for my Top Picks was difficult since I mentioned multi-sensory learning methods
there are so many good options. I ended up in the list of distinctive features. Kindergartners
choosing programs representative of different can use the 4” x 6” slate chalkboard to write
styles to help you keep in mind the range of individual letters. They might also use the 10”
options. Also, remember that many compre- x 17” blackboard with double lines as they
hensive language arts programs incorporate learn to write words. Auditory learners can
handwriting, so you might not need a separate listen to the Rock, Rap, Tap & Learn CD.
handwriting resource. Further, you might not There are a teacher's guide and student
need to continue with a separate handwriting workbook for each level.
workbook if students have mastered the forms Letters and Numbers for Me teaches kinder-
and get plenty of practice through dictation or gartners both capital and lowercase letters and
other writing. numbers. It also covers beginning handwriting
instruction in such skills as paper placement.
My Printing Book for first grade introduces the
Handwriting Without Tears correct use of either lowercase or uppercase
Handwriting Without Tears letters in sentences along with punctuation as
806 W. Diamond Ave., Ste. 230 students continue to practice letter and word
Gaithersburg, MD 20878 formation.
301-263-2700 Up through first grade, students learn to
www.hwtears.com print on double-line pages. This approach
student books - $8.50 each, teacher's guides differs from the traditional triple-line format
- $9.50 each; see the publisher’s website for normally used. It eliminates the top line but
prices for other products leaves more space between lines. Children
Handwriting With- then focus more on formation within the
out Tears (HWT) double lines with extensions going above and
teaches handwriting below. In second grade, students begin to write
for children in kin- on single lines.
dergarten through The second grade book, Printing Power,
fourth grade. Some reviews basic formation of letters and contin-
distinctives of this ues with word and sentence writing. Second
program are: graders ready to transition to cursive might use
 102 Top Picks
156
the Printing Power Plus set which includes both language arts coverage is very limited in scope.
Printing Power and Kick Start Cursive, a small However, they have also introduced an addi-
book that introduces some cursive forms. tional resource for kindergarten called Sentence
Cursive Handwriting, the third grade work- School, which is to be used alongside HWT.
book, teaches cursive writing. Like Printing Sentence School is a 248-page, spiral-bound
Power Plus, it begins with the letters requiring teacher's guide that comes with a set of 215
the simplest joins to make the transition easy. laminated word cards. It teaches spelling,
Cursive Success provides fourth graders plenty grammar, composition, vocabulary, and read-
of practice to develop fluency in cursive. ing comprehension (at levels appropriate for
All of the student workbooks for kindergar- kindergartners) through brief, multi-sensory
ten through fourth grade are also available in lessons.
Spanish and French.
HWT offers a number of other items as
supplements or resources for older students. Peterson Directed Handwriting
Can-Do Print and Can-Do Cursive are books Peterson Directed Handwriting
that might be used by students fifth grade or 300 S. Hamilton Ave., Ste. 4
above who still need additional work in either Greensburg, PA 15601
area. There are no teacher's guides for either 724-837-4900
of these books. Students originally taught email: [email protected]
another handwriting system but who need www.peterson-handwriting.com
remediation might need to start in one of the homeschool basic kits: preK-K - $23.60,
lower level books. grades 1-4 - $16.55 each; homeschool
Additional items you might want are wall complete kits $34.50 - $41.55
cards, desk strips, HWT double line paper (in Peterson Directed
wide, regular, and narrow line widths), and Handwriting is
"Big Sheet Draw and Write Paper" (large 11” another resource
x 17” pages with lines on the bottom half). that should
Parents of struggling printers might find the appeal to home
packet of "Gray Block Paper" useful. The educators since it
packet includes 26 pages each of four different is both inexpen-
styles of blocks that help children form letters sive and thorough. Homeschool handwriting
and numbers correctly. kits include the teacher and pupil books plus
Lessons are designed to be presented by a self-adhesive Position Guide and pencils for
the parent or teacher although most work some levels.
can be done independently once chil- The teacher’s handbooks offer step-by-step
dren have learned the basic forms. teaching instruction as well as extra strat-
HWT is a great choice for homeschoolers since egy helps and explanations about some of the
the instruction is very child-friendly. There’s research and theories behind the methodology.
a reasonable amount of practice, but not so It covers types of pencils, how to hold them,
much that children feel overwhelmed. Also, desks and sitting positions, tips for teaching
the cost of the books is very low. The other left-handed students, and more. This is one
items provide more multi-sensory learning but of the few handwriting programs where the
are not essential for every child. teacher’s handbook is a necessity because it
HWT includes some broader language arts contains so much useful information.
skills within its handwriting lessons, but other The methodology is standard ball-and-stick,
 Spelling, Vocabulary & Handwriting
157
based on learning basic movement patterns to www.areasonfor.com
reinforce left-to-right tracking. “Printwriting” teacher guide - $24.95, student books -
begins with the traditional one-stroke-at-a- $17.95 each
time process. In second grade, slant print is A Reason for
introduced using a “no-lift” rhythm called Handwriting uses
“threading” to encourage mastery of good paper ball-and-stick print-
holding. It also introduces all cursive forms ing and a traditional
with gross-motor readiness lessons. Transition style cursive, with
to a traditional cursive takes place in third scripture as the writ-
grade. Form, slant, size, spacing, smoothness, ing subject. Scripture
and control are continually emphasized. Songs verses are modified to
and rhythms that assist in teaching handwrit- be understandable for
ing skills are available free upon request in children—more at
MP3 format. An optional CD-ROM (included younger levels than
in the “complete” kit) offers animations for all older. One of the most popular features is the
letters—print, slant print and cursive. Your set of decorated border sheets in the back of
student can see the strokes written by an invis- the books for children to color and write their
ible hand on your computer screen. Peterson Verse of the Week. These completed pages are
has materials for preschool through eighth attractive enough to hang in prominent places,
grade, but I expect that the courses for kinder- use as family memory verses, or send to grand-
garten through fourth grade will be of primary parents and relatives.
interest. Eight different books labeled K and A
In addition, Peterson Directed Handwriting through F correspond to kindergarten through
offers printable e-workbooks, reproducible sixth grade. There is also a Transition book with
lesson-sheets, wall alphabets, pencil grips, a letter designation of T.
and special education materials. Of particular The first book, level K, is an introduction to
interest might be Shirley’s Books ($4.95 each), a printing for kindergarten level. The next two
four-book series of reproducible practice books books, A and B, teach printing, covering the
in your choice of ball-and-stick print, two ver- same skills but with different scripture selec-
sions of slant print, or cursive. The Left-Handed tions. Lines have more space than in upper
Writer (ebook for $9.95) might be of interest to level books, so children don’t become frus-
those with left-handed students. trated by lack of space.
The Peterson Directed Handwriting website The Transition book covers the transition
has many free how-to videos and an extensive from printing to cursive and would typically be
resource library with research information and used in second or third grade. Books C through
practical ideas for teaching handwriting. They F all cover cursive skills using different scrip-
also offer free online support. ture verses each year. Scripture for the four
books is drawn from these areas: C - Epistles,
D - Gospels, E - Psalms, and F – Proverbs.
A Reason for Handwriting I would likely use book C for the first year
by Carol Ann Retzer and Eva Hoshino of cursive (after Transition) since it provides
The Concerned Group foundational instruction. After that, you might
PO Box 1000 select books according to scripture content
Siloam Springs, AR 72761 since it is unlikely that you will need to use all
800-447-4332 of the books.
 102 Top Picks
158
The Handwriting Teacher Guidebook, which writing instrument is lifted far less often than
covers all levels, includes brief lesson plans, when writing with a broad-edged calligraphy
principles of handwriting, valuable suggestions pen. Getty-Dubay Italic letter forms for print-
for correcting handwriting problems and work- ing and cursive are basically identical, with
ing with different letter-connection combina- entrance and exit strokes added to the printed
tions, teaching tips, vocabulary and skill lists forms for joining letters in cursive. This makes
for each student workbook, and reproducible transition from printing to cursive almost
master forms for skill development and evalu- effortless.
ation. There are also supplemental exercises, These books teach students to use a “look,
games, and ideas. Initially, you should purchase plan, and practice” approach to evaluate and
a combination set of one student worktext and improve their own work, beginning with the
the teacher guide. After that you need to pur- first step in Books A through C for kindergar-
chase only student worktexts. ten through second grade, then using all three
steps in Books D through G for grades three
through six. The books have full-color covers,
The Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting and the print explaining lessons matches the
series Getty-Dubay Italic style.
The teacher guide (one book for student
Books A through G) contains the scope and
sequence for the series; discussion of materials;
tips for teaching left- or right-handed writers;
and techniques for teaching and evaluating
shape, strokes, size, slope, spacing, and speed
of writing. It also has blackline masters for
various sizes of ruled-line paper, three letter
formats, and an envelope.
Getty-Dubay Italic style handwriting looks
impressive without requiring extraordinary
by Barbara Getty and Inga Dubay effort. This method might be a good choice for
Allport Editions children who have struggled with handwriting
716 NE Lawrence Ave. and need a new approach. Introducing italic
Portland, OR 97232 style to children with handwriting difficulties
800-777-2844 has proven very successful in some cases. It
www.allport.com gives them a fresh start, and the results can
teacher guide - $18.75, student look good with little skill. Students need not
books - $11.75 each begin in Book A (kindergarten level) but can
The Getty-Dubay Italic style handwriting, start with the book for their grade level.
typically thought of as our third option, can For children who need even more practice
be taught with this series of inexpensive hand- than that supplied within the workbooks there
writing worktexts for kindergarten through are blackline masters on a single CD-ROM
sixth grade. that covers all levels A through G ($24.75).
Getty-Dubay Italic is somewhat similar to Each half sheet references the page num-
slant print in appearance, but letters are formed ber in the corresponding book. Writing prac-
differently. This method has simple and clear tice contains single letter and/or short letter
letter forms with roots in calligraphy. Also, the combinations.
 Spelling, Vocabulary & Handwriting
159
To make teaching Getty-Dubay Italic hand- teaches basic Getty-Dubay Italic handwriting
writing even easier, there is a DVD video with plenty of examples and practice exercises.
($29.95) titled Write Now! Italic Handwriting. The practice content is very similar to that in
For those who prefer more efficient instruc- Book G. Unlike the workbook series described
tion within a single book rather than child- above, it goes beyond simple italic into the use
oriented worktexts, the authors have produced of different types of pens and more compli-
Write Now ($19.95). Although written for cated calligraphy. Following the instruction is a
adult learners, children from about ages ten brief, illustrated history of the alphabet. Lined
and up might be able to learn from it even if guide sheets are also included.
they need some adult assistance. Write Now
 CHAPTER
10
Mathematics

My top picks for math are a diverse assortment to suit different situations and learning styles.
Since I’ve had to be selective, I have narrowed my choices to resources that fit the largest num-
ber of students.
You might have noticed that I have not included well-known programs from A Beka or BJU
Press, and I should explain why. A Beka’s math program is very traditional, does an excellent
job developing computation skills, and has more than enough review and practice. Explanation
of new concepts is included within student worktexts, so students can work independently most
of the time. However, the series is weak in developing conceptual understanding, especially in
comparison to programs like Math-U-See and Singapore's Primary Mathematics that made my Top
Picks. A Beka's Curriculum Guides offer some teaching assistance, but my experience is that
homeschoolers rarely use them. Instead, they are more likely to purchase only the teacher edi-
tions that serve as answer keys. However, some children are strong enough conceptual thinkers
that A Beka still works very well for them.
In contrast, BJU Press’s math program is strong on conceptual development. The drawback
with BJU Press’s program is that it needs to be taught from the teacher’s edition. This is not a
program for independent study. The teacher’s editions include teaching strategies that explain
concepts and address different learning styles. While this is very helpful, it also means that it
takes longer to get through a lesson, either in planning and selecting what to use or else in actu-
ally completing the lesson with your child. Consequently, I find that many homeschoolers try to
shortcut by just handing their children the workbook without adequate instruction. If you have
time to use the program correctly, it is very good.
I have also had to leave out other math programs that would be great in certain situations but
are not practical for most home educators.
 Mathematics
161
• Games: many traditional games like
Math Supplements Monopoly and Life have quite a bit of math
built in. Other games have been developed
Narrowing down to the top resources also specifically to focus on math skills. Check
meant skipping all of the helpful supplemental homeschool and educational product
items. This was especially frustrating when it distributors such as those listed below for
came to math since there are so many great ideas.
supplements that you really might need to use. • Supplemental Activity Books: Some
Check www.CathyDuffyReviews.com where children love to do activity pages when the
I have such a large number of reviews of math math practice is linked to a dot-to-dot
supplements that they have their own index picture, puzzle, or something that provides a
page! Meanwhile, here are just a few ideas to motivation for figuring out the correct
consider. All of these types of supplements can answers. Drill and review in such formats is
be found at teacher supply stores, homeschool much more appealing than what is generally
distributors, and online sources. offered in math textbooks.
• Focused topical books: When children
struggle with a particular topic or skill, they Some of the best sources for math supple-
often need to get a better understanding of ments are:
the concept itself. Supplemental books are • Activity Resources, www.activityresources.
often the solution. The various Key to… com
series of workbooks from Key Curriculum • Educational Learning Games, Inc., 727-
Press are an example of this sort of thing. 786-4850, www.educationallearninggames.
They have four series with a number of com
worktexts addressing each topic for Fractions, • Learning Resources, 888-489-9388, www.
Decimals, Measurement, and Geometry (www. learningresources.com
keypress.com). Other publishers offer single • Nasco Math, 800-558-9595, www.enasco.
books on such topics. com/math/
• Computer-based computation drill • Rainbow Resource Center, 888-841-3456,
programs: I won’t mention any single program www.rainbowresource.com
since there are so many good ones. This is • WCA Games That Teach, 800-559-9206,
one area where computers are really useful. www.wiebe-carlson.com
Drill can be sooooo boring, but the computer
can jazz things up, put it into a game format, Core Curricula
add color, and make it fun.
• Cuisenaire Rods, Base Ten Blocks, and Note that I have arranged my Top Picks for
other manipulatives can be used as math in a progression from lowest to highest
supplements alongside more traditional grade levels rather than alphabetical order,
programs. If your children do not need Math- although there is some overlap with programs
U-See’s immersion in manipulatives, it can covering many levels.
be relatively inexpensive to purchase a set of
one of these other manipulatives and a
resource book on how to use them to teach
particular concepts. Cuisenaire actually has
some activity books for working with the
rods that are just plain fun.
 102 Top Picks
162
CTC Math from the same bank of questions, but com-
by Patrick Murray prehensive tests present about twice as many
CTC Math questions as do the standard tests. Diagnostic
310-281-2217 tests will tell the parent or teacher what a stu-
www.ctcmath.com dent knows or needs to learn, but the program
Homeschoolers receive a 60% discount off doesn't automatically prescribe a grade level or
the normal prices. course based on the tests.
Individual student: $11.97 per month, The Basic Math and Pre-Algebra course
$50.80 for 6 months, $78.80 for 12 months introduces a “topic test” at the end of some
Family (2 or more students): $15.97 per (but not all) topical sections. This is a test that
month, $78.80 for 6 months, $118.80 for is to be printed and completed offline. Answers
12 months are then entered onto an online answer form
CTC Math for scoring. While these appear frequently in
is an online, this course, they appear sporadically in high
subscription- school level courses. Calculus has none, and
based math Algebra II and Trigonometry appear to each
program for have only one, yet Pre-Calculus and Geometry
kindergarten have a number of them.
through high On the menu, directly under the diagnostic
school creat- tests are the lessons for that topic. When there
ed and taught are no diagnostic tests at upper levels, the
by Australian math teacher Patrick Murray. menu just lists the lessons. Simply click on the
For each course, lessons are divided into a first lesson and start.
number of “streams” or broad areas of math Each lesson begins with a brief tutorial that
then further divided into topics within each runs from four to nine minutes. Tutorials use
stream. Then each topic will have a number colorful graphics and animations with Patrick
of lessons. For example, kindergarten level Murray’s voice-over explanation. The con-
has four "streams," and the first one (Number, sistency of hearing just one voice makes this
Patterns and Algebra) has eight topics, Number program feel more personal and predictable
I, Number II, Patterns, Addition, Subtraction, than some other programs where the style of
Multiplication, Fractions, and Money. There presentation and the voice-overs frequently
are a number of lessons for each of these top- change. Murray’s Australian accent is very
ics. This amounts to a lot of content at each understandable. Murray and the written mate-
grade level. rial in the program both occasionally use
At the topic level, there are optional diag- Australian (British) vocabulary and images
nostic tests that might be used either as pre- with which students in the U.S. might not be
tests or post-tests for all courses up through familiar such as colour rather than color and
Basic Math and Pre-Algebra (a single course). images of a cricket bat and ball. This is not a
As pre-tests, you can find out if your child huge issue, but students will likely encounter
already knows a topic and can skip to the next something unfamiliar at one point or another.
grade level in that particular stream. You can Interestingly, the program uses U.S. currency,
also use either test as a final exam when a at least at kindergarten level. I notice that the
student has completed the lessons within that screen tells me that the program is loading the
topic. There are two forms of diagnostic tests: U.S. Version, so they have clearly made some
standard or comprehensive. Both tests draw changes to the program reflecting the location
 Mathematics
163
of the user. The staff at CTC Math tell me reward ribbon symbol that varies by level of
that the program has been available in the U.S. accomplishment: bronze, silver, gold, and plati-
for less than a year at this point, and they are num. The program also provides certificates of
continually making changes in regard to issues accomplishment for each section that parents
like this. can print out if they wish. Parents can access
Lessons teach in small increments with plen- detailed reports showing topics studied, time
ty of practice on each topic. The program spent, and quiz and test scores. Reports and
allows students to go back and repeat lessons certificates can also be automatically emailed
or jump ahead to a different topic if that is to the parent or teacher as well.
helpful. The scope and sequence seems challenging
You can print out a one-page summary of in the early grades but less so as it progresses.
each video tutorial for handy reference or For example in third grade CTC Math teaches
review if you wish. Unfortunately, there is both multiplication by single-digit numbers and
only one tutorial for each topic, so if a stu- division with remainders—neither is required
dent doesn’t grasp a concept as presented in by the Common Core State Standards (CC)
that tutorial, they don’t have another option. until fourth grade. The scope and sequence on
Parents will need to watch for this. If a student at least some core skills slows down after this.
seems to be missing a particular concept, they Multiplication with two-digit multipliers and
might need to use something besides CTC carrying is taught in the fifth grade in CTC
Math to teach that particular concept. Math while it is listed as a fourth grade topic
After the tutorial, students are given a series in the CC. Long division isn’t taught by CTC
of interactive questions. Students type their Math until sixth grade while it is to be taught
answers into the computer or use the mouse by the end of fifth grade in the CC. And long
to select an answer. The program immediately division with decimals doesn’t show up until
scores their work, and it also maintains stu- seventh grade in CTC Math while the CC says
dent records. You can print a page showing the that it is to be taught by the end of fifth grade.
problems with their step-by-step solutions, but Keep in mind that many math programs used
you cannot print worksheets of unsolved prob- by homeschoolers (Rod and Staff’s Mathematics
lems. CTC Math doesn’t waste a lot of time for Christian Living series [reviewed on my
with pointless animations and praise. website], Singapore Math, and Horizons Math
Sometimes lessons require students to type just to name a few) are more advanced than
in words. If a kindergartner is asked to type in either the CC standards or CTC Math in the
number words, yet the child knows neither the upper elementary grades.
keyboard nor the spelling of the words, this This doesn’t make CTC unusable, but you
can be quite challenging. This should only be probably need to speed up the pacing to keep
a problem at the youngest levels. your children close to grade level past third
If students don't answer enough problems grade. At high school level, you might want to
correctly, they can re-watch the tutorial if have students complete the Trigonometry and
necessary and then tackle a different problem Pre-Calculus courses in addition to the core
set. The program has a huge database and will courses if you want them to have more rigorous
present one or more additional sets of prob- coverage. Note that CTC Math courses go all
lems that are different from the original set. the way through Calculus.
So students can practice a concept as much as The early courses are labeled for kindergarten
they need. through sixth grade. These are followed by the
For each topic area, the program shows a Basic Math and Pre-Algebra course, a broad
 102 Top Picks
164
course that seems to “catch up” the scope and just one grade level that covers everything a
sequence. Immediately following the Basic particular child needs to learn, and your child
Math and Pre-Algebra course are Elementary might complete more than one grade level in
Measurement and Elementary Geometry. The a year.
latter two courses cover geometry topics that While you might have to supplement for
are usually taught before high school level topics that students don’t understand from the
geometry, so students should complete the CTC tutorials, and you probably need to have
group of all three courses before tackling high students complete some additional paper-and-
school courses. There should be plenty of time pencil math practice, CTC Math should be
to do so. able to serve as your core math curricula. It
Students at all levels need to be familiar also works very well as a supplement since it
with paper-and-pencil math. Older students is easy to locate topics for review or practice.
will need to do some paper-and-pencil work
to solve complex problems in CTC Math.
However, younger students also need to be Horizons Math
given opportunities for paper-and-pencil prob- Alpha Omega Publications
lem solving since CTC Math at younger levels 804 N. 2nd Ave. E.
rarely makes their use necessary. A supple- Rock Rapids, IA 51246
mental workbook, handwritten problems, or 800-622-3070
computer-generated worksheets should do the www.aophomeschooling.com
trick at little or no cost. sets for each level include a teacher handbook
I concentrated on the courses for the early and two student workbooks: K - $71.95,
grades for most of this review, so those are grades 1 through 6 - $81.95 each, optional
the ones with which I am most familiar. In my student worksheet pack - $9.95 each
opinion, CTC Math seems to be an excellent Alpha Omega
option for math coverage if you keep in mind Publication’s Horizons
the few cautions I’ve mentioned above. It is Math is a tradition-
easy to navigate, and it is efficient in both the al math program for
tutorials and the presentation of problems to kindergarten through
solve. The fact that students can review and sixth grade. They also
practice as needed is a real plus. Students can publish a Pre-Algebra
watch tutorials or jump in and try to complete course for junior high
the problems without watching the tutorial if that I review by itself
they think they already know the concept. later in this chapter.
CTC Math offers a number of subscription In Horizons Math,
plans: monthly, six-month, or twelve-month. the teacher handbook is the primary compo-
They also offer membership for a single student nent of the program although each level does
or a family plan for two or more students. The have two full-color student workbooks.
family plan for twelve-months is clearly the The teacher handbook outlines every step
best deal, and especially so if you have more of each lesson, listing objectives, materials
than two children! Each student is given an needed, stories, poems, and games. Some prep-
individual login, and the program tracks their aration time is needed, and lessons must be
progress. The student has access to all grade taught.
levels for the subscription period. This is espe- Horizons Math uses a variety of manipula-
cially valuable since it is difficult to identify tives throughout all levels, although far more
 Mathematics
165
in the early grades than in fifth and sixth hands-on activities.
grades. Among the manipulatives used are Students have two separate workbooks (each
dominoes, counters, play money, place value about one-half inch thick) to cover each level.
materials, flannel board with numbers, abacus, This is a lot of workbook pages, especially
beads, and flash cards. You will also use house- for kindergarten—generally two to three per
hold items such a calendar, an egg carton, a lesson depending upon grade level. But the
ruler, and straws. For the most part, these are workbooks are appealingly designed with full
things you can easily find or make yourself or color, large print, and variety in the layout.
they are relatively inexpensive items. Base Ten Illustrations, puzzles, and lesson explanations
Blocks used at upper levels would be one of the take up some space as well, so the overall
more costly items. Charts at the front of each impact is not overwhelming.
level’s teacher handbook list manipulatives to I suspect that many parents will be tempted
be used and lessons for which they are to be to hand their children the workbooks and
used. Charts also show which manipulatives ignore the teacher handbooks, but there are
are essential and which are optional. important teaching instructions in the hand-
Each lesson has instruction on a new concept books you should not skip. You should review
plus practice or review of previously-learned the lesson plans and determine how much of
concepts. This continual practice and review each presentation is useful for each student.
marks this as a “spiral” curriculum. Supplemental, reproducible worksheets are
Every lesson includes a number of activities also included in the teacher handbook with
that require interaction between teacher and clear indication of lessons to which they cor-
student, often with hands-on materials. For relate. You can purchase the worksheets as a
example, one lesson in the first-grade program separate packet if you prefer not to photocopy
has paper-and-pencil work with a "hundreds pages from the teacher handbook. Periodic
chart," a regrouping demonstration with place tests are in student workbooks, and answer
value manipulatives, oral number-chart work, keys to workbook pages, including tests, are in
time-telling practice using small clocks, writ- the teacher handbook.
ten place value practice, addition practice, Each level goes beyond most other programs,
writing the words for large numbers, and word spending more time on development and prac-
problems. tice of concepts and skills. The scope and
Alpha Omega Publications (AOP) explains sequence is purposely advanced. The Horizons
their scope and sequence as well as their Math program was not written to align with the
course layout in great detail at the beginning of Common Core Standards. However, it seems
each teacher handbook. The readiness evalu- to cover the standards although sometimes at
ation that is also found there will help ensure a grade level earlier than required by the stan-
that you are selecting the correct level in the dards themselves.
program. Readiness evaluations are also avail- AOP’s educational philosophy is also very
able for free at www.aophomeschooling.com/ evident in this program. They believe repeti-
diagnostic-tests. tion and review are essential until a subject has
The teacher handbook is very well designed been mastered to the point where it becomes
with each part of the lesson clearly labeled. second nature. They view math as both a basic
Activity instructions are numbered and spaced functional skill and a communications skill
so they are easy to locate and read quickly. that develops precision in thinking. Within
All instruction is provided through one-on- this framework that emphasizes mental dis-
one teacher instruction, demonstrations, and cipline, they have done an excellent job of
 102 Top Picks
166
breaking tasks down into manageable incre- teaches time, money, calendar use, measure-
ments while also building in methods that ment, fractions, sets, shapes, bar graphs, and
address the needs of various learning styles. estimation.
However, this also means that you might A solid foundation in number recognition
not need to use everything in each lesson with and number values along with other concepts
each of your children. Some children won't such as colors and shapes is essential before
need all of the multi-sensory instruction and beginning this level. (This foundation is laid
others don't need all of the practice and review in Math K.) If children are weak in some areas,
(in spite of instructions to the contrary in the extra lessons in the handbook can be used to
teacher handbooks). Exercise your own discre- cover some topics. However, some children in
tion as to what to use and what to skip. first grade might need to start with Math K.
Quarterly tests and a final in grades four Choose levels according to appropriate skill
through six, plus answer keys for workbooks, levels rather than equating them to grade
worksheets, and tests are all in the teacher levels.
handbook. Except for Horizons Math K, there Horizons Math 2
is also a test after every ten lessons in the stu- Math 2 expects that children have learned
dent workbooks. two-digit addition and subtraction with car-
This program was designed very much with rying, but it still reviews the concepts then
home educators in mind, so there are very few moves on to larger numbers. Multiplication
classroom-only type activities that must be facts for 1 through 10 are taught along with
adapted or skipped. place value, sets, correspondence, cardinal and
Horizons Math K ordinal numbers, shapes, graphs, fractions (½,
The Horizons Math K program follows an ⅓, ¼), measurement, temperature, estimation,
advanced scope and sequence, closer to some ratio, the calendar, time, money, area, perim-
publishers’ first grade programs. Students per- eter, volume, and decimals (in money).
form addition and subtraction (two digits plus Horizons Math 3
or minus one digit) with no regrouping by the Math 3 covers the same topics as Math 2 but
end of the year. However, lessons are taught at more challenging levels; e.g. multiplication
with visual aids and manipulatives to better teaches up through four-digit multipliers, divi-
help young children grasp concepts. Time, sion works up through two-digit divisors with
money, measurement, ordinal numbers, and remainders. Algebraic thinking is introduced
introductory fractions are among other con- with equations like n + 5 = (7 + 2) + 4.
cepts covered. For home educators who want Horizons Math 4
an advanced academic math program for kin- The readiness test at the front of the book
dergarten, this is a practical solution. will help you know whether or not your child
Horizons Math 1 is able to work at this level. It asks students
The first grade program begins with con- to reduce fractions, multiply four-digit num-
cepts such as place value and counting by bers by multiples of ten, perform short divi-
twos and fives—all within the first ten lessons. sion, compare values of fractions with unlike
Addition advances through addition of triple- denominators, round off numbers, understand
digit numbers with carrying from the ones ratio, add fractions with common denomina-
column. Subtraction works up through three- tors, and solve simple, algebraically-expressed
digit numbers but without borrowing. In addi- addition equations.
tion to basic number concepts (e.g., counting, Among concepts covered by the end of the
addition, subtraction, place value), this level course are long division with two-digit divisors,
 Mathematics
167
adding and subtracting fractions with unlike fractions, all four functions applied to decimal
denominators, converting fractions to deci- numbers, percents, and probability. Calculators
mals, adding and subtracting decimals, metric are used, primarily for checking answers.
measurement, and multiplying or dividing to Horizons Math 6
find equal ratios. Time, money, geometry, and Students beginning this level are expected
graphs are also covered. to know how to work with fractions, deci-
Lessons are designed to be presented by mals, and percents. They should also have
the teacher as with lower levels, but students been introduced to concepts such as congru-
should be able to do much of their work inde- ency, similarity, diameter and chords of circles,
pendently. Materials or supplies needed are and different types of averages. However, the
listed, and you might have to plan ahead to continual review and spiral approach used
procure some of these. One lesson describes a throughout the program mean that these con-
bingo game for the teacher to construct, but cepts are reviewed or retaught at this level.
other than that, most materials are much more Still, the program moves beyond the level of
standard—counters, flash cards, rulers, Base most other sixth grade courses. For example,
Ten Blocks, a clock, and play money. While Saxon Math 7/6 introduces the idea of ratio
much of the lesson activity takes place within while Horizons Math 6 goes further, teaching
the two student workbooks for this level, there cross multiplication to solve for n. Geometry
are additional activities such as mental math coverage is more complex with students learn-
or manipulative work described in the lesson ing to construct geometric figures using a
plans. About every other lesson uses a work- compass and straightedge. Students continue
sheet for which reproducible masters are found to work with fractions, decimals, and percents.
in the teacher handbook. Consumer math topics such as check writing,
Horizons Math 5 banking, budgeting, and computing interest are
Among concepts on the readiness test for covered along with more advanced equations,
Math 5 (which students are expected to know graphs, measurement, and problem solving.
before beginning this course) are division of Students who complete this course should be
two-digit divisors into dollar amounts with prepared for Horizons Pre-Algebra.
decimals; acute angles; diameters and radii of
circles; similar and congruent figures; simple
perimeter, area, and volume; ratios; addition Life of Fred Series
of fractions with unlike denominators, addition by Dr. Stanley
and subtraction of mixed numbers, decimal Schmidt
values, and metric measurements. As with Polka Dot Publishing
earlier levels, there is a great deal of review, so email: stan@
if your child has not yet covered all of these stanleyschmidt.com
concepts, he or she might be able to pick them order from
up through the review that is built into Math 5. Z-Twist Books
This course continues to stress both com- Z-Twist phone:
putation skills and understanding of concepts. 916-570-3839
Among concepts taught by the end of this course www.ztwistbooks.
are multiplying three-digit by three-digit num- com
bers, values of numbers with exponents, finding texts range from $16 to $39 each
averages, division by two-digit divisors, least Two features immediately make the Life of
common multiples, multiplying and dividing Fred math series appealing to many families:
 102 Top Picks
168
low cost and courses designed for independent Surprisingly, the story line and discursions
study. But there's much more to the Life of Fred are not used to dumb down the courses.
books! Each lesson teaches a concept, albeit some-
The books are written by Dr. Stanley Schmidt, times in a roundabout fashion through the
a retired math teacher who loves math and story. Then there's a set of "Your Turn to
wants to share his enthusiasm with students. Play" practice problems with complete answers
Part of his strategy is to build his math books and explanations if needed. Sometimes, Dr.
around the adventures of Fred, a very young Schmidt throws in some extra entertainment
(six years old in the Geometry text and five or information in the answer key. Your Turn
years old in the lower level books) genius who to Play always shows up on a right hand page,
is a math teacher at Kittens University. The and the answers are on the following page.
stories shift from silly to serious, outlandish to (If you think your child might quickly flip to
edgy. They are likely to be very appealing to see answers in advance, try paper clipping the
learners who prefer something more than dry pages together.)
math—students who like to puzzle things out. Throughout the series, Dr. Schmidt tries
Fred's adventures are the jumping off point to teach for conceptual understanding rather
for math lessons. For example, Fred plays than mere memorization of formulas and strat-
with his food and creates a polygon, or Fred egies. Students often see the practical appli-
might be pondering something mathematical, cation of a math concept before they learn
or teaching, or discussing a math topic with how to solve the problem. They are likely to
friends. As another example, in the following begin viewing math as puzzle solving or critical
excerpt Fred's pet llama, Lambda, lives with thinking rather than lists of problems to solve.
Fred in his office: The story of Fred is an important part of this
He [Fred] looked across the room in approach, and it takes up significant space
the semi-darkness toward what he called within each text. And while it sometimes
"Lambda's office" and hoped that she was meanders into entertainment unrelated to the
resting well. "Maybe 18 miles was a little math topic at hand, most of the time it stimu-
long for our first jog," he reflected. Fred lates students to consider how math might be
had constructed her nest using some fenc- used to deal with a real life situation. Some of
ing that he had found in the general the excursions are rather funny—maybe more
storage closet in the math building. The so for adults than children. For example, after
fencing formed the longest side (called the Fred’s ATM access code gets stolen and his
hypotenuse) of the right triangle (that's a checking account cleaned out, he realizes he
triangle with a right angle) which was her has no budget for buying books. He imagines
part of Fred's office. The shorter two sides going without reading for three days:
of a right triangle are called the legs. Since This was too horrible to contemplate.
many of his students often visited Fred Fred had once been at a lunch with a
during his office hours, the use of Lambda's bunch of adults who were in the three-
office as an example of a right triangle days-without-reading category. Their con-
would be a perfect illustration to use in his versation was limited to: (1) My trip to
geometry lecture today (Geometry, p. 92). Arizona. A complete description of all the
All of this makes these texts much more bad things that happened on that trip. (2)
user-friendly than most others. It also means The weather. (3) What I saw on television.
that it takes longer to get through the math- (4) My kids. (5) Sports. (6) My health
ematical material. problems (Dogs, p. 75).
 Mathematics
169
The storyline might be interesting enough to is usually considered the middle school years:
students that they plow through the books more Pre-Algebra 0 with Physics, Pre-Algebra 1 with
quickly than you might imagine. However, chil- Biology, and Pre-Algebra 2 with Economics.
dren's interest spans vary, so it is difficult to predict They should be completed in that order and
how long it might take a child to complete any of can easily be done in a couple of year's time.
the books. These texts treat physics, biology and eco-
One potential drawback I see in the elemen- nomics just as they treat math, jumping from
tary books is that the digressions and extrane- topic to topic with unusual connections to the
ous information might be overwhelming for storyline about Fred. Pre-algebra is covered
some students, especially when Dr. Schmidt in a scattered fashion along with a few more
throws in something entirely new, such as a advanced concepts such as functions, calculat-
calculus equation, with no explanation. ing the molecular weight of sucrose, and bal-
Ten texts for the elementary grades— ancing chemical equations. After these three
approximately kindergarten through fourth texts, students move on to Beginning Algebra,
grade—are unusually titled with no grade Advanced Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry,
level indicators: Apples, Butterflies, Cats, Dogs, Calculus, and Statistics.
Edgewood, Farming, Goldfish, Honey, Ice Cream, Parents have urged Dr. Schmidt to create
and Jelly Beans. They should be used in alpha- more problem solving practice for algebra, so
betical order by the first letter of each title. he has produced a supplement titled Zillions
While the first two books might be used by of Practice Problems for Beginning Algebra. The
some kindergartners and first graders, they can first 57 pages of this hardcover book are the
also be used by older students who will work problems and the next 198 pages are complete
through them much more quickly. Students solutions and answers. Problems are grouped to
might complete two or more books per year. correspond with each chapter of the textbook.
All students should work through the entire Beginning Algebra allows but does not require
series since concepts taught in earlier books the use of a basic calculator. For Advanced
are frequently used in subsequent books. For Algebra through Statistics, students will need
example, the concept of functions is taught a scientific calculator but not a graphing
a few times in Dogs, then functions show up calculator.
in problems beginning in chapter three of Beginning and Advanced Algebra serve as first
Edgewood without further instruction. and second year Algebra courses and cover
The progression and method of learning are traditional content at a relatively high level.
unusual, and you might feel that your child is Both of these texts and the Trigonometry text
not doing enough math. But supplementing each have an optional Fred's Home Companion
shouldn't be necessary. If you still want addi- (FHC) book that I highly recommend. Each
tional problem-solving practice, consider using FHC has lesson plans for the corresponding
games, manipulatives, or a creative problem- textbook. FHCs also indicate which groups of
solving workbook rather than a traditional questions students should answer, making it
workbook. easier for students to pace themselves if they
Three intermediate books—Kidneys, Liver, are working independently. Each core text has
and Mineshaft—should be used after the ele- answers to some of the problems, and the FHC
mentary books and prior to Fractions and provides solutions to the rest of them. In addi-
Decimals. Dr. Schmidt recommends that stu- tion, there are extra problems for students to
dents not begin Fractions before fifth grade. solve (with their solutions provided).
After Decimals, three books are used in what Life of Fred Geometry content is actually quite
 102 Top Picks
170
traditional, even though the presentation is www.criticalthinking.com
not. The content is high level and challeng- A combination of
ing with proofs introduced in chapter one. challenging content,
Chapter eleven teaches constructions using a very attractive lay-
compass and a straight edge. Since Geometry out, variety, signifi-
operates with definitions, theorems, and pos- cant incorporation of
tulates, students are supposed to create their thinking skills, and
own notebook in which they write down each relatively low cost
of these as they encounter them in the text. merited this series
There's a reference section in the back of the inclusion among my
book that has all of these presented in the Top Picks.
order they are encountered in the book, but This relatively new
students should record definitions, theorems, series should work very well for home educa-
or postulates each in their own sections of the tors since it works best taught one-on-one or
notebook. in small groups. The series begin at preschool
You can read much more detail about indi- level and continues through sixth grade.
vidual courses in the reviews in on my website While the worktexts were written to be
at www.CathyDuffyReviews.com. used as either core texts or supplements, they
As I reviewed Life of Fred, I spotted at least a are comprehensive enough to serve as your
few references to the Bible and churches that core texts. There are fewer problems to solve
indicate that the author likely has a Christian in these books than in other programs—
worldview, but I didn't find any overtly reli- fewer problems per page although the books
gious statements. are quite large. So you might supplement
In spite of their low cost, all of the Life of Fred Mathematical Reasoning books with additional
texts are hardcover books, printed in black- hands-on activities, games, or practice prob-
and-white with clip art and line-drawn illustra- lems, and you might also use the Mathematical
tions. There are no separate teacher guides or Reasoning Supplements I describe at the end
answer keys to purchase. In addition, the texts of this review. The first three books include
are non-consumable and might be used again a suggestion that you check out the National
for subsequent students. Library of Virtual Manipulatives at http://
It is difficult to convey the full "flavor" of nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html, a free web-
these texts in a review, but Dr. Schmidt does a site where students can work on math activi-
marvelous job of helping students see the real ties with simulated manipulatives. This site has
value and applications of math. Sample pages activities up through high school level so you
are available at Dr. Schmidt's website, at www. might also want to access it if you are using
polkadotpublishing.com so you can check out upper level courses or any other math program
this unusual math series to see if it's right for for that matter.
your children. The Mathematical Reasoning series uses a spi-
ral approach, introducing a concept then revis-
iting it a number of times at intervals. Students
Mathematical Reasoning who like variety should love this series since
The Critical Thinking Co.™ there are seldom two pages that look similar.
1991 Sherman Ave., Suite 200 Pages always have at least one illustration and
North Bend, OR, 97459 are so colorful that there is little white space
800-458-4849 on a page.
 Mathematics
171
As one would expect of anything from The Beginning 1 (Age 3) $32.99
Critical Thinking Co. (TCTC), this series Beginning 1 introduces the numbers 1
emphasizes critical thinking in ways you sel- through 5, both visually and with numer-
dom encounter in other math courses. It als. It even introduces the concepts of addi-
includes some grid-type logic puzzles (like tion and subtraction (e.g., 2 owls + 2 owls
those in the Mind Bender series from TCTC) shown with pictures) at the end of the book!
as well as puzzles from Balance Benders and Other topics are size comparisons (e.g., smaller
Cranium Crackers books from TCTC. Other and larger), shapes, colors, identifying similar
puzzles of many types are incorporated into objects, counting, one-to-one correspondence,
exercises to challenge thinking skills as well as patterns, order (first, second, …fifth), measur-
to make it more fun. ing inches, the number line, numeral recogni-
The authors teach proper nomenclature tion, beginning logic (via Mind Bender types of
from the beginning. For example, they use the puzzles), and the characteristics of triangles,
term “line segment” rather than “line” and the squares, and rectangles.
term “numeral” rather than “number,” even in There is a great deal of repetition in this
the preschool books. book, and many concepts are those that chil-
Conceptual development is exceptionally dren will be exposed to in normal activities
strong since the program uses numerous ways around the house, so you can skip this book
of explaining and applying each concept. without missing anything critical. All concepts
Concepts are often introduced with visual also show up again in Beginning 2. Some con-
representations, sometimes representations of cepts in this book will be beyond many three-
Base Ten Blocks or other manipulatives. You year-old children.
might actually use manipulatives if that is help- Beginning 2 (Age 4) $34.99
ful for your child, but they are not required. Beginning 2 is similar in design to Beginning 1,
At the beginning of the book are very brief but it covers numbers 0 through 13 as well as
teaching instructions. Each lesson has direc- the concepts covered in Beginning 1. It starts
tions and brief instruction on a new concept with activities where students match numer-
when needed. Parents and teachers might als and groups of objects, so children should
need to work with students with more explana- already be at least somewhat familiar with
tion, examples, and practice on a new concept what the numbers 1 through 6 look like. Other
before expecting them to solve problems or concepts introduced in this book are the idea
complete activities. Even for lessons on con- of zero, how to write numerals, working with
cepts that students already understand, they a number line, visual estimation (i.e., which
might sometimes need assistance to know how group appears to have more or fewer items),
to complete an unusual activity. prepositional placement (e.g., how many dogs
Answer keys are included at the back of are in front of or beside the dog house?),
each book from Level B (Grade 1) and up. You dot-to-dot puzzles, right and left, and halves.
should not need them for the first three books. Level A (Kindergarten) $39.99
Books are challenging and sometimes move The Beginning books emphasize counting,
into topics that are beyond what is typically while Level A really moves into addition and
taught at each level. Be especially cautious subtraction but with sums not higher than 8
to select the correct level, and do not be and subtraction problems with minuends (the
concerned if your child needs to start at what top number) no higher than 7. Other concepts
appears to be a lower level than you would taught are odd and even numbers, patterns,
expect. counting and writing numerals up to 20,
 102 Top Picks
172
identifying similar objects, order (first, second, long division with single-digit divisors. It also
etc.), geometric shapes, symmetry, attributes, teaches fraction algorithms including addition,
equations for addition and subtraction, com- subtraction, and multiplication of simple frac-
pleting bar graphs, Mind Bender type logic tions; recognition of like and unlike denomina-
problems, halves and quarters (only visual tors; and finding equivalent fractions. Among
concepts), coins, and time telling. other topics new at this level are beginning
Level B (Grade 1) $39.99 work with decimals, congruent figures, using
Level B introduces place value, expanded the (x,y) form to identify locations on a coor-
notation, counting by tens, coins, directions dinate grid, units of measurement, rays, angles,
(including compass directions), measuring endpoints, perimeter, area, weight, least com-
inches, the concept of measuring by other mon multiples, reflections, translations, and
units, completing a "hundreds chart," visual rotations. There are also two pages of “Time
analogies, transformations, bar graphs, lines Trials” on multiplication facts.
of symmetry, fractions and their numerical Level E (Grade 4) $42.99
expressions (½, ⅓, ¼), thermometers, the cal- Students do lots of work with addition, sub-
endar, and time telling. There are also puzzles traction, multiplication, and division in Level
such as dot-to-dots, Mind Bender grids, and E. Multiplication and division are taken to
other logic puzzles. Base Ten Blocks might be higher levels including teaching about remain-
especially helpful with Level B since they are ders in division. While decimals receive some
shown visually in many lessons. attention, fractions are the main topic. Among
Level C (Grade 2) $42.99 other topics added this year are factors, prime
Level C teaches carrying and borrowing and composite numbers, mean/median/mode,
(regrouping) up through subtraction problems inequalities, negative numbers, order of opera-
with two-digit subtrahends. It teaches multi- tions, working with improper fractions, and the
plication via skip counting, arrays, and other concept of functions.
visual methods while it also introduces mul- Level F (Grade 5) $42.99
tiplication equations. Division is briefly pre- Fractions and decimals receive the most
sented at the end of the book, but it is taught attention in Level F. Students continue to
only as a function opposite to multiplication. move to more challenging levels of study on
Students start learning their multiplication concepts introduced in lower level books. New
facts this year but shouldn’t be expected to concepts are the use of a protractor, measure-
have mastered them. Among other concepts ment of angles, elapsed time, computing a bank
in this level are surveys, probability, graphs, account balance, volume of three-dimensional
estimation, measurement, place value, odd objects, and geometric shapes such as hexa-
and even numbers, metric measurement, frac- gons and decagons.
tion concepts, money with coins and bills, Level G (Grade 6) $42.99
polygons, vertices, rounding numbers, writing Level G reviews concepts and skills students
number words, placeholders in equations, and should have previously mastered such as
many word and logic problems. An illustrated addition, subtraction, multiplication, division,
glossary and answer key are at the back of the fractions, and decimals. While review
book. activities include basics such as how to do
Level D (Grade 3) $42.99 regrouping for subtraction, a set of practice
Level D continues with topics taught in Level problems for each concept is generally
C but with a heavy focus on multiplication accompanied by a simple puzzle that can
and division up through the introduction of only be solved once all problems have been
 Mathematics
173
answered correctly. Students encounter downloads - $37.50 each, CD-ROMs -
more challenging work with fractions and $42.50 each, printed versions - $56.80
decimals as well as number properties, order each for Grades One - Three and $57.80
of operations, measurement, geometry, and each for Grades Four - Six; complete program
algebra. It even introduces the concepts for Grades One - Six: downloads - $150,
of slope and functions. However, even the CD-ROMs - $155
two latter concepts are introduced in a Math Mammoth
way that makes them understandable for seems to be an under-
students at this level. Mathematical puzzles ground, “overnight
such as magic squares and logic puzzles success” in the home-
are just a few of the many critical thinking school marketplace.
type activities built into the course. With little fanfare,
Mathematical Reasoning Supplements Math Mammoth has
$24.99 each garnered lots of atten-
Those who want more of a challenge for tion along with many
their students might want to use one of fans in a relatively
the Mathematical Reasoning Supplement books. short period of time.
Three are available, one for grades two through Math Mammoth offers a few different options,
four, one for grades four through six, and one but the primary thing to know is that the Light
for grades seven through nine. Each book is Blue Series is a complete core curriculum for
topically arranged with lessons under headings grades one through six (with a pre-algebra
such as Geometry, Measurement, Fractions, course for grade seven in development) while
Patterns, and Graphing. Topics vary by level. the Blue Series is supplemental. The Blue
Books are printed in black and white but Series’ content is almost identical to that of the
they include many math illustrations such as Light Blue Series, but it is arranged and sold in
geometric shapes and patterns. These books small, topical units rather than as grade level
stretch students to apply their math skills in texts—great for those who need to focus on a
non-routine problems. Many of the problems single topic like fractions.
have “puzzle-solving” appeal. Each book is Math Mammoth can be purchased in printed-
self-contained with a complete solutions guide book format, on CD-ROM, or as download-
at the back. Student pages are reproducible for able files. Printed books are purchased through
one family or class group. Lulu or Rainbow Resource Center on the
Sample pages from each book as well as internet. (Links are on the Math Mammoth
the table of contents may be viewed at the web site.) Most users purchase the download-
publisher’s website. Understanding Geometry, able versions, probably because of both con-
another book in the series, is best for junior venience and cost. The price for downloads is
high students. My review of that course is at fantastic—or even better, if you buy the bundle
www.CathyDuffyReviews.com. for Grade One through Grade Six it works out
to $25 per grade level. For those with down-
loading problems, all grade levels can be pur-
Math Mammoth chased on CD-ROMs. Keep in mind that you
by Maria Miller can print out the pages from either the down-
Math Mammoth load or the CD-ROM over and over again to
www.mathmammoth.com be used with all children in your family.
price for full sets for each grade level: The price alone is enough to cause you to
 102 Top Picks
174
sit up and take notice, but the content is also and statistics. Here is an example of the word
top notch. Some people have compared Math problems at this level: “The life spans of Mr.
Mammoth with Singapore Math since both pro- Short and Mr. Long were in a ratio of 3:7. Mr.
grams teach for mastery and understanding. Long lived 44 years longer than Mr. Short.
Both explain concepts thoroughly, generally How long did Mr. Long live?” (From the lesson
using visual illustrations to present new con- on ratio problems, Primary Math 6A).
cepts. Also, both programs employ a number Grade Seven will be a complete pre-algebra
of different ways to explain new concepts so course. It should be available by summer of
they can reach different learning styles. Math 2015.
Mammoth adds occasional use of simple, inex- Most topics are taught for mastery although
pensive manipulatives such as a $10 abacus, there is some “spiraling” where topics are
ruler, measuring cup, and printable fraction taught first with some elements then revisited
manipulatives for Grade One through Grade later with added elements. However, this is far
Four. Grade Five introduces the calculator but different from Saxon’s spiral approach where
teaches students to use it appropriately. Word topics are taught in small increments coupled
problems and practical applications are used with continual, extensive review of previously-
throughout the series so students gain a sense taught concepts. Math Mammoth generally
of how math might be used in real life. concentrates on one topic at a time for a num-
While topics are presented in an order some- ber of lessons.
what similar to most other programs, there are If you want more practice and review of
some purposeful differences. The scope and any topics, the download comes with links for
sequence is challenging, but not quite as much generating hundreds (at least!) of worksheets
so as Singapore Math. For example fractions by topic. Problems are randomly generated,
are introduced at the end of Grade Three, and so you can create a number of different work-
decimals in Grade Four. Both receive extensive sheets for the same topic if needed.
attention in Grade Five. However, decimals At the beginning of each chapter Math
are more thoroughly developed before the Mammoth books include many links to other
presentation of multiplication and division of sites on the internet for math games, tools,
fractions so that the concepts are intertwined activities, tutorials, and worksheets. While you
in a very sensible fashion. By the first half of can certainly copy the URLs from a printed
Grade Five, students are already prepared to book, the convenience of hyperlinks in digital
solve problems such as (3,000 + 36)/(9 − 3)! editions makes them much more likely to be
Grade Five introduces plotting number pat- used.
terns in a coordinate grid—a precursor for Time, money, measurement, graphs and
the concept of linear functions. Even though other topics are included throughout the pro-
some topics could be challenging, the thorough gram. Grade One through Grade Three also
explanations make it possible for even math- include optional material about money in
challenged students to be successful. Or you Canadian, British, Australian, South African,
may skip some of these topics and save them and European (Euro) currencies.
for later. Author Maria Miller encourages parents to
Grade Six covers expressions and equations, choose when to use the various sections rather
ratios and rates, percents, decimals, factoring, than just plow straight through each book.
fractions, positive and negative integers, coor- This is really an amazing amount of material
dinate graphs, geometry (area, surface area, and resources for so reasonable a price.
and volume), interpreting charts and graphs, The worktext format includes teaching
 Mathematics
175
information directly on the worksheets. Pages The 2013 editions of this program meet and
are produced in full color, but it is not too dis- exceed the Common Core Standards, and you
tracting. You might choose to print these out can see the alignment on Math Mammoth's
on a black-and-white printer, but I did spot at website. However, the original versions of
least one instance with a number line activity the books written prior to Common Core are
where color mattered. There might be other also available as downloadable files or printed
such instances, but you can always look at the books. See the Math Mammoth FAQ page for
lesson directly on the computer if you run into information.
a problem. (The preprinted book I received In my opinion, Math Mammoth is an amaz-
for review has a color cover but is otherwise ingly well-developed program for such a rea-
printed in black-and white, so I assume that sonable price. Math Mammoth has created a
Math Mammoth views the color as optional.) very high quality product that can function
The worktexts are presented as PDF files, as a traditional program while also taking
but they are enabled for annotation which advantage of the internet and the computer to
means students can type directly onto the enhance the courses with useful extras.
pages on the computer. While the computer
does not correct or score the pages, students
may print them out or save them. (Be sure to Math-U-See
use a copy of your original files if you want to by Steve Demme
reuse them!) Demme Learning
There are some brief teaching notes at the PO Box 8888
beginning of each chapter that shouldn’t be Lancaster, PA 17604
skipped. Even using these notes, explana- 888-854-
tions on the worksheets might be too brief for MATH (6284)
some students, so a parent or teacher should www.mathusee.com
probably be assisting as students tackle new teacher packs: Primer
concepts. Parents will likely need to be more - $31, levels Alpha
involved with younger students than older. through Zeta - $43
Once students have grasped concepts, they -$45 each, Pre-Algebra through Geometry
should be able to work independently. - $57 each, Algebra 2 & Pre-Calculus - $72
The program features plenty of thought- each, Calculus - $92;
provoking word problems. These problems, student packs (include student text and test
coupled with the other methods of lesson pre- booklet except for Primer level): Primer - $22,
sentation, will certainly help students develop levels Alpha through Zeta - $30 each, Pre-
both conceptual understanding and critical Algebra through Calculus - $32 each;
thinking skills. However, some students might Manipulative Block Set - $38, Fraction
need help working through some of these prob- Overlays - $33,
lems. Author Maria Miller has also created a Algebra and Decimal Inserts - $22,
number of helpful YouTube teaching videos on Skip Counting CD with book - $11;
specific topics that are available online for free. digital manipulatives - $14.99
Workbooks, tests, cumulative reviews, and Steve Demme, creator of Math-U-See, com-
answer keys are all included in the downloads bines hands-on methodology with incremen-
or on the CD-ROMs. The Math Mammoth tal instruction and continual review in this
website offers free placement tests, free work- manipulative-based program. It excels in its
sheets, and other helps. hands-on presentation of math concepts that
 102 Top Picks
176
enables students to understand how math upon, and placed in binders. Enrichment exer-
works. It is one of the rare multi-sensory math cises have been incorporated into the student
programs that continues to use manipulatives workbooks for Primer through Pre-Calculus.
up through Algebra 1. These optional, additional problems stretch
Manipulative Blocks, Fraction Overlays, students to higher levels of understanding and
and Algebra and Decimal Inserts are used at application of math concepts covered within
different levels to teach concepts, primarily the lessons.
using the “ rectangle building” principle. This Test booklets for each course have tests to
basic idea, consistently used throughout the be used at the end of each lesson plus four
program—even through algebra—is one of unit tests and a final exam. Neither student
the best ways to demonstrate math concepts. workbook pages nor tests are reproducible;
There is also a digital app version of the you need to purchase books for each student.
manipulatives that offers a virtual experience Student workbooks and test booklets are the
with the manipulatives. The app is available only consumable items in each course.
for Apple devices and the Chrome browser Instruction manuals are printed in hardcover
right now, but Android and Kindle Fire ver- books with full-color covers so they can be
sions are in the works too. used a number of times. Complete answer keys
One of the things I think makes Math-U-See with solutions are included for all problems at
so popular is that many parents and teachers all levels, an especially helpful feature at upper
find that author Steve Demme’s presentations levels.
of math concepts helps them to finally compre- All books are printed in black and white.
hend much that they were taught in math but This is not a particular problem in the first four
never understood. Parents and teachers with a levels if students are working with the colorful
new or renewed enthusiasm for math then do manipulatives, learning the skip-count songs,
a much better job teaching their own children. and possibly watching the DVDs. In these
Math-U-See uses a “skill-mastery” approach, levels, enrichment pages also offer engaging
requiring students to demonstrate mastery of activities for those students who enjoy dot-to-
each topic before moving on. The program dots, color-by-number, and other supplemen-
also builds in systematic review for previously tal activities. These multi-sensory experiences
learned concepts. make up for the bland workbook. However, as
There are eight books for elementary grades upper levels use manipulatives less and less,
titled Primer, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, the plainness of the workbooks is a point to
Epsilon, Zeta, and Pre-Algebra. The Greek let- consider with some students.
ter designations were chosen particularly to The program covers all necessary math con-
emphasize the order of learning rather than cepts, but it does not try to correlate the teach-
grade level designation. Students should move ing of concepts at the same grade level or in
on to the next level once they’ve mastered the same order as some other programs.
the content of a book. These first eight books For each level you need both the student
are followed by Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra pack and the instruction pack. The student
2, PreCalculus with Trigonometry, and Calculus. pack for each level includes a student work-
Placement tests for the different levels are book and a test booklet for each level except
available free at the Math-U-See website. Primer.
Student workbooks and test booklets are For Primer through Algebra 1, you will also
softcover, and the pages are perforated and need to purchase the set of Manipulative
punched so they can easily be removed, written Blocks or the digital manipulatives app.
 Mathematics
177
Math-U-See’s manipulatives are primarily Primer will generally be the starting place for
plastic blocks somewhat similar to Base Ten most kindergartners. The Primer level begins
Blocks and Cuisenaire Rods, color-coded to with essential number concepts and continues
correspond to each number. (See my review up through adding to make 10, telling time,
of both at www.CathyDuffyReviews.com/ and an introduction to subtraction. Children
math-supplements/cuisenaire-rods.htm.) The use manipulatives more than in upper levels of
blocks snap together like LEGOs®. Fraction the program (and far more than in most kin-
Overlays are added at the Epsilon level, and dergarten math programs).
Algebra/Decimal Inserts are added at the Zeta There is no test booklet for the Primer level.
level. That means the same sets of manipula- At the early levels, you will also want to use
tives are each used over at least a few years. the Skip Counting and Addition Songs audio
The instruction pack for each level includes CD. Both a “Bible” version and a “Science and
an instruction manual plus one or more DVDs Literature” version are included on the CD.
that “teach the teacher.” Note that DVDs Alpha level focuses most heavily on place
have subtitles for the hearing impaired. Parents value, addition, and subtraction. Beta level
must watch the DVDs to understand the basic teaches regrouping for both addition and sub-
concepts that are the foundation of the pro- traction. Gamma primarily covers multiplica-
gram. On the DVDs, Demme works through tion while Delta moves on to division. Fractions
each level lesson-by-lesson, demonstrating and are the main topic in Epsilon, while Zeta tackles
instructing. Demme’s presentation is enthusi- decimals and percents.
astic and engaging as he clearly explains what Of course, other topics are included alongside
he is doing and why. He throws in lots of math these primary themes—topics such as money,
tricks, the kind that make me scratch my head measurement, geometry, time telling, graphs,
and ask myself why they never taught us that estimation, prime and composite numbers,
in school. Roman numerals, and solving for unknowns.
The DVD presentations are critical com- While manipulative use remains essential for
ponents of the courses although instruction understanding new concepts, the amount of
manuals have briefer lesson presentations of time spent using the manipulatives decreases
the same material covered on the DVDs. I in Epsilon and Zeta.
expect that most parents will have their chil- Pre-Algebra topics are similar to those in other
dren watch the DVDs with them, although it such courses: positive and negative numbers,
was originally intended that parents with stu- exponents, roots and radicals, order of opera-
dents below high school level watch the DVDs tion, geometry, ratio and proportions, and other
and then do their own presentations to their such topics. One unusual topic for this level is
children. irrational numbers.
After the initial viewing or lesson presen- There are plenty of practice problems in the
tation, parents and children work through latest editions of Math-U-See, but students
lessons together for as many days as it takes who need more practice have free access to a
for children to master the concepts. Once computation drill program on the Math-U-See
students have grasped a concept, they practice website. Parents need to choose which math
and do problem pages on their own with occa- concepts students will practice, then students
sional assistance. Typically, children should use the program on their own. You can also use
be spending about a week per lesson, but you the website’s worksheet generator to generate
need to take as long as necessary for your child and print additional pages of practice problems
to learn each lesson. for courses up through Pre-Algebra. Problems
 102 Top Picks
178
are randomly selected so you can produce a Algebra and Decimal Inserts are used, but less
number of different worksheets for the same than in earlier levels.
lesson, even though some problems might Algebra 1 does not cover as much territory
show up on more than one worksheet. as do most other first year algebra courses.
High School Courses For example, complex work with radicals as
As you move into the high school level well as motion problems are taught in Algebra
books, students are able to work more inde- 2, although they are included in most other
pendently. The instruction manual for each first year courses. Slower students should find
level is written to the student. Students need the pace very manageable. Honors lessons
to watch the DVD presentation then read will challenge brighter students, but you can
through the instruction manual before tack- always speed up by moving students through
ling the workbook. Workbooks include extra the courses more quickly.
instruction for unusual problems, especially for The rest of the upper level books no lon-
some of the honors or enrichment problems, ger use manipulatives. However, Geometry
but they do not serve as complete course books students need a protractor, a compass, and a
on their own. straight edge to draw constructions.
The honors exercises provide more challeng- Math-U-See Geometry is fairly traditional
ing work with critical thinking, word problems, in presentation and coverage, although it is
and practical applications, plus test prep prac- an easier course than most. While it covers
tice and preparation for the math required in the standard topics, it does not go as far in
advanced science courses. The addition of the depth as Discovering Geometry. For example,
honors exercises largely alleviates concerns I Math-U-See Geometry deals only with regular
expressed in my review in the first edition of polygons when teaching about interior and
Top Picks about the program’s ability to chal- exterior angles of pentagons, hexagons, etc.
lenge advanced students. Students can also There is not as much work with tangents as
move through the texts more rapidly if they you find in Discovering Geometry. However,
master the lessons quickly. Math-U-See Geometry introduces geometric
Even at high school level, Demme presents proofs in lesson 24 and uses them through
concepts simply and clearly, avoiding dense- the end of the course. It also introduces trigo-
sounding mathematical abstractions common nometry and transformations in the last three
to so many high school textbooks. The high lessons. Algebra is reviewed frequently within
school courses feature many word problems the lessons. As with Algebra 1, Math-U-See
and applications that make the lessons more Geometry should be manageable for average to
interesting. The instruction manuals include slow students, and you can challenge advanced
complete answers with step-by-step solutions students with honors exercises or move them
for all the exercises and tests, plus a glossary ahead more quickly into Algebra 2.
and an index. Algebra 2 moves on to new material rather
While some students might be able to work quickly (as compared to many other second
through the courses independently, many will year algebra courses), bringing the total of
need parental or tutorial assistance. Math-U- Math-U-See’s combined algebra coverage close
See offers online co-op classes for those who to that of other publishers. It introduces matri-
might want to take a course with other stu- ces and determinants in the honors section of
dents under the supervision of an experienced the last lesson but does not get into functions
teacher. at all. Students should be able to move on to
In Algebra 1, Manipulative Blocks and the either pre-calculus or trigonometry courses
 Mathematics
179
after completing Algebra 2. See review for prices
Math-U-See’s PreCalculus with Trigonometry Everyone has heard how well foreign stu-
course dedicates a significant amount of space dents, including those from Singapore, do
to trigonometry as one might expect from the in math compared to U.S. students. But few
title. Vectors, functions, logarithms, and a few people understand why this is so. You will have
other advanced math topics are also covered. a better idea of why they excel if you check
PreCalculus students need a protractor, ruler, out the Primary Mathematics program for the
and a scientific calculator. (Note that this elementary grades. Primary Mathematics was
course and Calculus are the only Math-U-See first published (in English) for students in
courses that require a calculator.) This is a Singapore, so it was also called Singapore Math
straightforward, fairly traditional course. when it was first brought to the U.S. in 1998.
The Math-U-See series culminates with Homeschoolers are much more likely to refer
Calculus. While Calculus teaches the content to it as Singapore Math rather than as Primary
typical of other calculus courses it also includes Mathematics.
chapters titled “Physics Applications” and Primary Mathematics has taken the home-
“Economics Applications” that help students school market by storm, and with good rea-
grasp how useful calculus can be. Calculus does son. This program teaches children to think
not include an honors component since the mathematically rather than just having them
course already includes content that will chal- memorize the mechanics of problem solving.
lenge advanced students. Primary Mathematics lays a solid foundation
The DVD instructional component makes for conceptual understanding using a three-
a huge difference, especially for these last step process, taking children from concrete,
two courses, since Demme does a great job of to pictorial, then abstract approaches to learn-
explaining and illustrating concepts. However, ing. Concepts are addressed from a number of
I very much appreciate the fact that the newest directions that challenge students to think and
editions’ instruction manuals for Math-U-See understand.
high school level courses now include a teach- Primary Mathematics is more advanced than
ing component so that students do not have to just about every other math program used in
rely entirely on the DVDs. the U.S. There are three different versions: the
U.S. Edition that was adapted directly from the
version used in Singapore but substitutes U.S.
Singapore Math/Primary measurements, spellings and conventions; the
Mathematics Standards Edition that aligns with the math
Singapore Math Inc.® standards for California, changing the order
(published by of presentation for some topics and adding
Marshall Cavendish units on topics such as probability, graphing,
Education Pte. Ltd.) data analysis, and negative numbers; and the
19535 SW 129th Ave Common Core Edition, which slightly reor-
Tualatin, OR 97062 ganizes topics to cover those required by the
503-557-8100 Common Core State Standards (CC). None
email: of these are “dumbed down” to align with
customerservice@ standards.
singaporemath.com The question that arises is which of these
www.singaporemath. editions to choose. The scope and sequence
com remains challenging for all three versions.
 102 Top Picks
180
A comparison chart at www.singaporemath. 1 through 5. Each level has two textbooks,
com/v/PMSS_comparison.pdf shows where two workbooks, and two teacher's or home
each of the CC standards is taught in each edi- instructor's guides labeled A and B—that's
tion. On that chart, you can see that Primary four student books per course. Textbooks range
Mathematics continues to teach some stan- in length from about 80 to 190 pages each.
dards at earlier grade levels than is required by (Common Core Editions are significantly
the CC. Common Core Editions add a few very longer than others.) However, textbooks and
specific topics, and they review many topics at workbooks are each about 10 by 7½ inches,
different levels to satisfy the Common Core. with uncrowded, large print, so they don't
Consequently, those editions have more pages intimidate students.
than others. The textbooks might be used either as con-
Standards and Common Core Edition text- sumable or non-consumable books. In the lat-
books as well as textbooks 1A through 2B in ter case, students write answers in a notebook
U.S. Editions are printed in full color while to preserve the textbooks. There are quite a
the rest of the U.S. editions are printed in two few problems to solve between textbooks and
colors. (All workbooks are printed in black workbooks, so I generally recommend letting
and white.) Color might be important for some students write in the books to save recopy-
learners, but the cost is significantly higher for ing the problems. (None of these books are
Standard and Common Core Editions with reproducible.) Correlated workbook exercises
text and workbook prices ranging from about are indicated at the end of each textbook les-
$14 to $20 each compared to about $12 each son. Children should be able to work through
for workbooks or texts in the U.S. Edition. workbook exercises independently once they
All editions have periodic reviews. While can read directions without a problem.
U.S. and Standards Editions have cumulative While each level of U.S. and Standards
reviews, the Common Core Editions do not. In Editions has both teacher's guides and home
the textbooks, concepts are taught thoroughly instructor’s guides available (with the excep-
and sequentially within units rather than in a tion of Standards Edition levels 6A and 6B),
spiral fashion. The cumulative reviews are the the home instructor's guides are designed
primary means of reviewing previously-taught specifically for homeschoolers, are less expen-
concepts since they are not addressed again in sive, and are what I recommend. You do not
future units. With the Common Core Editions, need both. Home instructor's guides cost from
the publisher wanted to allow teachers to skip $17.50 to $20.50 each. Teacher's guides are
units if they so desire, but to do that the pub- less than $30 for the U.S. Editions and $51
lisher had to limit review to only what has been to $58 each for Standards and Common Core
taught in each unit. Parents can create their Editions. Common Core Editions have only
own cumulative review by having students teacher's guides right now (no home instruc-
complete selected problems from each review, tor's guides), and these are the only teacher's
then revisiting problems from previous units at guides that include reduced pictures of student
a later date. The supplemental Extra Practice pages, a very helpful feature. Both the home
books might also be used to create your own instructor’s guides and teacher's guides have
cumulative review. lesson plans, teaching instructions, and answer
The Primary Mathematics series has levels 1 keys.
through 6 which cover material for approxi- The program requires one-on-one teach-
mately grades one through six and beyond. ing throughout most lessons for the younger
The Common Core Editions have only levels grades. Older students can be taught using
 Mathematics
181
activities and lesson presentations from teach- fractions, writing numbers in words, time tell-
er's or home instructor's guides, but some ing, graphs, and very introductory geometric
students will be able to work independently shapes and area.
through the books on their own. The guides Primary Mathematics 3A and 3B
incorporate work with hands-on resources, This level has more advanced work on the
but you can skip those activities if they are not four arithmetic operations including long divi-
needed. Some children will find the visual rep- sion, fractions (equivalent fractions plus add-
resentations in the textbooks sufficient. ing), measurement, graphs, time, and geometry.
Singapore Math Inc.® carries a number of It also teaches two-step word problems and
supplemental books, many of which are keyed mental calculation. It will be challenging for
to the Primary Math series. Extra Practice books most students to begin this program at the
correlate directly with each level of each edi- third level if they have been using a different
tion. Check their website for more information. math program. However, the pictorial lessons
Placement tests are available at their web- do help students pick up concepts they might
site. If your child is not starting at the begin- not have been taught previously. Make sure
ning of the program, it is vital that you use the that if you are just starting this program, you
placement test to determine the appropriate watch for this problem, and provide the neces-
level. Important note: It is not unusual for sary teaching before expecting your child to do
a child to place one or two levels below their the lessons.
official grade level. Primary Mathematics 4A and 4B
Primary Mathematics 1A and 1B At the fourth level, students learn all four
Book 1A begins with an assumption that functions with both fractions and decimals.
children already have a basic sense and rec- Geometry coverage is also very advanced as
ognition of numbers. It begins with count- students compute the degrees of angles and
ing to 10, but by the fourth unit of the solve complex area and perimeter questions.
first book, students are learning subtraction. Students also work with advanced whole num-
Single-digit multiplication is introduced in ber concepts (e.g., factors, multiples, rounding
1B, with division introduced very briefly off), money, other geometric concepts, graphs,
immediately after. (Students are not expect- and averages. Primary Mathematics introduces
ed to memorize multiplication facts yet.) two-digit multipliers at this level but doesn’t
The text stresses conceptual understanding really concentrate on two-digit multipliers and
over math-fact drill at this level. (Drill sugges- divisors until the fifth level. While students
tions are given in the guides, but you might complete quite a few computation problems,
want to provide opportunity for more prac- the number of word problems seems to gradu-
tice with math facts using other resources.) ally increase at this level.
Practical applications are used in lesson pre- Primary Mathematics 5A and 5B
sentation and word problems. In addition At the fifth level, students do advanced work
to the arithmetic operations, this first level with decimals plus multiplication and division
teaches ordinal numbers, shapes, measure- with two-digit multipliers and divisors. They
ment, time telling, money, and graphs. learn to work with percents and continue with
Primary Mathematics 2A and 2B advanced work on fractions, geometry, and
The second level teaches addition and sub- graphs. Time and rate word problems, as well
traction with renaming (carrying and bor- as other types of word problems, are given a
rowing), multiplication and division, place great deal of attention. There are more word
value, measurement, money, introduction of problems than drill type problems. Some of the
 102 Top Picks
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geometry taught at this level is rarely intro- the issues that make math challenging for
duced before high school level. For example, them.
students learn to calculate the degrees of
angles in a parallelogram given the measure-
ments of only two angles.
Primary Mathematics 6A and 6B
Because of this series’ advanced scope and
sequence, at the sixth level much of the work
is more typical of other publishers’ high school
level texts. Students work with fractions, but
a typical problem requires students to perform
three different operations on four different
fractions within a single problem, much like CD-ROMs for each course actually teach
an advanced algebra type problem, although the lessons. (CD-ROMs will run on either
without variables. Common geometry prob- Windows or Mac systems.) Lectures on the
lems are set up in proof-style format, although CD-ROMs are audio presentations accom-
you need not require students to present their panied by step-by-step written explanations
solutions in that format. showing how to work each problem. Lectures
Among other concepts covered at this level are interactive, requiring students to answers
are graphs, algebraic expressions, geometry questions from time to time, both to keep them
(e.g., radius, diameter and circumference of engaged and to test their understanding. The
circles plus the volume of solids), advanced screen designs are colorful and nicely illus-
fractions, ratio, percents, tessellations, and lots trated without being too busy.
of word problems including time/rate/distance While it is possible to work only with the
problems. It might be challenging for parents CD-ROMs, most students are likely to prefer
with a weak math background to use this level having the print textbook as well. As students
without some assistance. encounter more difficult problems on the
CD-ROM presentations, such as with long
division, they will then need to copy problems
Teaching Textbooks and work them on paper. The text saves the
by Greg Sabouri and Shawn Sabouri copying step, and it also provides an easy way
Teaching Textbooks for either student or parent to review a lesson.
PO Box 60529 Even when students use the textbooks, they
Oklahoma City, OK 73146 need to enter their answers on the computer
866-TOP-MATH (867-6284) since each course tracks and grades student
www.teachingtextbooks.com work. Students can try again if they miss a
complete sets: Math 3 - Math 5 - problem, but the program will report this.
$119.90 each, Math 6 and Math 7 This automatic gradebook feature gener-
- $149.90 each, Pre-Algebra through ates reports for practice problems (which are
Pre-Calculus - $184.90 each optional), assigned problems, and quizzes. The
I knew that the Teaching Textbooks series was final score (expressed as a percentage) does
going to be added to my Top Picks next time not include the practice problems. The pro-
around as soon as I reviewed the first few gram also reports whether or not students
courses. These fantastic courses were designed view the step-by-step solutions to problems.
specifically for homeschoolers to solve some of The gradebook can be edited, so the parent or
 Mathematics
183
teacher can delete the record for a problem or students to solve lengthy problems in the text-
an entire lesson if students need to redo them. book. You might skip the textbook entirely and
Textbooks are written directly to the student have students solve and answer problems in
and do not assume the presence of a teacher. separate notebooks. Whether or not you pur-
Explanations are clear and complete, with chase the printed textbooks, I would encour-
plenty of practical examples. In the textbooks, age the use of a separate notebook because
a light-hearted touch gives the texts a user- you really want to see the work showing how a
friendly feeling while avoiding silliness. This student arrives at his or her answer.
is evident in all of the courses in everything Indexes have been added to the newest edi-
from the layout of the books and the program's tions of printed textbooks except Pre-Calculus.
interface design and style of type through the (Those who have texts without indexes can
occasional cartoon illustration and the wording access indexes on the publisher's website.)
of the text itself. Indexes are a real help—maybe another reason
Lessons are taught in a traditional fash- to buy a printed textbook. When a student
ion. The new concept is presented, followed needs to review a particular topic, the index
by examples then practice problems. Next, and the print book are the quickest way to find
students work through a set of problems on such information.
their own (about 18-25 problems per lesson). The Teaching Textbooks series is a college prep
Problem sets include continual review of previ- curriculum even though it is not as rigorous as
ously-learned concepts. In addition, key points some other courses. However, textbooks for
are highlighted for quick student review. There the elementary grades move at a slower pace
are 95 to 142 lessons per course, with lessons than other series such as Horizons Math and
grouped into chapters that concentrate on Saxon Math. Of course, you can always move
different topics. In all of these texts, students ahead more quickly with a child who excels.
should aim to complete approximately one You might even select a grade level higher than
lesson per day. Adding in test days still should the student’s actual grade level. Placement
leave you at least 20 days in the school year for tests on the publisher’s website will help you
extra work on troublesome concepts, review, or select the correct level.
“mathless” school days. The Math 3 through Math 7 courses each
The soft-cover textbooks have plastic-spiral come with a set of four CD-ROMs. Pre-Algebra
bindings and range from 612 to 872 pages in and Algebra 1 each have ten. Algebra 2 and
length. The paper is a bit thin for textbooks, Geometry each have 12, and Pre-Calculus has
but the books are already more than an 16. CD-ROMs include lectures, problems,
inch thick. (Pre-Calculus is two inches thick!) quizzes, and complete solutions.
Durability might be a concern. I know that is Significantly, students begin by watching a
a lot of pages for each course, but there are lecture on a CD-ROM then they might read
two obvious reasons: each page is less crowded the summary in the textbook. Next, they
than pages in many other courses, and expand- work the practice problems, mostly likely in
ed explanations that make the material much the textbook, before entering their answers
more understandable take up extra space, par- in the computer. For incorrect answers, they
ticularly in high school level books. should watch the solutions on the CD-ROM.
Problem sets in each lesson are laid out so Then they are ready to tackle the problem
that students can actually do some of their set, entering answers on the computer. They
work directly in the textbook. However, in can still view solutions if they continue to
high school level books it is not practical for make errors. Voice hints are available for the
 102 Top Picks
184
hardest problems. Parents should review prog- practical application. This level also includes
ress before students go on to the next lesson. plenty of pictorial representations in the text-
Each chapter concludes with a quiz. Note that book (e.g., number lines, fraction circles, mul-
courses also come with an answer booklet that tiplication arrays, clocks, coins, different types
is strictly an answer key for practice problems, of graphs), a good reason to not work only with
lesson problems, and quizzes. the CD-ROMs.
Math 3 and Math 4 have an extra bonus—a Math 4
game that drills students on basic math facts. Math 4 reviews and re-teaches concepts
This pops up every five lessons. Parents can taught in Math 3 then continues to build new
erase game scores if they wish to give students concepts. Reflecting the slower pace of Teaching
more practice time with the game. Textbooks, concepts that generally appear ear-
Pre-Algebra and above courses have detailed lier in other courses don’t show up till near the
appendices that contain important formulas end. Some examples would be multiplication
and summaries of key concepts. by two-digit multipliers, long division, division
Families are given permission to install the with a remainder, and changing improper frac-
CD-ROMs on as many computers as they tions to mixed numbers. Roman numerals are
like, which means that two or more students taught at this level.
might be working in the same course at the Math 5
same time. Even better, each time a student Math 5 again reviews the basics with the
completes a course, you can simply reinstall first 29 lessons heavily focused on addition,
for a new student. That means that all of your subtraction, and multiplication. It intro-
children can use the course over subsequent duces rounding and estimation. Significant
years. (Note: after two installations, you will time seems to be spent on decimals before
have to contact the publisher for new activa- complete coverage of fractions, but both topics
tion codes.) You can access free demos and are covered extensively at this level.
samples at the publisher’s website. Math 6
Math 3 Math 6 reviews the four basic arithmetic
Math 3 covers addition, subtraction, mul- operations, place value, and time. It spends a
tiplication, division, fractions, money, time, great deal of time reviewing and teaching new
geometry, and measurement, plus a final les- concepts with fractions, decimals, and percents.
son that introduces percentages. Much of the It also covers geometry (points, lines, line seg-
addition and subtraction instruction reviews ments, angles, both area and perimeter for
concepts that should have been learned at polygons, circumference for circles, and intro-
earlier levels since it begins with simple addi- duction of geometric solids), units of measure
tion and very gradually builds toward carry- (including the metric system), and graphing
ing in lesson 47 and borrowing (regrouping) concepts (e.g., thermometers, bar graphs, circle
in lesson 87. Instruction on other topics also graphs). A group of chapters at the end of the
reteaches the basics before moving on to more course called “Additional Topics” gives spe-
advanced concepts. However, multiplication cial attention to order of operations, decimal
covers only through single-digit multipliers, remainders, equations, and probability. A stu-
and division covers only through single-dig- dent with weak math skills might be able to pick
it divisors. Fractions are taught up through up what he or she is missing since this course
adding and subtracting fractions with com- is fairly comprehensive on arithmetic basics.
mon denominators. Numerous word problems It might be too repetitive for a student who
help students with mathematical thinking and already has developed strong skills in the basic
 Mathematics
185
operations. (In my opinion, Teaching Textbooks operations and pre-algebra concepts at the
Math 6 is closer to Horizon Math 5 in concepts beginning than do some other texts. Algebra
covered. It is easier than Saxon Math 7/6.) 1 version 2.0 has raised the bar a bit higher
Math 7 by adding sixteen new lessons covering func-
Topics taught in Math 6 are revisited with tions, relations, statistics, probability, graph-
brief review. Then each topic is tackled at a ing with a calculator, the quadratic formula,
distinctly more challenging level. For example, absolute value, two-variable inequalities, and
fraction instruction moves on to ratios, per- other more-challenging topics. These addi-
cents include work with fractions and decimals tions address concerns that version 1.0 was not
plus real life applications like commissions and challenging enough. Note that there are other
sales tax, and geometry gets into computing small improvements that I already mentioned
the volume of solids. Statistics, probability, in my description of the Pre-Algebra course.
graphing, equations, and inequalities are also With version 2.0, overall, topic coverage is
taught this year. Additional Topics chapters similar to that of many other first year algebra
delve into powers, exponents, square roots, the courses, but with more thorough explanation.
Pythagorean theorem, and negative numbers. While this course covers the essentials for
Pre-Algebra Algebra 1, it is not as advanced as either the
Pre-Algebra briefly reviews whole-number third or fourth editions of Saxon Algebra 1.
operations, fractions, decimals, percents, and Algebra 2
measurement. Review has been greatly con- As with Algebra 1 version 2.0, Algebra 2 ver-
densed from the first edition of this text, a sion 2.0 also addressed concerns that version
commendable improvement. The rest of the 1.0 was not adequately challenging. Twenty
book covers beginning algebra, negative num- lessons of new material, including logarithms,
bers, exponents and roots—topics typical of all exponential functions, matrices, determinants,
pre-algebra courses. Pre-Algebra 2.0 added 37 statistics, probability, and arithmetic and geo-
lessons that tackle plane and solid geometry, metric sequences have been added to make
functions, relations, graphing, statistics, prob- the content similar to other Algebra 2 courses.
ability, and other more challenging concepts. More than 150 problems have also been added.
Additional Topics covered at the end of the While Teaching Textbooks algebra courses are
text include distance/time and other formulas, still not as advanced as some courses, they do
using the distributive property to solve equa- include practical applications in areas such
tions, and absolute value. Note that the 2.0 as banking and physics that make them more
versions of both Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1 practical than others. Word problems in all les-
have other small improvements. Every exercise sons also help students grasp how they might
problem now has a reference number telling actually use algebra in real life.
the student in which lesson the relevant con- Geometry
cept was first introduced. Extensive appendices Geometry uses a traditional Euclidean
with all important formulas, graphs, and other approach, beginning with a chapter on logic
reference information have been added to both and reasoning, then moving on to defini-
books. Backup chapter tests and supplemental tions, postulates and theorems. Formal proofs
exercises for each lesson are available upon are introduced very early at the beginning of
request; however, these will not have step-by- chapter three. However, constructions are not
step audio solutions to go with them. really incorporated into the text; they’re in the
Algebra 1 Additional Topics at the end. Analytical geom-
Algebra 1 seems to have more review of basic etry using the coordinate plane is also reserved
 102 Top Picks
186
for the end of the book. As with the algebra Saxon Math Intermediate
courses, practical applications and occasional 3 through Calculus
word problems help students understand how by John Saxon, Stephen Hake, and others
they might make use of geometry. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pre-Calculus 10801 North Mopac Expressway, Building 3
Pre-Calculus is the only course not yet updated Austin, TX 78759
to the newer format of the other courses. There 800-289-4490
is a textbook and three sets of CD-ROMs: a email: [email protected]
set of seven Lecture & Practice CD-ROMs, www.saxonhomeschool.com
a set of seven Solutions CD-ROMs, and two The Saxon
Test Solutions CD-ROMs. The CD-ROMs Math program for
do not require installation as do the revised upper elementary
courses. Pop one in a computer and it comes grades through
up with an easy-to-use interface listing lessons high school has
and your choice of lecture, specific problems, retained high
or the complete solutions. popularity among
Students can actually choose to use either homeschoolers
the CD-ROM or the textbook—they will get year after year
the complete presentation either way with because of its
the exception of solutions and explanations to comprehensive content, reasonable price, and
the practice problems which are only on the its instructional methodology that allows for
CD-ROMs. Students might work through a and encourages independent study. Over the
lesson in the textbook then use the lecture and years, Saxon Math has added courses for the
practice problem CD-ROMs only when they lower grades, with a series by Nancy Larson for
need help working out the sample problems. It the primary grades that I do not include in this
is very easy to quickly access a single problem. review since I think there are better options
The Pre-Calculus course includes problems for those grade levels. Most recently, they have
modeled after those on the SAT II Math introduced the Math Intermediate series for
test and the CLEP Pre-Calculus test which grades three through five that is similar in for-
should help students prepare for either exam. mat and approach to Math 5/4 and Math 6/5.
This is a challenging course that begins with These two series overlap each other for fourth
functions and moves on from there. It covers and fifth grades, giving you two options. Saxon
various types of functions such as polynomial also has two parallel series of texts for high
functions, radical functions, and trigonometric school. This review includes:
functions. It also teaches triangle trigonometry, • Saxon Math Intermediate series 3 through 5
trigonometric identities, vectors and polar • Saxon Math 5/4 through Algebra 1/2
coordinates, systems, matrices, determinants, • Saxon Classic Editions for high school math
advanced analytic geometry, sequences, prob- • Saxon Algebra 1 and 2 (fourth editions)
ability, statistics, and introduction to calculus. and Geometry
Additional topics include Pascal’s triangle, the • Saxon Advanced Mathematics
binomial theorem, synthetic division, more on Homeschool kits include a non-consumable
sines and cosines, more on complex numbers, student textbook, either an answer key or
De Moivre’s theorem, and fitting a graph to solutions manual, and tests with their answer
data. keys. Some student books are hardcover and
some softcover. For some high school courses,
 Mathematics
187
solutions manuals are available separately. throughout each course.
There are no teacher editions for the Saxon In addition, practice problems review con-
texts since each lesson in the student texts pro- cepts taught from all previous lessons, and
vides an introduction and explanation of the the styles of the problems vary constantly. For
new concept plus examples and practice prob- some students this works to strengthen their
lems. These are followed by a set of problems thinking ability and keeps things interesting
that not only reinforces the new lesson content while it’s just confusing for others. Be aware
but also reviews previously-learned concepts. that some students might prefer arrays of simi-
Parents might help students work through the lar problems that stick with fewer topics, and
beginning of the lesson, especially with the they might not do as well with either Saxon
Math Intermediate series, but most students Math's teaching approach or the mixture of
will be able to work through the rest of each practice problems.
lesson independently. Parents need to check Saxon Math leans more toward rules in
daily assignments and tests, ensuring that stu- its presentation (i.e., memorizing rules and
dents understand what they are learning. The math facts) rather than a hands-on, concep-
program requires virtually no preparation time. tual orientation like Math-U-See's or Saxon
While most parents appreciate not having to Math’s courses for the primary grades by Nancy
directly teach the series that begins with Math Larson. Even though the program is not strong
5/4, the newest editions have added a valuable on teaching concepts, thinking skills get a
feature that does require some interaction at good workout. This means that the program
the younger grade levels. The “warm up” box works best for students who do not need
at the beginning of each lesson should be used manipulatives and who tend to figure out
orally. In that box typically are math fact drills, mathematical concepts without a great deal of
mental math problems, and a thought-pro- explanation. It is also good for those who like
voking problem to solve. This interactive time brain teasers like those troublesome time/rate/
also gives parents an informal tool for assessing distance problems.
student performance and understanding of The latest editions of the texts correlate
concepts. Warm-ups at high school level can well with math standards, having incorpo-
be completed independently by students. rated more about topics like statistics and
One significant feature of the Saxon series probability, additional word problems to de-
that sets it apart from many other math pro- velop mathematical thinking skills, and topi-
grams is the incremental method in which cal investigations. Up to this point, Saxon has
concepts are taught. Once a concept is intro- resisted the use of calculators before Algebra
duced it is incorporated periodically into the 2 third edition, but they have now included
mixed practice that students encounter every calculator instruction in the fourth edition of
day. In later lessons, the concept is developed Algebra 1.
more fully. Over time and through repeated A helpful addition in the revised editions of
exposure to a developing concept, students Saxon’s textbooks is reference numbers in the
gain understanding and mastery. Unlike most mixed problems sets. If a student misses a prob-
traditional math texts where one content lem, the reference number next to the problem
strand is taught and fully explained over a few provides the number(s) of the lesson(s) where
consecutive lessons, Saxon Math has students the concept was taught. Reference numbers
work with a concept many times over the are also included on the assessments. While
course of study. They revisit concepts in what new editions have added a second color to
is called a spiral method for frequent review the black-and-white presentation, Saxon Math
 102 Top Picks
188
books still lack visual pizzazz. per lesson in fourth and fifth grades. The
Saxon Math Intermediate 3 through 5 Written Practice problems are wide ranging in
Homeschool Kits $112 each approach, really challenging students’ think-
The Saxon Math Intermediate courses for ing skills. Occasionally, students encounter
grades three through five differ some from the an open-ended question that asks for both an
Math 5/4 and up courses in layout, and they answer and an explanation. Some lessons add
require a little more teacher involvement. an extra problem for “Early Finishers”—usually
While some students will be able to work inde- word problems that make real-world connec-
pendently through most of the lessons, parents tions. These aren’t the only real-world word
might need to teach new concepts for other problems, since lessons generally have quite a
students. few of them.
Math Intermediate homeschool kits include Students will need to work in a notebook or
a Power Up Workbook along with the student on other paper to complete lesson practice and
text, a solutions manual, and a test book. written practice problems. They will not be
Each lesson begins with “Power Up” activities writing in the hardcover textbook.
that include four categories of problems each After every ten lessons there is an “investiga-
time: math fact review, count aloud or “jump tion” lesson. Each of these will likely take an
start,” mental math, and problem solving. The entire class period. For example, one investiga-
count aloud category is dropped from some of tion in Math Intermediate 3 teaches about bar
the Power Up sections in Math Intermediate 4 graphs then directs students to collect survey
and 5. The separate Power Up Workbook for data by asking questions and create their own
each course is used for the written activities for bar graph. Investigations will require parental/
the Power Up section of each lesson with one teacher oversight or direction.
page to accompany each lesson. I suspect that Instead of a teacher manual, the solutions
some students will need assistance in complet- manual for each course has answers and com-
ing these activities, especially at the beginning plete solutions (when applicable) for all text-
of the school year. book problems. There is no need for a teacher
After the Power Up activities, a new concept manual in addition to this since the text is
is introduced along with sample problems that self-explanatory. There is no answer key for
are completely worked out. The series includes the Power Up Workbook, although parents or
some work on conceptual understanding as teachers should be able to check the answers
new skills and concepts are taught. However, fairly easily without a key. (There is a Student
concepts are taught with written or pictorial Edition Answer Key CD-ROM that includes
explanations rather than manipulatives (aside the Power Up answer key available in the
from fraction manipulatives used a few times school edition for each course, but this has
in fourth grade), and conceptual develop- been omitted from the homeschool kits.)
ment is not as strong as in Singapore Math or The Homeschool Testing Book for each
Math-U-See. course has tests that follow every fifth lesson
After the new concept is presented, some beginning after the tenth lesson, plus answer
lesson practice problems provide students with keys for all tests. Since tests are cumulative,
practice only on the new concept. “Written the Test Analysis Form in this book is useful for
Practice” problems follow with 15 to 20 prob- identifying the lessons where tested concepts
lems per lesson for third grade that review were originally taught in case a student needs
previously taught concepts. The number of to review that lesson.
Written Practice problems increases to 30 The Math Intermediate series is aligned with
 Mathematics
189
the Common Core State Standards. On the what was taught in Math Intermediate 4, then
publisher's website they identify which les- moves on to multiplication and division of
sons meet each of the standards for each fractions, all four functions with decimal num-
grade level. Math Intermediate 4 and Math bers, and an introduction of percents.
Intermediate 5 are very similar to Math 5/4 and Overall, the Math Intermediate series is very
Math 6/5, respectively, in their content with easy to use and allows students to do much of
some identical material. (You could be using their work independently, so it should work
either series to teach students in grades four well in many homeschooling situations.
and five.) However, there are some additional Math 5/4 through Algebra 1/2
or expanded topics in Math Intermediate texts. Most of the texts in this popular series have
For example, graphing points on a coordinate been around for many years and have gone
plane is introduced in an Investigation in Math through some revisions.
Intermediate 4 but is not taught at all in Math Saxon’s two-digit grade level designations in
5/4. (See the next column for an explanation the titles of Math 5/4 through Math 8/7 can
of the titles that look like fractions.) Reciprocal help you figure out the correct grade level for
fractions are taught in one lesson in Math 6/5 each of those books, although free placement
while they show up in four lessons in Math tests are available at the publisher's website.
Intermediate 5. Roman numerals were also Typically the second of the two digits indicates
added to Math Intermediate 5 in an appendix. the grade level usage for average to bright
Note that all three Math Intermediate texts students. The first digit indicates the grade for
refer occasionally to Lesson Activity worksheets students working a little below level. For exam-
that are not found in the homeschool package. ple, Math 7/6 would be for average to bright
These are available by contacting Houghton sixth graders or for slower seventh graders.
Mifflin Harcourt at http://my.hmheducation. The situation with Math 8/7 and Algebra 1/2
com/homeschool_inquiries. is a little confusing since both are pre-algebra
Math Intermediate 3 covers addition and courses, and "1/2" merely signifies pre-algebra.
subtraction review, multiplication through Math 8/7 was a late addition to the Saxon
one-digit multipliers times three-digit multi- lineup, and was considered optional for a few
plicands, division through one digit divisors years. However, with revisions to the other
into two-digit dividends, measurement, round- texts, Math 8/7 now can replace Algebra 1/2.
ing, estimation, number concepts, geometric Ideally, students will complete Math 8/7 in
shapes, area, perimeter, time, money, calendar seventh grade go on to Algebra 1 in eighth
reading, graphing, and probability. grade. If a student is not ready for algebra in
Math Intermediate 4 reviews addition, sub- eighth grade, consider using Algebra 1/2 at
traction, and number concepts. Then it con- that point. There will be some repetition of
tinues through multiplication and division of content but struggling students will be better
whole numbers. It also teaches fractions up prepared to tackle Algebra 1 if they complete
through addition and subtraction of fractions both courses.
and mixed numbers, including those with dif- Saxon texts Math 5/4 through Math 8/7 start
ferent denominators. Money is used to intro- each lesson with “Warm Up” activities. These
duce decimal numbers. In addition, students generally include math-fact practice, mental
study quite a bit of geometry, learn about math problems, and a word problem. A par-
averages, and work with tables, schedules, and ent or teacher should present the mental math
graphs. problems orally and listen for correct responses.
Math Intermediate 5 reviews quite a bit of Algebra 1/2 does not have Warm Up activities.
 102 Top Picks
190
Math 5/4 third edition probability. Especially notable are word prob-
Homeschool Kit $93.10 lems that cause children to think of math con-
This textbook should be appropriate for most cepts in a number of different ways to ensure
fourth graders and those fifth graders who understanding. These features make this a
lag slightly behind grade level. Among topics great choice for many students at this level.
covered in Math 5/4 are addition (review), Math 8/7 third edition
subtraction, multiplication (up to multiplying Homeschool Kit $103.60
a three-digit number by a two-digit number), Math 8/7 reviews material introduced in
division (dividing by two-digit numbers), time, the prior texts, especially Math 7/6, and pro-
measurement, money, area, perimeter, frac- vides pre-algebra instruction. The new edi-
tions, mixed numbers, arithmetic algorithms, tion covers word problems, scientific notation,
geometry and measurement, negative num- statistics, probability, ratios, proportions, sim-
bers, powers and roots, two-step word prob- plifying and balancing equations, factoring
lems, decimals, averaging, estimation, patterns, algebraic expressions, slope-intercept form,
sequences, statistics, probability, and Roman graphing linear inequalities, arcs, sectors, and
numerals. Saxon also sells Basic Fact Cards, an the Pythagorean theorem.
optional set of flash cards for working on addi- Algebra 1/2 third edition
tion, subtraction, multiplication, and division Homeschool Kit - 80.85, kit with solutions
that might be useful at this level. manual - $115.95
Math 6/5 third edition This pre-algebra text can be used after
Homeschool Kit $93.10 completing Math 8/7. Plenty of review, a spi-
This text continues developing arithmetic ral learning process, thought-provoking word
skills through multiplication and division of problems, and clear instruction that works for
fractions and decimals while reviewing and independent study make Algebra 1/2 one of my
expanding concepts of place value, addition favorite options available for this level, even
and subtraction, geometry, measurement, and if it is no longer needed. As is typical of the
probability. Powers and roots, prime and com- upper-level Saxon books, the level of difficulty
posite numbers, ratios, and order of operations rises sharply toward the end of the text. If your
are also taught. Extra math drills for each les- student starts to have more difficulty toward
son are at the back of the book. A few students the end of the book, consider doing only half a
might have difficulty with this text because it lesson each day.
requires them to work in more abstract ways Among topics covered are fraction, decimal,
than they might be ready for. and mixed number operations; scientific nota-
Math 7/6 fourth edition tion; exponents; radicals; algebraic expres-
Homeschool Kit $103.60 sions; solving equations with one variable;
Math 7/6 is for average sixth graders or slow- order of operations; ratios; geometry funda-
er seventh graders. This text is especially good mentals; and graphing. Saxon Math has resisted
at providing cumulative review and expansion the inclusion of calculator instruction even
upon topics covered in earlier grades. Among though most other texts for this level include
topics covered at this level are fractions, mixed it. While students can use calculators to solve
numbers, decimals, percents, ratios, rounding, problems when it is appropriate, they are not
estimating, exponents, working with signed instructed to do so.
numbers, square roots, beginning algebraic Saxon Math High School Options
expressions, volume, angles, circles, prime fac- It is important to consider the design of the
torization, ratios, proportions, statistics, and entire Saxon lineup of high school math courses
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191
before starting into Algebra 1. Fortunately, easy for students to work through on their
Saxon now has two options with two parallel own. Interestingly, I have yet to find a text
series of textbooks. that does a better job with time/rate/distance
Originally, Saxon Math took an unusual problems than does this one, even though I
approach by integrating algebra, geometry, and know that students still struggle with them in
trigonometry into three textbooks titled Algebra Saxon Algebra 1.
1, Algebra 2, and Advanced Mathematics. In If students have used Math 7/6 and Math
contrast, most high schools teach one course 8/7, they might be ready for this book in
in algebra, then geometry, then return to eighth grade. Although many eighth graders
algebra. Saxon has continued to offer the inte- will have no problem with this book, there are
grated approach with Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 many who will not be developmentally mature
third editions, as well as Advanced Mathematics enough to begin algebra for another year or
second edition—these integrated texts are two. If you feel that your child is not ready for
now referred to as the “Classic Editions.” But Algebra 1 at eighth grade level, consider using
they have recently published a new Geometry Saxon’s Algebra 1/2 first or you might have
text and fourth editions of Algebra 1 and 2 that your teen begin Algebra 1 in eighth grade, but
follow the more typical sequence. I will discuss move at a slower pace, taking one and a half to
the third editions first then the fourth editions two years to complete it.
to concentrate primarily on Algebra 1 and 2. In the third editions, Saxon Math does an
I will follow those reviews with information excellent job with algebra, but the geometry
about the new Geometry course as well as the is weak in my opinion. Geometry is scattered
"classic" Advanced Mathematics. throughout Algebra 1 and 2, and it is presented
Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 “Classic” third very briefly in both books. By the time students
editions have completed both books they will have
Homeschool Kits: $80.85 each; kits with studied about one semester’s worth of geom-
solutions manuals: Algebra 1 - $124.20, etry. They complete their geometry require-
Algebra 2 - $120.60 ment with the Advanced Mathematics book.
In Saxon Algebra Explanation of geometry topics is fairly brief, in
1 third edition, Algebra 1 and 2 and does not begin to compare
coverage is com- with the quality of presentation in such texts
parable to that as Discovering Geometry (reviewed at the end
in other first-year of this chapter).
algebra texts, A student planning to take only one year
although Saxon each of algebra and geometry (not recom-
Math teaches the mended for college bound students!) could use
use of a graphing Saxon’s Algebra 1 third edition, possibly skip-
calculator sparingly compared to many other ping over geometry instruction and problems,
courses. The spiral method of presentation and then using Saxon's (or another publisher's)
and constant review helps students work fairly Geometry text instead.
independently, a major advantage for parents Students who complete both Algebra 1 and
who lack time and expertise. Algebra 2, but who do not intend to con-
Saxon Algebra courses seem to work fine for tinue through Advanced Mathematics, need to
students who grasp math fairly easily but not use another resource to complete geometry
so well for those who struggle with the abstract requirements. So they, too, might skip geom-
thinking required. Overall, Algebra 1 is fairly etry activities within Saxon Algebra 1 and 2.
 102 Top Picks
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However, if a student is going to go through Spanish Main, the ratio of rascals to good guys
Advanced Mathematics, tackling a separate was 13 to 5” (p. 149 Algebra 1 second edition).
geometry course is likely to be redundant The fourth editions have plenty of word prob-
and overwhelming, so it would be better to lems and real life applications, but the humor
stick with only the Saxon Math texts in that has disappeared.
situation. Other elements of Saxon’s methodology
Algebra 2 third edition covers standard sec- remain. Lessons are taught in increments fol-
ond-year algebra topics, although its inclusion lowed by examples and a few practice prob-
of a significant amount of trigonometry is not lems. After that, students work on “Distributed
a standard feature of all second year courses. and Integrated” practice problem sets with 30
Students will need a scientific calculator for problems per lesson.
this course. You might want to invest in a The Homeschool Kits include the student
graphing calculator while you are at it so it will text, a solutions manual with complete solu-
be useful for future math courses. tions for the warm ups and all practice prob-
Saxon Algebra 1 and 2 fourth editions lems, and a Homeschool Testing Book. The
Homeschool Kits with solutions manuals - testing book has 23 cumulative tests plus your
$124.40 each choice of three reproducible test answer sheets.
The fourth It also has the answers for all the tests. In addi-
editions of tion, a Test Analysis Form helps you identify
Algebra 1 and lessons where concepts were originally taught,
2 reflect a so that students can review if needed for prob-
total rewrite lems they missed. Note that the third editions
rather than have answers to odd-numbered problems in
just modifica- the back of each student text, but there are no
tions of the answers in the fourth editions. All answers and
third editions. solutions are in the solutions manuals.
Both appear- Note that the fourth edition of Algebra 1
ance and con- introduces trigonometry and more extensive
tent are improved. The texts have two-color work with quadratic equations and functions
printing throughout with more graphic design. than does the third edition.
Each lesson begins with a “warm up” that In keeping with the slightly advanced con-
includes one vocabulary question and five tent of Algebra 1, the fourth edition of Algebra
review problems. Investigations follow every 2 does much less review in the early chapters
ten lessons. One of the most significant con- than in the third edition. (A Skills Bank at
tent changes is the early introduction and the back of the book provides some review if
frequent use of a graphing calculator with needed.) Instead of a thorough review, this
graphing calculator labs. Also, probability and text jumps quickly into functions, matrices,
statistics receive far more attention in keeping and determinants. More attention is given to
with current math standards. functions, while matrices and determinants are
One feature lost in the transition over the not even taught in the third edition. Geometry
last few editions is the tongue-in-cheek humor is reviewed through problems and incorpo-
of some of the word problems. John Saxon, the rated into lessons that apply algebra and trigo-
original author, often incorporated historically nometry. There is more practical application
anachronistic references or offbeat content of concepts through word problems than we
such as “In a picaresque novel about the find in many other Algebra 2 courses. This text
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193
should be a great option for those who need a the homeschool kit. The sketching software
challenging course that will prepare them for referred to is The Geometer’s Sketchpad pro-
more advanced math. gram from Key Curriculum Press (www.keycur-
The Saxon Math program has tended to be riculum.com). The publisher tells me that it
strong on skill development, but weaker on is not essential—students can skip those lab
conceptual explanation and application. The activities. However, I think that students going
inclusion of investigations in the fourth edi- on to higher math would benefit from use of
tions of Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and the new the software.
Geometry book (as well as in the newer texts Also, one lab activity uses a graphing calcula-
for younger levels) reflects the publisher’s tor. It walks students step-by-step through this
awareness of this problem. This particular fea- particular assignment, but it does not teach
ture along with other improvements make the broader use of the calculator, and students
fourth editions my recommended option rather might first need a more basic introduction to
than third editions. the graphing calculator. Again, you could skip
Saxon Geometry this lesson, but for students continuing on to
Homeschool Kit with solutions manual higher math courses, it should be a useful time
- $130.55 to introduce a graphing calculator.
Geometry definitely works best with the One feature that assists students with self-
fourth editions of Algebra 1 and 2, since geom- instruction is the inclusion of sidebars with
etry instruction is already spread across the helpful instructional tips. There are plenty
third edition Algebra courses. Using Geometry of word problems and practical applications
between or after fourth editions of Algebra 1 throughout the text, and many problems incor-
and 2 will work much more easily. porate algebra to help keep those skills current.
As with the other Saxon Math texts, Saxon The content coverage is similar to other
Geometry is written to students so it is possible geometry courses, although it has a bit more
for them to work independently. Since it has trigonometry than some. Proofs are taught
also been written for classroom use, there are very early and are used throughout the course.
a few issues that come up. The text sometimes Constructions with straight edge and compass
refers to “working with a partner,” although are taught as labs within the pertinent les-
those situations are easily adapted. The text is sons. Other labs have students do such things
missing a few points of explanation. For exam- as make and use a hypsometer, cut and trace
ple, asterisks next to some questions indicate triangles to investigate symmetry and patterns,
problems that should be done in a classroom and create and use a spinner to conduct a
setting with the parent or teacher nearby as probability experiment.
opposed to the student working independently. Saxon Geometry is a challenging course. It
The asterisk indicates that students are likely draws on higher level thinking skills more
to need assistance or explanation at that point, than some other courses—one reason why it
but the student has no way of knowing this. might better suit students who have already
This and other such omissions should make completed Algebra 2.
little difference for most homeschoolers if a Although Saxon Geometry lacks John Saxon’s
parent is available for assistance whenever it humorous touch, it does provide much more
is needed. solid geometry instruction than is found in the
“Geometry Sketching Software” is refer- other Saxon texts. In addition, the extensive
enced in a number of the lab activities with work with proofs, challenging applications, and
instructions for its use, but it is not part of skill development suit the needs of students.
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Advanced Mathematics, second edition students seem to be tackling calculus on their
Homeschool Kit with solutions manual own, I will simply mention that the text is avail-
- $126.45 able. The review of that text is posted at www.
Advanced Mathematics should follow Algebra CathyDuffyReviews.com/math/calculus-saxon.
2 for both the third and fourth editions. This htm.
text is one of the easiest for most homeschool- DVD Teaching Help
ers to work with to cover advanced alge- Some students do better when the Saxon
bra, geometry, and trigonometry. Originally courses are actually taught to them, so Saxon
designed to be a one-year course, Saxon now Teacher CD-ROMs ($99 per course) might
recommends that students take at least a year be the solution. These supplemental CDs are
and a half to complete the course unless they to be used alongside each course. Instruction
are very bright. However, students who have is presented by an experienced teacher for
worked through the fourth editions of Algebra selected Saxon textbooks.
and the new Geometry course should find more
material to be at a “review” level and might be
able to get through the text more quickly. Horizons Pre-Algebra
Advanced Mathematics includes the equiva- Alpha Omega
lent of the second half of geometry, plus Publications
advanced algebra, pre-calculus, and trigonom- 804 N. 2nd Ave. E.
etry. In the revised second edition, much of the Rock Rapids, IA 51246
geometry was moved to the front of the book 800-622-3070
rather than being spread out. This should make www.aophomeschooling
it easier for students who need to get through .com
the geometry in preparation for PSAT tests in boxed set with student
their junior year. In addition, geometric proofs book, teacher’s guide,
are taught early on then used throughout the and a tests & resources
first half of the book. book - $90.95
Students will need a graphing calculator Horizons Pre-Algebra course uses a tradi-
to use with this text, although the calculator tional approach that also includes some use
is not used as much as in other texts for this of manipulatives. Students who do well in
level. Parents might decide to allow students to math and who do not need the manipulatives
use a calculator more than is required. might be able to work independently through
Among other topics covered are logarithms, most of the lessons. Some concepts and skills
conic sections, functions, matrices, and sta- are taught directly from the teacher’s guide.
tistics. This text moves even further into the Among those are the use of algebra tiles,
theoretical math realm than do earlier Saxon fraction-decimal flashcards, a scientific calcu-
texts. By the time students complete Saxon’s lator, and how to use a compass and protractor
Advanced Mathematics, they should be on a to draw a circle graph. There might be other
par with students who have completed a pre- concepts I’ve missed in this list, but at least
calculus course. This course should be particu- the latter two would need to be taught to the
larly good for preparing students to do well on student since they aren’t taught within the
college entrance exams. student text. This course would probably work
Calculus best for most homeschoolers using a combina-
Saxon also has a text titled Calculus with tion of some lessons being taught and others
Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry. Since few completed independently.
 Mathematics
195
This is a challenging course. While it first method, similar to what is taught in Math-U-
reviews the basics of addition, subtraction, See. Personally, I very much like to use this
multiplication, division, and number theory, visual representation for algebra to help stu-
it quickly moves into signed numbers, expo- dents really grasp what is happening when they
nents, factoring, square roots, and order of manipulate equations.
operations. It continues through work with This book also has “formula strips” that are
fractions, decimals, and percents including to be given to students for use in some lessons.
much practical application. A good deal of These restate some basic formulas such as that
attention is given to graphs, probability, and for finding the area of a circle or measurement
statistics. Geometry covers perimeter, area and equivalents such as 1 mile = 5,280 feet and
volume as well as topics like congruent trian- metric-English equivalents. There are 24 of
gles, and nets of solid figures (two-dimensional these strips to be used with different lessons,
representations of three-dimensional objects and formulas are sometimes repeated on more
as if they were opened up and laid flat), lines, than one strip. The reason for presenting for-
angles, graphing points on a coordinate plane, mulas this way rather than in the textbook is
and slope-intercept form. It even introduces that the strips are sometimes used with quizzes
trigonometry. Algebra topics include perform- and exams where it would not be appropri-
ing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and ate for the student to have access to the text.
division of polynomials, including factoring. Of course, students need to memorize some
The teacher’s guide is useful. It lists con- formulas. The teacher’s guide indicates which
cepts, objectives, and materials needed, but formulas are not given on the ACT/SAT tests
most useful are the teaching tips. Designed for (and therefore not on the formula strips) and
a classroom situation, it mentions such things must be memorized.
as students working on the board or students Fraction-Decimal Flashcards are used in
explaining problems for the class. Nevertheless, a number of lessons, but these must be pur-
this course will work well for homeschoolers. chased separately. Some students will not need
Ideally, a parent working with a single child to use them and can skip them. Their use is
will use the teaching tips to teach the lesson directed from the teacher's guide, so students
with more concrete examples and explanations will not notice they are missing if they are
as well as the extra topics mentioned above. working independently.
Students will need a scientific calculator, In the Test and Resources book are a total
protractor, straight edge, one die, colored pen- of 80 worksheets for the year, some of which
cils, and graph paper. (Three pages of graph may be used as quizzes. Only half of the lessons
paper are included at the back of the student have a worksheet or quiz. These are noted in
text.) Other items such as blocks, scissors, the individual lessons in the teacher’s guide
tape, a party hat, and coins are used rarely and and are marked there as to which ones are
are open to makeshift substitutes. appropriate for use as quizzes.
While other simple manipulatives are used Every tenth lesson includes an interview
from time to time, the most important manipu- with a Christian who uses pre-algebra skills in
latives for concept development are the alge- his or her career. Word problems in that lesson
bra tiles. These are printed in full color in the and some subsequent lessons are then based on
Tests and Resources book and need to be cut the interview. Also in every tenth lesson, stu-
out. I recommend that you laminate these for dents are given a set of questions in multiple-
easier handling. The algebra tiles teach alge- choice, standardized-test format to help with
bra concepts using the “rectangle-building” test preparation skills.
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A "Readiness Evaluation” and answer key Kinetic books has Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, and
is in the front of the teacher’s guide, or it can Algebra II courses that really take advantage of
be downloaded from www.aophomeschooling. the computer as a delivery system by includ-
com/diagnostic-tests. Sixteen tests and four ing multi-sensory teaching methods, games,
exams are included in the Tests and Resources interactive exercises, and student tracking.
book. The teacher’s guide has reduced pictures You enroll a student in a course for an annual
of student text pages and quiz and test pages subscription fee. The program is installed on
with answers overprinted. your own computer (either Mac or Windows
The student text is very attractively printed systems), but records are kept on their server
in full-color. The number of activities and so you can easily reinstall on another computer
problems to solve does not appear overwhelm- and still access your student’s data.
ing compared to some texts that are dense A “Pacing Guide” serves as guide to the
with problems. However, some of Horizons amount of material to be covered per lesson.
Pre-Algebra's problems will take some time to A student clicks on a lesson to immediately
complete. For example, one problem on page move to where they need to begin. Students
170 instructs the student to “Find the mean, may also use a more detailed listing of chapter
median, mode, and range. Then draw a his- topics to navigate if they choose. The Pacing
togram and a box-and-whisker plot. Football Guide divides material into lessons within
scores one Saturday were 14, 0, 7, 26, 13, 27, which there are at least a few segments. For
36, 37, 24, 7, 7, 31, 20, 19, 24, 27, 17, 10, each segment students can learn from both
31, 24, 24, 27, 41, 34, 16, 13.” Many times a video presentation and a “text” segment on
there are charts to complete. Frequent word the same topic. Students can skip the video
problems help students understand practical presentation but they must do the text seg-
applications for what they are learning. There ments. The videos feature a teacher working
is plenty of work without pages appearing clut- on a whiteboard, walking through the lesson,
tered with problems. referring to the text segment being covered as
The text is clearly written for a Christian they teach. This feature is great for students
audience with many references to church, pas- who need an actual teacher.
tors, a gospel magic show, designing shirts for a The “text” lessons are based on a digital text
youth retreat, missionaries, and other church- which you can print out if you wish. However,
related activities. some features will be lost if you do so. The text
segments frequently have buttons to “listen
to explanation”—great for auditory learners.
Kinetic Books: Pre-Algebra, The auditory segments repeat key points from
Algebra I, Algebra II the printed material. Text segments also have
Perfection practice and “Quick Check” problems that
Learning students answer online. A help button next to
PO Box 500 every question provides step-by-step help and/
Logan, IA or the answer if students get stuck.
51546-0500 Quizzes and tests are also online. Scores are
800-831- recorded and tracked. Parents can check on
4190 student progress whenever they wish. Because
email: [email protected] the program tracks the student, only one stu-
http://homeschool.kineticbooks.com dent can use a course subscription.
$79.95 per course There are still more features that might be
 Mathematics
197
useful to some students. Clicking on buttons for students to use.
at the bottom of the screen allows them to There is more material in this course than
highlight and insert notes as well as to enlarge most students would use. The digital text has
or shrink font size on the display and set other 752 pages! But students need not use every-
preferences. thing—only those elements that are helpful.
I reviewed the Algebra I course and found At the end of the digital text are supple-
it comparable to other text-based courses in mental lessons that some students might find
coverage and general style, even though it useful. There is also an initial assessment with
uses multi-media forms of presentation. It 97 questions. The answers for all of the initial
teaches a concept, offers practice problems, assessment problems are available in the prob-
then has the student complete exercise prob- lem itself by clicking "Study Solution."
lems. Quick Check problems cover only the Alignment of Kinetic Books courses with the
skill taught in the current lesson. At the end Common Core State Standards is available on
of each unit, a section of problems called the publisher’s public school-oriented website.
“Kinetic Homework” covers topics from the The Algebra I course has been adopted into
past group of lessons. With both Quick Check several states, so it is clear that the publisher
and Kinetic Homework problems, students get intends for these courses to compete with
a second try. Help and solutions are available those from the major publishers to the tradi-
but students then get no credit. However, in tional school market. The relatively low cost
the homework, when a student misses a prob- for course delivery makes these courses from
lem and/or looks up the solution, the same Kinetic Books strong competitors against tra-
type of problem is presented again at the end ditional printed texts, both in the traditional
until they get it correct. So this is very much a and homeschool markets.
mastery type program. A 30-day money-back guarantee allows you
For even more variety, there are mental to make sure a course will work for your
math activities as well as interactive problems student.
that combine math challenges with games.
For those who want students to have tradi-
tional paper and pencil activity, “End of Unit MathHelp Pre-Algebra, Algebra
Problems” can be printed out and solved. 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry
There are many problems in these sections so MathHelp
you might choose to use some rather than all email: [email protected]
of them. Answer keys to End of Unit Problems www.mathhelp.com
can be viewed online or printed out. $49.50 for a one-month pass or $199.50
At the end of each chapter (which encom- for a one-year pass, second student - $50
passes quite a few lessons) are a practice test MathHelp
and a “standardized test,” both of which are is a new name
completed online with immediate grading after for one of
submission. The standardized test uses the my previous
multiple-choice bubble format while other Top Picks,
quizzes and tests frequently require students YourTeacher.
to enter complete mathematical expressions. MathHelp
Since mathematical language is difficult to offers a num-
write from a standard keyboard, the screen ber of online courses, but in this review I
pops up mathematical symbols and functions feature their high school courses: Pre-Algebra,
 102 Top Picks
198
Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2. (They for self-checking). Then there’s a self-test for
also offer supplemental courses for grades five each lesson that is automatically corrected.
and six that are similar in design.) Scores for these self-tests are recorded and can
A free trial at MathHelp’s website provides be referenced by the parent or teacher online.
the first ten lessons of each course for free, so In addition, each lesson has a “deep thought”
you can get a good idea of how the courses problem for those needing an extra challenge.
work before you subscribe. Lessons are grouped into chapters, and chap-
Subscriptions for homeschoolers are by the ters are grouped into units with another quiz
month or the year. With a single subscription at the end of each unit. Lessons are very thor-
you get access to Pre-Algebra through Algebra ough and offer a number of ways for students to
2 as well as their supplemental courses, so this learn and practice the material. Explanations
might be a super bargain if you have two or are excellent. All these features make this one
more students who can use different courses. of the most truly independent-learning high
Each subscription provides a single student school math courses.
name and access code, so you cannot dis- On a personal note, a friend of mine who
tinguish and track student progress if more teaches continuing education for older stu-
than one student were to try taking the same dents who struggle with learning in the regular
course at the same time. If you have two stu- classroom raved about these courses and has
dents taking the same course, it makes sense now used them with a number of students.
to subscribe for a second student; the second
subscription price is heavily discounted.
These are complete courses. However, for Discovering Geometry: An
those who want to use MathHelp as a supple- Inductive Approach, Fourth Edition
ment, they have provided a correlation of les- by Michael Serra
sons to texts commonly used in public schools. Kendall Hunt
These include correlations for most of the Publishing
pertinent Saxon textbooks. 800-542-6657
Probably more useful is the search box on the email: orders@
website where you can type in a math topic, kendallhunt.com
and the system brings up a list of one or more www.kendallhunt.com
lessons where that topic is addressed. Students student text (print book
are not limited to using only lessons from a plus online access)
single course! This might be especially helpful - $85, student text
for students who need to review topics taught online - $78.50, bundle of student text and
at earlier levels. Geometer's Sketchpad - $100.12, teacher's
Lessons are presented in a video screen edition - $98.53, solutions manual - $42.35,
on the computer with course creator Mike assessment resources - $77.86
Maggart or another teacher leading each lesson I used this text twice, each time with groups
on a whiteboard. (You will need your computer of three students with widely diverse mathe-
speakers or a headset to listen to the audio for matical aptitudes. Amazingly, after completion
the presentation.) A notes section, viewed by of the course, all my students actually thought
pushing a button on the lesson screen, details geometry was fun! That’s because Discovering
the primary concepts of the lesson and can be Geometry truly uses a different approach to
printed out for reference and review. Practice teaching the subject. This is a complete, col-
problems are also provided (along with answers lege-preparatory course that is more inviting
 Mathematics
199
than any other I have seen. It is now in its focused on reasoning and proof skills. The text
fourth edition, although the fourth is very simi- continually challenges students to explain why.
lar to the third edition. Some chapters have While I love this text, there’s a reason
been reorganized. An illustrated glossary and why more homeschoolers are not using it. It
“Dynamic Geometry Explorations” have been was definitely designed for classroom use. It
added along with a few more projects, investi- requires cooperative learning with two or more
gations, and opportunities for students to apply students working together. It is possible that a
algebra skills in every chapter. parent could function as a second student for
The first thing that students encounter in some of the activities, but it is more than a
the book is art—geometric art. The art leads bit tricky for a parent to function simultane-
students into their first investigations about ously as teacher and student. Lest you view
lines and shapes. Investigations by students the cooperative learning requirement as a
help them discover postulates and theorems negative, I must tell you that it is one of the
by inductive reasoning. Many investigations features that make it so enjoyable. This is pri-
involve students in activities, especially mak- marily where students have the many “Aha!”
ing and working with constructions using a experiences of this course. It will be well worth
straightedge and compass. your while to pull together even a small group
Word problems are imaginative, and real- class to make this course work.
life applications are true-to-life. Mathematical You need both the student text and the
thinking is the goal of this text rather than teacher’s edition. The full-color student text
mere memorization of postulates and theorems. is available in hardcover or as PDF files that
The text moves from the concrete to the include weblinks. The text has “Hints for
abstract—a strategy essential for many stu- Selected Exercises” and answer keys for chap-
dents to be able to succeed in geometry. In the ter reviews.
teacher’s edition, the author explains his phi- In addition to the aforementioned straight-
losophy of gradually working through levels of edge and compass, students will need a pro-
thinking to the point where students are able tractor and a ruler. Numerous other items are
to deal with proofs. used to make this a hands-on course, although
Paragraph proofs are introduced in chapter most of the time their use is optional. Among
two as a means of getting students to orga- these items are drinking straws, interlocking
nize data and explain their thinking process. cubes, geometric shapes, geoboards, meter
Paragraph proofs and flowchart proofs are stick, modeling clay, patty paper (the light-
taught from chapters four through twelve, weight paper used to separate burger patties),
and directed two-column proofs are saved toothpicks, and uncooked spaghetti.
for the last chapter after students have mas- The teacher’s edition is a larger hardcover
tered concepts and understand relationships edition that includes reproductions of stu-
between theorems. Even though two-column dent pages, with some answers overprinted in
proofs are not taught at the beginning of the magenta. Other answers don’t fit on student
course, students are applying both inductive pages, so those are in the margins at the bot-
and deductive reasoning and working with tom of the page of the teacher's edition along
logic and language leading up to the use of with teaching information and other helps.
two-column proofs. In fact work with proofs Additional teacher information is in the fore-
is probably stronger and more effective than matter and at the beginning of each chapter.
in many other texts. The fourth edition has One valuable part of this information is course
added even more exercises that are specifically outlines that will help you schedule lessons,
 102 Top Picks
200
tailoring the course for “standard,” “enriched,” lessons are available for rental on Vimeo On
or “block” schedules. Answers to all problems Demand. The author himself teaches the
are found either in the chapter or at the back investigations for chapters 3 through 11. You
of the teacher’s edition. A separate solutions can rent the videos chapter by chapter with
manual shows the steps leading to the answers. prices varying from $2.99 to $4.99 depending
Parents who are not strong in math might want upon the length of each chapter. (You need
to have this on hand in case they get stuck. to register at Vimeo first at www.vimeo.com/
Every exercise set in the student book join, then go to www.michaelserra.net/weblog/
includes some review questions. Reviews at discovering-geometry-video-subscription.html
the end of each chapter consist of about 50 or to rent the videos.) Subscriptions are for one
more problems. Assessment resources (quizzes year.
and tests) are available separately. Note that while Discovering Geometry is
The fourth edition has increased the number published in a new edition from time to time,
of opportunities to incorporate technology changes to date have not been very significant,
into learning, although use of technology is so older editions will be fine as long as you can
not absolutely required. Students can access also get the teacher's edition and solutions
“Dynamic Geometry Explorations” that help manual.
demonstrate concepts; these are free online
and are often well worth exploring. The stu-
dent textbook notes when and where to access Math Without Borders Home
them. Study Companions
The author suggests that students have at by David Chandler
least a scientific calculator and/or dynamic Math Without Borders
geometry software such a GeoGebra (free email: [email protected]
software at www.geogebra.org) or Geometer’s www.mathwithoutborders.com
Sketchpad (available at www.keycurriculum. $69 per course for Home Study Companions
com). I expect that some form of dynamic (text are purchased separately)
geometry software might help compensate if The Math Without
you absolutely cannot find a second student. Borders Home Study
Students can create numerous constructions Companion series
quickly on the computer and compare results, offers high school
whereas it would be too time consuming to math video teaching
do many of them manually. However, you courses presented by
would not want to use the software as a total David Chandler on
substitute for a student learning to create flash drives in MP4 format. Videos serve as
constructions with compass and straightedge. companions to Paul A. Foerster’s texts for
Fathom Dynamic Data (free at http://concord. Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Trigonometry, and
org/fathom-dynamic-data-software) is another Precalculus. Calculus is in the works. The
computer-based tool you might want to utilize Math Without Borders Geometry video instruc-
with this text. Some projects using it have been tion supports the text Geometry: A Guided
added to the fourth edition. Inquiry by Chakerian, Crabill, and Stein rather
You can see an entire chapter online to pre- than a text by Foerster. The videos provide
view the text, and a free online 30-day trial is students with the presentations of an experi-
also available. enced teacher. Both videos and textbooks are
Videos to accompany Discovering Geometry required, but textbooks must be purchased
 Mathematics
201
separately. different instances. (Students will need either
Each course needs to be copied from the a downloaded scientific calculator on their
flash drive onto your computer. Your computer computer or a handheld calculator.)
needs to have speakers or headphones for After he has taught the concept, Chandler
the student to listen to the audio tracks for typically works through a fair number of exam-
the instruction. Students will need either a ples before he leaves students to work through
downloaded scientific calculator they can use problems on their own. Answers to odd prob-
on their computer or a handheld calculator lems are at the back of the texts. Chapter
for all courses. Some courses benefit from the reviews and/or chapter tests within the text-
presence of a spreadsheet program; Microsoft books can be used for assessment. All except
Excel works as do the free Open Office Calc or the Home Study Companion: Algebra 1 should
Libre Office programs. The GeoGebra program have enough solutions worked out for students
is optional for Algebra 1. that a solutions manual is not needed.
While there are a number of somewhat simi- For Home Study Companion: Algebra 1, you
lar math courses on DVD-ROM or through should read through Chandler’s notes online at
the internet, most of those designed for home- http://mathwithoutborders.com/?page_id=4.
schoolers use texts that are not as challenging as The text you will need is Algebra 1: Expressions,
those used with this series. Foerster’s books, in Equations, and Applications. You will probably
particular, have long been recognized as among want a solutions manual. (Chandler tell you
the best high school math texts. However, how to order the solutions manual.) The free
they assume the presence of a teacher and are Graphmatica shareware graphing program is
too difficult for students to use on their own. helpful for Algebra 1 although it isn’t required.
The level of the math taught in each text is The full title of the Algebra 2 text is Algebra
above average. For example Foerster's Algebra and Trigonometry: Functions and Applications.
1 includes functions, trigonometric functions, Students will need a spreadsheet program for
and quadratic functions, topics often covered this course. Chandler advises that you prob-
at higher levels in other series. ably don’t need the solutions manual for this
The Home Study Companions will work with course since he works through so many of the
earlier editions of each text, so you might find problems on the video. Read Chandler’s notes
used copies at lower prices. for this course at http://mathwithoutborders.
For the three courses using Foerster’s text- com/?page_id=9.
books, teacher David Chandler talks students Precalculus with Trigonometry: Concepts
through key concepts in each section of the and Applications is the text for Home Study
textbook using a whiteboard to teach the con- Companion: Precalculus. Go to http://
cepts and work through examples. He follows mathwithoutborders.com/?page_id=11 for
the text, occasionally teaching in a slightly dif- Chandler’s notes for this course. Chandler
ferent fashion for the sake of clarity. Chandler comments there, “I have taught out of sev-
sometimes expands on a topic that he knows is eral other Precalculus textbooks, but none
particularly troublesome to students. He pulls of them is in the same league with Foerster
up an online calculator and other tools such as when it comes to teaching problem solving
GeoGebra (a free, computer-based substitute and real-world applications.” While Foerster’s
for a graphing calculator available at http:// text has gone through a number of editions,
www.geogebra.org/cms/download) to illustrate the third edition is the best fit for this course
lessons. I very much appreciate his instruction since content (while similar) was rearranged
on how to use a scientific calculator in many from the second to the third edition. Video
 102 Top Picks
202
solutions are provided for a large enough While the Home Study Companion: Geometry
number of problems that you are unlikely to has video solutions for the Central review sec-
need a solutions manual. Students continue tion, it also has PDF files with complete solu-
to use the free on-screen scientific calculator, tions for all problems in both the Central and
Calc98 (http://www.calculator.org/download. Project sections. (The text has answers but not
aspx) and GeoGebra. In the last quarter of this solutions.) Solution sections often have addi-
course, he also introduces students to an even tional commentary that is helpful to students.
more advanced calculating program called Some chapters have “extensions” on the
Sage. Home Study Companion to cover topics in the
You can see from the technological tools math standards that were not covered in the
Chandler uses that these courses are more textbook. Sections for algebra review are also
sophisticated than many others used by home- included.
schoolers. They will provide excellent prepara- Demonstrations using GeoGebra are used
tion for those who will continue with higher throughout the Geometry course. Students
math after they graduate. Familiarity with the will also create their own geometric construc-
“tools of the trade” will be a big bonus. tions, so they need to have a ruler (showing
The Geometry course (combined video metric units), a protractor, and a compass.
instruction and text) differs from the oth- Graph paper and a scientific calculator are also
ers with greater use of the textbook and less required.
video instruction. Students work through a Sample Home Study Companion lessons are
“Central Problem” that begins each chapter. available on the Math Without Borders web-
The Central Problem itself is used to teach site. You might want to read Chandler’s notes
new material. Students study examples, work for each course (links listed above) before pur-
through practice problems, and do investi- chasing since they provide detailed informa-
gations. Throughout this introductory sec- tion about scheduling and course content that
tion, new concepts are introduced to lead is very helpful.
the student toward a solution of the Central Doing a quick scan on Amazon, it looks like
Problem. The result is all of the content is all of the texts are readily available with the
introduced in the context of a problem where most expensive around $70 and most much
it is immediately useful, rather than being left less than that. So the combined cost of text
asking, "When will I ever use this?" Following and Home Study Companion is quite low for
this are a self-quiz, a review section and a courses of this caliber.
review self-test. While answers to all of these Homeschoolers should find Home Study
problems are at the back of the book, the Companions one of the least expensive ways
Home Study Companion for Geometry: A Guided to complete high school math courses at chal-
Inquiry includes video solutions to problems in lenging levels with interesting course content.
the review section. This combination of outstanding textbooks
Each chapter also has a projects section that and an experienced teacher on the computer
expands upon concepts taught in the Central should make these courses practical even
Problem section. This section has its own set of when parents lack math background.
problems to solve.
 CHAPTER
11
History, Geography, &
Social Studies

Some of us cringe when we hear “social studies,” equating that term with the watered down
mush that passes for history education in some textbooks. But the social studies label is not the
culprit. The problem lies in emphasis and philosophy. Social studies is a comprehensive term
which includes history, geography, and cultural studies. The public school system (in general)
has overemphasized cultural studies, especially politically-correct cultural studies, at the expense
of history and geography. With the increased emphasis on reading, math, and science in recent
years, public schools are often not accomplishing much in any area of social studies.
In addition, social studies have often been used as tools for social engineering rather than to
provide education in history. Christians have been particularly aware of the secularization of his-
tory—the sort of thing that translates our Thanksgiving holiday into a mutual admiration day
between the Pilgrims and the Indians without any mention of God.
In reacting against the secular bias in textbooks, Christians have sometimes erred in moving to
another extreme, rejecting cultural studies and reducing the subject to memorization of history and
geography data. Neither approach is correct.
I think a great way to resolve this is to approach social studies as a newspaper reporter.
Reporters look for the answers to the questions: Who did what? When did they do it? Where
did they do it? and How did they do it? They might even ask, Why did they do it?
So, imitating a reporter, we look at the interrelationships of the three areas: history, geography,
and cultural studies. The reporter’s first two questions are answered by the names and dates
or time periods (history). The third question “Where?” is answered by describing the location
(geography). The last two questions deal with the background of the event, motivations, and
other influences, essentially putting an event in context (cultural studies). Our social studies
should be like a good newspaper article, combining all the necessary ingredients.
A few history/social studies textbooks manage to pull all these elements together, but then you
 102 Top Picks
204
have to deal with the biases of the authors. It is impossible to write an entirely neutral textbook.
Even if the language is not slanted, every textbook will exhibit bias in the choices of what is or
is not included. For Christians, textbooks that cover all of world history while paying little or
no attention to religion reflect a bias that paints a false picture of a world that has developed
without interaction with God. If you are a Christian who wants your child to develop a Christian
worldview, then you will probably want to use resources that help you reach that goal by discuss-
ing God’s actions and impact throughout history.
In regard to resources, there are at least three approaches to social studies. You might use
any of these approaches exclusively or mix two or more of them. The three most common
approaches are:
• History textbooks
• History through unit studies (which might use texts and/or other books such as biographies
and historical fiction)
• Real books such as biographies, historical fiction, topic-specific books (e.g., a book about
knights) as well as internet research

History Textbooks
Most history textbooks are rather boring. They try to cover lots of information, and that usu-
ally means they can allot only a few lines or a few paragraphs to each event. Textbook authors
don’t usually have space to make the interesting connections between events. Other than in
the occasional sidebar, they can’t tell us the personal history behind extraordinary events such
as 21-year-old Nathan Hale’s heroic declaration, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose
for my country.”
Learning history as sets of facts to be memorized and regurgitated for tests might even do more
harm than good. It might teach children to despise history if they never get to experience the
delight or amazement that comes from reading the “whole stories” of history.
The dumbed down language of some history texts for primary grades is another turn off.
Increasingly, upper-elementary level history texts are showing signs of the same malady.
Publishers, seeking to make their books more visually appealing, add lots of large color illustra-
tions as they update history textbooks. They steal space for the illustrations from the lines of
text, reducing them to short, choppy sentences, for the most part devoid of literary beauty or
human interest.
I rarely encourage parents of children in the elementary grades to use traditional history text-
books, especially since we have so many better options available to us. Junior high level history
books generally are little better with more content and fewer pictures. By high school, history
textbooks have much more written material than do earlier levels, and there are some that are
worth using.
I know I’ve made some sweeping generalizations here. There are a few exceptions. I’ve includ-
ed reviews of a few history texts for elementary grades, but you will note that these exceptions
are not the typical written-by-committee, state-approved textbook series.
Geography textbooks might be even worse than history textbooks. I have included only one
resource that exclusively targets geography—The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide. This
unusual book is so much better than traditional geography texts that, in my opinion, few other
options come close.
 History, Geography & Social Studies
205
History through Unit Studies
A unit study combines studies from multiple subjects around a common theme. Most unit
studies have a strong historical component. Sometimes history is the primary theme with other
subjects branching off from the study of history. Studying scientific investigations or literary
works within their historical and geographical settings is a great way to make history as well as
science and literature more interesting.
Unit studies generally recommend real books as sources of historical information. Some unit
studies include historical information within their own material, but even then they generally
direct you to other resources for further reading.
A few unit studies recommend history texts as the source of information, but they enhance the
textbook information with stories, real books, and activities.
Some unit studies are structured in chronological order, so if you follow the publisher’s
sequence of study, students study history in its proper order. However, some unit studies are
organized around other themes, and their history coverage jumps around—you might be study-
ing ancient Rome one month, then South America the next. In such instances, timelines are
essential for children to be able to grasp the actual chronology of events. If they can visually see
events on a timeline it helps them put things in proper context.
Don’t forget to check out my reviews of unit studies in Chapter Thirteen to see if you might
want to use one of these for coverage of history. Increasingly, publishers are creating history pro-
grams that function like limited unit studies. Their primary focus is history, and they incorporate
other subject areas to a very limited extent. Mystery of History and BiblioPlan (both among my
Top Picks) are examples of this type of program.

Real Books
I’ll never forget a television talk show interview with the Colfax family, homeschool pioneers
whose sons were probably the first homeschoolers to receive scholarships to Harvard University.
One of their sons was talking about his transition from homeschooling to the academic demands
of the university. The host was probably trying to get him to acknowledge some deficiencies
by asking about his history studies through high school. The young man admitted that he had
never read a history textbook before going to Harvard. But, he continued, he had read many
"real books"—biographies, historical fiction, and non-fiction. He surprised even himself when
he discovered that through his reading he actually knew more history than his classmates who
had each been through ten or more history textbooks. He attributed his acquired knowledge to
his love for the subject that blossomed as he read about history in a way that brought the subject
to life.
I have had opportunities to ask groups of veteran homeschoolers what actually worked best
for them. The unanimous response is always, "Real books." Most did not start out with a real
books approach, but after experimenting with it, they gradually shifted from exclusive reliance
on textbooks to real books or a combination of both.
Because I believe so much in the value of real books for history, I am including lists of books
by historical periods, followed by reviews of my Top Picks. Real books in the following lists are a
mixture of historical fiction, biography, and even some legends.
 102 Top Picks
206
"I have also included some “fact books." The fact book category encompasses such books as
David Macaulay’s intriguingly illustrated books Cathedral and Pyramid, and a number of colorful-
ly-illustrated information books such as those from Usborne and DK Publishing. See my review
of History of the World (My Father's World edition of the original DK Publishing book) to get a
general sense of what these fact books might be like.
I suggest using these fact books along with other books to ensure sufficient coverage of impor-
tant topics. They can fill in the gaps when you are primarily using biographies and historical
fiction. Keep in mind that most fact books strive for religious neutrality, and religious neutral-
ity often means omission of important religious information and ideas or misrepresentation of
religious beliefs. In addition, they sometimes include problematic content such as nudity in art.
I have not read all the books in these lists myself but have compiled the lists from my own
experience and the recommendations of others. Therefore, I cannot vouch for the content of
every book. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list, but it should be enough to get you
started exploring history through real books.
You can choose an assortment of such books as the core of your curriculum, adding discussion,
writing, and activities to accomplish your educational goals, or you can purchase a guide such as
one of the Literature Approach to History guides from Beautiful Feet Books (www.bfbooks.com)
that recommends particular books and provides questions and assignments for students in rela-
tion to the books.
I’ve included some titles that are written for adults but might be read aloud to older children.
When I know the audience level for certain I’ve used (y) to indicate books written for younger
children up through about fourth grade level and (o) to indicate books written for at least fifth
grade level and older. (FB) after a title indicates that it is a fact book. I’ve also used the following
notations for books that are part of well-known series:
• Landmark = Landmark Books
• CFA = Childhood of Famous Americans,
• Sower = Sower series
I have noted specific dates or time periods by many titles to help you choose books in a chrono-
logical sequence if you so desire. Also, I have sometimes mentioned the geographical area where
a story takes place when I think it might be helpful.

Real Books by Time • Motel of the Mysteries by David Macaulay

Periods/Topics (FB)
• Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Elizabeth
Payne (Landmark)
Ancient Egypt • Pyramid by David Macaulay (FB)
• Adventures in Ancient Egypt by Linda • The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone by James
Bailey (Kids Can Press) Cross Givlin
• The Cat of Bubastes G.A. Henty (o) • Shadow Hawk by Andre Norton
• Golden Goblet and other titles by Eloise • Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn
Jarvis McGraw Green
• Into the Mummy’s Tomb by Nicholas • Usborne Internet-Linked World History:
Reeves Ancient World (FB)
• Moses by Leonard Fisher • The Usborne Time Traveler (FB) (y)
 History, Geography & Social Studies
207
Ancient Greece and Rome • Beric the Briton: A Story of the Roman
• Adventures in Ancient Greece by Linda Invasion by G.A. Henty (A.D. 61, Britain,
Bailey Rome) (o)
• Alexander the Great by Andrew Langley • Bronze Bow by Elizabeth Speare (32 B.C.,
(Oxford) (y) Judea)
• Alexander the Great by John Gunther (o) • Cleopatra by Diane Stanley and Peter
• Ancient Greece by Andrew Langley (o) Vennema (1st century B.C., Egypt)
• Archimedes and the Door of Science by • Classic Myths to Read Aloud: The Great
Jeanne Bendick Stories of Greek and Roman Mythology by
• Black Ships before Troy by Rosemary William F. Russell
Sutcliff • Cultural Atlas for Young People: Ancient
• The Children’s Homer by Padric Colum (o) Rome by Mike Corbishley (FB)
• Classic Myths to Read Aloud: The Great • The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary
Stories of Greek and Roman Mythology by Sutcliff (A.D. 119, Rome)
William F. Russell • Eyewitness Books: Ancient Rome (Knopf) (FB)
• D’Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths by Ingri • For the Temple by G.A. Henty (A.D. 70,
and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire (y) Judea) (o)
• The Iliad translated by Richmond • Hittite Warrior by Joanne Williamson
Lattimore (o) (1200 B.C., Judea)
• The Librarian Who Measured the Earth • The Ides of April by Mary Ray (A.D. 60,
(about Ptolemy) by Kathryn Lasky Rome)
• The Odyssey translated by Richmond • Jason’s Miracle: A Hanukkah Story by Beryl
Lattimore or another translation by Robert Lieff Benderly (o)
Fitzgerald (o) • The Lantern Bearers (Britain at the end of
• Tales of the Greek Heroes by Roger the Roman occupation) by Rosemary
Lancelyn Green (o) Sutcliff (A.D. 450, Britain)
• Tales of Troy and Greece by Andrew Lang (o) • Pearl Maiden by H. Rider Haggard (1st
• The Trojan Horse by Emily Little (y) century, Judea)
• Usborne Internet-Linked World History: • Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz (A.D.
Ancient World (FB) 60, Rome) (o-read aloud)
• The Wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary • The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas (read aloud)
Sutcliff (1st century A.D., Rome, Judea) (o)
• You Wouldn't Want to Be in Alexander the • Runaway by Patricia St. John (1st century,
Great's Army! by Jacqueline Marley (y) Judea)
• Saint Valentine retold by Robert Sabuda
Bible Times and Ancient Rome (3rd century A.D., Rome)
• The Aeneid of Virgil translated by Robert • Spring Tide by Mary Ray (o)
Fitzgerald • Usborne Internet-Linked World History:
• Against the World: Odyssey of Athanasius by Ancient World (FB)
Henry W. Coray • The White Stag (about Attila the Hun) by
• Augustus Caesar’s World by Genevieve Kate Seredy (400s, Asia, Europe)
Foster (63 B.C.-A.D. 14, World) (o) • You Wouldn't Want to Live in Pompeii! by
• Ben Hur, a Tale of the Christ by Lew John Malam (y,o)
Wallace (1st century A.D., Rome, Judea) • Young Carthaginian by G.A. Henty (220
(o-read aloud) B.C., North Africa) (o)
 102 Top Picks
208
World History from the Fall of • The King’s Shadow (about King Harold of
Rome through the Middle Ages Saxon England) by Elizabeth Alder (1000s,
• Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Gray (1294, England) (o)
England) • The Lances of Lynwood by Charlotte M.
• Adventures with the Vikings by Linda Bailey Yonge (1000s, Europe)
• The Apple and the Arrow by Mary and • Leif the Lucky by Ingri d’Aulaire and Edgar
Conrad Buff (1300s, Switzerland) (y,o) Parin d’Aulaire (1000s, Exploration of
• Augustine Came to Kent by Barbara America)
Willard (600s, England) • The Lost Baron by Allen French (1200s,
• Beorn the Proud by Madeleine Pollard England)
(800, Ireland, Denmark) • Magna Charta by James Daugherty (1200s,
• Beowulf the Warrior by Ian Serraillier England)
(1100s, England) • Men of Iron by Howard Pyle (1300s,
• Big John’s Secret by Eleanor M. Jewett (o) England)
• The Black Arrow by Robert Louis • The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by
Stevenson (1400s England) Howard Pyle (1200s, England)
• By Right of Conquest or With Cortez in • The Minstrel in the Tower by Gloria
Mexico by G.A. Henty (1500s, Mexico) (o) Skurzynski (1195, Europe)
• Cathedral by David Macaulay (1200s, • Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle
Europe) (1400s, Europe)
• Columbus by Ingri d’Aulaire and Edgar • The Red Keep by Allen French (1165,
Parin d’Aulaire (1492, World) (y) Europe)
• D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths by Ingri • The Road to Damietta (about St. Francis of
d’Aulaire and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire (Norse Assissi) by Scott O’Dell (1200s, Italy)
mythology) (y) • St. George and the Dragon by Margaret
• The Dragon and the Raven or the Days of Hodges (legend, England)
King Alfred by G.A. Henty (800s, England) • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by J.R.R.
(o) Tolkien (1400s, England) (o)
• Dragon Slayer (Beowulf) by Rosemary • Son of Charlemagne by Barbara Willard
Sutcliff (1100s, England) (780, Europe)
• The Hidden Treasure of Glaston by • The Story of King Arthur and His Knights
Eleanore M. Jewett (1171, England) and Other Arthurian Tales by Howard Pyle
• If All the Swords in England (Thomas (legend, England)
Becket) by Barbara Willard (1100s, • The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow by
England) Allen French (1000s, Iceland)
• In Freedom’s Cause (about William • The Talisman by Sir Walter Scott (about
Wallace and Robert the Bruce and the the Crusades) (1300s) (o)
battle for Scottish independence) by G.A. • Tristan and Iseult (Ireland, Britain) by
Henty (1300s, Scotland) (o) Rosemary Sutcliff (legend, England)
• Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott (1300s, • The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly
Europe) (o) (1400s, Poland)
• Joan of Arc: Heavenly Warrior by Tabatha • Usborne Internet-Linked World History:
Yeatts (1400s, France) (o) Medieval World (FB) (y,o)
• Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley (1400s, • The Usborne Time Traveler (FB) (y)
France) (y) • Vikings by Elizabeth Janeway (Landmark
 History, Geography & Social Studies
209
Book) (1000s, Exploration) (1700s, France) (o)
• What Do We Know About the Middle Ages? • A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
by Sarah Howarth (FB) (1700s, Europe) (o)
• Where Do You Think You’re Going, • This Was John Calvin by Thea B. Van
Christopher Columbus? by Jean Fritz (1492, Halsema (1509-1564, Europe) (o)
Exploration) (y) • Under Drake’s Flag: A Tale of the Spanish
• William Tell by Leonard Everett Fisher Main by G.A. Henty (1500s, England,
(1300s, Switzerland) (y) Exploration) (o)
• Winning His Spurs by G.A. Henty (1190, • With Pipe, Paddle and Song by Elizabeth
The Crusades) (o) Yates (1750, Canada)
• Wulf the Saxon: A Story of the Norman • The World of Captain John Smith by
Conquest by G.A. Henty (1066, England) (o) Genevieve Foster (1580-1631, World)
• The World of Columbus and Sons by
Renaissance to Modern Day— Genevieve Foster (1400s-1500s, World)
Other than U.S. History
• By Pike and Dike by G.A. Henty (1500s, U.S. History
Europe) (o) • American Girls series
• Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes retold • America’s Paul Revere by Esther Forbes (y,o)
by Michael Harrison (Fiction, Spain) • Amos Fortune: Free Man by Elizabeth Yates
• Edmund Campion by Harold Gardiner, S. J. (o)
(1500s, England) • And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? by
• The Hawk that Dare Not Hunt by Day Jeanne Fritz (y)
(Tyndale) by Scott O’Dell (1494-1536, • The Last of the Mohicans by James
England) Fenimore Cooper (o)
• Ink on His Fingers (Gutenberg) by Louise • Ben and Me by Robert Lawson
Vernon (1400s, Germany) • Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia by
• Isaac Newton by John Hudson Tiner Margaret Cousins (Landmark)
(Sower) (1642-1727, England) • Benjamin Franklin by Ingri and Edgar Parin
• Johannes Kepler by John Hudson Tiner D’Aulaire (y)
(Sower) (1600s, Germany) • By the Great Hornspoon by Sid Fleischman
• A Knight of the White Cross by G.A. Henty • Cabin Faced West by Jeanne Fritz (y)
(1480, Europe) (o) • Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink (o)
• Leonardo da Vinci by Diane Stanley (1400- • Can’t You Get Them to Behave, King
1500, Europe) George? by Jeanne Fritz (y)
• Lysbeth: A Tale of the Dutch by H. Rider • Carlota (Mexican War) by Scott O’Dell
Haggard (1500s, Netherlands) • Carry on, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee
• Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the Latham (o)
World by Paul L. Maier (1483-1546, • Clara Barton: Founder of the American Red
Germany) (y) Cross by Augusta Stevenson (CFA) (y)
• Red Hugh: Prince of Donegal by Robert T. • The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice
Reilly (1500s, Ireland) Dagliesh (y)
• St. Bartholomew’s Eve: A Tale of the • Crispus Attucks: Black Leader of Colonial
Huguenot Wars by G.A. Henty (1500s, Patriots by Dharathula H. Millender (CFA)
France) (o) • Daniel Boone Frontiersman by Janet and
• The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orezy Geoff Benge (o)
 102 Top Picks
210
• Diary of an Early American Boy by Eric (Sower)
Sloan • The Siege of the Alamo by Janet Riehecky
• Dragon’s Gate (about Chinese immigrants and Valerie Weber (o)
and the railroads) by Laurence Yep (y,o) • The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth Speare
• Fourth of July Story by Alice Dagliesh (y) • Sing Down the Moon (about the Navaho
• Gold Fever: Tales from the California Gold Indians) by Scott O’Dell (o)
Rush by Rosalyn Schanzer • Sitting Bull: Dakota Boy by Augusta
• George Washington’s World by Genevieve Stevenson (CFA) (y)
Foster (o) • Streams to the River, River to the Sea (about
• A Hunger for Learning (about Booker T. Sacagawea) by Scott O’Dell (o)
Washington) by Gwenyth Swain • Tree in the Trail by Holling C. Holling
• If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by • Treegate’s Raiders by Leonard Wibberly (o)
Ellen Levine (y) • Why Don’t You Get a Horse, Sam Adams?
• Iron Dragon Never Sleeps by Stephen by Jeanne Fritz (y)
Krensky (y) • Witchcraft of Salem Village by Shirley
• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell Jackson (Landmark) (o)
• Jed Smith: Trailblazer of the West by Frank • The World of Captain John Smith by
Latham Genevieve Foster (o)
• Johnny Appleseed by David R. Collins
(Sower) Civil War Period and Slavery
• Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (o) • Abe Lincoln: Log Cabin to the Whitehouse
• Make Way for Sam Houston by Jeanne Fritz by Sterling North (Landmark) (o)
(y) • Abraham Lincoln by Ingri and Edgar Parin
• The Matchlock Gun by Walter D. Edmonds D’Aulaire (y)
(y) • Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (o)
• Meriwether Lewis: Boy Explorer by • Black Frontiers: A History of African-
Charlotta Bebenroth (CFA) (y) American Heroes in the Old West by Lillian
• Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C. Schlissel (o)
Holling • Booker T. Washington by Christine Taylor-
• Mr. Revere and I by Robert Lawson Butler (y)
• Mother Cabrini by Frances Parkinson • The Drinking Gourd by F.N. Monjo (y)
Keyes • Freedom Train by Dorothy Sterling
• Patty Reed’s Doll by Rachel Laurgaard • Freedom’s Sons: The True Story of the
• Paddle to the Sea by Holling C. Holling Amistad Mutiny by Suzanne Jurmain
• Pioneers Go West by George R. Stewart • Gettysburg by MacKinlay Kantor (o)
(Landmark) • Go Free Or Die: A Story about Harriet
• Pocahontas by Ingri and Edgar Parin Tubman by Jeri Ferris (y)
D’Aulaire (y) • Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons: The
• A Pocketful of Goobers: A Story of George Story of Phillis Wheatley by Ann Rinaldi (o)
Washington Carver by Barbara Mitchell • If You Traveled On the Underground
• The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Railroad by Ellen Levine (y)
Savery (o) • Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl by
• Sam the Minuteman by Nathaniel Benchley Harriet A. Jacobs (o)
(y) • Iron Scouts of the Confederacy by
• Samuel F.B. Morse by John Hudson Tiner McGriffon
 History, Geography & Social Studies
211
• The Life of Stonewall Jackson by Mary L. Yardley (y)
Williamson • Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story
• The Life of J.E.B. Stuart by Mary L. of the School at Weedpatch Camp by Jerry
Williamson Stanley (o)
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (o) • Counting on Grace (about the Industrial
• Mary McLeod Bethune by Eloise Greenfield Revolution) by Elizabeth Winthrop (o)
(y) • Farewell to Manzanar (about Japanese
• The Negro Cowboys by Philip Durham (o) internment in WWII) by Houston and
• Perilous Road by William O. Steele Houston (o)
• A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass by • Henry Ford: Young Man with Ideas by Hazel
David A. Adler (y) Aird and Catherine Ruddiman
• Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco (y) • Rocket Man: The Story of Robert Goddard
• The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen by Tom Streissguth
Crane (o) • Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred
• Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith (o) D. Taylor (o-read aloud)
• Robert E. Lee, The Christian by William J. • Ronald Reagan by Montrew Dunham
Johnson (o) • Rosie the Riveter: Women Working on the
• Robert E. Lee by Lee Roddy (Sower) (o) Home Front in WWII by Penny Colman (o)
• The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox (o-read • Smokestacks and Spinning Jennys: Industrial
aloud) Revolution by Sean Stewart Price
• Sojourner Truth; Ain’t I A Woman? by Pat • The Story of the Wright Brothers and Their
and Patricia McKissack Sister by Lois Mills (y)
• Stonewall by Jeanne Fritz (y) • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Story of Harriet Tubman: Conductor of (o-read aloud)
the Underground Railroad by Kate McMullan • Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield
(y) Fisher (o)
• Tales from the Underground Railroad by • The Yearling by Marjorie Rawlings (o)
Kate Connell
• Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Modern World History
Stowe (o-read aloud) • America and Vietnam: The Elephant and the
• Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington (o) Tiger by Albert Marrin (o)
• Virginia’s General: Robert E. Lee and the • The Collapse of Communism by Stewart
Civil War by Albert Marrin (o) Ross (o)
• Walking the Road to Freedom: Sojourner • The Crystal Snowstorm, Following the
Truth by Jeri Ferris (y) Phoenix, Angel and the Dragon, and The Rose
• With Lee in Virginia: A Story of the and Crown (19th century European politics)
American Civil War by G.A. Henty (o) all titles by Meriol Trevor (o)
• Hitler by Albert Marrin (o)
Modern U.S. History • The House of Sixty Fathers (about China)
• Amelia Earhart by Beatrice Gormley by Meindert de Jong (y,o)
• American Girls series • The Land I Lost: Adventures of a Boy in
• Andrew Carnegie: Builder of Libraries by Vietnam by Huynh Quang Nhuong
Charnan Simon (y) • Number the Stars (about the Danish
• The Bracelet (about Japanese internment Resistance in WWII) by Lois Lowry (o)
in WWII) by Yoshiko Uchida and Joanna • Stalin: Russia’s Man of Steel by Albert
 102 Top Picks
212
Marrin (o) groups covering grades one through twelve.
• Sweet Dried Apples: A Vietnamese Wartime Within age groups there are sometimes further
Childhood by Rosemary Breckler (y) divisions under headings such as overview of
• Teresa of Calcutta by D. Jeanene Watson the era, specific events, biography, historical
(Sower) fiction, and culture. Other smaller sections
• Twenty and Ten (about WWII refugee follow a similar format, listing books for geog-
children in France) by Claire Huchet raphy, science, math, the arts, and “Great
Bishop Books of Western Civilization & the Christian
• The Wheel on the School (fictional story of Tradition.”
the Netherlands) by Meindert de Jong Below are examples of the many websites
• When Jessie Came across the Sea (about a that list historical literature by time periods
Jewish Immigrant) by Amy Hett (y) that you might want to explore:
• The Winged Watchman (WWII Nazi
occupation of the Netherlands) by Hilda A Book in Time
Van Stockum (o) www.abookintime.com
• The Yanks are Coming (about WWI) by This secular list is arranged by time periods
Albert Marrin (o) and levels, and it includes descriptions of
books.
Which Books to Use When
Mater Amabilis
Many homeschool distributors sell books www.materamabilis.org/ma/subjects/history/
such as those listed above. Some homeschool This site has free lesson plans and helps for a
distributors list books under time period head- Charlotte Mason approach for all grade levels
ings so you can easily find those you want to (for both the U.S. and the U.K.). Real books
use for history studies. In addition to distribu- for history are listed by topic and level.
tors’ websites and catalogs, there are other
resource books you can use to help you select Paula’s Archives
your own books for historical studies. Some www.redshift.com/~bonajo/history.htm#WMID
home educators glean ideas from books like Un-annotated lists on this site come from a
The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer Protestant homeschool perspective. The lists
and Jessie Wise (Norton) or For the Love of include movies for each time period.
Literature: Teaching Core Subjects with Literature
by Maureen Wittmann (Ecce Homo Press). University of Delaware
I know of one book totally dedicated to www.udel.edu/dssep/literature.html
selecting literature for history. All through A secular university published these lists of
the Ages: History through Literature Guide by recommended literature for social studies that
Christine Miller (Nothing New Press, www. are arranged by level.
nothingnewpress.com) is a 300+ page refer-
ence guide for selecting literature by time Spine Books
period. The largest section of the book fea-
tures listings divided by chronological periods. Occasionally I mention spine books in my
Selections reflect a strong western civilization reviews, particularly in this chapter. Spine
and Reformed Protestant perspective. In addi- books might be textbooks, real books or any
tion to chronological divisions, titles within other book that provides an overview of a sub-
those divisions are further broken down by age ject. A spine book is used as a primary resource
 History, Geography & Social Studies
213
in conjunction with other resources, sort of for complete coverage of U.S. history.
like a unit study. A spine book typically gives AAH purposely emphasizes social and cul-
you continuity and fills in gaps left by more tural aspects of history as we often find in
specialized topical resources. mainstream history texts for the elementary
grades. The content should be acceptable
Reviews of History Resources to almost all home educators since it is pre-
sented objectively and without editorializing
in comparison to some other options used by
All American History home educators. While it includes religious
by Celeste W. Rakes developments often ignored by other texts,
Bright Ideas Press these receive far less mention than one finds in
PO Box 333 history books from Christian publishers such as
Cheswold, DE 19934 BJU Press, A Beka Book, and Christian Liberty
877-492-8081 Press. Those wanting a secular text should be
email: [email protected] comfortable with the minimal treatment of
www.brightideaspress.com religion in this book. However, the student
Volume I or Volume II set - $68 each, activity book’s “For Further Study” suggestions
extra student activity books - $16.95 each, and “Family Activity Ideas” in the teacher’s
AAH Junior, Vol. I or Vol. II - $44.95 each, guide occasionally offer some more overtly
high school test packet - $7 Christian topics. For example, one For Further
All American Study question directs students to “Find out
History (AAH) is about John Eliot, the Puritan missionary who
a two-year, two- was known as the Apostle to the Indians”
volume course (AAH Student Activity Book, p. 81). With
in U.S. history. few exceptions, assignments and suggestions
It can be used by are not specifically Christian. This arrange-
students in grades ment allows the parent who prefers a secular
five through approach to skip any topics with which they
twelve, by either are uncomfortable. While Christian parents
one student or have occasional opportunities in AAH to make
multiple students faith connections, they might want to supple-
working at one or more grade levels. The AAH ment with more faith-based resources or raise
Junior edition allows you to include students questions about biblical principles and histori-
in kindergarten through fourth grade to learn cal characters and events.
along with their older siblings. There are three essential components to the
The two volumes are titled Volume 1, The course for each volume: the student reader,
Explorers to the Jacksonians and Volume 2: The student activity book, and teacher’s guide.
Civil War to the 21st Century. The core book is the hardcover student reader.
AAH is distinctly different from traditional Similar to textbooks, student readers present
textbooks with its multi-age approach as well historical information accompanied by black-
as its use of real books and hands-on activities. and-white illustrations. A brief summary of
It should work very well in homeschool set- key points concludes each chapter. The text
tings. Developed through use in co-op classes, of the Declaration of Independence and the
it easily adapts for use with individual children. Constitution are included in an appendix in
Each volume stands alone, but you need both both volumes. These are substantial books
 102 Top Picks
214
with 442 pages in the first volume and 557 in as your answer key for all but the For Further
the second. Study assignments. (Suggested answers for
Questions and assignments are all found in those are included in the instruction pages
the consumable student activity books. Here for each lesson.) Answer keys include lengthy
you find activity pages, map forms, review suggested responses for open-ended questions
questions, For Further Study assignments, and which are very helpful for parents who cannot
Images for Required Forms. The last item is a keep up with the student reading themselves.
collection of illustrations (primarily of people) The teacher’s guides have additional activ-
and flags to be used on activity pages. The ity suggestions and recommended reading lists
illustrations in the student activity book are for three levels: kindergarten through fourth
intended to be beneficial to both visual learn- grade, grades five through eight, and grades
ers as well as kinesthetic learners, providing nine through twelve. They also have checklists
cut-and-paste activities to keep their hands at the end of each unit to help you plan, show-
engaged. ing which activities are required and which
The required forms used with the images are are optional. In addition, the teacher’s guides
one or more worksheets per chapter for stu- include masters of the optional forms and all
dents to complete that summarize key informa- of the images. These images might also be used
tion from each chapter. The student activity for a timeline as well as for a game as described
book forms are intended to be filled in as the in the teacher’s guides.
student is either reading the text or listening Part of the reason this course is so suitable for
to the text being read. This is training in note- homeschooling is that while the ideal audience
taking skills, and it encourages them to be is probably junior high, it easily expands for
active readers and listeners. use with younger and older students. Younger
Activity book pages are perforated and students listen to highlights and key ideas from
three-hole-punched so they can be easily the chapter presented by the parent. They
removed and put into a binder. At the end read real books related to the time period.
of the activity book are Optional Forms for (Annotated lists of age-appropriate books for
Further Study. These forms require students each chapter are in the teacher’s guide.)
to do more in-depth research on topics such Younger students also participate in creating
as a Native American tribe, a Revolutionary timelines, map work, and other hands-on
War or World War battle, or a United States learning activities. Bright Ideas Press has also
President. Some forms might be used more come out with optional All American History
than once. While these are great for students Junior courses for both volumes that give stu-
in grades five through eight, high school stu- dents smaller amounts of material to read, add
dents should probably be working at a more age-appropriate literature study guides, and
challenging level than is posed by these forms. provide alternative map work, activity pages,
The course for each volume is broken down folder book projects, puzzles, and notebooking
into four units, with eight lessons (chapters) and coloring pages. The Junior program sub-
per unit. The activity book has review ques- stitutes for the student activity books, but you
tions for each lesson, but it also has a test at still need the student readers and the teacher’s
the end of each unit. An additional set of high guides.
school level tests are available. It’s even easier with high school students.
The teacher’s guides include reduced repro- While you choose from among the optional
ductions of all student activity book pages with activities for students in elementary grades,
completed answers and information to serve older students complete most of the optional
 History, Geography & Social Studies
215
activities, especially the For Further Study same general topics to all students while using
questions and the optional forms. The student resources and activities suitable to various
readers cover most topics very briefly, so it levels.
is essential that high school students delve BiblioPlan identifies itself as a classical pro-
deeper into some topics. They need to read at gram, so it presents levels with reference to
least one book per unit from the recommended the grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric stages.
reading lists. Optional test packets for high It also uses the history-study guidelines from
school students are also available for $7 each. The Well-Trained Mind, Susan Wise Bauer and
The biggest drawback for high school students Jessie Wise’s book about classical education.
is that they might need to complete both While the primary focus is history, stu-
volumes in one year because of other credit dents do significant work in geography as well
requirements. as reading and writing (more as they shift
Another plus regarding this course for home- to upper grade levels), enough so that they
schoolers is that the components are very rea- should also receive at least partial course cred-
sonably priced, especially the teacher’s guide. its for literature and geography, and possibly for
To teach an additional student in the same composition.
family, you might share the student reader and The Bible is used heavily in the first BiblioPlan
purchase only an extra student activity book. to teach both biblical history and knowledge
The books are very professional in appear- of scripture itself. Church history receives
ance and presentation, but other than the significant attention in the second course.
covers, they are printed in black-and-white Subsequent courses feature biographies of sig-
throughout. This should not be a big issue for nificant Christians—“giants of the faith” —
most students. within each historical period and geographical
area. So BiblioPlan will also provide either par-
tial or full coverage of religion for each school
BiblioPlan year. A chart in the introductory pages of each
by Julia and Family or Teacher’s Guide shows high school
Rob Nalle credits that might be assigned for each course.
email: contactus@ There are four BiblioPlan courses:
biblioplan.net • Ancients, which covers Creation to the
www.biblioplan. Fall of Rome
net • Medieval, which covers the Fall of Rome
prices vary by to the Renaissance (Note: while the focus is
level, choice primarily on western civilization, this course
of format, and does cover Asia, Africa, and the Americas
options; see prior to Columbus, as well as Islam.)
the publisher's • Early America and the World, which covers
website for from 1600-1850
price information • Modern America and the World, which
BiblioPlan offers a unique approach for covers 1850-2000 (Note: this course has a
teaching history to children at all grade levels slightly conservative political slant.)
together. BiblioPlan courses teach from a bibli- You should cycle through these four courses
cal Christian (Protestant) worldview, although with your children, shifting them up to higher
not all resources used within the program levels the next time (or even a third time)
do so. It accomplishes this by presenting the around. Selecting the activities and readings
 102 Top Picks
216
for a higher level each time keeps the material Assignments for readings in the BiblioPlan
fresh and age appropriate. Companion are laid out in the weekly plans
You can begin teaching a student in BiblioPlan in the corresponding BiblioPlan Family Guide.
at any level beginning with whichever of the Within each BiblioPlan Family Guide is a set
four courses works best for you, although you of one-page, weekly lesson plans for 34 weeks.
should have the entire family working from the Lesson plans chart out which pages of which
same BiblioPlan course each year. resources are to be used on a three-day per
BiblioPlan courses are written from a week schedule. Students might do independent
Christian worldview. However, their ecumeni- reading, research, and/or writing between ses-
cal approach make them usable by those from sions depending upon their level. The schedule
different denominations as well as by those has rows listing optional resources for different
holding young earth and old earth views. For age levels, writing assignments for the various
example, Ancients begins with a discussion levels, as well as assignments from alternate
about the age of the earth, presenting different spine books.
options with a respectful attitude. Noah’s flood, Each course integrates historical literature
the Tower of Babel and other biblical events including some titles related to Bible and
are treated as factual. Occasional mention is church history. BiblioPlan courses differ from
made of evolutionary viewpoints, but generally similar programs since they recommend many
with a tilt toward creationism. For example, literature selections for supplemental reading
Ancients acknowledges that both evolution- but do not require specific books. Each course
ists and creationists believe that there was an recommends optional spine books that you
ice age, but it presents dating explanations might choose to read from along with readings
from both perspectives differentiating based from the Companion. (A spine book is a broad
on belief in either uniformitarianism or cata- history resource covering many events in his-
strophic processes. tory.) The Story of the World, Mystery of History,
Modern American and the World also reflects Streams of Civilization, History of US, and Trial
this ecumenical approach with coverage of some and Triumph are examples of some of the sug-
Catholic missionaries along with Protestants. gested spine books. Recommendations of fic-
Most Catholics should find Modern American tion for each unit are included in the Family
and the World an excellent choice since it Guide. Fiction lists are arranged by levels as
includes discussion of critical events such as well as for family read alouds. Lists include
Mexico’s repression of the Catholic Church. descriptions of the books, suggested age ranges,
(This is probably the best modern history and the number of pages for each book. These
text I’ve yet seen that includes discussion of descriptions are very helpful since you need to
Christianity without leaning almost exclusively choose from among a number of options.
toward Protestantism or Catholicism.) While The Family Guides also list a composition
the Medieval course treats Catholicism with assignment for each week, with assignments for
respect, it highlights Protestant heroes and three different levels: young writer, grammar,
events. and logic levels. Assignments for the rhetoric
Components level are in the Advanced Cool History books.
The core components of each BiblioPlan The BiblioPlan Companions surprised
course are the BiblioPlan Family Guide and me with their breadth and depth of con-
the BiblioPlan Companion. The BiblioPlan tent. Written from a Christian worldview
Companions each serve as your core book (Protestant), the Companions are somewhat
for history content (one for each course). like textbooks with readings and background
 History, Geography & Social Studies
217
information, biographical sketches, timelines, the appropriate Cool History activity book for
bullet-point summaries, charts, maps, and each student. (These are described below.)
"Fascinating Facts." Sections printed in black- Weekly assignment charts in the Family
and-white cover the basic narrative and time- Guides also include lists of the possible lit-
line. Sections with colored backgrounds cover erature selections for four levels plus optional
biographies and other special topics. Division movies/DVDs or audio CDs. Another section
of the content into the various sections breaks of the assignment charts lists optional hands-
up the reading into more manageable chunks, on activities. There you’ll find mention of
and not all of the chunks are essential. This is other BiblioPlan products such as the Hands-
important since the BiblioPlan Companions on Maps, Family Discussion Guide, timeline
are lengthy books; the Ancients Companion figures, coloring pages, and crafts as well as
has 354 pages, the Medieval Companion has mention of specific cards from Veritas Press’
747 pages, the Early Modern Companion has and Classical Conversation’s history card sets
864 pages, and the Modern Companion has 588 if you want to use either of them.
pages! Most BiblioPlan supplements are specific to
While older students can read the BiblioPlan each of the four BiblioPlan courses. Some are
Companions on their own, parents need to essential and a few are optional. Permission
read the appropriate sections aloud to younger is given to reproduce pages of the following
students. The Cool History books for Littles supplements for use within your family.
(see description below) identify which sec- Cool History: These four essential books
tions in each Companion should be read. have assignments specific to each level. You
The Companions occasionally have “In Brief” need to purchase only the level(s) needed for
sections that summarize information that is your children. Choose from four levels: Littles
repeated in greater detail. Young students or (K-2), Middles (grades 2-6), Upper Middles
others that are overwhelmed can get the key (grades 6-8), and Advanced (grades 9-12). A
points from these sections without having to fifth option is also available for those who want
read everything. On the other hand, older to use Susan Wise Bauer's Story of the World;
students can skip the In Brief sections since Cool History Classics draw questions from
they will be reading the expanded presenta- both the Companion and Story of the World. A
tion instead. The Companions are also heavily single Cool History Classics for each volume of
illustrated with pictures and maps that support BiblioPlan targets grades one through six. You
the text information. would choose this in place of another Cool
Within the BiblioPlan Companions, geog- History if you know that you want to incorpo-
raphy is integrated at points where it con- rate Story of the World as a spine.
nects with the history throughout each course, In each Cool History, there is approximately
so students learn geography in context, an one worksheet per week plus occasional sup-
approach that I think works better than teach- porting activity pages. Cool History books for
ing geography on its own. The geography is Littles include the specific reading assignments
supported by map work activities in the supple- in the Companion. With Middles level students,
mental Hands-On Maps book for each course. parents will need to use their own judgment as
World geography is stressed in the first two to which sections to read, probably reading
volumes and U.S. geography in the second two. most of the colored sections rather than the
In addition to the Family Guide and the black-and-white sections. (Upper Middles and
BiblioPlan Companion for each course, fami- Advanced students should be reading almost
lies will need the Family Discussion Guide plus everything.) While all levels have questions on
 102 Top Picks
218
the readings from the Companion, other activ- printer, you might want to purchase the print
ities vary depending upon the level. For exam- edition of this book rather than print it out
ple, younger students have coloring activities. yourself. The timeline is best for kindergarten
The two lowest levels have hands-on activi- through eighth grade.
ties. The second and third levels start children Coloring Book: A Coloring Book for each
into research activities, while the fourth level BiblioPlan has pages with drawings of key fig-
requires students to do significant research and ures or events for young students to color.
essay writing. Examinations are included in the Craft Books: Craft Books for each BiblioPlan
two upper levels. Answer keys are included at course have a number of activities for each
the end of each book. unit. For example, when students are studying
Hands-on Maps: These are four different the Roman Empire, they might make a banner,
sets of worksheets with map work and geogra- hold a mock chariot race, dress up like roman
phy activities that correlate directly with each citizens (and have a Roman feast), or make
BiblioPlan course. There are one or two pages Roman warrior’s equipment. For some proj-
per week to be completed. Work is primarily ects, you’ll need craft materials like a hot glue
labeling and coloring, but sometimes students gun, paint, felt, pipe cleaners, and poster board
are asked to draw in boundary lines. Reviews as well as some unusual items like a ceramic
and exams are included. They are available for flower pot. Craft books have activities to suit
two levels: Middles (grades 2-7) and Advanced all ages.
(grades 7-12). Students at the younger levels Co-ops or Christian School Classes:
should be given only selected assignments from BiblioPlan has created a special Teacher’s
the Middles book, and they will require paren- Guide for those teaching co-op classes or in
tal assistance. By fifth grade, students should Christian schools. The Teacher’s Guide for
be able to complete map work independently. each BiblioPlan course provides very detailed
Family Discussion Guide: Family Discussion instructions for teaching same-age or multi-
Guides provide key points to review and dis- age groups. Group class teachers would use this
cuss with children as well as a range of ques- guide rather than the Family Guide. Teachers
tions. Some questions are designed to develop would also not need the Family Discussion
a Christian worldview. Parents should pick Guide.
and choose questions most appropriate for Summary
their children. Parents need to be familiar with All of these resources work together to make
material in the Companion since questions are it easy for both parents and teachers to present
based on its content, and they are also some- history in a far more interesting fashion than
times directed to retell stories or events from traditional textbooks.
the Companion. BiblioPlan resources are available as ebooks
Timeline: A Timeline for each BiblioPlan or in printed hard copies, with substantial sav-
includes pictures of people, places, and events ings on ebook versions. Sample pages from the
that are printed in full color. These are a mix- various resources as well as all of the options
ture of reproductions of artwork (especially for purchasing bundles, print, or ebooks are
portraits), drawings, photographs, drawn fig- available on the publisher’s website. You can
ures, and flags. The timeline itself consists of also download free, three-week samples of all
pages that can be mounted on a wall or put four courses at the publisher’s website so you
into a notebook. Timeline pages show where can check it out before buying.
figures are to be mounted and include descrip-
tive text. Unless you have a high-quality color
 History, Geography & Social Studies
219
Catholic Schools Textbook and teacher's manuals. Check the publisher's
Project History Series website for rental costs.
Catholic Schools Textbook Project All of the Catholic Schools Textbook Project
PO Box 4638 texts are nicely illustrated in full color. The
Ventura, CA 93007-0638 textbooks are written in more of a narrative
888-610-3354 style than many traditional texts, so they are
www.catholictextbookproject.com fairly interesting to read. All of the student
The Catholic texts include chapter review questions and
Schools Textbook activity suggestions. From Sea to Shining Sea
Project’s goal is to and texts above that level add chapter sum-
produce high qual- maries of key points. Both volumes of Light to
ity history text- the Nations as well as Lands of Hope add lists of
books that teach key concepts, dates to remember, and central
from a Catholic characters at the end of each chapter.
w o r l d v i e w. Teacher’s manuals do not reprint student
Eventually, they textbook pages. They have extensive teach-
intend to produce ing material for each chapter that includes a
books for all grade chapter overview, chapter goals, paragraph-
levels. However, long explanations of each key piece of informa-
they began with the upper grade levels first, tion students should master, vocabulary terms
and five books are available thus far. and definitions, review questions, optional
The textbooks are fairly similar to standard activities, sample quiz and test questions, and
history texts in methodology and presentation. answers to all of the questions. Sample ques-
However, the inclusion of the Catholic per- tions can be used to construct your own tests,
spective means that some events are presented although this is a bit of work.
with a different slant and some events and Student workbooks are available for each
people are included that might be skipped in text on CD-ROM. You can purchase a class-
a non-Catholic presentation. In addition, the room license ($25) or a single-family license
overall scope and sequence leans somewhat ($10) for a year, or you can purchase a PDF
toward a western civilization emphasis. Even or epub version ($20 each). Workbooks have
with a Catholic emphasis, the texts avoid the activities for subsections of chapters so stu-
temptation to make the actions of Catholics dents are continually reviewing and reinforcing
always look good in contrast to those with chapter content rather than simply answering
other religious beliefs. end-of-chapter questions. Workbook questions
Textbooks are available in hardcover editions emphasize comprehension rather than deeper
and either epub or Adobe Digital editions. thought as do some end-of-chapter ques-
Both digital editions are available for purchase tions. Question formats are fill-in-the-blank,
or for rent; the rental option greatly reduces matching, circling, true/false, underlining, and
the cost, and there are rental options for one, crossword puzzles. There are also map labeling,
two, or three years. (The Adobe Digital Reader drawing, and maze activities.
is a free download for PC and Mac systems.) From Sea to Shining Sea:
Digital editions have an easily accessible table The Story of America
of contents for quick navigation. Because there textbook: hardcover - $65, epub or PDF -
are too many price options to list, I am includ- $50 each; teacher's manual - $30
ing only the prices for full purchase for texts (Publisher's suggested grade levels: 5-9)
 102 Top Picks
220
Beginning with early explorers such as St. Note: A free supplemental chapter on
Brendan and Leif Ericsson, this text tells the The Great Awakening is available at http://
story of the United States up through the c a t h o l i c t ex t b o o k p r o j e c t . c o m / p r o j e c t /
1800s. Note that the text begins with the project-supplements.html.
story of a saint, and it concludes with a chap- All Ye Lands: World Cultures and
ter titled “Catholics in America.” While a Geography, 2011 revised edition
Catholic viewpoint crops up from time to time textbook: hardcover - $65, epub or PDF -
throughout the rest of the text, the presenta- $50 each; teacher's manual - $30
tion is not at all heavy-handed. In fact, in my (Publisher's suggested grade levels: 6-9)
opinion, this text could have used even more Major improvements and revisions were
Catholic perspective. Missing, for example, are made to this second edition of All Ye Lands.
any mention of the Know Nothing movement The text is ambitious in scope. While the pur-
and the development of the Catholic school pose is the coverage of world geography and
system. However, the text is suggested for cultures, it also attempts to present an over-
students in grades five through nine, and both view of all of history by highlighting particular
topics do show up in Lands of Hope and Promise. events and civilizations.
Overall, this is an excellent text and one of the The first chapter introduces geography, then
best choices up through eighth grade. I would brief sections on geography appear at the
generally recommend that ninth graders use beginning of most chapters. A "Things to Do"
the more-challenging text, Lands of Hope and section at the end of most chapters provide
Promise, for U.S. history. However, if you use map work activities. These usually include
All Ye Lands in sixth or seventh grade, it makes drawing and labeling, but they sometimes
sense to follow it with From Sea to Shining Sea. stretch into other topics such as longitude and
With 206 pages, the student workbook offers latitude. Political maps are included through-
substantial review and reinforcement for the out the text.
lessons in the text. However, it seems targeted I very much appreciate the rewrite of the
at the lowest end of the age spectrum with second chapter on prehistory. It makes it a
activities generally appropriate for fifth and little clearer than did the first edition that
sixth graders rather than eighth and ninth. early man was of a different category than apes.
Activities include fill-in-the-blanks, match- It makes a definite statement that all people
ing, crossword puzzles, drawing, coloring, and descended from Adam and Eve. However, I
map work. These activities work within the question its presentation of homo erectus as an
comprehension and memory realm rather ancestor of homo sapiens since current genetic
than requiring students to do deeper think- research shows that homo erectus, at best,
ing. Questions in the Chapter Activities that might descend from a predecessor common to
appear in both the student text and teacher’s both home erectus and homo sapiens rather
manual do stretch students to deeper think- than being an ancestor. The text also accepts
ing, but there are only a couple of these ques- an old age for the earth and living creatures.
tions for each chapter. An answer key for the In spite of the potential error regarding homo
workbook is also included on the CD-ROM. I erectus, because of the nuanced presentation
would have loved to see potential questions or regarding prehistory, I think that both those
even tests and quizzes themselves included on who believe in evolution as well as those who
the CD-ROM to make test creation simpler for reject it should be able to work with this text.
teachers and parents. The publisher tells me For example, on the same page as the informa-
this is something they are working on. tion about homos erectus it says, "Based on
 History, Geography & Social Studies
221
several bits of evidence they have discovered, the Incarnation. With this background, chap-
scientists have concluded that human-like ter one then begins with the birth of Jesus and
creatures have been on the earth for at least 1 continues through the establishment of His
million years. This is not a fact, but a theory— church.
an idea we form to explain facts we discover" Against the backdrop of the Roman empire,
(p. 24). You might want to add your own dis- it tells the stories of martyrdoms, evangeliza-
cussion regarding evolution and creation with tion, and the spread of Christianity, primarily
your children at this point. through the Middle East, Europe and Africa.
While views on prehistory might be debat- The Rise of Islam receives a good deal of atten-
able, once the text moves on to the Sumerian tion since the conflict between Christianity
and Egyptian cultures (still in the second and Islam was and remains such a major force
chapter), it is on firmer historical ground. It in world history.
provides an excellent overview of world his- The text moves on through the so-called
tory and cultures. Granted, it is selective in Dark Ages to the feudal and medieval periods.
coverage, but it balances out the develop- Students then study the rise of nations (Spain,
ment of Christian civilization (through Israel, England and France) and the Crusades, then
Greece, Rome, and Europe) with study of the decline and decay of the Middle Ages that
China, Japan, India, Africa, Russia, and Latin paved the way for the Renaissance and the
America. Another chapter presents the United Protestant Reformation. Religion and politics
States within the context of world history. both became major factors in the wars that
At the end of each chapter are four different ensued following the Reformation, and the
activities. "Let's Remember" questions require text follows this thread through European his-
students to write out answers in complete tory up into the early eighteenth century.
sentences. "Let's Consider" questions can be The text also includes the creation and
used for discussion, personal reflection, or expansion of colonial empires, brief cover-
short essay responses. "Things to Do" are the age of the American colonies, and chap-
map activities mentioned earlier. "Let's Eat!" is ters on Africa, the Age of Enlightenment,
a food activity relating to the culture studied. Capitalism, China, Japan, Latin America, and
The revised edition has also added and the Scientific Revolution.
strengthened connections to scripture. After studying this text, students should
Light to the Nations, Part I: have a clear understanding of the develop-
Development of Christian Civilization ment of our western Christian civilization.
textbook: hardcover - $65, epub or PDF This book and Light to the Nations: Part II fill
- $50 each; teacher's manual - $30 the clear need for a study of world history that
(Publisher's suggested grade levels: 7-11) fully acknowledges the vital role Catholicism
Published in 2008, this text uses an intro- has played in the development of our own
ductory chapter to lay the groundwork for the civilization. Although this is not a church his-
story of Christian civilization. It begins with tory text, students will certainly learn a great
Adam and Eve, and then deals briefly with deal about the development and growth of the
prehistory, cautiously presenting the birth of Catholic Church, key figures in that develop-
civilizations without bringing in evolution. ment, and conflicts that have embroiled and
This leaves parents the freedom to deal with shaped the Church.
that topic separately. Within this introductory At 574 pages, this is a substantial book.
chapter it shows how God revealed Himself in While it might be suitable for some seventh
preparation for his entry into history through graders as the publisher suggests, I think it
 102 Top Picks
222
will more likely suit students in grades eight At 650 pages this is definitely a high school
through ten. You might want to use this text (or even adult) level text. It provides much
in ninth grade, Light to the Nations, Part II in more detail on the topics it covers than do
tenth grade, and Lands of Hope and Promise most high school history texts, perhaps too
in eleventh grade, and allow time for study of much for some students; I would not recom-
government and economics in twelfth grade. mend it for junior high students. Nevertheless,
You should keep your own scope and sequence it is an excellent text for students interested in
in mind as you determine when you might use history and willing to do the reading.
this text. Lands of Hope and Promise: A
Light to the Nations, Part II: The History of North America
Making of the Modern World textbook: PDF - $60, hardcover and epub
textbook: hardcover - $65, epub or PDF - versions are in the works, teacher's manual -
$50 each; teacher's manual - $30 not yet available
(Publisher's suggested grade levels: 8-11) (Publisher's suggested grade levels: 7-12)
Part II continues the story of world history, Lands of Hope and Promise is an outstanding
picking up with the Age of Enlightenment. history text. It does an excellent job of present-
History coverage centers on Europe and Russia ing United States history with fair coverage of
with attention to other countries and conti- both Protestant and Catholic views. It is, nev-
nents only in relation to them. Even among ertheless, a Catholic history, so it includes sto-
European countries, France gets more space ries of St. Elizabeth Seton and Dorothy Day as
than other countries. Three of the book's 20 well as coverage of encyclicals that addressed
chapters center around Napoleon and events prominent issues in America, especially eco-
concurrent with his time in power! nomic issues. The political tone cannot be
As with other texts in this series, church his- described as either conservative or liberal,
tory and religious events are also given signifi- although there seems to be a fairly strong lean-
cant attention. Likewise the Enlightenment, ing toward a constitutionally-limited govern-
the rise of romanticism, and other worldview- ment. For example, in reference to Franklin
related movements are also addressed. All of Roosevelt and the New Deal, the text relates,
this helps the reader understand historical “The centralization of government in the
events within a worldview context. federal government, dreamed of by Hamilton,
This text ends with discussion of the Catholic begun under Abraham Lincoln, furthered by
Church and the modern world with some the Radical Republicans and Reconstruction,
excellent insights into a Catholic worldview of perfected by Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow
government and society, particularly the con- Wilson, was about to reach its logical practical
cept of religious liberty. However, it skips over expression under F.D.R.” (p. 758).
most historical events from the late twentieth The text is quite long for a high school his-
century to the present. Aside from brief men- tory text. The coverage is thorough, and the
tions of a few events such as the creation of the author takes the time to make connections
European Economic Union and the exporta- between events and ideas so that readers
tion of American culture around the world, it understand the interplay of events. This is the
essentially ends with the Communist takeover sort of history we find more often written for
of China. Given that the most recent history is adults who want to truly understand history
also omitted from Lands of Hope and Promise, rather than just rushing through a litany of
you might want to use other resources to cover names, dates, and places.
the late twentieth century and recent years. The text covers through 1973 then wraps
 History, Geography & Social Studies
223
up the study in an epilogue suggesting topics
History by Earl Schenck Miers, a book that
for students to pursue that pertain to history
should have very broad appeal in the home-
over the past 40 years. The text justifies this
school market. Children from about ages seven
unusual approach by explaining that “the to twelve should enjoy the author’s lively,
author of this history text and its readers…are
storytelling approach to history. The book also
actors in the drama of contemporary history….
features more than 200 action-packed, color-
We are caught up in the events we would wishful images by well-known illustrator James
to understand. They are too close to us” (p.Daugherty.
858). It is then left to the teacher to lead dis-
Rather than a history text, Miers has written
cussion or research into a lengthy list of topics.
a chronological collection of 50 stories that
Perhaps, since students have already read 861
highlight some of the most important events
pages to get to this point, some might choose
and people in the history of the United States.
to end the course without addressing more These include historical events you would
recent events. expect such as the voyage of the Mayflower
According to the title, this is a “history of
and the Boston Tea Party as well as a few
North America.” While there is some coveragecultural events such as the first game of inter-
of Mexican and Canadian history, most atten-collegiate football in 1869 and life on a cattle
tion is on the United States. drive. Children also learn about scientific dis-
While Lands of Hope and Promise is suggested
coveries such as electricity and the invention
for grades seven through twelve, because of the
of the radio.
book’s length and depth of coverage, I would Throughout the book, the author conveys
recommend it for grades ten and above. a sense of the “American spirit” of pride,
Summary adventurousness, and determination as well as
Overall, the Catholic Schools Textbook patriotism. While it is not an overtly Christian
Project makes an extremely valuable contribu-
book, it discusses religious events positively.
tion to Catholic education—one long overdue For example, it tells the story of the missionar-
and sorely needed. ies Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet
in a positive vein, and it mentions President
Abraham Lincoln drawing spiritual strength
A Child's First Book of American from prayer. Miers is aware of his young audi-
History ence, so stories are presented appropriately for
by Earl Schenck them. For example, the story of the Donner
Miers, illustrated by Party does not mention cannibalism.
James Daugherty The book does not try to cover all histori-
Beautiful Feet Books cal events. If children ages ten and above are
1306 Mill St. reading it, you will almost certainly want to
San Luis Obispo, supplement with additional material, espe-
CA 93401 cially material on modern history, since this
800-889-1978 book ends at the conclusion of WWII. In fact,
email: letters@ you might use A Child’s First Book of American
bfbooks.com History as a supplement rather than your pri-
www.bfbooks.com mary resource with students in middle school
$32.95 even up into high school. For children who
Beautiful Feet Books has re-published and will be studying U.S. History again before high
updated A Child’s First Book of American school in some fashion, the coverage is fine
 102 Top Picks
224
without supplements. without companion course material. For years
Most stories are just the right length for homeschoolers scrambled to find out-of-print
reading in a single session, although some copies of this book, paying premium prices
might be better read over two sessions. While for well-used copies. Finally, recognizing the
children about fourth grade and above should demand, Calvert Education republished it in
be able to read the book on their own, the an updated edition. The update included the
writing style really lends itself to dramatic addition of events through the twentieth cen-
reading aloud. Here is a brief example from tury as well as some minor content changes to
the story of "The Quest for the Seven Cities." archaic expressions and ideas.
It begins, The primary appeal is the writing style.
After six hundred years of fighting the Hillyer speaks to children in ways they under-
Moors, Spain faced bankruptcy. A miracle stand, yet he doesn’t talk down to them in the
was needed to save the country from finan- short, choppy sentences typical of most texts
cial despair, but in Spain fantasy often passed written for middle elementary grades. The
for truth. One such fantasy was the island difference is obvious in the page count—625
of Antillia. No two map-makers could agree pages. Illustrations are minimal: a few maps,
where in the unexplored oceans this island line drawings, and occasionally words arranged
could be found, but all believed that who- to convey an idea. (Can you imagine any mod-
ever reached Antillia would find the fabulous ern publisher offering a textbook this length
Seven Cities (p. 25). for fourth graders without color illustrations?)
While there is an index, there are no Despite the lack of illustrations, Hillyer’s
end-of-chapter questions or other textbook book is far better than most of its modern
features. counterparts in my estimation. It offers depth
A Child’s First Book of American History is and interest lacking in most textbooks. History
one of the few children’s history books that you coverage reaches beyond Europe, the Middle
might want to buy in the hard cover edition East, and North America with selective top-
because you will probably want to hold on to ics on other countries and cultures. Children’s
it forever. imaginations will be engaged by the stories
of history told in their proper settings with
enough detail to make them come alive.
A Child’s History of the World Hillyer clearly asserts Christian belief,
by Virgil M. Hillyer although his biblical references imply a ques-
Calvert Education tioning of the truthfulness of Old Testament
10713 Gilroy Rd., Ste. B stories. Also, he sometimes slightly misinter-
Hunt Valley, MD 21031 prets the biblical text. For instance, he says,
888-328-8285 “King Saul had a daughter, and she fell in love
www.homeschool. with this... David the Giant-Killer, and at last
calverteducation.com they were married.” This version overlooks the
book - $35, complete fact that Saul had promised his daughter in
course with textbook marriage to whoever killed the giant—it wasn’t
- $77, course without really a matter of falling in love. The begin-
text - $56 ning of the book also discusses cave men and
Hillyer’s classic elementary-level world his- prehistory in a manner with which some might
tory, A Child’s History of the World, is avail- disagree (e.g., cavemen talked in grunts).
able as a beautiful hardbound edition with or A Child’s History of the World really should
 History, Geography & Social Studies
225
be read aloud together so such things as I’ve gather information, how to think about and
mentioned can easily be discussed when you analyze information, and how to discuss and
encounter them. There are no chapter ques- write about what they have studied. They do so
tions or assignments in the book. in the context of history courses covering dif-
This book and associated lessons are includ- ferent eras. Courses implement classical educa-
ed in Calvert’s fourth grade curriculum, but tion strategies such as Socratic discussions and
Calvert also sells the book by itself or as part analytical writing. Classical educators will note
of a history course. The course adds a lesson that the methods used are appropriate for both
manual and a workbook. Lessons include out- the dialectic and rhetoric stages.
lines, activity ideas, and discussion questions. The Take A Stand! teacher guides are the
The student workbook has two parts. The core element in all courses, and they can be
first part is fill-in-the-blank comprehension used on their own or within the Classical
questions for each chapter. The second part Historian course bundles. The teacher guides
consists of activity pages with word scrambles, each outline a 32-week course of study.
crosswords, projects, recipes, map work, and For junior high students, there are three Take
more. A Stand! guides:
The book itself is a good choice for the first • Ancient Civilizations
world history text for younger students, and • Medieval Civilizations
the course makes it easy for parents to expand • American History from Columbus to 1900
learning beyond the reading itself. High school students also have guides for
three courses available:
• Modern World History - opens with a
The Classical Historian review of western political thought then
by John De Gree covers the "Age of Revolution" from the
The Classical Historian 1600s through the Cold War
1019 Domador • Modern American History - covers
San Clemente, CA 92673 Reconstruction then selected topics up
714-623-6104 through "Nixon and Watergate" and
www.classicalhistorian.com "Technology as a Cause for Change"
teacher guides - $24.95 each, student books • American Democracy and Economics - a
- $18.95 each, Teaching the Socratic classical approach to government and
Discussion in History DVD set - $79.99, economics
individual DVDs for Ancient or Medieval A few pages at the beginning of each teacher
Civilization - $19 each, full course bundles: guide explain the philosophy of the program.
$149.99 to $249.99 The second section of each guide provides
The Classical practical information such as required course
Historian is the components, time required for lessons and
name for the homework, enrichments ideas, and directions
history curricu- for end-of-semester oral presentations. Part
lum surround- three of the guide lays out 32 lessons plans, one
ing the Take A for each week of the school year.
Stand! series of Separate student workbooks are essential for
teacher guides. students to work through the various assign-
These Classical Historian courses teach stu- ments in the course.
dents how to read with discernment, how to The Classical Historian's Take A Stand!
 102 Top Picks
226
guides can be used with a broad range of refer- a DVD showing John De Gree conducting
ence resources for historical information, but Socratic discussions through the lessons for
most parents and teachers prefer using the each of those respective courses.
complete Classical Historian course bundles DVDs are not professional, but they are very
that incorporate the guides as well as appropri- helpful for showing how this approach actually
ate resource books for each course. There is a works in homeschool settings.
bundle for each Take A Stand! guide, You might think it redundant to repeat
Each Classical Historian bundle has a num- Teaching the Socratic Discussion each year. Some
ber of components. Common to each are a of the basic concepts are repetitive, but each
Take A Stand! teacher guide, the corresponding Take-A Stand! teacher guide has students work
Take A Stand! student workbook, and Teaching through Socratic discussions and writing skills
the Socratic Discussion DVD Curriculum. Each using resources and topics from that year’s
course also has one or more resource books textbook or resources on a particular histori-
that provide at least some of the historical cal period. This means that students practice
content for each course. applying skills in entirely new contexts each
Each complete course begins with use of time.
Teaching the Socratic Discussion in History While the teacher guide provides lesson
DVD Curriculum—a set of three DVDs and a plans and assignments, the student workbook
77-page guide. This set helps parents/teachers for each course guides students in their reading
and students learn this approach. (While it and research as well as through discussions and
comes as part of each bundle, it may be pur- extensive writing activities.
chased on its own.) Students are presented with very brief state-
On the first DVD, author John De Gree ments about a key event in their Take A Stand!
shares some of his background, introduces book then challenged to research and write in
the program, and explains how it works. The response to a questions.
second DVD is an extended version of the first For example, the first lesson in Medieval
DVD, with additional material directed toward Civilizations has to do with the fall of the
home educators. On the third DVD, “Tools Roman Empire. The "take a stand" question is,
of the Historian,” we watch De Gree working "Based on the evidence you researched, what
with different homeschool families through were the two most important reasons for the
some lessons. The guide includes instructions fall of the Roman Empire?" Three pre-writing
and forms so that you can actually teach your forms follow. One is headed "Reasons for the
own students through a complete lesson on fall of the Roman Empire." A first reason is
"The Fall of the Roman Empire," including the given as a "freebie" followed by six more blank
composition assignments. lines for students to add six more reasons they
(Parents and teachers who are interested can discover in their reading and research. The
become certified Classical Historian Teacher's second pre-writing activity is headed, "Explain
by working through this course and teaching your reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire."
some students. Requirements and instructions Here students use a brief statement to explain
are in the guide.) each of the reasons they came up with in the
While the DVDs in the Teaching the Socratic first activity. Again, one explanation is sup-
Discussion in History set include demonstra- plied then there are lines for the student to add
tions and explanations of the teaching pro- six more explanations. The third activity is a
cess, the Ancient, Medieval, and junior high more complicated chart that has the student
American History bundles each also include rate the reasons, ranking them as to relative
 History, Geography & Social Studies
227
importance. All of this helps them arrive at skill development and pre-writing activities
their two most important reasons, which they with a section of "skills assignments" at the
are then asked to defend. back of each Take A Stand! guide as well as
For their research, students might use the his- through the Teaching the Socratic Discussion
tory books that come in the Classical Historian lessons. (The author assumes that students
bundles or other resources. The more research already have basic writing skills.) The types
they do, the more well-developed their infor- of skills addressed in these sections are distin-
mation is likely to be. Junior high bundles for guishing fact and opinion, finding supporting
Ancient and Medieval periods each include evidence, taking notes, paraphrasing, using
only one additional book: World History quotations, writing a thesis statement, writ-
Detective (Critical Thinking Co.). These cours- ing a conclusion, outlining the essay, writing a
es have students use the internet for other rough draft, documenting sources, and creat-
research. All of the other bundles have at least ing a works-cited page. Rough draft and out-
two source material books. For example, the line forms are included for the various essays.
Modern American History bundle includes Parents or teachers might use the optional skill
A Patriot’s History of the United States and The assignments as needed for their own students,
Patriot’s History Reader (both published by skipping those that are unnecessary.
Sentinel). All of this sounds like fairly high level work
Originally written for classroom settings, especially for junior high students. However,
lessons in the Take A Stand! guides direct stu- author John De Gree assures me that he has
dents to compare their own conclusions with used these very successfully with junior high
those of classmates and consider whether or students, many of whom were ESL students
not they want to change their own conclusions with very weak knowledge of history. While
before writing their papers. Discussion with a arguments and essays from some students
parent or tutor can substitute for class interac- might be shallow or poorly informed, the learn-
tion, but however you manage it, discussion is ing experience itself still takes them beyond
essential. where they would be with only a textbook.
After students have worked through these Students with a better knowledge base are
steps, they are ready to write their essay and able to form more complex arguments. If you
pull it all together. They will first write one- use these books with high schoolers you should
paragraph responses then progress up through expect more depth of research and argumenta-
five-paragraph essays to multi-page essays. The tion than you would from those in junior high.
instructions for each of the essays says, "In your It's also important to note that assignments
essay, include a thesis, evidence, and explain gradually become more challenging, eventually
how your evidence supports your thesis." requiring the use of at least three sources, then
Essay assignments each have a chart for five sources.
recording due dates for various assignments. In One reason why I think the Classical
addition, grading rubric forms are included for Historian approach works so well is that when
the different essays. These can be used by both students read and research with the ques-
student and teacher. tions in mind, they pay much closer attention
Because these skills are taught incrementally than when reading simply to cover the mate-
and students master them a step at a time, rial. When they have to analyze information,
Classical Historian courses are very manage- thinking about cause and effect and relative
able for students beginning in junior high. importance, they have moved to a much deep-
Students are given plenty of assistance with er level of thinking. Discussing their research
 102 Top Picks
228
and ideas with others forces them to think Some books as well as the Teaching the
logically and critically. Socratic Discussion in History DVD set are used
The Classical Historian's mission statement for more than one course, so you need not pur-
says that they are, "dedicated to promot- chase a complete bundle for each course after
ing the American experiment of self-govern- the first year. Permission is generously granted
ment under law, rooted in its Judeo-Christian for a parent or teacher to make copies of pages
and Greco-Roman heritage. We believe in from any of the Classical Historian courses for
American exceptionalism and teach patrio- their family or class group.
tism through all our materials." While this is Games and Flashcards
the philosophy behind the program, Classical The Classical Historian has produced supple-
Historian resources can be used by those across mental games that should be useful, even with
the religious spectrum because they avoid younger students. Go Fish Card Games in your
biases both for and against religion by using choice of Ancient History, Medieval History,
a historical inquiry method. The curriculum American History, or Constitution ($11.99
includes questions that relate to religions with- each or a set of the three history card sets for
out expressing belief or unbelief. For instance, $29) can be used to play Go Fish or Collect
the final lesson in Ancient Civilizations on the the Cards which uses a series of three hints on
rise of Christianity poses the question, "Why each card for a quiz/review game. History cards
did the Roman Empire change from perse- can also be used to play Chronology (arranging
cuting Christians at the time of the death of cards in time sequence) or Geography (orga-
Jesus to supporting Christians by the Fourth nizing cards by geographical area). Cards are
Century?" Students might come up with a illustrated, color-coded, and numbered.
wide range of answers and opinions depending American History Flash Cards ($9.95 per
upon their research resources and parental or set) are three separate sets of cards covering
teacher directions. Also, remember that the from early American history up through the
parent or teacher can always add other ideas beginning of the twentieth century. Each set
to those presented in the book. Because of has 52 cards, and each card has two questions
that religious neutrality, the curriculum has with the answers on the reverse. These can be
been approved for purchase by charter school used for review, but I think they would also
students. serve well as “trivia” questions used with any
However, most, but not all of the textbooks game board with a path.
and other resources in the bundles, are rela- Summary
tively neutral regarding religion in their view- The Classical Historian courses are proving
points to make it easier for students to form to be very popular among homeschoolers who
their own opinions based on information. (Of want to engage in discussions with their chil-
course, you can use other resources instead of dren, as well as among those who want their
or in addition to those in the bundles.) Two children to both know historical information
resources might be considered as exceptions in and know how to analyze and write about that
this regard: Lessons for the Young Economist by information.
Robert P. Murphy, used for American Democracy
and Economics, is written from an Austrian
economics viewpoint and supports limited gov- Genevieve Foster books
ernment intervention, and The Patriot’s History Beautiful Feet Books
of the United States leans toward a conservative 1306 Mill St.
viewpoint both religiously and politically. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
 History, Geography & Social Studies
229
800-889-1978 grade and above will need to stop from time to
www.bfbooks.com time for discussion or explanation. You might
William Penn - $14.95, all others - $21.95 even take time off in the middle of a Foster
each book to read a biography or historical fiction
Beautiful that narrows down to a single person or event
Feet Books has for a change of pace.
brought back Despite the danger of information overload,
into print some I love the way these books connect events
of my favorite that are happening simultaneously around the
books for world world.
history for upper For the adventurous parent, I suggest creat-
elementary grades ing your own unit studies by jumping off on
through high one or more topics within each section of any
school. This is a series of books by Genevieve of Foster’s books. While there are no suggested
Foster that were written around the 1940s. assignments, study or discussion questions in
Titles published by Beautiful Feet are Augustus these books, you could easily come up with
Caesar’s World, The World of Columbus and some of your own for independent reading
Sons, The World of Captain John Smith, The and research. Note that all of the books have
World of William Penn, George Washington’s indexes that are very helpful when you want to
World, The Year of the Horseless Carriage 1801, locate information.
and Abraham Lincoln’s World. They reflect a The author provided her own hand-drawn
Christian culture although they don’t have illustrations for all of these books. The illus-
explicitly Christian content. trations are often helpful visualizations of the
The beauty of these books is the storytelling story content, including maps and drawings of
approach to history. Foster begins with the day key characters.
the key person was born and traces “goings- Beautiful Feet Books, publisher of the Foster
on” around the world throughout his lifetime. series, also publishes “history through litera-
Foster makes the connections between people ture” study guides, some of which include
and events all around the globe that are usually study questions for the Foster books. For exam-
lacking in textbooks. Because of this approach, ple, their Early American and World History
even George Washington’s World is a world his- guide for junior high uses the Foster books on
tory study. If you read these in chronological Columbus, John Smith, George Washington,
sequence you cover world history fairly well for and Abraham Lincoln along with other books.
the time periods they reflect. Their Ancient History guide uses Augustus
The World of William Penn and The Year of Caesar’s World. The World of William Penn
the Horseless Carriage 1801 are both briefer is used with Beautiful Feet’s new Western
books which should work fine as read alouds Expansion guide, and The Year of the Horseless
for children as young as fourth grade. All of Carriage 1801 is used with their newly revised
the other books are great for read-aloud time, Early American History study guide for primary
but only with older students, probably at least grades.
fifth grade level. Younger children will be over- Whether you read these on their own, in
whelmed with the information and will not conjunction with a Beautiful Feet history guide
have enough background knowledge to make or as part of another unit study, I expect you
the necessary connections. Often the informa- and your children will enjoy Foster’s books.
tion comes “rapid fire,” and even children fifth
 102 Top Picks
230
Guerber History Series history of ancient civilizations that are closely
by H.A. Guerber, edited by Christine Miller related to the Old Testament, so you learn about
Nothing New Press Egyptians, Phoenicians, Philistines, Assyrians,
P.O. Box 18335 Babylonians, and Persians to better understand
Sarasota, FL 34276 the historical context of scripture. Miller has
[email protected] also made a few changes to Guerber’s word-
www.nothingnewpress.com ing. Most particularly she changes Guerber’s
print editions: $24.95-$30.95, ebooks: original wording about the days of Creation
$14.95-$20.95 that allowed for “day” to mean a longer period
Christine Miller of time to an explanation that supports a literal
authored All through 24-hour-day viewpoint.
the Ages: History Guerber writes with a lively style, and
through Literature Christine Miller has retained that same engag-
Guide, which I ing style in her adaptations and additions.
described on page Part of what makes this type of writing more
212. In her guide, enjoyable is that the author’s feelings and
Christine recom- opinions show through the narrative. While
mends using at least this makes it more interesting to read, it also
one overview or spine means that we get some of Guerber’s original
type book for each thoughts and attitudes that might seem odd or
historical era in addition to titles that might archaic. Generally, Miller has updated archaic
focus on particular people and events. (An language. She has also added explanations
overview or spine book functions like a history in the forewords regarding topics where she
text in covering the broad range of events in differed with Guerber. Miller chose to align
chronological order.) Because it can be difficult ancient events with the biblical chronology
to find appealing spine books written from a of James Ussher rather than Guerber's. She
Christian perspective, Christine has updated also edited Guerber's passages concerning the
and rewritten a series of books originally writ- development of man that reflected evolution-
ten by H.A. Guerber (first published in 1898). ary assumptions.
These new books vary from minimal rewrites None of these volumes strives to be compre-
of Guerber’s work to incorporation of her hensive. Instead they focus on key events and
material into new books. The seven books in characters. This works fine for an overview
this series all begin The Story of The .... The in the first four volumes, but I find the topics
titles continue: Ancient World, Greeks, Romans, covered in The Story of the Great Republic curi-
Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation, ous from our 21st century perspective. Because
Thirteen Colonies, and Great Republic (U.S. that volume was originally written in 1899,
history to 1900). It is important to note that events closer to that time period loomed large
all of the material does not derive solely from in the author’s consciousness. Thus the Civil
Guerber’s original work. For The Middle Ages, War and the Spanish-American War both get
Miller also drew upon some historical works by more attention proportionately than they do
Charlotte Yonge. in more recent books. In spite of the original
The Story of the Ancient World is based upon 1899 copyright of this book, it actually contin-
Guerber’s The Story of the Chosen People, a bib- ues up through the assassination of President
lical history focused on key figures and events McKinley in 1901. Personally, I would be
of the Old Testament. Miller has added some likely to use something else instead of this last
 History, Geography & Social Studies
231
volume. areas. MFW was selling so many of these books
The reading level would make these books that they were able to work with the publisher
most appropriate for junior high level for inde- to produce their own edited edition.
pendent reading. However, they can be read The most significant edit is the elimination
aloud with children from about fourth grade of the first two chapters, “Introduction to
and up. There are no questions or exercises Human History” and “Early People.” These
with any of these volumes. But if you use them two chapters reflect belief in an old earth and
as read-aloud books, following up with discus- the theory of evolution, making statements
sion, narration, writing, or other activities of such as, “… life began 4,600 million years ago
your own, they will work fine with younger …” (p. 10).
students. Older students could be assigned The MFW edition begins instead with 5000
outlining, notetaking, or other written tasks to B.C. and continues with the original text up
demonstrate comprehension. through A.D. 2006. Pages and chapters are
Of particular note is the religious perspec- renumbered so that you cannot tell that the
tive. This series is Christian, and it does a book has been edited.
surprisingly good job of fairly presenting both This is a large, 378-page, hardcover book
Protestant and Catholic positions. Even in the that might be used across a wide span of grade
Renaissance and Reformation volume, you read levels. It covers world history across time
about the good and bad from both sides. and around the world, introducing each time
All books are available in either print or period with a two-page visual timeline. The
ebook versions. timeline is divided into color-coded sections
for Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and
Oceania so you can see at a glance what was
History of the World (MFW edition) occurring during the same time period around
by Plantagenet the world. Timeline bars at the bottom of each
Somerset Fry and page highlight where in time the events on
Simon Adams each page fit in.
DK Publishing in The book is heavily illustrated, with photos,
cooperation with drawings, and maps taking up at least half of
My Father’s World the space on each page. Every paragraph is
Order from MFW at preceded by a heading or subheading so that it
573-202-2000 is easy to scan through the content.
www.mfwbooks.com Coverage of each topic is necessarily brief
$39.99 (discounted and selective given the limited space to cover
to $35.95 by MFW) so much information. Because of this, History
My Father’s World (MFW), whose complete of the World works best when used as a supple-
courses are also featured among my Top Picks, ment alongside other books that provide more
uses many “real books” as part of each course. in-depth coverage. Students as young as about
They often use books from secular publishers, fifth grade are likely to enjoy exploring this
alerting parents to potentially problematic top- book, “reading the pictures,” and selectively
ics such as evolution and the age of the earth. reading the paragraphs on topics that interest
Obviously, this is a potential problem that them. Yet, this is the type of book that inter-
crops up frequently in world history books. ests older students and even adults because
DK Publishing’s History of the World is a clas- it is so visually appealing and unintimidating
sic example of a very useful book with problem compared to a text. While MFW includes it
 102 Top Picks
232
among books used with their high school level activities and suggestions are included to
World History and Literature course, they also adapt each volume to a much wider age span.
sell it separately. Titles for the volumes are:
History of the World MFW edition is an excel- • Volume I: Creation to the Resurrection
lent example of the fact books that I include • Volume II: The Early Church and the
in my list of real books for history. MFW is Middle Ages (A.D. 30-1460)
working with a few publishers to create more • Volume III: The Renaissance, Reformation,
of these “edited” fact books that should work and the Growth of Nations (1455-1707)
well for Christian home educators. • Volume IV: Wars of Independence to
Modern Times (1708-the present)
A number of supplemental items are avail-
The Mystery of History able that correlate with each volume of MOH:
by Linda Lacour Hobar • Audio CDs - recordings of all stories in a
Bright Ideas Press volume read aloud by the author to the
PO Box 333 accompaniment of appropriate background
Cheswold, DE 19936 music (This is a great time saver for busy
877-492-8081 parents, and it might be especially helpful
email: [email protected] for those children who like to hear the
www.brightideaspress.com stories more than once.)
Vols. I or II - $49.95 each; Vol. III: Student • Reproducibles CD-ROM - PDF files for
Reader - $59.95, Companion Guide - all pre-tests; post-tests; quarterly
softcover $39.95 or either CD-ROM or worksheets; semester tests; individual maps;
download - $29.95; Vol. IV - combination appendices; the suggested reading lists; and
of Student Reader more
(hardback) and • Coloring Pages - downloadable PDFs that
Companion Guide correlate with lessons
on CD-ROM - • Challenge Cards
about $75 • Notebooking Pages - PDF pages for
The Mystery of younger and older students
History (MOH) • Folderbook files for creating folderbooks
series is designed so for each quarter of the course—full year
that even inexperi- available on CD-ROM or each quarter
enced parents can available as a download
break free from traditional textbooks. The • History Through the Ages timeline figures
four MOH courses combine read-aloud infor- • Craft Pak - eight related craft projects
mation with age appropriate activities to cre- and reproducible coloring pages that
ate a multi-sensory curriculum for history and supplement the study
geography with a very strong biblical base. Each volume is structured for a school year
The first two volumes are designed to be used with four quarters divided into two semesters.
with children in kindergarten through eighth Lessons are arranged in sets of three with the
grade, although the reading level for Volume expectation that you will complete three per
I is about third or fourth grade. The reading week. Each quarter begins with “Around the
level advances about two years with each world” background and introductory informa-
volume. Thus, the reading level for Volume IV tion that you will want to read aloud with
is about ninth or tenth grade level. However, your children. Each week includes a pretest
 History, Geography & Social Studies
233
designed to spark interest, so you want to on other subjects. Other possible scheduling
present these in a light-hearted fashion (à la a suggestions for different levels are at the front
Trivial Pursuit game) rather than as a test. of the book.
Three lessons follow, each with a similar for- I appreciate Hobar’s explanation of the
mat: read-aloud information is presented from shift toward increasing student responsibility
the book then you choose an activity for each that should take place over the years. She
child to complete. An activity is given for has a simple diagram that shows high teacher
each of three levels. For example, the lesson involvement with minimal grading for young
on Noah in Volume I suggests that young chil- children that gradually reverses to low teacher
dren play a Concentration card game. Middle involvement and thorough record keeping and
grade to older students might use their Bibles grading at high school level. This approach to
to find answers to a list of questions regard- education is reflected in the activities suggest-
ing the account of the Flood. Older students ed for the different levels. Younger children
might instead tackle the third option, which will spend more time working one-on-one
requires research about the supplies needed with a parent. They have more arts-and-crafts
on the ark for Noah, his family, and all the type activities that are not graded. Older
animals. students do more independent research and
At the end of every third lesson is a remind- writing that is graded.
er for students to create “Challenge Cards.” Volume I: Creation to the Resurrection
These are 3” x 5” notecards with key informa- Volume I relies heavily on scripture since the
tion on each event. A color-coding system Bible is a source for much of what we know
helps students group events by time periods. about ancient times. Other than that, the his-
These are used for oral drill, games, or inde- torical information is all presented within this
pendent review. (Downloadable files for these book as it would be in a textbook. No other
cards may be purchased if you want to save reference works are required for this study
students from having to create these cards except for research activities older students
themselves.) might pursue. However, a large list of other
Review activities are always included at the books and videos that expand upon subjects is
end of the three lessons, sometimes includ- in an appendix, presented lesson by lesson and
ing field trip suggestions. Activities include broken down by age level.
work on timelines, maps, and a review quiz. Beginning with creation, the study follows
Reproducible map masters are at the back of biblical history, incorporating other sources
the book along with answer keys for the geog- as they fit into the chronological story. Thus,
raphy assignments. Author Linda Hobar rec- Stonehenge, early Egypt, and the Minoans are
ommends that you have both a Bible atlas and taught before Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph.
a historical atlas as references for map work. The little we know about world civilizations
Hobar also shares creative and inexpen- is represented by inclusion of lessons such
sive ideas for making timelines with detailed as those on Chinese dynasties, India and
instructions for using folding sewing boards as Hinduism, and early Greek city states up to
the base for portable timelines, although any the point where the historical record broadens
timeline will do. and we have more sources for learning about
You can see how all of this can break out early civilizations. Although eastern civiliza-
easily into three days of lessons with their tions are given some attention, the focus is
activities, a fourth day for timeline, mapwork, much stronger on western civilizations.
and quiz, and a fifth day for a field trip or focus While this is essentially a study of history,
 102 Top Picks
234
it is also a Bible study of sorts with an apolo- described should be available by 2015.
getic flavor in spots. The appendix of Volume The Volume III and Volume IV Student
I includes an adaptation of Campus Crusade’s Readers have more text than Volume II and sig-
booklet used for leading people to accept nificantly more than Volume I. Author Linda
Christ. A letter to students at the beginning of Hobar says the target audience for Volume III
the book direct students to that section of the is primarily grades four and up, but Volume
appendix if they don’t already have a relation- III seems to me best for junior high and high
ship with God. school level simply because of the breadth and
For Volume I, there is an optional set of eight depth of information covered. Volume IV was
audio CDs with the stories. written for grades seven through twelve but
Volume II: The Early Church seems especially good for high school.
and the Middle Ages Hobar suggests that "younger" (grades one
The second volume follows the same lay- through five) and "middle" students (grades
out as the first volume although the biblical six through eight) might listen in on parts
chronology concludes after the first few weeks of lessons in Volumes III and IV and partici-
of the course. There are 28 weeks worth of pate in age-appropriate activities suggested
lessons instead of 36 as in Volume I, but each in the Companion Guides—there are plenty
lesson has more content. You will want to of activities for all ages! Recommendations
have access to an atlas for this volume, and for appropriate books to read are also in the
some recommended atlases are listed in the Companion Guides. The quantity of material
introduction. Lists of additional resources you as well as the depth of the content might still
might use are at the back of the book. be too much for even some fifth and sixth
Hobar’s selection and presentation of topics graders. Volume IV's coverage of wars and
is fascinating. Given the huge time period she philosophy makes it inappropriate to include
covers in Volume II, she does a great job of younger students for many lessons.
pulling out key people and events so students Keep in mind that the writing style is very
get the big picture. engaging, and this certainly helps to offset
For Volume II, there are an optional set of 12 difficulty in the level or amount of content.
audio CDs with the stories and a cookbook. Occasionally, the author suggests that “young-
Volumes III and IV er” or “middle” students stop reading at a cer-
Volumes III and IV are formatted dif- tain point, and that older students continue
ferently than the first two volumes. Each with material that is deeper or more detailed.
course is divided into a Student Reader and Lessons with particularly sensitive content
a Companion Guide. Student Readers are include a note to the teacher at the begin-
large, colorful, hardcover books, while the ning of the lesson or segment so you won’t be
Companion Guides are sets of 500 to 600 caught off guard. This helps, but ultimately
black-and-white pages. Printed pages of the parents have to decide how much of the mate-
Volume III Guide come three-hole punched rial to cover with children in lower grades.
for insertion into your own binder, but you Even given the amount of material in the
can also buy the Volume III Guide either on readers, Hobar says that high school stu-
a CD-ROM or as a downloadable file. The dents should be reading additional books and
Volume IV Companion Guide is currently only primary source material from the extensive
available on CD-ROM. Note that Volume “Supplemental Books and Resources” sections
IV is being released in quarterly segments as in the appendices of the guides for Volumes
I write this review. All of the components III and IV. Hobar says that the combination
 History, Geography & Social Studies
235
of reading and activities for Volume III’s “core Mankind. In spite of these organizing themes,
curriculum” should take about one to three the course covers many other topics regard-
hours per week to complete, and Volume IV ing culture and religion. Selected histori-
should take a bit more time. For a high school cal figures are highlighted such as Voltaire,
credit, students should generally be spending Benjamin Franklin, Hudson, Taylor, Helen
four to five hours per week. To fulfill the hours Keller, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa,
requirement, students might also tackle a Billy Graham, and Nelson Mandela.
research paper or a number of shorter reports. Volume III and IV have the same supple-
Assignments already in the Guides might eas- mental components as the first two volumes
ily be expanded into lengthier assignments, except for the Craft Pak. Volume IV audio CDs
and some suggestions for this are provided in are not yet available.
the Guides. This combination of self-contained history
While high school students might complete and multi-sensory activities should be very
both of the first two volumes of Mystery of appealing to many homeschooling families.
History in one year, Volumes III and IV each
provide enough material and suggested activi-
ties for year-long high school courses. The Story of the World: History for
Keep in mind that high school students the Classical Child
will need to complete a separate U.S. history by Susan
course. If you need to condense MOH cours- Wise Bauer
es, you might skip some chapters, especially Peace Hill
chapters in Volume IV that duplicate material Press
in your U.S. history course. 18021 The
Map activities in Volumes III and IV require at Glebe Lane
least two atlases: Rand McNally Atlas of World Charles City,
Geography (previously titled Answer Atlas)and VA 23030
Rand McNally’s Historical Atlas of the World. Both 877-322-
are available through www.brightideaspress. 3445
com. WonderMaps (also from Bright Ideas email: [email protected]
Press) might take the place of both atlases for www.peacehillpress.com
most assignments but not all, so Wonder Maps texts for Vols. 1-4: paperback - $16.95,
might fulfill almost all of your atlas needs for hardcover - $21.95, PDF downloads -
Volumes I, II and III (and, eventually, Volume $9.99 each, audio textbooks: on CDs:
IV). (WonderMaps is a customizable collection $39.95 to $54.95 or MP3 downloads: $25
of over 350 different maps available either on to $35;
CD-ROM or as downloadable files.) activity books for Vols. 1-4: paperback
Volume III covers the time period of the - $34.95 to $36.95 or PDF downloads -
Reformation. Although Hobar does a bet- $27.95 to $29.50 each;
ter than average job of trying to present the student page packets: print - $9.95 to
Catholic side of issues (e.g., indulgences), the $12.95 or PDF downloads - $7.95 to
content is strongly Protestant. $10.35 each;
Volume IV teaches modern history under test packets: print - $12.95 to $14.95, PDF
four "war" themes: Wars of Independence, downloads - $10.35 to $11.95 each
Wars of Ideologies, Wars of the World, and The Story of the World (SOTW) by Susan
Wars of Modern Times and the Hope of Wise Bauer presents world history through
 102 Top Picks
236
narration and storytelling in this four-vol- henna. Reproducible blackline masters in the
ume series. While these books are written activity books are used for all sorts of things—
at increasing levels of difficulty, they might mapwork, board games, paper dolls, making a
be read aloud to younger children and read lighthouse, and more. Another useful feature
independently by older. The SOTW books is “Review Cards”—reproducible pages with
are available in your choice of hardcover, illustrations and blocks of information on
paperback(lay-flat binding), PDF downloads, each card. They are to be copied onto card
and audiobook on CD or MP3 download. stock and cut out. (I would suggest enlarg-
Many will recognize Bauer as one of the ing each page slightly before copying.) These
authors of The Well-Trained Mind (www. cards can be used as flashcards to review key
wwnorton.com)—an exceptionally useful ideas.
book on providing a classical education. This I particularly like the review questions that
history series is intended to be used within begin each section. These help children focus
the context of just such an education, even on the reading from the text. The narration
though it will also work within more tradi- exercises are also very helpful for parents who
tional approaches. have trouble figuring out how to implement
The SOTW books have only a few black- narration techniques. The guide truly supports
and-white illustrations and a good number of the grammar stage of classical learning with its
maps. These are not colorful, history picture focus on information and comprehension.
books for browsing since they are intended to In all four SOTW volumes, cross refer-
either be read aloud or used for independent ences are included to The Kingfisher Illustrated
reading by older students. History of the World, The Kingfisher History
The SOTW books are intended to be used Encyclopedia, The Usborne Book of World
as spine books around which you can build a History, and The Usborne Internet-Linked
complete study. To help you do just that, the Encyclopedia of World History. You would do
author has also created activity books for each well to purchase at least one of these addi-
volume. These activity books serve as curricu- tional basic resources. These books supply the
lum guides, providing parents with detailed colorful illustrations lacking in the core his-
information for creating multi-sensory lessons tory books as well as more complete historical
that can be used across a wide spread of grade information on some topics. Other recom-
levels. For each lesson there is a compilation mended books should be available through
of questions, narration exercises, reading lists your local library, but they are optional.
(for both history and literature), map work, For each of the four SOTW volumes there
coloring pages, and activities to accompany are also an activity book (available in both
each section of the text. softcover and downloadable PDF versions),
Reproducible student pages in SOTW activ- extra sets of looseleaf student pages, and test
ity books are segregated from lesson plans into booklets with answer keys.
their own section, which makes copying easier. Volume 1: Ancient Times
You are given permission to copy these pages Volume 1: Ancient Times addresses the time
for only your family. However, Peace Hill Press period from the earliest nomads (given a
sells the reproducible pages as separate pack- date of about 6000 B.C.) up through the last
ets which might be worth purchasing. emperor of ancient Rome—no cave men
You will find some very unusual project ideas or Neanderthals included! While the target
in the activity books such as mummifying a audience is grades one through four, this
chicken and making Greek tattoos with pure book’s 338 pages provide a lot of material in
 History, Geography & Social Studies
237
comparison to most world history texts for as the previous volumes, targeting grades
these grades. Nevertheless, coverage is not three through six. However, it seems a little
comprehensive because chapters are devoted scattered because it ambitiously tries to cover
to lengthy stories about key characters or a huge swath of worldwide history in about
events rather than tidbits about everything. 420 pages. It seems even more selective
On the other hand, the book does span civi- and limited in topics covered than previous
lizations around the world, including India, volumes, although featured topics each get
China, and West Africa in addition to the enough attention to present an engaging
usual cast of western civilizations. story. The activity book offers suggestions for
The presentation is not overtly Christian, expanding on any topics you wish with supple-
although it recognizes and includes mental books and activities. There’s much to
Christianity. Stories of gods and goddesses be said for this approach in contrast to history
from other civilizations are retold without texts that cover far more information but with
value judgments as to their validity. However, little or no depth on any of the topics.
the author’s own Christianity is still evident Volume 4: The Modern Age
in the heavy weighting of biblical stories— Volume 4 continues from 1850 up through
lengthy accounts about Abraham, Joseph, the 1990s. Meant for grades four through
Moses, and the beginnings of Christianity, as eight, this volume is more like a history text
well as the birth, death, and resurrection of than the other books. It uses storytelling
Jesus. within the context of relating historical events
The entire activity book for the first volume rather than telling selected stories, making it
is 320 pages in length, and the reproducible more comprehensive in coverage than earlier
pages account for 127 of those pages. books. In my opinion, this is one of the best
Volume 2: The Middle Ages options for world history for upper elementary
Volume 2, which covers from the Fall of through junior high levels. One issue that
Rome to the Renaissance, is very much like might give some parents pause is one of omis-
the first volume, but is written for an audience sion. Religion and its influence are seldom
in grades two through five. In her delightful mentioned. Nevertheless, this is a very engag-
style, Bauer covers a huge amount of territory ing history resource that should work for most
with selective highlights that actually provide families.
good introductory coverage. She hits touchy The activity book for Volume 4 teaches
territory when it comes to the Reformation students how to outline what they read in
although she tries to balance her presenta- the text. Halfway through the book, students
tion better than do most authors. However, I begin to write from the outlines, recalling and
suspect some Catholics might want to skip or writing details to expand their outline into a
“edit” her chapter on Martin Luther. composition. This activity book also adds The
The activity book for Volume 2 is even larger Usborne History of The Twentieth Century as
than the activity book for the first volume another reference resource.
with 280 lesson plan pages plus another 182 Summary
student activity pages as compared to the 320 Both The Story of the World texts on their
total pages of the activity book for Volume 1. own and the expanded courses created by
Volume 3: Early Modern Times using the activity books are valuable contribu-
Volume 3 covers the era of England's Queen tions that fill a need for Christian-friendly but
Elizabeth I through the Gold Rush and the classically-oriented history study.
Forty-Niners. It continues in the same fashion The publisher’s website has samples you can
 102 Top Picks
238
view as well as information about ancillary Exploration
products. • Age of Revolution I: America/Europe,
1600-1800
• Age of Revolution II: America/Europe,
TruthQuest History 1800-1865
by Michelle Miller • Age of Revolution III: America/Europe,
TruthQuest History 1865-2000
PO Box 2128 Each guide is divided into many chronolog-
Traverse City, MI 49685-2128 ically-organized topical sections rather than
email: [email protected] the typical chapter arrangement. Michelle
www.truthquesthistory.com Miller introduces each of these topics with
print guides - $24.95 to $34.95 each, PDF background information written in a lively,
guides - $19.95 to $27.95 each informal, conversational style.
Many parents are After reading the background information
insecure about using for context, you and your students read from
real books for history real books to learn more information about
without some sort of the topic. Michelle recommends books, and
guidance. TruthQuest sometimes chapters or pages within books,
History (TQH) is a for each topic. She recommends a few spine
great solution since books—books that are broad overviews of
it is a series of eleven history such as A Child’s History of the World,
volumes that serve The Story of the World series, Dorothy Mills’
as guides for a real- series, and H.A. Guerber’s history series. Then
books approach to she lists many other books that cover specific
history. All TQH guides are available in topics. You can use spine books, topical books,
either print or digital format. While the series or both. However, using at least some spine
as a whole covers grades one through twelve, books will save you time. Video recommenda-
each guide targets either a younger or older tions are generally added after the book lists.
audience. Miller recommends some out-of-print books
Guides recommended for grades one that you might still be able to find at a library,
through five are: but she also includes many that are in print
• American History for Young Students I and available if you choose to purchase them.
(Exploration-1800) There are far more book recommendations
• American History for Young Students II than you will ever be able to use!
(1800-1865) The chronologically-organized topical sec-
• American History for Young Students III tions I mentioned earlier are further divided
(1865-2000+) into subsections that address important peo-
Guides recommended for grades five ple or events within a time period. For exam-
through twelve are: ple, the section on The Roaring 20s has an
• Beginnings: Creation/Old Testament/ introduction with a list of general resources.
Ancients/Egypt This is followed by subsections with their own
• Ancient Greece resource recommendations on topics such as
• Ancient Rome the Scopes Trial; Eric Liddell and the 1924
• Middle Ages Olympics; Prohibition, bootleggers, and gang-
• Renaissance, Reformation, and Age of sters; women’s suffrage; baseball and Babe
 History, Geography & Social Studies
239
Ruth; Charles Lindbergh; Bessie Coleman; spine book! This book probably has more of
literary authors; scientists; music; and sports. Miller’s commentary than do the other guides,
As you can see, you won’t have time to especially in the first section dealing with
cover every topic with real books. So it makes Genesis. Miller does a fine balancing act of
sense to either use a spine book for broad cov- presenting the key truths while leaving doc-
erage along with a few narrower topic books or trinal interpretations up to parents. She does
use as many topic books as you can reasonably stress biblical truths that undermine evolu-
get through and forgo efforts to cover very tionary presuppositions, and she recommends
many topics. many resources that support a creationist
Scattered throughout each book are a viewpoint. It will be up to parents how far to
number of ThinkWrite exercises. These are investigate that topic. Note that Egypt used
writing assignments that require students to to be covered in TQH's Egypt and Greece, but
analyze the historical information they have study of Egypt was shifted and expanded into
learned from a Christian worldview perspec- the Beginnings guide since it correlates histori-
tive. For example, ThinkWrite 5 in American cally with the story of the Bible.
History for Young Students I says, “Please tell TQH very much reflects a Francis Schaeffer
us your thoughts about America winning the approach to history based on his book How
Revolutionary War. How did America’s Big 2 Should We Then Live? (In his book, which is
Beliefs shape the war? Do you think you can published by Crossway, Schaeffer shows how
see God’s hand in it?” (p. 91). historical events, scientific discoveries, artis-
ThinkWrite questions are not intended to tic endeavors, literary pursuits, etc., were all
solicit only objective information. They also shaped by religious beliefs and philosophies.
require children to make spiritual and practi- Schaeffer's views are shaped by his Reformed
cal connections. However, they still tend to Protestant beliefs.) In addition, Miller supports
support the philosophy of these guides. As a limited-government perspective. Although
long as you are aware of this and agree with she writes from her own Protestant viewpoint,
Michelle’s philosophy, this is not a problem. If from time to time she discusses conflicting
you disagree, then you might want to come up Protestant and Catholic viewpoints on history,
with your own ThinkWrite-style of questions. acknowledging right and wrong on both sides.
Suggested responses to the ThinkWrites at the I was pleasantly surprised to see this respect-
end of each book should help parents evaluate ful balance, especially in the Renaissance,
student work. Reformation volume.
A unique aspect of TQH is a primary focus As you might have gathered by now, there
on the central questions of life: Who is God, is a very definite philosophy to these books.
and who is man in relation to God? How dif- However, if you disagree with some of Miller’s
ferent people and civilizations answer these philosophy, you can still use these guides by
questions is reflected in the way they live and skimming through the introductory material,
the choices they make. So these questions are sharing whichever parts of it you wish with
the underlying focus of background informa- your children, then moving on to the recom-
tion that Miller writes as she introduces each mended reading and occasional video viewing.
topic of study. This is probably most appar- Some of the recommended books, particularly
ent in the Beginnings: Creation/Old Testament/ some of the spine books, reflect the philoso-
Ancients/Egypt guide. You will be reading most phy described above. The Light and the Glory
of the Old Testament to your children through for Children (Revell Publishing) would be one
this study. The Bible might serve as your only such example. On the other hand, some of
 102 Top Picks
240
H.A. Guerber’s history books and Famous might select the appropriate guide(s) to use
Men of Rome (from either Memoria Press or at www.truthquesthistory.com/howtochoose.
Greenleaf Press) are among others that are php.
more neutral in their presentation. Since rec- My impression is that all except the American
ommended spine books reflect a number of History guides will work across the entire
different philosophies, your choices of spine span of grades one through twelve as long as
books will be particularly important in deter- parents are judicious about how much infor-
mining the tone of your study. mation they give to each child—don’t over-
Supplements whelm the young ones, and do give the older
TruthQuest History has collaborated with ones plenty to work with. Ultimately, parents
A Journey through Learning (AJTL) to cre- need to decide which assignments as well as
ate customized resources that help reinforce which books to use with each child.
learning while providing hands-on and cre-
ative activities. Three downloadable PDF
packages are available for each TQH guide. The Ultimate Geography
The first one, AJTL Binder Builder for TQH and Timeline Guide
helps students create a fancy lapbook with by Maggie Hogan and Cindy Wiggers
lots of mini-booklets. The second, AJTL GeoCreations, Ltd.
Notebook for TQH, provides notebooking PO Box 51
pages for students to record information on Cheswold DE, 19936
most topics about which they are reading. 800-426-4650
AJTL Map/Timeline/Report Package for TQH email: [email protected]
includes maps, a timeline, historical figures to www.geomatters.com or
color, timeline markers, mini-timeline cards, www.brightideaspress.com
and various report forms. All of these pack- $39.95
ages are optional, but they do enhance the Maggie Hogan,
courses. and Cindy Wiggers
Summary have combined their
You will have to watch the level of dif- wisdom and experi-
ficulty in the TruthQuest History guides. The ence to put together
three American History books are suggested this resource book for
as starting places for children in the primary teaching geography
grades. That does not mean that those guides to children in kin-
are strictly limited to the primary grades since dergarten through
many recommended resource books are also twelfth grade.
good for older children. You could stretch It takes a little time
to include children a grade or two older. to explore the wealth of options found here.
However, all of the other guides begin at a The first chapter, “Planning Your Destination,”
higher level. While the publisher’s website suggests basic teaching methods, describes
suggests the upper level guides for grades five notebooks that students might create, and
through twelve, the guides include book rec- recommends basic supplies. Chapter two is
ommendations for younger children as well, sort of a primer course in geography—hope-
allowing you to stretch down to younger levels fully a refresher for most of us. It covers basic
to some extent. The TruthQuest History web- terminology and concepts, including the five
site has an extensive discussion about how you themes of geography identified by the national
 History, Geography & Social Studies
241
standards group for geography. Hogan and school.
Wiggers show you how to incorporate the five Reproducible maps and activity sheets for
themes into your studies. The next chapter games, weather reports, research and other
is all about maps: different types, how to use activities described in this book comprise the
them, map games, and more. All this is in just next two chapters. Chapters eighteen and
the first three chapters! nineteen are about creating a timeline, and
Chapters four and five focus on fun, games, they include hundreds of reproducible figures
and food as tools for teaching and enjoying (created by Liberty Wiggers) to use for your
geography. Here’s where you can learn about own timeline.
letterboxing, geocaching, and trucker bud- An especially fun feature of this book is the
dies—all of which sound like great fun. “Who Am I?” game that uses the reproduc-
Chapters six through ten teach parents ible pages of game cards on the companion
how to teach geography through other sub- CD-ROM.
ject areas. This is especially important since In addition to all of this, the book includes
Hogan and Wiggers are unit study fans and an answer key, glossary, an index (very useful
see the inclusion of geography as an important with a book such as this), and lists of addi-
element of such studies. To help you get into tional resources you might want to use.
unit studies, the authors include two complete The CD-ROM that comes with the book
unit studies, one on volcanoes and one on the has PDF files of all the pages you are likely
book Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates. Chapter to want to print, including timeline figures,
eleven adds tips on teaching geography using game cards, vocabulary lists, maps, work-
the internet, including a list of great websites. sheets, record keeping pages, and much more.
Chapters twelve through fourteen present In my opinion, this approach to geography
what most people think of as the nuts and will be far more interesting than a standard
bolts of geography: mapwork and study of geo- text on the subject. The fact that one book
graphical features, climate, vegetation, natu- does it all for every grade level makes it even
ral resources, etc. Lesson ideas are divided more appealing.
into those for middle school and those for high
 CHAPTER
12
Science

Let me pose a few questions about your own experiences learning science before we begin with
reviews and recommendations. First, did you enjoy science classes when you were in school?
If you are like most people, your answer is, “No.” That was probably because you primarily
learned from a textbook. Almost every textbook for the elementary grades takes the same mile-
wide, inch-deep approach to science. They cover numerous topics but not with enough depth or
interest to encourage curiosity or a love for science. At high school level, it switches to another
extreme: vocabulary and memorization ad nauseam. High school texts stay focused on one sub-
ject but only provide depth through tons of dry factual information. Both approaches are a real
turn-off to science.
On the other hand, if you are one of the few who found science enjoyable, what was it about
those classes that made the subject enjoyable? I suspect the reason is that your teachers did not
stick with the textbooks. You learned science by really digging into a topic, perhaps doing experi-
ments or activities that made it fascinating.
Unfortunately, forgoing textbooks is a challenge for those of us who love the security of a
textbook that boils a subject down to predictable, manageable, and measurable information. So
how do we get past this problem?
Science can be an intimidating subject unless you develop a proper perspective. (I am speaking
in these next two paragraphs from my own Christian worldview, but I suspect that while non-
Christians might not agree with my underlying beliefs, they will share my conclusion.) Science,
in terms of Christian education, means the study of God’s creation, its purposes, its functioning,
and its beauty. We sometimes limit our idea of science education to memorization of plant struc-
ture, the names of bones, the periodic table and other such laborious data without seeing beyond
to God’s purposes for each aspect of creation. Obviously, we do not have a total understanding
of all of God’s purposes, but even with our limited understanding we can develop a sense of awe
 Science
243
for God’s creative genius that has nothing to do with the labels we have come up with for His
creation.
It seems to me that it is more important for children in the early elementary grades to develop
an appreciation and love for God’s creation—our bodies, the earth, plants, animals, the weather,
and so on—than it is for them to begin memorizing details. Doing this does not preclude children
learning some of the vocabulary of science, but it shifts the emphasis. Field trips, experiments,
observations, and nature collections are all likely to generate interest in science. I believe that
these activities should continue to be a major part of the science curriculum for all ages.
I also believe that attention to vocabulary and acquisition of facts become more important
around eight to ten years of age. For those using a classical approach to education, think of this
as part of the grammar stage. You want children to develop foundational knowledge and skills in
science, but you begin by making it interesting so children more willingly acquire the knowledge
and skills.
Consequently, I propose the following goals for teaching science for elementary levels (kinder-
garten through sixth grade):
1. Turn children on to science so they develop inquiring minds.
2. Expose children to many topics in science.
3. Teach children the foundations of scientific method—using orderly thinking to form, test,
and evaluate hypotheses.
In my opinion, using science textbooks is often not the best way to meet these goals. Instead,
you can turn your children on to science by teaching them to observe, experiment, read, and
think about the things that surround us.
Why do they find pill bugs under rocks? Why can they “see” their breath when it’s really
cold outside? Children are naturally curious about the different areas of science but not usually
according to a textbook’s scope and sequence. It is far better to respond to an area of interest
with an immediate internet search, trip to the library, field trip, or experiment that gives a child
the information he or she is seeking.
If you limit science to a textbook, you will be missing “teachable moments” that are right in
front of you. Although textbooks try to introduce a variety of topics each year at elementary
levels, they have no way of predicting what will interest each child. Textbook authors cannot
know that your family is taking its first trip to the ocean this year and that you want to explore
seashells and ocean life in conjunction with that trip. They cannot know that your family just
adopted a puppy, and your children need to learn all about dogs. They cannot know that your
family finally bought a house with a backyard and this will be the year to learn all about garden-
ing. It is much better if you and your children choose your own topics for science study that
relate to your particular interests and activities.
Scientific method is a vital part of science education, but we seldom equate it with the sense
of wonder and curiosity that children have. When children look beyond the surface appear-
ances and ask, “Why did that happen?” they are beginning to apply scientific method. Scientific
method begins with observations and questions. It continues when you work with your child to
form possible answers and ways of testing those possibilities. This is real science, but it is the
sort of thing that cannot be easily controlled and explained via a science textbook—you might
end up spending too much time on one topic and not get through all of the chapters. Horrors!
However, when you choose your own topics and allow more time to cover fewer topics, you
will be able to follow the rabbit trails your child discovers into areas you might not have had on
 102 Top Picks
244
your agenda. This is the sort of learning that inspires great scientists. Think of Thomas Edison
tinkering with all of his experiments and inventions, most of which came to nothing in them-
selves. The time he spent following his own curiosity, learning what did not work, ultimately
contributed to his amazing successes.

So How Do You Know If You’re Doing Enough?

Even if you are willing to abandon the textbook approach, many parents feel insecure deter-
mining at what level their children should be working on a science topic. Does making a model
of the body's systems equally satisfy the learning needs of both a seven-year-old and a twelve-
year-old? Probably not.
Kathryn Stout’s Science Scope (Design-A-Study, www.designastudy.com) can help you plan a
comprehensive sequence of study for science or it can work as a checklist for ensuring that every-
thing gets covered. Divided into four main areas—general science, life science, earth science,
and physical science—it lists specific topics under each heading and helps you identify appropri-
ate activities for different age groups within each area. This is an extremely useful resource.
You might also be concerned about meeting science standards. If so, revisit my discussion of
the standards and websites where you can identify your state standards in Chapter Five.

What To Do?
For the elementary grades I suggest choosing only three or four science topics per year, taking
into account the general topics you feel should be covered as well as your children’s interests.
Then use information books, experiment and activity books (such as those listed under the
“Anything But a Textbook!” section in this chapter), and field trips to put together an interesting
study for each topic. You can continue to work this way through junior high, gradually increas-
ing the amount of information that children are expected to learn. At high school, the course
of study required for college entry becomes much more specific, and homeschoolers generally
rely on textbooks or computer-based courses. However, you can still enhance high school level
science courses by supplementing in the same fashion as I recommend for younger levels.
I can just imagine some parents reading what I’ve just written and saying, “Oh, great! I’ve
got to go make it all up myself. Forget it!” Those of you who don’t delight in creating your own
courses can take heart. Others have done it for you. They have chosen one or just a few topics,
found some real books that make the subject interesting, come up with activities or experiments,
and put it all together in one place to make it easy for you to teach science through topical unit
studies. If you are using a larger unit study that encompasses many subject areas, you are likely
to find this approach to science already incorporated into your unit study.
It is impossible to narrow science resources down to “the best” while simultaneously covering
all possible approaches for learning science. However, my Top Picks for science are representa-
tive of a wide range of useful resources, including some that support my own approach to science
as well as other more traditional approaches. Bowing to the fact that at high school level most
parents are concerned about meeting requirements for lab courses that fit the common catego-
ries—biology, chemistry, and physics—I also review resources for those specific courses.
 Science
245
“Anything But a Textbook!” This list is only a very small sampling of
what is available. Don’t forget to include field
If you agree with my philosophy of science guides, biographies of famous scientists, and
education, then you will probably be looking historical fiction about scientific discoveries.
for real books on particular topics rather than Field guides begin to seem essential when you
textbooks. Many publishers specialize in heavily concentrate on particular topics. If you study
-illustrated, visually-appealing topical books. birds, then you become curious about the spe-
These are the kind of books children will pick cies that you see in your area. The same thing
up to read on their own. Some examples of this happens with flowers, trees, rocks, and other
type of book: topics—observing them closely makes you
• Animal Lives series (Teacher Created want to know more about them. I like the dif-
Resources) ferent series of adult guides from Peterson and
• The Awesome Forces of Nature series - the Audobon Society best, but look for simpler
intermediate level (Raintree) guides if you start with young children.
• Blood and Guts by Linda Allison - study of As far as biographies and historical fiction,
human anatomy and physiology (Little, you will find plenty of choices at the library
Brown and Co.) and from homeschool distributors. I’ve includ-
• Castle, Cathedral, City, Mill, Pyramid, and ed a few such titles here to get you started.
Underground by David Macaulay - these • Alexander Graham Bell: Setting the Tone for
cover both science and history (Houghton Communication by Mike Venezia (Children’s
Mifflin) Press)
• DK Eyewitness books and DVDs (DK • Archimedes and the Door of Science by
Publishing) Jeanne Bendick (Bethlehem Books)
• The Magic School Bus series: Inside the • Albert Einstein, Young Thinker by Marie
Human Body, Inside a Hurricane, On the Hammontree; Thomas Edison, Young
Ocean Floor, Lost in the Solar System and Inventor by Sue Guthridge; Wilbur and
other titles by Joanna Cole (Scholastic) Orville Wright by Augusta Stevenson; and
• National Geographic Kids series (National other titles (all from the Childhood of
Geographic Children’s Books) Famous Americans series from Aladdin)
• The New Way Things Work by David • Benjamin Franklin by Ingri and Edgar Parin
Macaulay (DK Publishing) D’Aulaire (Beautiful Feet Books)
• Starting with Science series (Scholastic) • DK Eyewitness Books: Great Scientists by
• The Visual Dictionary of the Human Body Jacqueline Fortey (DK Publishing)
(DK Publishing) • Galen and the Gateway to Medicine by
• The World of Science (My Father’s World/ Jeanne Bendick (Bethlehem Books)
Master Books joint edition) • The Mystery of the Periodic Table by
• Discovery Adventures, Discovery, See Inside, Benjamin D. Wiker (Bethlehem Books)
and Beginners series plus other series • Pasteur’s Fight Against Microbes and Marie
(Usborne Books) Curie's Search for Radium by Beverley Birch
• Zoobooks - outstanding picture books for (Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.)
various age levels with the same text • The Picture History of Great Inventors by
available in magazine (subscription), Gillian Clements (Knopf)
softcover print book, and e-book formats
(www.zoobooks.com)
 102 Top Picks
246
Thirteen.) The Elemental Science Classic series
Science Beyond Books and Noeo Science are among resources reviewed
below that fit this description. This type of cur-
Don’t limit yourself to books. Science kits, ricula best reflects my own ideas about how
equipment, games, DVDs, and software can children should learn science. However, I have
help get your children excited about science. also included a few resources that use a tradi-
Absolutely crucial are hands-on experiences tional approach, and my other Top Picks for
with science. Many programs have experiments science straddle the line somewhere between
and activities built into them. Sometimes the two.
supplementary experiment and activity books
supply the magic ingredient that draws chil-
dren into science. I particularly like resources Apologia Science series for
that pose questions and stimulate thinking Junior and Senior High Levels
rather than those that simply outline steps in Apologia Educational Ministries
an experiment or present an experiment for 1106 Meridian Plaza, Suite 220
“entertainment” without any exploration of Anderson, IN 46016
what is happening. 888-524-4724
Again, most homeschool distributors usu- www.apologia.com
ally carry these types of resources. But there printed book courses - $85 each, CD-ROM
are a few companies that specialize in science versions - $65 each, multimedia companion
and have catalogs or websites devoted just to CD-ROM - $19 per course, audio books
science “stuff.” Some of the best of these com- - $19 per course, video instruction DVDs
panies are: $140 per course
• Carolina - 800-334-5551, www.carolina. Apologia courses are among the few options
com for college-prep lab science courses for junior
• Home Training Tools - 800-860-6272, and senior high that do not require someone to
www.hometrainingtools.com teach the courses. Another factor that makes
• Nasco - they also have specialized catalogs them popular is their very reasonable cost.
for art and math - 800-558-9595, www.enasco Apologia offers courses for general science,
.com/science/ physical science, biology, chemistry, and phys-
• Nature’s Workshop, Plus! - 888-393-5663, ics. I appreciate the options that accommodate
www.naturesworkshopplus.com a range of student goals—from the non-
I hope that just thinking about various possi- science oriented student who just wants the
bilities will help you figure out what you might basics through the ambitious, college-bound
want to use with your own children. If you still student who wants advanced level courses. All
need inspiration, check out the science section courses offer engaging lab experiences.
on my website at www.CathyDuffyReviews. Most courses are available in your choice
com. of traditional textbook or CD-ROM versions.
Textbook courses come as two-volume sets.
Curriculum The first book is the hardbound student text
with color illustrations. The second is a soft-
Some science programs are similar to unit bound Solutions and Tests book with complete
studies, combining real books and a variety answers and explanations for questions from
of activities for topical science study. (Note the student book as well as for the tests. Step-
that I discuss unit studies at length in Chapter by-step instructions for lab experiments appear
 Science
247
in each chapter alongside the concepts they content than in an equivalently-sized book
illustrate. with smaller type.
CD-ROM versions contain all of the text- Books are divided into 16 modules, and each
book and solutions manual content plus multi- module should take two weeks to complete.
media video clips, animations, pronunciation Modules are divided into a number of topics
guides, and other helpful tools. They also have and activities. Within each module are “on
nifty indexing so you can simply click on an your own” questions. Students are to answer
index entry to go to that topic in the correct these as they proceed through each section,
module on the CD-ROM. Those who select and answers can be self-checked within the
the textbook version of one of these courses textbook. At the end of each module is a study
can get the multi-media content by itself on guide with additional questions. Answer keys
an optional Multimedia Companion CD-ROM are in the Solutions and Tests book for each
(available for most courses). Icons in the text- course.
book alert students to available video clips Students also need to keep a separate lab
they might want to pull up on each CD-ROM notebook to record observations and conclu-
Students who benefit from auditory input sions from their experiments. Several courses
might prefer to hear the textbooks read aloud. have optional Student Notebooks that I high-
CDs with MP3 files have the complete student ly recommend. Student Notebooks reinforce
text content read aloud for each of the courses. course material and serve as lab notebooks.
Students still need the print textbook to read All textbooks have glossaries and indexes
along with or refer to as they study and com- plus other helpful tools such as the periodic
plete their work. Some students do better with table and lists of the elements and their sym-
an instructor, but if one isn't available, some of bols. At the beginning of each book are lists
the courses have optional DVDs with experi- of lab materials needed. Apologia specifies lab
enced teachers presenting the courses. materials that, for the most part, can be found
Lab equipment and resources are also avail- at grocery and hardware stores. However,
able for both levels of Biology and Chemistry. the biology and chemistry labs do require
A Christian worldview permeates these some more specific equipment like a scale,
courses. Apologia brings in not just creationist microscope, and test tubes. Using some non-
views, but also other scientific issues and ideas traditional lab equipment means students will
in relation to Christianity. not be familiar with all of the more complex
All of these courses were written for inde- scientific equipment when they enter college,
pendent study, addressing students directly. but this should be a small liability given the
The conversational style of writing makes practical advantages of this type of lab for
these texts much easier to read than most oth- homeschoolers. Lab equipment and resources
ers. Brief information for parents or teachers is for high school level courses are available from
at the beginning of each Solutions and Tests Apologia.
book. Free support is available by email and Exploring Creation with General Science and
phone. Students who need more oversight or Exploring Creation with Physical Science are
outside prodding might want to enroll in one junior high courses targeted at grades seven
of the Apologia Academy internet courses. and eight. Exploring Creation with Biology,
In student textbooks, the text font is large Exploring Creation with Chemistry, and Exploring
compared to other science texts, but this Creation with Physics meet requirements for
makes it easier to read and less intimidating. high school lab courses.
That also means there has to be slightly less Apologia also offers advanced courses in
 102 Top Picks
248
biology, chemistry, and physics that, combined atoms, and chemical reactions. This and other
with the corresponding foundational course experiments require only household chemicals
from Apologia, cover advanced content. and supplies.
The advanced courses are titled Advanced Topics covered include air, atmosphere,
Chemistry in Creation, Advanced Physics in water, the hydrosphere, earth and the lith-
Creation, Advanced Biology: The Human Body, osphere, weather, motion, gravity, electro-
and Exploring Creation with Marine Biology. magnetic force, electrical circuits, magnetism,
These are similar in format to the foundational atomic structure, radioactivity, waves and
texts, but Advanced Physics is illustrated only sound, light, and astrophysics.
in black and white. CD-ROM versions of only While the content is appropriate and chal-
Advanced Physics and Marine Biology are avail- lenging, it is not as difficult as some physical
able. (Note that I have not reviewed Advanced science texts. For example, in discussing chem-
Chemistry, Advanced Physics, or Marine Biology.) ical bonds, it addresses overall positive and
Exploring Creation with General negative charges without going into valences
Science as do some physical science courses.
This is a broad gen- An optional student notebook is available
eral science course for this course.
for junior high stu- Exploring Creation with Biology
dents that includes a This text is very
significant amount of similar in format
lab work, conveniently and presentation to
using household items. the Physical Science
Topics covered include course. While it is
the history of science, traditional in its
scientific method, how approach for the
to perform experiments, simple machines, most part, it does not
archaeology, rocks, minerals, fossils, geology, include study of the
paleontology, evolution and interrelated theo- human body. Instead,
ries, living organisms, organisms and ener- human anatomy and
gy, classifications, and the human body. An physiology are covered in a separate course,
optional student notebook is available for this Advanced Biology: The Human Body.
course. Clear explanations present concepts in a
Exploring Creation with Physical Science friendly fashion without oversimplification.
This 490-page text is the foundation for the Questions provoke thought rather than just
most user-friendly, yet academically challeng- recall of information.
ing physical science course for homeschoolers With this text, lab activity becomes more
of which I am aware. It qualifies as a lab course demanding, although you have a choice about
with extensive experiments and recording how much of it your student needs to com-
activity. In fact, the first lesson begins with an plete. There are three levels of lab activity:
experiment. The text carefully details how to household labs require minimal equipment and
perform this experiment as well as the expect- should be completed by all students; optional
ed results. It also describes possible corrections microscope labs require a microscope and slide
if the experiment is not working as it should. set (kit available for $316); dissection labs are
The text then uses the results as a platform also optional, but the dissection kit is only $55.
to provide a basic explanation of molecules, Instructions for all labs are found in the text. A
 Science
249
student notebook, which includes a lab note- the names of practical chemicals that the stu-
book section is available for this course. dent will encounter in everyday life. As a result,
Exploring Creation with Chemistry the student remembers the important names
This text covers essentially the same content and does not get overwhelmed with chemical
as most high school chemistry courses. Algebra names he or she will never encounter.”
1 is a prerequisite. While the authors assume Apologia’s Advanced Chemistry course can be
that the student has this math background, taken after this foundational course, possibly in
they do offer some math review. the same year, for more advanced study.
The text presents Exploring Creation with Physics
concepts and guides This course will be quite challenging for
students through prac- students who attempt to work independently
tice exercises before unless parents are knowledgeable and can help
leaving them to work from time to time. However, it is still a good
on problems. Solutions course for the student who does not intend
to test questions to take much science in college. Coverage is
include the math work, adequate but not as complete as in some other
so students weak in high school physics texts. For example, there is
math can figure out no treatment of the properties of matter, heat
what they might have transfer, atomic and nuclear physics, relativity
missed. This sort of help is very rare in chem- or quantum physics. (Such topics are covered
istry courses. in some, but not all, high school level physics
The authors have done a great job construct- courses.) These shortcomings not withstand-
ing lab activities with low-cost equipment ing, the casual and illustrative prose goes a
while providing enough experience for a solid long way toward helping both teacher and stu-
college-prep course. The labs are exacting in dent grasp inherently difficult subjects.
detail, achieving a great deal of precision with Lab activities are fairly simple for a high
minimal equipment. school physics lab course. Lab experiments
Apologia sells a Chemistry Glassware Set seem to be designed to illustrate principles
for this course ($60) that provides the basic more than to provide opportunities for serious
equipment you need. All of the chemicals you scientific work. Nevertheless, this course will
need are available at the grocery, drug, or hard- satisfy most college entry requirements for a
ware store. However, the second edition of the physics course with lab.
text for this course has added optional extra Science oriented students should consider
lab work for which you need to purchase a adding Apologia’s Advanced Physics course.
“secondary lab set” ($157) that includes more This is a math-based course; prerequisites are
specialized chemicals. algebra and geometry up through beginning
One negative point: chemicals are frequently trigonometry. However, the math is not overly
introduced by formula but not by common complex, and example problems are worked
names. This seems odd in a text that is gen- out in clear and thorough detail.
erally good at making practical connections Apologia offers a Video Instruction DVD
for students. However, Apologia explains the that might make this course more practical in
reason for this: “When you introduce every some situations. The DVD (which plays only
chemical with its name, the student is quickly on computers that can handle .wmv files and
overwhelmed by the names and thus ceases to open PDF files) features more than 20 hours of
remember them. Therefore, we only introduce lecture and presentation of experiments. It also
 102 Top Picks
250
has printable notes from the lectures. It does 800-490-7713
not replace the print or CD-ROM textbook. www.chcweb.com
Advanced Biology Course Catholic Heritage has developed a beautiful
- The Human Body series of science textbooks for homeschoolers
Many parents will want to cover human that features solid science content and plenty
anatomy and physiology as part of their teen’s of hands-on activity.
biology instruction. However, be forewarned The series extends from first to seventh
that this is a challenging course with some grade. While Behold and See 4 is an older book
content (especially the large amount of vocab- now in its sixth edition, all the other books
ulary to be mastered) more likely to be encoun- were published in 2010-2014. Books are writ-
tered in a college course rather than a high ten by different authors and they differ in style
school course. quite a bit. Books for grades one through four
Along with the stu- are self-contained, each in a single, spiral-
dent textbook and bound worktext, while grades five through
the Solutions and seven each have two softcover books. All
Tests book, students books except Behold and See 4 and the work-
will need other items books for grades five through seven are printed
which are all available in full color. Each course has an answer key at
through Apologia: a the back.
microscope ($262); a Many lessons
set of prepared slides include hands-
($73); a dissection on activities
specimens kit with a that are an
cow's eye, cow's heart, and a fetal pig ($44); important part
and The Anatomy Coloring Book (McCann of the learning
and Wise) ($22). The Anatomy Coloring Book process. You
is a critical component since it has far more should really
detailed illustrations than does the text. As try to complete
with other Apologia courses, students need all of them if
to keep a separate lab notebook. A student possible.
notebook, which includes a lab notebook sec- These books
tion is available. are written from a Catholic perspective and
Although this is a very challenging course, include scripture references. They present a
it is designed such that students can complete strong belief in God as Creator, a pro-life posi-
all work independently. The publisher recom- tion, and an attitude of love and concern for
mends it for twelfth grade but says it can also people as well as the environment. Within the
be used from tenth grade on if students have “Note to Parents” at the beginning of Behold
the prerequisites—first year courses in both and See 3 is a summary of official Church
biology and chemistry. teaching regarding evolution. The author fol-
lows with comments that point out a few
of the unproven claims of evolution. Aside
Behold and See Science series from an indirect comment in Behold and See
Catholic Heritage Curricula 5 mentioning millions of years in regard to
PO Box 579090 geological movements and a chapter in Behold
Modesto, CA 95357 and See 6 explaining the Big Bang theory as
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251
the best model to describe “what the universe Behold and See 2, subtitled More Science with
was probably like right after Creation,” I could Josh and Hanna, shifts into the physical sci-
not find evolution discussed in the textbooks ences with lessons on tools, machines, and
themselves. energy. It also studies the water cycle, natural
The entire program is relatively easy to use. resources, conservation, erosion, the earth,
Activities and experiments require some pre- rocks, volcanoes, the ocean, and marine life.
planning and supervision. Parents should plan The reading level is actually a little easier than
to teach these texts rather than use them for the first grade book; students might be able to
independent study. Overall, this seems to me read parts of the lessons, although they should
one of the best science programs for Catholic not try to work independently. There are more
families. experiments, and they are more complex than
Behold and See 1 and 2 in the first grade book. You will find some
$26.95 each of the standard types of experiments such as
The first two books are co-authored by testing the qualities of different types of rock
Nancy Nicholson and Mary Piecynski. The and construction of a baking soda and vinegar
books share a similar format featuring two volcano. There are a few activities that use
children, Josh and Hanna, who interact with foods. I particularly like the one for modeling
their parents and each other in story dialogues the creation of sedimentary rock with raisins,
throughout the books. Much of the scientific coconut, nuts, graham cracker crumbs, butter,
information is imparted within the stories but and other ingredients. Children do only a little
some is presented in a more traditional fashion. more writing at this level.
Behold and See 1 is subtitled, On the Farm with Behold and See 3
Josh and Hanna. The text follows through each $44.95
season on the farm as they learn about topics Behold and See 3: Beginning Science, written
such as plants, mammals, weather, reptiles, by Suchi Myjak, is intended to be used as a
fish, birds, vertebrates, skeletons, exoskeletons, general introduction to science. It begins with
trees, insects, and spiders. The final chapter a chapter about the nature of science and sci-
shifts to the human senses. You will need to entific method, introducing the foundational
complete about two lessons per week to finish concept that science is the study of God’s
this text in one year. creation. The remaining nine chapters are
Each lesson includes an activity. This might divided into groups of three under the head-
be a worksheet, a cut-and-paste activity, an ings “Physical Science,” “Life Science,” and
experiment, a drawing, or something similar. “Human Body.” Physical science covers matter,
Many activities for first graders aim at devel- force, energy, the sun, the moon, and the stars.
oping observation skills. Toward the end of the Life science teaches about animals, plants, and
book, students record data from experiments interdependence. The section on the human
as they begin to apply scientific method. body begins with a correlation between the
The few experiment supplies that you will roles of the parts of our bodies and the roles of
need are listed in a box at the beginning of Christians as members of the Body of Christ.
each lesson. Among the necessary supplies are This is followed by an overview of body sys-
a magnifying glass, seeds, soil, plastic wrap, dry tems, the senses, nutrition, and health.
oats, and magazines or catalogs with pictures This book is loaded with investigations and
of various types of leaves. The only challenging experiments. Many of these use an induc-
item might be the suggestion that you catch or tive approach, leading students through an
purchase crickets to observe and keep as pets. experiment and their observations to arrive at
 102 Top Picks
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conclusions or generalizations. For example, suggestions for supplemental activities for each
students construct a simple balance with bal- section. Review activities for the first half are
loons on each end to try to answer the ques- a series of word puzzles, a few activity sheets,
tion, “Does air have mass?” Each chapter ends and a Jeopardy type game. Many questions at
with a substantial section of review questions the end of the chapters in both sections require
and a beautifully-illustrated page for students full sentence responses.
to write a pertinent scripture verse. Behold and See 5
Behold and See 4 text - $36.95, workbook - $12.95
$24.95 Behold and See 5, by David Beresford, Ph.D.,
Subtitled Human Anatomy and Health, this takes a large step up in the amount of con-
book was originally published in 1998 and is tent and the level of difficulty. It addresses
now in its sixth edition. The current 2014 a broad range of topics but selects a narrow
edition is up-to-date and includes website subtopic within each one, providing more in-
addresses for investigation of some topics. depth study than one usually finds in books
There is quite a lot of overlap in content for fifth grade. For example, chapter three is
with the last third of Behold and See 3. The first titled, “Food Webs, Resistance to Disease, and
half of this book covers body systems while the Conservation of Energy." While information
second half teaches about nutrition, health, throughout the chapter is interrelated, 11
and first aid. Behold and See 4 was written pages focus specifically on the pesticide DDT
by Katherine Rode, R.N. and Dr. Mary Ann under the subtopic heading, “Immunity in
Grobbel, and the content is presented quite Insect Populations and Making Wise Choices.”
differently than the content of the third grade Using the story of DDT, graphs, charts, and
book. Even so, I would be unlikely to use these data, it helps children (and adults!) under-
two books one right after the other because of stand how creatures can build up immunities
the repetition. or resistance, how improper use of pesticides
Behold and See 4 has fewer activities, although or other control measures can create unin-
it does include patterns for creating a child-size tended consequences, and generally teaches
body with a skeleton and some of the organs. them to think through complex interactions.
The book directs you to "make organs" using Of course, this lesson applies far beyond the
felt pieces that you sew together and stuff with story of DDT. Chapter six in this text is titled,
batting. (The skeleton and ureters are only one “Logic: Deduction, Induction, and Scientific
layer of felt.) All of these are then to be sewn Reasoning.” While this chapter directly teach-
onto a cardboard outline of each child. You es about logic and reasoning, the entire book
could simplify this project by using construc- applies it.
tion paper (and overlapping organs) and glue Among other topics covered are metamor-
if the sewing is intimidating. phosis, photosynthesis, the circulatory system,
The two halves of the book were each written competition among plants and animals, sea-
separately by one of the authors, and they are sons, atmosphere, the weather cycle, the earth
presented quite differently. The first half seems and its composition, genetics, and taxonomy.
much more interesting—this is where you find I found this text very interesting to read,
the hands-on activities. Both sections have even as an adult. Some fifth graders might find
vocabulary lists. In the first half, vocabulary it challenging, but Dr. Beresford has done an
words are accompanied by their definitions. excellent job of presenting complex ideas with
In the second half, definitions are in a glossary stories, photos, examples, and diagrams that
at the end. The first half includes optional make it understandable.
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253
The text is a non-consumable 226-page they obviously love. Even with their diverse
book. The 115-page, consumable student approaches, the entire series is excellent.
workbook includes experiment data sheets,
written-activity sheets, review questions, tests,
and answer keys. Berean Builders Science Series
Behold and See 6 by Dr. Jay Wile
text - $46.95, workbook - $14.95 Berean Builders Publishing, Inc.
Behold and See 6 is written by RoseMary 3001 W. Woodbridge Dr.
Johnson, B.A. in collaboration with Dr. Muncie, IN 47304
Richard P. Olenick, Dr. Amanda Beheler, (877) 794-3005
Nancy Nicholson, and Mary Catalano, B.S. www.bereanbuilders.com
This gorgeously illustrated text is much larger Dr. Jay Wile is well
than the others at 350 pages. The student known as the origi-
workbook is 125 pages. The text is written as nal author of most
conversations rather than direct presentation of the Apologia sci-
of lesson material. This makes it very interest- ence curriculum for
ing to read. It includes experiments, activities, upper grade levels.
and website addresses for further exploration. Now he has written
The text has three units focusing on physi- the first two courses
cal science, biomes, and space respectively. of an entirely new sci-
As with the fifth grade text, topics are nar- ence curriculum for
rower than in traditional texts, and the authors the elementary grades
explore each area more expansively. The result that will eventually be a series of five courses.
is high level science that is enjoyable to read. The titles are as follows:
Behold and See Life Science: Science in the Beginning
Catholic Heritage Edition Science in the Ancient World
text - $48.95, workbook - $16.95 The Scientific Revolution
Behold and See Life Science is ideal for seventh Science in the Age of Reason
or eighth grades but it might also be used for Science in the Industrial Revolution
ninth grade for students who need a gentler This series is built around three unusual
introduction to high school science courses. features that result in a unique science curricu-
The course first covers basic chemistry then lum. First of all, every lesson has a hands-on
proceeds from cells up through increasingly activity or experiment. The activity is generally
complex life forms. About half of the text is introduced briefly, then detailed instructions
devoted to systems of the human body, nutri- walk you through each activity with students
tion, and disease. The text concludes with making their own observations. After the
chapters on animal behavior, animal reproduc- activity, the text discusses what the student
tion, and ecology. I have written a lengthy should have seen or experienced. That activity
review of this text that you can read at www. serves as the jumping off point to then explore
CathyDuffyReviews.com/science/behold-and- a scientific concept. Activities generally use
see-life-science.htm. simple household items, but sometimes you
Summary will need a few items that will take a little more
Catholic Heritage Curricula has done a effort to find such as a bird feather, iodine, or
great job of enlisting experienced scientists a live earthworm. Lists of required items are
to write in an engaging manner about topics at the front of the book. The text alerts you
 102 Top Picks
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well in advance when something needs to be they are studying. They might research books,
prepared in advance of a particular lesson. magazines, or the internet for information or
Occasionally a lesson will require particular illustrations. They might explain a scientific
circumstances—such as a sunny day—so you concept such as why oil and water don’t mix
are forewarned and can plan accordingly, pos- or the difference between a bird’s bill or beak
sibly rearranging lessons to align with the (Science in the Beginning, pp. 208, 223).
weather or other factors. While you will be I think it's important to add that the courses
using many items for the activities, the cost teach a Christian worldview. While this isn't
should be minimal. emphasized in every lesson, worldview per-
The second unusual feature is that the spectives are frequently raised.
courses explore science in chronological order. In each course, there six units with 15 lessons
The first course draws its themes from the per unit. Three lessons in each unit are option-
days of creation. From there, courses pro- al "challenge" lessons. If a student intends to
ceed chronologically, telling the stories of complete all 90 lessons in the course, he will
important scientists and their discoveries. This need to complete about one lesson every other
approach helps students understand how sci- school day. Skipping the optional challenge
entific understanding continually expands as lessons will allow him to complete two lessons
scientists build upon the work and discoveries per week, a slightly slower pace.
of those who have gone before them. Students Lessons are taught directly from the text, so
study pertinent scientific concepts relating to parents and students share the same book. The
each time period. Families might want to try hardcover textbooks have numerous, full-color
to coordinate their history studies with the illustrations and both a glossary and an index
science curriculum some years, although that at the back. Print is large enough that a parent
probably won’t work well every year. should be able to read while holding the book
Thirdly, courses are designed so that all far enough away that children can simultane-
elementary level children in your family can ously look at the illustrations.
participate in lessons together. Lesson material The Helps and Hints softcover booklets
is presented in about two pages following each for each course provide answers to the lesson
activity. This can be read aloud and discussed review questions, and they also have repro-
together. It includes some vocabulary that is ducible tests—two for each unit—and answer
presented with explanations that make it eas- keys. Dr. Wile does not recommend tests but
ier to recall, but it’s not vocabulary intensive. provides them for parents who want to use
Each lesson concludes with Lesson Review, them.
which is divided into three sections for "young- Science in the Beginning
er," "older," and "oldest" students. Dr. Wile Science in the Beginning, the first course, uses
uses these designations loosely rather than the days of creation as the organizing theme.
for designated grade levels. Younger students The text presents lessons within six units for
(non-writers) are given two comprehension the six days of creation, with a brief summation
questions to answer orally. Older and old- of the seventh day when “God rested.”
est students will create their own notebooks. The courses present solid science content.
Generally, oldest students will do what the For example the unit on the fifth day of cre-
older students do plus at least one additional ation begins by introducing the concept of
activity. Often the additional activities involve classification. Then it teaches about saltwater
higher levels of thinking or research. Older and freshwater, osmosis and diffusion, ver-
and oldest students might draw and label items tebrates and invertebrates, how vertebrates
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move in water, birds, and flight. Concepts are Ages," and "Science in the Early Renaissance."
taught in relation to the themes, making each The point I want to stress is that Science in
unit a bit similar to a unit study. the Ancient World is both a history of science as
While a biblical worldview underlies this and well as a treatment of modern science. Because
other Berean Builders courses, and there are historical chronology dictates the topics, the
specific references to scripture, the emphasis in study of science jumps around rather than
this first course is on “God as Creator” rather dealing with just earth science or life science.
than on a particular position such as “young However, I think this approach makes science
earth” or “old earth.” In the first course, Dr. totally fascinating because it unites science
Wile points out that human beings have much and history, providing more context for under-
in common with the great apes, but rejects the standing both subjects.
idea that they are related. The word evolution A Christian worldview is buttressed with
isn’t mentioned. The course isn’t likely to be points made from history, science, and philoso-
used by those who want to teach evolution. phy. For example, lesson 63 about Nicholas of
On the other hand, it should be very useful for Cusa, explains first that he was a theologian
those who hold to a creation model regarding and a bishop who also studied natural philoso-
the origin of life and view human beings as a phy (science). The text tells us that, "Much of
special creation. his writings dealt with the nature of God and
Science in the Ancient World how it can be seen in both natural philosophy
(600 B.C. - A.D. 1519) and mathematics" (p. 191). The lesson goes
Second in this series is Science in the Ancient on to discuss his invention of the bathometer
World. As with Science in the Beginning, lessons and his contributions to our understanding of
are grouped into six units with 15 lessons per water pressure and changes due to the depth
unit. Units in this course are directly corre- of the water.
lated to time periods, so Science in the Ancient Summary
World should work well alongside a world his- The remaining courses should be structured
tory course that begins with ancient times and in the same way as the first two courses. While
works up to the early Renaissance. they might be used out of order, it will be best
The first two units focus on science before to use them chronologically.
Christ, and most of what we know of early I’m not aware of any other science cur-
science comes to us from the Greeks. Dr. Wile riculum similar to this. While it is a Christian
does not just present the science topics and curriculum, it avoids the apologetics flavor of
discoveries only as the Greeks taught them. some others that spend a lot of energy argu-
For example, Hippocrates taught that the ing for creationism and against evolution.
body contains four humors: blood, yellow bile, Nevertheless, it helps students view science
black bile, and phlegm. Dr. Wile explains how from Christian worldview. The use of hands-on
Hippocrates drew this conclusion, but he also activities to introduce lessons, the multi-age
explains what Hippocrates missed. In lessons format, and the chronological approach in this
12 through 15, Dr. Wile explains what scien- series are also features likely to appeal to many
tists have since discovered about blood, bile, families. This seems to me an excellent way to
and phlegm. As usual, activities help even the teach science, and an approach that should
youngest students grasp the concepts. have exceptional appeal for classical educators.
Subsequent units continue through "Science Dr. Wile’s goal is that students complet-
Soon After Christ," "Science in the Early ing this series will be well prepared for junior
Middle Ages," "Science in the Late Middle high science courses. Given the solid science
 102 Top Picks
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content and a format that really draws stu- data recording and some activities are done
dents into the lessons, I expect that goal will from the activity manual. That means these
easily be met. courses need to be taught—you cannot just
hand your child the text to use independently.
The teacher's editions are well organized and
BJU Press Science series, 1-6 easy to use. All of them include a Teacher’s
Greenville, SC 29614 Toolkit CD-ROM that will run on either
800-845-5731 Windows or Mac systems. Toolkits include
www.bjup.com answer keys for the activity manual, repro-
If you want a tra- ducible pages, rubrics for grading activities,
ditional style text- instructional aids and videos, extensive science
book for science fair information, and similar resources—most
in the elementary of which are optional.
grades, BJU Press’s Each chapter in the textbooks has a number
Science series for of lessons and concludes with a review les-
grades one through son to reinforce concepts taught throughout
six is one of the that chapter. Chapters are also color coded so
better choices. you can easily tell which lessons are included
Recognizing that within a chapter or unit in both the text and
children have dif- activity manual.
ferent learning styles, they have incorporated These courses require lesson preparation and
activities to suit different learners. presentation time, but if you follow the lesson
Each grade level has a homeschool kit that plans in the manuals, you and your children
includes the student text, teacher's edition, an should find the courses very engaging.
activity manual, tests, and an answer key for While courses are written for grades one
the tests. You need all components unless you through six, you can generally use one course
choose not to test your children. You will still for children who are one or two grade levels
need to gather resources for experiments and apart with a little adaptation to suit their abili-
activities. ties. (It will be most challenging to do this for
Both textbooks and activity manuals for each first and second graders who are still develop-
course are attractively printed in full color with ing reading and writing skills.) Courses are
plenty of illustrations. BJU Press sells the same challenging enough that when you stretch to
editions to both schools and home educators, cover a range of grade levels, you should prob-
so you will sometimes have to adapt activities ably choose a grade level below that of your
written for class groups. oldest student.
Scientific thinking is heavily stressed with Recorded videos of a teacher presenting each
the scientific method introduced at first grade course are also available online or in DVD and
level. Scriptural principles are incorporated hard drive formats.
with science applications in the curriculum. Grade 1 kit, third edition ($171.50)
The fourth editions of these texts have an The text for first grade covers the follow-
increased emphasis on helping children devel- ing topics on an introductory level: senses,
op a Christian worldview. weather, seasons, health and safety, wild and
Activities are at the heart of many lessons, tame animals, matter, sound, plants, forces,
especially at the early grade levels. Most activi- and the sun, moon, and stars. The Teacher’s
ties are outlined in the teacher’s editions but Toolkit CD-ROM includes sound files that are
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257
used with some lessons. I like the balance of information and activ-
Grade 2 kit, third edition ($171.50) ity in the Christian Kids Explore science series.
Topics taught in second grade include the Rather than books for specific grade levels, this
nature of science and basic science methodol- series has five books that can be used with chil-
ogy, living things, plants, fossils, earth, natural dren spanning at least four grade levels.
resources, how the earth moves, light, mat- All five books are divided into a number of
ter and how it changes, movement, and the units, with multiple lessons per unit. Lessons
human body. are ideal for use in two 90-minute block
Grade 3 kit, third edition ($171.50) sessions a week rather than shorter, more-
Topics at this level include cold-blooded and frequent classes. This gives children enough
warm-blooded animals, plants, ecosystems, time to get into the activities and think about
matter, sound, energy in motion, soil, rocks, the concepts. Working on this schedule, you
minerals, weather, the solar system, and the should be able to complete one book per year.
human body. While parents or teachers will need to do
Grade 4 kit, third edition ($171.50) some lesson preparation, it is minimal for the
In grade four, students study living things, first two books and very manageable for the
insects and spiders, forces, machines, electric- rest. Lessons are laid out so clearly that these
ity, magnetism, light, the moon, water, oceans, courses should be very easy to use. There are
weathering, erosion, the earth’s resources, numerous activity pages within each book that
bones, muscles, and digestion. you are welcome to reproduce or print for your
Grade 5 kit, fourth edition ($141.50) family from either CD-ROMs or downloadable
Topics studied in fifth grade are minerals, files. Students should each maintain a three-
rocks, fossils, dinosaurs, matter, energy, heat, ring binder in which they keep all of their sci-
weather, biomes, ecosystems, sound, light, the ence work.
respiratory system, and the circulatory system. At the back of each book are answer keys
Grade 6 kit, fourth edition ($141.50) plus lengthy lists of recommended resource
Sixth graders study earthquakes, volcanoes, such as books, DVDs, computer games, and
weather, erosion, natural resources, cells, clas- kits that you might use to supplement your
sification of living things, atoms, molecules, studies or challenge older students. You don’t
electricity, magnetism, motion, machines, the have to use other resource books, but each
stars, the solar system, plant and animal repro- study will be much richer for students if you
duction, heredity, genetics, the nervous sys- use some of the colorful picture books avail-
tem, and the immune system. able on the different science topics. Since the
Christian Kids Explore books are printed only
in black-and-white, this might be especially
Christian Kids Explore series important for some learners.
by Stephanie L. Redmond, Robert W. Ridlon, All of these courses include learning activities
Jr., and Elizabeth J. Ridlon that help meet the needs of different learning
Bright Ideas Press styles—hands-on activities for Wiggly Willys,
PO Box 333 interaction for Sociable Sues, predictable
Cheswold, DE 19936 vocabulary study and testing for Perfect Paulas,
877-492-8081 and independent reading for Competent Carls.
email: [email protected] Christian Kids Explore Earth and Space
www.brightideaspress.com and Christian Kids Explore Biology
$34.95-$39.95 Christian Kids Explore Earth and Space and
 102 Top Picks
258
Christian Kids Explore Biology, both written by a Daily Reading Sheet, write words and defini-
Stephanie L. Redmond, are very similar in tions for their vocabulary list in a notebook,
design to one another. Both books target and possibly work with flashcards. Younger stu-
grades three through six but can be used selec- dents might do less writing, and older students
tively with children as young as kindergar- need to do extended reading or research from
ten—especially the hands-on activities. They real books and other resources from the lists
seem particularly good for third and fourth provided at the back of each book.
grade levels. However, Biology is slightly more The second session is “hands-on time” for
challenging than Earth and Space. While two experiments or activities. These don’t require
ninety-minute sessions per week are best, you expensive or exotic materials, but it will take
can break lessons down into more frequent les- a little work to gather the necessary items. For
sons for students with shorter attention spans. example, Earth and Space requires items like
Biology has an clay, a funnel, sun-sensitive paper, an atlas, a
optional down- globe, vinegar, baking soda, chewing gum, and
loadable student a paper plate. For Biology, among resources you
activity book for need are pipe cleaners, a magnifying glass, old
$7.95 with only T-shirts, face paints, and alligator stickers.
the reproduc- There are also some artistically-created col-
ible student pages oring pages—one per unit. Colored pencils are
from the textbook. the perfect medium to use for these. The book
You can purchase also has numerous black line illustrations that
and print these children might color.
for additional stu- Vocabulary words, timeline entry items, and
dents. These pages lists of materials needed are at the beginning
include Review-its, activity and experiment of each unit. Each unit concludes with a quiz.
forms, unit review activities and quizzes, and Biology also includes a writing assignment at
coloring pages. These are duplicates of pages in the end of each unit while Earth and Space sug-
the text rather than additional material. gests either a writing assignment or creation of
The second edition of Earth and Space a “folderbook” (directions in an appendix).
includes a CD-ROM in the back of the book Other reproducible pages in the appendices
that has printable lesson plans, all of the repro- include a Field Trip Journal form, Checking it
ducible student pages (Review-its, activity and Out experiment form, Write About It! work-
experiment forms, unit review activities and sheet for a unit composition, maps, scripture
quizzes, and coloring pages), materials lists, memory cards, recipes, supplemental activities
and a bonus literature study guide for a sci- such as word searches, and numerous other
ence-related biography. Literature study guides worksheets pertaining to the lessons.
(available for all courses except Biology) offer A biblical worldview is presented through-
substantial activities—written work, discus- out both books and is reinforced by scripture
sions, and hands-on activities—but they are memory cards. Unit 2, lesson 3 of Earth and
an optional part of each course. The literature Space advances a creationist, young-Earth per-
study guide for Earth and Space is for The Big spective, although it does present the broader
Wave by Pearl S. Buck. context of scientific disagreement as well as
The first session each week is “teaching disagreement among Christians. Most recom-
time.” It begins with reading and discussing the mended resources for the lessons are secu-
information from the text. Students complete lar and present alternative explanations. In
 Science
259
Biology, the first lesson advances a creationist acids, bases, and chemical reactions. The next
perspective, although it takes no position on section deals with states of matter, and the
the age of the earth. However, recommended final section gets into organic chemistry.
resource books tend toward a young earth While older students might read the lessons
position. directly from the book on their own, you will
Christian Kids Explore Chemistry, want to read the lessons to younger students,
Physics, and Creation Science perhaps paraphrasing or skipping difficult sec-
The next three books in the series are similar tions as needed.
to each other, differing in format from the first Following the lesson information is a Review-
two books. Christian Kids Explore Chemistry, it section with fill-in-the-blank questions that
Christian Kids Explore Physics, and Christian depend only upon listening and comprehen-
Kids Explore Creation Science were written by sion at this point. You should photocopy or
Robert W. Ridlon, Jr. and Elizabeth J. Ridlon. print out these pages as well as those for unit
They are recommended for students in grades reviews, worksheets, and coloring pages.
four through eight. The level of content in “Think About It” questions that come next
Chemistry and Physics is more advanced than in most lessons might be used as follow-up for
in the first two books. Creation Science starts a hands-on activity, or they might require writ-
out at a very easy level, but the second half ten work or discussion. These challenge stu-
moves into significantly more difficult material. dents to understand and apply some creative
There are far fewer reproducible student activ- thought to the lessons. Each unit concludes
ity pages, and the coloring pages for Chemistry with a test.
and Physics are limited to a smaller selection in At the beginning of each unit you will find
an appendix at the back of each book. Creation a list of objectives, vocabulary words, and
Science has many coloring pages. materials needed for all activities for the unit.
Christian Kids Explore Chemistry is more than Materials are mostly common household items,
a simple introduction to chemistry. In 356 with the exception of things like Styrofoam®
pages, the authors cover the basics of chem- balls, Alka Seltzer®, and safety glasses for
istry, including some topics often reserved Chemistry; and a stopwatch, various types of
for high school courses. But they do so in a balls, and a horseshoe magnet for Physics.
way that is very understandable for younger Hands-on activities are used to reinforce or
students. They use a conversational style and help teach each lesson. These are frequently
familiar examples to which children can relate. experiments, but sometimes they are things
While you might occasionally find topics like like building models of molecules, creating
“covalent bonds” that are beyond your fourth cards for elements of the periodic table, com-
or fifth grader, most of the presentation is so pleting observation forms, doing word search-
clear and concrete in the way it is taught that es, or coloring pages.
most students will understand and enjoy the The second editions of both Chemistry and
lessons. You might even use this if you’ve got Physics each include a CD-ROM in the back of
a high schooler who struggles with the math the book similar to that described for the Earth
involved in chemistry. and Space course. Those with earlier editions of
The book begins with lessons on matter, Chemistry or Physics can purchase a download-
measurement, elements, mixtures, compounds, able file with the content on the CD-ROMs
atoms, molecules, the periodic table, mass, and that are now packaged with new editions of the
atomic number. Then it advances into chemi- books ($9.95 per course).
cal bonds, formulas, names of compounds, The CD-ROM for Chemistry includes a
 102 Top Picks
260
literature study guide for Joyce McPherson's the creationist model.
biography of Blaise Pascal, A Piece of the The argumentation and evidence presented
Mountain. While the rest of the study has is often superficial. This might be appropriate
minimal Christian content, this book centers for young students, but it certainly isn't for
around the spiritual life of this great thinker. older students. So I am less enthused about
Christian Kids Explore Physics has 405 pages this book than I am about the others in the
divided into six units on physics, matter, series.
mechanics, matter in motion, energy in motion, Christian Kids Explore Creation Science comes
and electricity and magnetism. with a CD-ROM like the other courses. It
The relatively simple activities and experi- features a literature study guide for Ruth
ments should be appealing, although some of Beechick's book, Adam and His Kin.
the math (used in only a few activities) will be Summary
challenging for younger students. Examples of The Christian Kids Explore series is a good
the activities include creating atomic models, option for homeschooling families who want
observing balloon expansion and contraction to teach children of various ages together. It
in various temperature settings, plotting tra- makes it easy to provide interesting science
jectories for a tennis ball rolling off a table, education with hands-on activities.
calculating bicycle wheel speed, and creating a
compass. Simple household items are used for
most of these. The optional literature study for Elemental Science Classic series
Physics is based on the book Ben Franklin of Old Elemental Science, Inc.
Philadelphia by Margaret Cousins. This study [email protected]
takes a secular approach. www.elementalscience.com
Although Chemistry and Physics are intended course packages:
for a Christian audience and have occasional printed editions -
scripture verses in the sidebars, I found only $28.48 to $40.99
scattered references to God. Those references per course,
were so generic that the books should be fine ebooks - $17 to
for any family who shares a belief in God as $25.50 per course
Creator. It would be very easy for parents or My first impres-
teachers with other beliefs to use these books sion of Elemental
with minimal adaptation. Science's Classic
Christian Kids Explore Creation Science dif- series (ESC) for
fers drastically in this regard. It has significant grades one through
religious content, advancing belief in a lit- eight was that it is
eral interpretation of Genesis 1 and belief in a very similar to Noeo Science which was already
young earth. one of my Top Picks. I expected to like the ESC
In the first part, it teaches the creation series because, like Noeo, ESC's methodology is
model, six days of creation, and Noah's flood so close to what I describe at the beginning of
and its importance to the creation model. The this chapter.
second part, "Advanced Topics in Creation The ESC series uses colorful fact books such
Science," are more challenging. Here the book as encyclopedias from Usborne as spines. Many
addresses methods of dating and the age of the ESC courses use more than one spine book
earth, the evolution model, problems with the such as The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia and
evolution model, and other topics that defend DK Encyclopedia of Nature, as well as some
 Science
261
supplemental books like Marie Curie’s Search for stretching each course to suit a wider age
for Radium by Beverley Birch. The ESC teacher range, often using alternative spine books and
guides chart out daily lesson plans, drawing adapting the amount of writing required.
upon the spine and supplemental books for The seven courses and their targeted grade
informational content. levels are:
The courses are designed with the classical • Biology for the Grammar Stage - (1-2)
trivium stages—grammar, logic, and rhetoric— • Biology for the Logic Stage - (5-6)
in mind. The ESC series also leans somewhat • Earth Science and Astronomy for the
toward the classical approach as described in Grammar Stage - (2-3)
The Well-Trained Mind (by Susan Wise Bauer) • Earth Science and Astronomy for the
with its emphasis on written work, acquisi- Logic Stage - (6-7)
tion of facts, and testing. It has students • Chemistry for the Grammar Stage - (3-4)
write definitions for vocabulary words on Unit • Chemistry for the Logic Stage - (7-8)
Vocabulary Sheets, write outlines or narrative • Physics for the Grammar Stage - (4-5)
summaries of their reading, write complete lab Each ESC course package has both a teacher
records and reports, and make timeline entries. guide and a student book. Teacher guides for
Courses also include quizzes, reviews, and all levels include answers keys; scheduling
tests, although these are optional. Of course, options for either two days or five days per
you can adapt how much writing each student week; and sections with additional suggestions
is required to do. for reading, internet research, activities, and
Courses also draw upon Charlotte Mason experiments. Teacher guides also include ways
methodology, using narration and sketch- to expand upon the experiments along with
ing along with the other learning activities. discussion questions for you to use with your
Students using the ESC series create a note- students.
book for each course, but notebook creation is In courses for the grammar stage, the student
made easy with the separate student workbook book is a workbook with custom-designed unit
for each course that has much of the work project sheets, notebooking pages, lab reports,
already done for you, especially if you purchase and a glossary. The lesson pages are used pri-
the printed edition of the workbook rather marily for recording information.
than the ebook. In courses for the logic stage, student guides
Hands-on learning through science experi- expect students to be much more self-directed,
ments is also built into the ESC series. You will so they include the lesson plans along with
need to gather resources for science experi- recording pages. At this level, there are also
ments. Experiment instructions come from some pre-drawn but unlabeled drawings for
the required resource books rather than the students to complete. Courses for the logic
teacher's guides or student workbooks. While stage direct students to work on a science fair
experiment resources required for the Classic project of their choice during one unit.
series are not very difficult to find, you might Optional coloring pages and lapbooking
want to purchase their experiment kits that plans that have templates that coordinate with
save you the trouble of hunting down items some of the courses are also available.
like the aquarium tubing, large suction cups, Elemental Science also has two courses for
and an instant-read thermometer used for younger learners that I just want to men-
Biology for the Grammar Stage. tion. Exploring Science (for K4 and K5) and
ESC courses were each written to target a Intro to Science (for kindergarten and first
span of two grade levels, but tips are included grade) are similar in approach to courses for
 102 Top Picks
262
older students although they use much more science for each text and the methods of lesson
discussion, drawing, coloring, and “science presentation make these books significantly
play”—and much less writing—than do the different from standard texts.
upper grade levels. Brief teaching information The Astronomy, Botany, Human Anatomy and
is included in the teacher guides. For Exploring Physiology, and Chemistry and Physics books
Science, the book Science Play (Williamson address only those topics, digging much deeper
Little Hands Book) is the source of experi- into each than is possible in a typical textbook.
ments, and many library books are used as Zoology 1 teaches about flying creatures (birds,
resources throughout all of the lessons. Intro bats, flying reptiles, and insects). Zoology 2
to Science uses The Handbook of Nature Study covers only creatures that live in water while
(Comstock Publishing) and experiments from Zoology 3 tackles various orders of land animals
More Mudpies and Magnets (Gryphon House) including reptiles, amphibians, spiders, insects,
along with additional library books. You could worms, gastropods, and dinosaurs.
easily use these two courses with students up The series is also unusual in that each text
through second grade for introductory science. is designed to be used with students from first
The program is presented from a secular through sixth grade. Since there are seven
perspective. While there is no direct teach- books and six grade levels, you might not com-
ing on evolution or religious questions in the plete all of the them.
teacher guides or student books aside from an The Young Explorers series is clearly
optional lesson on the big bang in Earth Science Christian in outlook, continually reaffirming
and Astronomy for the Logic Level, required God’s role as creator. Occasionally, evolution-
resources reflect evolutionary assumptions. ary beliefs are addressed directly, but these
You can read more about their perspective on texts mostly take a positive approach by teach-
Elemental Science’s FAQ page. ing a Christian viewpoint rather than attack-
ing evolution.
Author Jeannie Fulbright writes as if she is
Exploring Creation Young Explorer chatting with her children, so the writing style
Science Series (Grades 1-6) is very conversational and personal.
by Jeannie Fulbright This series uses an immersion approach,
Apologia Educational emphasizing depth over breadth with informa-
Ministries tion, activities, writing, field trips, experiments,
1106 Meridian and other avenues to immerse the student
Plaza, Suite 220 deeply into each topic. Students gather enough
Anderson, IN 46016 information on each topic to begin to appreci-
888-524-4724 ate science, ask deeper questions, and look for
email: mailbag@ applications around them.
apologia.com Regarding methodology, Charlotte Mason’s
www.apologia.com ideas are most evident in the use of narration.
books - $39 Periodically, after a section of text there will be
each, notebooking journals - $24 each a narration prompt such as “Explain what you
At first glance, the seven Apologia Exploring have learned about flight muscles and birds in
Creation Young Explorer books look like stan- flight” (Zoology 1, p. 61). You might even want
dard hardcover textbooks for the elementary to prompt for narrations more frequently than
grades. They are nicely printed with full-color does the text.
illustrations. But the focus on a narrow area of “What Do You Remember?” questions at
 Science
263
the end of each chapter help to assess whether lesson. A "What Do You Remember?" sec-
or not children are grasping the information. tion reprints the review questions from the
Parents can require students to write out text, allowing space for students to write their
answers or respond orally. Answer keys are at answers. Template pages in the journals support
the back of each book. notebook assignments, activities, and projects
To keep things interesting, the text is also in the text. Finally, there are Project Pages for
broken up with “Try This!” activities. These recording observations and other information,
are generally fairly simple activities in contrast as well as for inserting photos from activities
to both the full-fledged experiments with data and experiments within the text.
recording and the projects that come at the end Other useful resources in the Notebooking
of each chapter. Two of the projects for each Journals include scripture copywork pages,
course are actually term projects. Term proj- vocabulary crossword puzzles, cut-and-fold
ects, as well as some of the other experiments miniature books in which students can write
and projects, are quite involved, but they don’t key information, field trip sheets for recording
require esoteric resources. Lists of the neces- information about each trip, and a 50-question
sary resources are at the front of each book, final review for the entire course. There are
shown chapter by chapter, making it easy to also Dig In Deeper assignments that expand
plan ahead. Required resources include items lessons with additional experiments, activi-
such as matches, wires, empty soda bottles, red ties, research, and recommended reading and
food coloring, plaster of Paris, plants, glycerin multi-media resources. These extra resources,
soap bars, and a pinecone. At the front of each including the final review, are all optional. Use
text is a reproducible Scientific Speculation whatever is useful and then remove the pages
Sheet to be used for applying scientific method not being used from each student’s journal
and recording experiment information. so they are left with their own personalized
Students create a notebook for each course. notebook.
They can either use an Apologia Notebooking Younger students with less developed writ-
Journal or a binder to collect their notes, ing skills should probably use the new Junior
drawings, and records of experiments, projects, Notebooking Journals for each course. These
and field trips. Since the text tries to address require less writing, have fewer crossword puz-
the needs of students from first through sixth zles (but with age appropriate vocabulary), and
grade, notebook activities are frequently sug- omit the written review questions and final
gested under separate headings for younger reviews. They add two more coloring pages per
and older students. lesson and have handwriting lines appropriate
Notebooking Journals are hefty (about 200 for primary grade levels.
pages each), plastic spiral-bound books. While The resulting notebooks, whether the stan-
it is certainly fine if you want to create your dard or junior versions, will have much more
own notebooks with resources from the web- content than could be compiled into a lap-
site and elsewhere, these Notebooking Journals book. If you would rather have children create
make the process much easier. lapbooks, both Knowledge Box Central (www.
The Notebooking Journals include a number knowledgeboxcentral.com) and A Journey
of activities and resources for each lesson. Four Through Learning (www.ajourneythroughle-
sections directly support essential textbook arning.com) sell lapbook kits that correlate
material and activities. A Fascinating Facts with these textbooks. (Check either website to
section provides space for students to write see what lapbooks look like.)
their own summary of information from the The intended audience is probably my biggest
 102 Top Picks
264
area of concern with the textbooks. The books supplements), $299 for the entire series
are written at a reading level well beyond that The God's Design Science series courses,
of children in the primary grades. The texts now in their third editions, are an outstanding
include Latin and scientific names, sometimes program for grades one through eight.
including explanations of word derivations. There are four groups of books within the
There seems to be even more of this in Botany series. There are three textbooks in each group
and Zoology 1 than in the other books. While with a teacher supplement for each text that
this should be fine for students in the middle includes a resource CD-ROM with all of the
grades, it might be too much information for printables, tests, and quizzes.
younger students. Personally, I would probably Titles included in each of the four groups
start with the Astronomy text if my children are:
were on the younger end of the spectrum, • Life: The Human Body, The World of
then follow with Botany and Human Anatomy Plants, The World of Animals
and Physiology. After that, I would use any • Heaven and Earth: Our Planet Earth, Our
of the lengthier courses: Zoology 1, 2, or 3 or Weather and Water, Our Universe
Chemistry and Physics. Parents will likely read • Chemistry and Ecology: Properties of
the text aloud to younger students, while older Matter, Properties of Atoms and Molecules,
students can do much of their reading and Properties of Ecosystems
work independently. • Physical World: Heat and Energy, Machines
An added bonus with each course is a pass- and Motion, Inventions and Technology
word to a dedicated website with extra help- You can purchase the books in sets for each
ful tools for each course. This information is group—the three texts plus the three teacher
provided in the front of each book with your supplements—or as a complete set of all the
course instructions. books.
Audio CDs with author Jeannie Fulbright There are a
reading the text are available for the Human number of fea-
Anatomy and Physiology and Zoology courses tures that set
either as MP3 files on CDs ($29 per course) or these books
on standard audio CDs ($39 per course). apart. First,
Overall, there is more activity and variety the books are
in these courses than in traditional textbooks. ungraded. The
The format makes it easy for parents to provide “Life” and
an excellent balance of information and activ- “Heaven and
ity that should be very effective for science Earth” groups are designated for the entire
instruction in the elementary grades. range of grades one through eight while
“Chemistry and Ecology” and “Physical World”
groups narrow to grades three through eight.
God’s Design Science series If your children are in the early elementary
Answers in Genesis grades, you should start with either of the first
PO Box 510 two series, saving the latter two for the upper
Hebron, KY 41048 elementary grades or junior high.
800-778-3390 According to the authors, you might com-
www.answersingenesis.org plete any of the groups of three texts in a
$89 for each set of three courses (each single school year. With three books per group,
set has 3 student books with 3 teacher you would complete three lessons per week,
 Science
265
spending about 20 minutes per lesson for for each lesson are in the teacher supplement
younger students and 45 minutes per lesson for each text. Supplies are generally not too
for older students. The books are approxi- difficult to obtain, although it does vary from
mately 150 pages each, so I would recommend book to book. The World of Plants requires
to families with younger children that they things like yellow gelatin, bean seeds, flower
take their time and use only one or two books bulbs, corn meal, dried moss, and bread slic-
per year, allowing time for further exploration es—fairly easy items to find. Heat and Energy
when they hit topics of particular interest. is a little more challenging, requiring items like
Each of the 12 student textbooks has a copper wire, iron filings, steel BBs, a compass,
teacher supplement book (that includes a and a magnifying glass. Even the chemistry
CD-ROM) that serves as the teacher guide books mostly use easily available items like
and answer key. The philosophical and theo- Epsom salt, ammonia, and rubbing alcohol.
logical information at the front of the supple- Rarely, the supply list also mentions a reference
ment is critical for understanding the unique book that you will need—such as a tree field
perspective and design of these textbooks; this guide to be used with The World of Plants.
information is a must-read for teachers. The Activities are followed by a "What did we
CD-ROM contains PDF files with worksheets learn?" section. These are just a few key ques-
for some of the lessons, some of which are tions for the teacher to ask to ensure that
required as part of the expanded activities for students understand the main points of the
older students. Many of these pages are data lesson. Suggested answers are provided in the
recording sheets or other means of recording teacher supplement.
observations. The CD-ROM also has quizzes Next is a Taking It Further section with
for each unit and a final exam. questions that will help children extend their
Brief teaching instructions are also found at thinking to draw some conclusions or make
the beginning of each textbook. They point additional connections or applications of what
out the color coding system used to indicate they have learned.
lessons and activities targeted for younger and Interesting biographical sketches of scientists
older students. Older students generally are and inventors plus articles on special topics
given more information and more-challenging such as chemotherapy, artificial islands, and
activities in addition to (or sometimes in place rattlesnakes appear sporadically throughout
of) the lessons and activities completed by each textbook.
younger students. At the end of each book is a unit final proj-
The books in this series all reflect a Christian ect. These projects often encompass many
worldview, including a young-earth view of topics covered within various lessons, so you
creation. Contrasts are made between evolu- should check out the unit project when begin-
tion and creationist views when pertinent to ning the course and consider having your child
the topic, especially in the texts related to life start work on the project early in the school
science and earth science. year. They can then work on the project when-
Hands-on experiments and activities that ever it seems appropriate.
are built into every lesson are worthwhile and Textbooks are printed in full-color with
relate well to the topics. The activities and numerous, high-quality illustrations and excel-
experiments include step-by-step instructions lent graphics. The publisher has also made
and are designed to teach scientific method as good use of color to highlight different portions
children observe, record information, discuss, of the lesson, making it easy to spot sections to
and form conclusions. Lists of supplies needed be used with different grade levels.
 102 Top Picks
266
The God's Design Science series is a practical which I would present the lesson information
choice for Christian homeschooling families rather than presenting information first. If
as well as for classroom teachers in Christian younger children can see and touch things as
schools. However, there are a few issues that they are learning they will be able to under-
you might want to consider as you use this stand better than if they are listening to what
series. (to them) sounds like abstract information. For
Textbooks are written to address a very wide example, in Our Planet Earth, a lesson on iden-
age span. Even with the delineation of sections tifying different minerals includes experiments
appropriate for older and younger students for children to identify four or five minerals
which help a great deal, there are some con- themselves. I would have the minerals on hand
cerns. Many sections of text are dense with and would talk about their different charac-
new vocabulary. Even following the guidelines teristics for identification while the children
of which material to use with each age group, compared and tested the different samples.
you might find that some children will have This might help solve the problem I mentioned
a hard time just listening to and absorbing so regarding information overload.
much detail. For example, in the second lesson Overall, I like this combination of informa-
in Our Weather and Water (on the structure of tion with experiments and activities plus ques-
the atmosphere) the text reads, tions to ensure understanding. The variety
The earth’s atmosphere consists of 78% of activities effectively reaches children with
nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases different learning styles.
including hydrogen, helium, argon, and carbon
dioxide. This combination of nitrogen and oxy-
gen is the ideal atmosphere for life. Nitrogen is Noeo Science Curriculum
a relatively nonreactive gas. Its purpose in the Logos Press
atmosphere appears to be to dilute the oxygen. 207 N. Main St.
If the oxygen concentration was more than Moscow, ID 83843
21% fires would easily burn out of control (p. email: [email protected]
12). www.logospressonline.com/noeo
Note that within just these few sentences, For years I’ve advo-
you are introducing a number of vocabulary cated avoiding tradi-
words and concepts unfamiliar to most chil- tional science textbooks
dren: the various chemical elements, the idea and, instead, choosing
of percentages, nonreactive gases, dilution, fewer topics to cover in
and the relationship between oxygen and fires. more detail using real
This quote is from a section for students in books and experiments.
grades three through eight. The above sen- Obviously, many home-
tences might sound like gibberish to young schoolers agree with
students. For this reason, I urge you to use me since publishers are
discretion as to which sections of text to read increasingly putting together courses that fit
with young students. Sometimes you will need this description. I think Noeo Science has done
to simplify lesson material so that students can one of the best jobs yet! You’ll see why as you
grasp concepts. read on.
As I read through some of the lessons, I Courses are available for three levels. Level 1
thought that I, personally, would very likely use courses target grades one through three, level
the experiments and activities as the basis from 2 courses are for grades four through six, and
 Science
267
level 3 courses are to be used in grades seven Each volume of Noeo Science targets a nar-
through nine. It should take one school year to row range of topics under the general headings
complete each course. The titles of the eight of biology, chemistry, or physics. For example,
volumes in the series and their prices are: Biology 1 covers weather, bacteria and fungi,
• Biology 1 - $146.88 sea life, amphibians, plants, insects, birds, and
• Chemistry 1 - $167.61 the human body. Despite the number of topics,
• Physics 1 - $149.44 extensive time is spent on narrower subsets
• Biology 2 - $131.74 of each of the above topics, using real books,
• Chemistry 2 - $145 observations, and experiments—all hallmarks
• Physics 2 - $154.90 of unit studies.
• Chemistry 3 - $215 Charlotte Mason’s influence is seen in the
• Physics 3 - $205 use of real books, the use of narration (oral and
You might have noticed that all courses written), drawing, and creation of a notebook.
are titled Biology, Chemistry, or Physics. Some The curriculum is designed with lots of
science topics such as geology, weather, and experiments and hands-on activity rather than
astronomy overlap these three areas of science, in a traditional format. While children learn
so they are included at points within chemis- some vocabulary, the curriculum does not rely
try, biology, and physics where they fit most on the memorization typical of many science
appropriately. courses, and neither does it use typical work-
It doesn’t really matter which order you use sheets and tests. That doesn’t mean students
the volumes for each level. Choosing the most do no writing. Reproducible forms in each
appropriate level is more important. However, volume are used by students for notebooking,
you might easily shift a student who is at one drawing, recording data from experiments,
end or the other of a level into the closest writing definitions, and taking notes. Samples
lower or higher level if it allows you to teach of completed student pages are included in the
more than one child at the same time. While instructor’s guide to assist parents. (Note: The
the titles of the books seem similar, the content reproducible pages are also available as free
at each level changes to cover different topics downloads at the Logos Press website.)
within biology, chemistry and physics (as well For each course, the key component is the
as other areas of science) so that students will instructor’s guide which comes in a spiral-
have a broad and thorough science education bound book. Each instructor’s guide consists
after completing these courses. primarily of lesson plans that are laid out for
Noeo Science takes its name from a Greek each week in chart form for easy reference.
word meaning “to understand.” While the They list the pages in books to be read, experi-
courses stress understanding scientific con- ments to be completed, optional experiments,
cepts, they also want children to learn that, and optional websites to explore. Notes at the
“The essence of science is simply observing bottom tell you when students need to make
and describing God’s creation. When scientists notes or drawings for their notebooks or provide
make a new discovery, they are seeing another a narration.
part of creation revealed…." (From the intro- Each instructor’s guide also has a fairly brief
duction to each book.) explanation of how the curriculum works,
The curriculum’s approach is primarily a the aforementioned reproducible pages, lists
mixture of Charlotte Mason and unit study of required books and experiment kits, and a
methods, but it also works well for those pursu- master supply list of items needed for other
ing a classical education. experiments and activities.
 102 Top Picks
268
The books selected for each course are out- use with the kits, but all of the difficult-to-get
standing. For example, Chemistry 2 books are the items are provided.
Usborne Internet-Linked Science Encyclopedia; Chemistry 3 and Physics 3 come with larger
Usborne Internet-Linked Mysteries and Marvels experiment kits, each with its own substantial
of Science; Fizz, Bubble & Flash; Adventures manual. Students are not required to complete
with Atoms and Molecules; The Mystery of the every experiment in each kit, but they might
Periodic Table; and Geology Rocks! These are enjoy them enough to tackle the optional
mostly colorful, illustrated books that children experiments on their own.
will love to explore on their own. Even better, Physics 3 has two kits. A Physics Workshop kit
both Chemistry 2 and Physics 2 use the same (with all sorts of gears, pulleys, rods, building
two Usborne books so you can save on the components, and a battery-operated motor)
second course by purchasing a less expensive has 38 workshop projects for students to
package that does not include those two books. construct things from the kit. Most workshop
You will develop a great science library with projects are accompanied by experiments in
the books from these courses. which students use the workshop creation.
Experiments and Lab Work For example, students build a force scale and
Logos Press sells the Noeo instructor’s guides type-two lever in a workshop then use it in an
packaged with sets of the required books and experiment to measure forces on a lever. The
experiment kits, saving you money over the Electronic Snap Circuits Kit used in Physics 3
cost of buying items individually. However, you can be used for building 78 projects for learn-
can purchase all items separately if you prefer. ing all about electricity.
(Check the publisher's website for information Chemistry 3 has one large kit that includes
on various options for purchasing individual chemicals and lab equipment as well as a
components.) complete manual with instructions for 251
Experiment kits from the Young Scientist experiments.
Club (www.theyoungscientistsclub.com) are Some parents using level 3 courses will be
included in all courses for levels 1 and 2. concerned about high school requirements.
Biology 2 also includes an inexpensive slide While there is plenty of lab work in both
microscope. More extensive kits from Thames the Physics 3 and Chemistry 3 courses, the
& Kosmos (www.thamesandkosmos.com) are labs do not require the mathematical mea-
used with level 3 courses. The Young Scientist surements and calculations typical of high
Club experiment kits for younger levels—with school level labs. The course material intro-
between five and seven kits per course—come duces ideas taught at high school level but
bundled in boxes for each course rather than does not go as far as usual for high school
individually. It is important to note that the courses. For example, at least two of the books
Young Scientist Club Kits have a number of in the Chemistry 3 course—Eyewitness Books
experiments within each individual kit so Chemistry (DK Books) and Material Matters:
there’s even more here than you might think. Mixtures, Compounds & Solutions (Raintree)—
Each kit includes its own instruction book plus discuss covalent and ionic bonds, yet none of
equipment and supplies for all the experiments. them fully develop the technical aspect of how
These kits are relatively small and inexpensive, atoms bond with each other. Consequently,
but they do contain some unusual items like a these courses are perfect for junior high and
spring scale, glycerol, and a petri dish. You will might serve as introductory courses for ninth
need to collect some common household items graders that would be followed up later with
(see the master supply list in each volume) to more challenging, math-based chemistry or
 Science
269
physics courses. Alvaton, KY 42122
Scheduling 800-831-3570
Each course is laid out for 36 weeks—a full email: [email protected]
school year. Lessons are provided for four days www.beginningspublishing.com
a week. However, lessons for level 1 should complete year 1 - $271, complete year 2 -
take only 15 to 20 minutes a day, lessons for $162, text - $85, Teacher’s Helper - $20,
level 2 should take only 20 to 30 minutes per lab workbook - $23
day, and lessons for level 3 should take 30 to Serious science is coupled with a light-
40 minutes per day. This means that you can hearted approach and lots of hands-on activity
easily double up your lessons and do science in The Rainbow, a two-year course targeted
two days a week in longer sessions since even at junior high level. Written specifically for
level 3 lessons twice a week would require no Christian homeschoolers, The Rainbow has a
more than 60 to 80 minutes each. Of course, if softcover student textbook, a huge lab set, the
students complete optional reading or experi- Teacher's Helper (teacher guide), and a lab
ments, that will take more time. In addition, book.
many of the observations, activities and experi- The course is unusual because the text is
ments in all of the volumes could be expanded intended to be used for two years. In the first
beyond the minimal time required. year, students study physics and chemistry,
Worldview and in the second year they study biology and
While the curriculum itself reflects a applications (applied science).
Christian worldview, most of the resource The Teacher’s Helper is the guide for the
books do not. The introduction to each text as well as the labs, covering both years.
book suggests using encounters with secular The first year’s lab set includes a lab notebook
or materialist viewpoints in the resource books plus both durable equipment and consum-
as opportunities for discussion rather than able supplies. For the second year, you need
skipping over them. I also suggest that since additional equipment, supplies, and a new lab
the resource books are your primary source of notebook, all of which is sold as a Year 2 set.
information, Christian parents might want to I really enjoy Dr. Dobbins' personal, friendly
add discussion about God’s design or presence writing style in the textbook, and I think most
when it seems appropriate. junior high students will too. Here’s a short
excerpt to give you the flavor:
So you’ve given up on dissolving oil and vin-
The Rainbow egar together without killing people, but you
are still convinced you are a smart chemist. So
what do you do? Like every other good chem-
ist in the world, you pick up the bottle of salad
dressing and shake it really hard, then fret to
remove the cap and pour the dressing before it
separates again. But unlike the untrained non-
chemists, you know the word for what you just
did. You created a suspension (p. 118).
Dr. Dobbins explains concepts simply, fre-
by Durell C. Dobbins, Ph.D. quently relating them to familiar experiences
Beginnings Publishing House, Inc. as he does above. Lessons are presented in
328 Shady Lane small sections—about two pages each—with
 102 Top Picks
270
a few questions following each section. Some seem to me that evolution is taught in this text
questions are simple comprehension questions so much as it is undermined or argued against.
while others might be used for either discus- Dr. Dobbins does not take a position on the
sion or written assignments. The student text age of the earth. Another sensitive subject
is heavily illustrated in full color, so the pages might be human reproduction, but it is taste-
are not crowded with text. fully and conservatively explained.
The Teacher’s Helper outlines a schedule for Overall, I think this course prepares students
three days per week for 32 weeks per year. It with a solid foundation for more in-depth high
describes the purpose of each lesson, then also school level science courses.
provides answer keys, section review quizzes,
and troubleshooting ideas in case a lab experi-
ment doesn’t turn out as it should. A separate Supercharged Science
lab workbook for the student gives detailed by Aurora Lipper
and often humorous instructions for a weekly www.superchargedscience.com
experiment. NASA
The complete kit includes a neatly packaged rocket
set of lab materials with everything needed to scientist,
carry out the experiments including such items university
as safety glasses, a marble roller assembly, a profes-
baseball, resistors, magnets, light bulbs, glass sor, pilot,
tubing, a syringe, PVC tubing, dye, and much and mom
more. You could conceivably collect your own Aurora
materials from the list provided on the pub- Lipper is
lisher’s website, but it’s such an odd assortment dedicated to making science intriguing and
that you would be better off purchasing the kit fun for children. To that end she has created
from the publisher. both online science curriculum and packaged
The complete kit also includes both the text science programs (which include materials
and a lab book, but if you have more than and equipment) for students in kindergarten
one student, you will need to add an extra through twelfth grade.
lab workbook and will probably want an extra In Lipper's “e-Science” Curriculum and
textbook. Each lab workbook comes with a Science Mastery Programs as well as in her
pair of safety glasses, an essential item for each individual courses, the emphasis is on learning
student. Other than that, two students should by doing. In both the e-Science Curriculum
be able to work cooperatively on the experi- and Science Mastery Programs, hundreds of
ments using what comes in the kit. Those experiments are available to students. Even
using this program with a larger group need to better, videos of Lipper demonstrating how to
order multiple kits. do each experiment allow all but the young-
The curriculum is obviously Christian with est students to work independently most of
its numerous references to God. Dr. Dobbins’ the time. However, parents will need to pay
treatment of the theory of evolution is interest- attention to safety issues and oversee experi-
ing. He says, “In this text we will attempt to ments as needed to ensure that students use
teach the general theory of evolution because proper procedures and reasonable caution. For
a good education in the sciences requires it. parents who might not have a science back-
We present it as a theory… which we ourselves ground themselves, or perhaps don’t have the
do not accept” (p. 136). However, it does not time to teach it, these programs are a welcome
 Science
271
solution. experiments are buttressed with easily-digest-
Lipper’s specialty is in physics and engineer- ible information to convey the key points
ing—not surprising given her background. students should be learning. Quizzes will help
So there are many experiments with electric- you check whether or not that’s happening.
ity, magnetism, mechanics, matter, energy, For high school (or junior high students need-
light, sound, thermodynamics and much more. ing more challenging material), you can access
Chemistry and life science are also covered textbook readings, exercises, and quizzes for a
with some experiments in both beginning and complete course with both academics and lab
advanced chemistry included. While hands-on work. Even with all this, the video presenta-
experiments are the mainstay of Supercharged tions and experiments provide an indispens-
Science, there’s much more to it. able core. Beginning with a video presentation
e-Science Curriculum then completing the experiment is likely to
monthy subscription fee:$37/month for create an excitement and curiosity about sci-
grades K-8, $57/month for grades 9-12 ence that is difficult to achieve starting with
or advanced younger students (at least fifth textbook material.
grade) In addition to the program material, Lipper
Supercharged Science offers the online e-Sci- teaches a live tele-class online every few weeks
ence Curriculum with options to suit students where students subscribed to e-Science can
in kindergarten through twelfth grade. There connect with her personally. While this com-
are optional packages that include all materials ponent is offered live at a particular time, it is
for those who would rather not search out all also recorded. Aside from the live tele-class,
the experiment resources themselves. everything else can be accessed whenever it is
One thing that e-Science does better than convenient for you.
almost everything else is use hands-on activi- Unlimited support is provided for students
ties to connect scientific concepts with practi- and parents. Whatever part of the course you
cal applications in the real world. Experiments are using, feedback or advice from Lipper or
use mostly inexpensive, easy-to-find items, so another expert in the field of science a student
you can realistically gather your own materi- is studying is always available by email. There’s
als. Once kids are excited by what they’ve also a place to share ideas and comments with
built or experimented with, the course then other parents and students.
introduces the academics. In this way, students A 30-day trial period will allow you to sample
have a deeper understanding of the material the program with no obligation and costs just
while enjoying it more than with a traditional one dollar. Even if you decide to enroll, you
textbook. Lipper explains that she has based can still cancel at any time without any obliga-
this approach on how scientists work in the tion. Also, there’s no need to enroll for a full
real world. year at a time; you just pay month-by-month
A monthly subscription fee gives your fam- with no long-term commitment.
ily access to an amazing number of resourc- Science Mastery Programs
es—more than 800 experiments plus enough Silver - $599, Gold - $1195,
educational material for at least two to three Diamond - $1895 (programs include
years of science education. For kindergarten materials and equipment)
through eighth grade, you might need noth- Science Mastery Programs are offered at
ing more than what is on the website. Sign in Silver, Gold, and Diamond levels and include
on the website, select which lesson you wish access to all of the online resources for time
to use and let your kids run with it. Science periods of one, two, and five years, respectively.
 102 Top Picks
272
Each level includes parts and materials for 100 at www.CathyDuffyReviews.com/science/
to 600 activities and experiments plus a nearly supercharged-science.htm.
200-page experiment manual. Extra kits for Summary
more specialized projects (e.g., robotics) are Supercharged Science takes a secular
also included, with more such kits added as approach but should not have any content in
you move up to the Diamond level. All of the conflict with religious beliefs. They describe
video and audio material is provided on DVDs themselves as “creation neutral.”
and audio CDs so you need not be reliant on Overall, Supercharged Science has put
an internet connection, but you still have both together some very comprehensive science
options. The larger programs for Gold and education programs. Their online e-Science
Diamond levels are serious science programs programs give students access to a high-quality
that include everything you need for two to curriculum that makes extensive use of hands-
three years of science education. on activities and experiments to excite and
Individual Courses: Ultimate motivate kids. The price is reasonable for all
Science Curriculum Series that you receive. If you want all of the extra
$74.95 each parts and pieces too, you may want to consider
You might prefer individual courses that tar- their Science Mastery programs. Everything
get specific areas, so Lipper has created those, they sell comes with a full money-back guaran-
too, with courses for Astronomy (1, 2, and tee and comprehensive technical support.
3), Chemistry (1, 2, and 3), Earth Science (1, If you want to try out a free sample of
2, and 3), Electricity, Energy (1 and 2), Forces the types of activities contained in these
and Motion (1 and 2) Life Science: Biology and programs, you can download the “Science
Microscopes, Life Science: Human Anatomy, Activity Manual & Video Series” for free by
Light (1 and 2), Magnetism, and Mathemagic going to: www.superchargedscience.com/opt/
(which has lots of fun, math-related activi- cathy-duffy.
ties). Courses vary in length, taking from 12
to 32 weeks each to complete. Each course is
contained on a single DVD that runs on your The World of Science
computer. (DVD video presentations will run My Father’s World/Master Books joint
on a television monitor, but the resolution will edition
be much poorer.) Order from My Father's World
DVDs contain video presentations for each 573-202-2000
lesson plus a PDF student book for the course www.mfwbooks.com
that includes material to read, questions to $24.99 (discounted to $17.95 by MFW)
answer, and an activity sheet for each lesson. The World of
There is also a PDF Parent and Teachers Guide Science is a lightly
on each DVD. edited version of
Lipper recommends these courses for vari- an original pictorial
ous age-range groupings from kindergarten science book pub-
through third grade up to grades five through lished by Parragon
eight. Generally, I would recommend most Publishing in 2004.
courses for even older students than does My Father’s World
Lipper. (MFW) and Master
You can read more detailed descriptions of Books worked with
the individual courses in my online review the original publisher
 Science
273
to keep this excellent introductory science electricity and magnetism; light and sound;
book in print while editing out references to earth and life; and space and time. Each sec-
and images of early (prehistoric) man and cor- tion is divided into numerous subtopics, each
recting outdated information. one presenting foundational information along
While there are many pictorial science books with examples of real-life science applications,
from publishers such as Usborne and DK science discoveries, and biographies of famous
Publishing, many of the most interesting ones scientists.
include controversial information. So it is very Section seven consists of 40 pages of science
helpful to have a book without such content. projects with illustrated, step-by-step instruc-
On top of that, The World of Science is a 248- tions. Many projects are quite simple but some
page, hardcover book that you can purchase (such as creating a water turbine or making an
through MFW at a very reasonable price. electric motor) are more elaborate.
The World of Science, like many such books, MFW includes this book in their 1850 to
dedicates about half of each page to full-color Modern Times course for students in grades
illustrations. This is the type of book that chil- four through eight, and that grade range is also
dren (and maybe adults, too) are likely to my recommendation for this book’s audience.
explore for fun. MFW and Master Books have created
The book is divided into seven sections. The another similar special edition of The World of
first six sections are topical, covering matter Animals that I also recommend to you.
and chemicals; energy, motion, and machines;
 CHAPTER
13
Unit Studies &
All-in-One Programs

Making Learning Come Alive

Traditional textbooks were created for classroom management purposes—not because authors
prefer to write them. Too often textbooks are written by committees, warped by state and federal
goals, censored or slanted by publishers’ agendas, written with little sense of style, and boring
beyond belief. Of course, there are some exceptions but not many. And even good textbooks
reflect a compartmentalized approach to learning. Math stays in one book, while language
remains in another. Spelling is in yet another compartment, and literature has to stay separate
from both spelling and language.
Real life is not compartmentalized. Unit studies try to make learning more like real life by
bringing a number of subjects together around a central theme for study. Unit study themes are
infinite. Some unit studies follow historical timelines while others form their units around char-
acter traits, novels, geography, science topics, scripture, and other themes. Unit studies might
take anywhere from a few weeks to several years to complete.
Unit studies can be narrow, topical studies such as a unit study on the theme of horses. In such
a study, children might study breeds of horses, the history of their development, how horses have
been used through history, horse anatomy and physiology, and famous horse stories. This sort of
study covers science along with some history and language arts.
Other unit studies are more comprehensive. Most of these larger unit studies are at least
year-long programs that cover history and science completely, while offering varying degrees of
coverage of language arts and math. Most have arts and crafts mixed in, and many have strong
religious components.
Many parents—but especially Perfect Paulas—might like the idea of unit studies but find it
overwhelming once they get into it. In many unit studies, parents have to choose which books to
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
275
use, find those books at the library or figure out substitutes, choose among a number of activities,
organize all of this, and then keep records of everything. The insecurity and worry about mak-
ing “wrong” choices paralyzes them, and they quickly return to safe and predictable textbooks.
Fortunately, some unit studies have taken this into account and provide much more direction
and fewer choices—features that make it possible for those who prefer structure and predict-
ability to still take advantage of unit studies.

Addressing Learning Style Needs

Unit studies can be a marvelous way of meeting all of the different learning style needs of
children while providing an education vastly more interesting than what comes out of standard
textbooks.
While unit studies vary in the types of activities they include, there are almost always some
hands-on and multi-sensory activities to engage Wiggly Willys. Sociable Sues usually thrive on
the interaction that is so much a part of most unit studies. Perfect Paulas might be uncomfortable
with unit studies that change the lesson structure all the time, but they generally do well with
those that follow a predictable format and spend plenty of time developing academic knowledge
and skills rather than peripheral projects. Competent Carls usually love the independent reading
and research required by many unit studies.
By selecting unit studies that have the elements that best fit your children, then selecting the
appropriate activities for each child, you can bring everyone together to study the same topics.
Unit studies also help children overcome learning style weaknesses. After they have already
been introduced to a topic or skill via a method that is best for them, choose other activities from
the unit study that have them apply that knowledge or skill in ways that are not as comfortable.
For example, Sociable Sue learns about a history topic as you gather everyone together to read
aloud and discuss a biography related to the historical event. Sociable Sue learns the background
and some interesting details of what happened in a way she enjoys. After that, you can assign
her to do further independent reading on the same topic, requiring her to come to you to do a
narration about what she has read. She would have a difficult time if she began with the inde-
pendent reading, but sandwiching it between two interactive activities makes it more palatable.

All-In-One Programs
Many all-in-one programs pick and choose resources to assemble grade level packages. They
might bear some resemblance to unit studies with their use of real books and activities that
are suitable for a range of grade levels. However, all-in-one programs package those real books
within grade level programs rather than telling you how to use them with the whole family.
While all-in-one programs will often encourage you to use the portions of the program covering
subjects such as religion, history, science, and the fine arts with children from more than one
grade level, any single level of a grade-level program will not readily adapt for teaching children
more than one or two grades apart. My Father's World and Sonlight are the most prominent
examples of all-in-one programs.
 102 Top Picks
276
Online Courses
Do you want to move your family to Asia for missionary work but wonder how on earth you
can manage to continue homeschooling your teen? Did you flunk math all the way through high
school and now desperately need someone else to teach algebra? Do you have an ambitious,
bright student who is begging to go to a “regular” school so she can take Advanced Placement
(AP) courses? Does your teen want a course on Greek philosophers with Socratic discussion, and
you don’t have the time, knowledge, or inclination to teach such a course yourself?
All of these needs and more can be met with courses available to homeschoolers on the inter-
net. Homeschoolers are at the cutting edge of online learning because of their openness to new
ideas and the unusual needs many families have. For example, Fritz Hinrichs (www.gbt.org)
began offering classical education courses online back in the 1980s. He has continually devel-
oped his courses and delivery methods as new technology and software have developed.
Homeschoolers are not the only ones taking advantage of internet technology. Even govern-
ment schools have jumped on board. A challenging dilemma has surfaced as a result. Courses
offered by government schools are usually free or of minimal cost to families, while those offered
by private organizations can cost hundreds of dollars. But there is a significant non-financial cost
when a homeschooling family uses courses funded by the government—loss of parental control.
While legal definitions vary from state to state, homeschoolers who enroll in government
school courses are no longer considered to be homeschoolers. They are under the authority of
the school’s teachers rather than that of their parents, even if they are completing their course-
work at home under parental supervision. Parents no longer have the final say over course con-
tent and requirements unless they pull a child out of the school.
While parents, theoretically, have the ability to oversee what their children are reading and
doing, the reality is that in most situations, children will work independently, and parents won’t
know the actual course content. In most cases, they won’t be able to determine in advance if
their child’s teacher will support or contradict their family's beliefs and values. And for those
interested in forming a Christian worldview in their children, government-school programs are
usually counterproductive since they adhere to a secular, materialistic worldview. The bottom
line is that the “free” courses often come with a hidden price tag.
Content and viewpoint problems can also crop up in online courses offered by private organi-
zations that hold different worldviews from that of your family. However, you are often able to
ask questions about teachers and worldviews in these situations. I would urge you to carefully
investigate the content and viewpoints of any program before enrolling your child. There are
many good programs that work well with homeschoolers and are up front about their religious
beliefs and goals.
In addition to beliefs and goals, there are also choices regarding structure in online learning.
Some programs use the internet for automated course delivery. Students log on to a course, work
through it answering questions as they go, and receive a grade based on their work. Some of
these courses are mostly text—little different than reading a textbook, while others are heavily
illustrated with computer graphics and animations. Some courses are largely discussion based—
this is especially true of classical education courses. Some use bulletin-board posting as a part
of course requirements. Some require separate written work such as essays that are emailed
to instructors. Some use the internet sparingly, making assignments in traditional textbooks,
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
277
relaying assignments and comments back and forth over the internet, with an occasional stu-
dent chat room discussion. Anything that might be done is probably being done by some course
provider somewhere.
Also, you need to think about your child’s learning style when you choose online programs.
Because most young children need active learning and interaction, online education is rarely a
good idea for the elementary grades. However, it becomes much more appropriate for junior and
senior high students. Even so, an older child’s learning style should still influence your choice of
such programs. For example, a Sociable Sue will much prefer online discussions to courses where
she primarily reads text material online with minimal interaction.
There are two terms you need to know in regard to online courses: synchronous and asyn-
chronous. Synchronous courses mean there are times when students and teacher are online and
interacting at the same time—synchronously. Asynchronous courses are prerecorded, or there
is written material that students may access at any time. There are no chats or sessions where
students and teachers interact together simultaneously—unless they happen to do instant mes-
saging. Referring back to my last example of the sociable child, she is much more likely to suc-
ceed in synchronous courses because of the real-time interaction with others.
Below are some of the online options. These are only a sampling of the many options available.
The grade levels served by the courses are noted in parentheses.

• Angelicum Academy - www.angelicum.net schools" (K-12)

- Catholic, classical, mostly asynchronous • Homeschool Connections - www.
but includes Socratic discussion groups homeschoolconnectionsonline.com
(preK-12) - Catholic, both synchronous and
• Apex Learning - www.apexlearning.com asynchronous (Access to all recorded
- secular, asynchronous; offers Advanced courses is only $30/month or $330 a year!)
Placement, Honors, and exam prep courses (6-12)
(Courses are approved by the NCAA— • NorthStar Academy - www.northstar-
often required for sports scholarships.) academy.org - Christian, asynchronous
(9-12) with prerecorded lesson presentations
• Calvert Virtual Academy - www. and traditional textbooks; satisfies U.S.,
calverteducation.com - secular, asynchro- Canadian, or U.K. requirements (6-12)
nous with occasional synchronous sessions • Oxford Tutorial Service - www.
(6-8) oxfordtutorials.com - Christian, classical,
• Clonlara’s Compuhigh - www.compuhigh. synchronous discussions (9-12)
com - secular, asynchronous (Some courses • The Potter’s School - www.pottersschool.
are approved by the NCAA.) (9-12) org - Christian, synchronous (6-12)
• Eagle Christian - www.eaglechristian.org - • Schola Classical Tutorials - www.
Christian, mostly asynchronous with some scholatutorials.org - Christian, classical,
textbooks and real books (7-12) synchronous discussions (9-12)
• Escondido Tutorial Service - www.gbt. • Scholars’ Online Academy - www.
org - Christian, classical, synchronous scholarsonline.org - Christian, classical,
discussions (9-12) synchronous (7-12)
• K12 - www.k12.com - secular; asynchronous; • Time4Learning - www.time4learning.com
uses a mixture of online activity, real books, - secular, asynchronous (See review in this
and textbooks; advertised as "online public chapter.) (K-12)
 102 Top Picks
278
packages include readers, but the bulk of lan-
Program Reviews guage arts instruction is in a separate package.
BookShark has made significant improvements
to the language arts program over Sonlight's.
BookShark Specifically, they have added weekly over-
8042 South Grant Way views, daily lesson plan scripts, and rubrics to
Littleton, CO 80122-2705 give parents more guidance for teaching and
866-668-0179 evaluating student work.
www.bookshark.com In science, resources with a Christian
When I first spotted worldview have been removed. For example,
BookShark at a home- in Sonlight fifth graders watch the DVD
school conference it Unlocking the Mystery of Life that presents an
looked very familiar to "intelligent design" view, but that DVD is not
me—lots of real books included in BookShark's fifth grade science.
for each level, parent guides to coordinate Sonlight's sixth through eighth grade science
learning, and grid-charts showing what pages courses spend even more time on the origins
are to be read in each book each day. I thought (creation/evolution) debate, so BookShark
it looked very similar to Sonlight's curriculum. replaces that material with more coverage of
It turns out that BookShark is a spin off from chemistry, physics, and other topics.
the owners of Sonlight, operating as a separate In choosing to use real books, both Sonlight
company. Since both programs are so similar to and BookShark have to deal with content in
one another, read my review of Sonlight for a some of those books that might be objection-
more comprehensive explanation of how both able to some homeschoolers. However, such
programs work. BookShark is available for issues are generally pointed out in the instruc-
kindergarten through seventh grade, although tor's guides in advance.
a few courses for grades six and seven are not Despite differences in the programs, the
yet available. Those courses, as well as all of educational approach and learning methods
grade eight, will be available for the 2015-2016 are really the same in both Sonlight and
school year. BookShark. The essential difference is that
BookShark's programs are a non-religious BookShark now offers an option for those who
version of Sonlight's programs. Fifth grade want to experience a "Sonlight education"
world history probably reflects this more than from a non-religious perspective.
most levels. Gone are the stories of missionar-
ies and a particular emphasis on heroes of the
Protestant faith. In their place are stories of Complete Curriculum
Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, and Mother Teresa. Complete Curriculum, LLC
There are also some other differences. Like PO Box 451
Sonlight, BookShark offers your choice of Flat Rock, MI 48134
complete grade-level packages or packages 888-675-8398
that cover one or more subject areas. However, www.completecurriculum.com
the packages within grade levels are a little dif- or www.k12digitaltexts.com
ferent. While Sonlight's Core packages encom- Complete Curriculum has got to be one of
pass history, Bible, language arts, and reading, the most inexpensive online curriculum pro-
BookShark offers "Reading with History" pack- viders available. They have digital-text courses
ages for each grade level. Reading with History for math, language arts, science, and social
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
279
studies for preK through twelfth grade, some lessons
although some of their courses for grades 11 • extensions included for some lessons—
and 12 are not yet available. Digital textbooks these might be used with accelerated or
can be accessed lagging students
online or download- • technology resources—for some lessons,
ed depending upon suggestions are given for utilizing
which option you use technology, especially websites that
to sign up. contribute to the lesson
Course content • additional notes to the teacher—these
is aligned with the outline or summarize the lesson
national standards. • advance preparation or homework
The outlook is secular required—gives the teacher a heads up
throughout all cours- when extra time will be required
es. Consequently, hot • lesson Wrap-Ups for review—only in math
topics such as evolu- for kindergarten through second grade
tion, the age of the earth, and others (found For each course there is a student manual as
especially in science and history texts) are well as a teacher's manual. These are accessed
treated from a secular perspective. While stu- as PDF files from the publisher’s website. You
dents do learn vocabulary, concepts, and skills, will certainly want to print out some or all of
courses stress critical thinking rather than rote the student manual pages since many serve
learning. as worksheets. Lessons are presented in full
Most courses have 180 lessons for the school color with plenty of illustrations. While a color
year. (Some science and social studies courses printer makes using the pages much easier,
have fewer.) The publisher says that lessons for you can work with a black-and-white printout
each subject should take one to one and a half if you have the computer file easily viewable.
hours a day to complete, but many lessons I Some lessons or stories refer to colors in the
reviewed would not take that much time. The illustrations that children will need to see.
customer who alerted me to this curriculum The teacher’s manual for each course includes
told me that for kindergarten and first grade the student manual pages with answers for all
they usually completed all four subjects within worksheets, exercises, and assessments.
about one and a half hours per day. There are two options for accessing the
Lessons are laid out in a consistent fashion in courses. For a $29.95 yearly membership fee at
the online teacher’s manuals for every subject. www.completecurriculum.com you have access
For each lesson, the teacher’s manual lists: to up to ten digital texts to use. While each
• the lesson objective text may be assigned to only one student at
• key vocabulary words—that can also be a time, you might have two or more students
used for spelling or vocabulary, or to help using the ten texts! You can download PDF
students comprehend what they will read files chapter by chapter, but you cannot down-
• materials needed load an entire book all at once under the mem-
• literary selections when appropriate—some bership option. With the membership option,
of which are presented within the online lessons are editable so you can add or subtract
student manual lessons from texts in the series that you have
• an “engaging” question which the teacher added to your "shelf" (limit ten texts). You can
uses to begin the lesson also add attachments to a student lesson and
• supplemental engagement activities for then email a lesson to a student. The ability to
 102 Top Picks
280
email lessons might prove valuable as it allows Grammar Ring and a Vocabulary Ring where
students to work from one computer while they collect rules and definitions they have
the parent or teacher accesses the teacher’s written on index cards. High school students
manual from another computer. For lessons learn note taking skills and apply them across
that allow students to type directly on the the curriculum. Students learn to integrate
computer, you can save the completed lessons knowledge and skills through projects such
as PDF files or print them out. (The program as creating brochures, PowerPoint™ presenta-
also offers you the option of subscribing to an tions, and research reports.
Adobe service that will transform PDF files Language arts courses integrate all age-
into Word documents which should be easier appropriate language arts skills—reading,
to edit if you should wish to do so.) literature, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, hand-
The second option, at www.k12digitaltexts. writing, and composition. It is expected that
com, provides immediate downloads of com- children have some familiarity with the alpha-
plete subject area courses by grade level, for bet prior to kindergarten; they should recog-
$12.95 per course or $39.95 for grade level nize at least some of the letters. Kindergarten
packages that contain eight digital books— teaches sounds and letters, beginning reading,
textbooks for language arts, mathematics, sci- writing, spelling, and printing along with other
ence, and social studies plus teacher editions of facets of language arts typically taught in
each of the four texts. You may install texts on kindergarten. Reading instruction is phonics-
a personal computing device or a server for one based, but it includes the introduction of many
classroom. Students can still access content sight words. For reading material, Complete
from a computer or tablet without printing out Curriculum's own Progressive Readers are used
the texts, but online access is not required after in kindergarten through third grade, while
downloading unless a lesson directs a student classic literature is included within the student
to do online research. manuals in the upper grades. Language arts
Whichever option you choose, some addi- lessons often revolve around the literary selec-
tional resources are needed from time to time. tions. Students begin to create a journal in first
For example in the eighth grade language arts grade. They continue to learn all forms of com-
course, there is a lesson on Thomas Nast, a position, applying those skills within language
famous cartoonist of the nineteenth century. arts and across the curriculum.
Part of the lesson directs students to find and Math follows a standard scope and sequence
study present day political cartoons and com- at each grade level. Simple manipulatives and
ics. In another lesson, students need to access visual illustrations are used to teach concepts
Honi M’agel, a Jewish folktale, on the internet. in the early grades—e.g., lima beans are used in
Science lessons require resources for experi- first grade to learn simple addition, and num-
ments and activities. Math might require pen- ber cards and strips are used in second grade.
nies or other manipulatives in the early grades. Cumulative reviews help students retain skills
Even though students can enter some answers learned in previous lessons. For high school,
into the computer, this is not a computer-based Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry are avail-
curriculum like Switched on Schoolhouse where able, and other courses are still in the works.
students type in all responses which are then The science program is inquiry-based. Lessons
graded by the software. Some worksheets will begin by raising questions while students do
need to be printed out in advance. observations and experiments. Students record
Students create notebooks for some sub- and analyze data according to the scientific
jects such as spelling and writing as well as a method even in kindergarten, albeit at a very
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
281
simple level. However, the Biology course for feel—probably the result of different authors.
tenth grade has a rather limited amount of lab Complete Curriculum does not oversee stu-
activity incorporated into some lessons. This dent work or issue diplomas or report cards.
is an area you will need to watch to ensure However, for families looking for an inexpen-
that science lab courses meet requirements of sive, secular curriculum, this is a real bargain.
the college a student wishes to attend. I did
not find health included within the science
curriculum, yet that is a requirement in most Connecting with History
states that you will have to cover in some other
fashion.
Social studies courses cover history, geogra-
phy, civics/government, and economics, with
emphasis varying from grade to grade. All of
these texts reflect a typical secular outlook as
you might find in other texts used in govern-
ment schools.
Kindergarten and first grade teach very
introductory geography and history as well as RC History
community, citizenship, and character. Second PO Box 73
grade continues with these themes, adding Andover, MN 55304
state history as students create a brochure- 877-895-6627
style mini-book on their own state. Third and email: [email protected]
fourth grade texts both present U.S. history, www.rchistory.com
geography, and economics. The third grade text Volume 1- print - $30, Volume 2 - print -
includes coverage of Native Americans. Fifth $45, Volume 3 - print - $40, Volume 4A and
grade presents a history of the U.S. while sixth Volume 4B - see review
grade broadens to history of the Americas. The Connecting With History (CWH) is definitely
history of the Eastern Hemisphere is studied in one of my favorite options for Catholic families.
seventh grade. Eighth graders study U.S. his- It is a unit study designed for teaching children
tory again, this time from colonization through in kindergarten through twelfth grade togeth-
the Reconstruction. Ninth grade continues er, but it charts out lesson plans so that you can
through modern history. Semester-long civics/ teach each child at his or her own level. It uses
government and economics courses are offered a classical education approach, focusing on
for tenth grade level. Then eleventh graders the humanities and using real books with lots
study world history and geography. of reading and writing. I also appreciate that
Throughout the social studies courses there CWH follows a historical chronology.
are frequently challenging questions to con- In addition to complete coverage of his-
sider, and students are often directed to read or tory, CWH lessons can provide a major part
research topics and present contrasting views. of your geography and language arts curricu-
This is especially true for junior and senior lum. Grammar and composition skills are not
high courses. taught, but there is plenty of practice in the
The quality of the writing in the social stud- application of grammar and composition skills
ies courses varies from text to text. Some along with plenty of reading and development
texts seem to be collections of information of critical reading skills. While CWH is based
while others have more of a story-telling on a Catholic worldview, it is not a complete
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religion program. It will help children become it is optional, you should try to use either The
very familiar with scripture, Bible history, and Great Adventure or the teen version titled T3:
Church history, and many activities are related The Teen Timeline. Both studies are available in
to religion. But it does not attempt system- your choice of DVDs or audio CD presenta-
atic coverage of topics such as the Mass and tions with a study guide and timeline. They do
sacraments. a marvelous job of presenting the story of sal-
The first three of a series of five volumes vation history and familiarizing the audience
are available at this time, and the fourth and with the layout of the Bible.
fifth volumes are being released in sections Other resources such as Walking with God:
with some sections available in 2014 and oth- A Journey Through the Bible and You Can
ers coming in 2015. CWH volumes are bound Understand the Bible provide parents with
with a plastic spiral so that they will lie flat or foundational knowledge that will make it
you may purchase three-hole-punched pages easier to lead discussions and answer children’s
to insert into your own binder. Each volume questions. (At the beginning of each unit, spe-
functions as an outline and teacher manual cific page numbers are given for each suggested
rather than a text, although Volumes 2 and 3 background resource.) Catechism references
have added some text elements not present in are also provided for parent preparation. While
the first volume. background reading is recommended, it is not
CWH uses a six step model for teaching a requirement. Parents can learn alongside
that is explained at the beginning of Volume 1. their children as the family explores the books
Those beginning with Volume 2 really need the and resources together.
information and forms from the first volume, Parent information at the beginning of each
so the teaching guide from Volume 1 is avail- unit also has discussion prompts, an overview,
able as a free download for those who purchase notebook activities, and exploration charts.
Volumes 2 or 3. Discussion prompts are a lengthy list of ques-
I will describe Volume 1 then point out differ- tions that should be used to spark discussion
ences in the subsequent volumes. and stimulate interest. The overview gives
Volume 1: Old Testament brief background information. You will prob-
and Ancient Cultures ably want to pre-read this, then paraphrase
by Sonya Romens and Andrea Chen ideas at a level your children can understand.
Volume 1 consists of an introductory unit Notebook activities help children create
that takes one week to complete and ten the- their own notebooks that will include vocabu-
matic units that will take three to six weeks lary words, timelines, maps, charts, and writ-
each to complete. The entire course can take ten assignments. Some copywork material is
from one to two years to complete depending included in the book—primarily scripture pas-
upon which books you read and which activi- sages and poetry. This material should also be
ties you do. used for memory work.
For each unit, there are about eight to ten Exploration charts break down specific
pages that provide background reading sugges- assignments for beginning (K-3), grammar
tions for parents. About a half dozen resources (4-6), dialectic (7-9), and rhetoric (10-12)
are listed at the beginning of the book, and levels. Reading assignments are divided into
parents are free to choose which ones they three categories: core texts, basic reading,
wish to use. CWH is structured around the and additional literature. Most essential is the
time periods of The Great Adventure: A Journey reading from core books. Each of the four lev-
through the Bible by Jeff Cavins. Even though els requires from one to three core books. For
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
283
example, the grammar level requires Bible for children may write reports on the computer or
Young Catholics and Usborne's Ancient World, use another format.
while the rhetoric level requires a Bible, You Volume 2: The Arrival of the
Can Understand the Bible, Genesis: The Book King and His Kingdom
of Origins, and Exodus: Road to Freedom. Basic by Sonya Romens
reading assignments are from other books that CWH Volume 2 covers the New Testament
expand the study as well as from Scott Hahn’s era and the beginnings of Christianity up to
Salvation History audio CD series (for rheto- A.D. 1066. It is heftier than Volume 1 because
ric students). Examples of other books used of some significant additions. Built into this
along with CWH Volume 1 are Old Testament volume are quite a few discussion guides for
Days: An Activity Guide, Tut’s Mummy Lost the novels recommended for various levels of
and Found, Science in Ancient Greece, Famous the program. The discussion guides (which
Men of Greece, Alexander the Great, Greek Lives have been used by permission from Hillside
(by Plutarch), and Mythology. This is just a Education) include vocabulary lists, discussion
sampling of the many titles used! Additional questions, activities, and projects.
literature options appropriate for each level are In addition to the discussion guides, one of
provided for each topical unit. Page or chapter the most significant improvements is that the
assignments from these books are listed for project and writing ideas have been expanded,
each unit unless the entire book is to be read. both in number as well as with far more expla-
There is now also an optional CWH nations and suggestions.
Companion Reader for Volume 1 ($16.95). It can Some core resources from Volume 1 are
take the place of a former recommendation, also used with Volume 2. Among them are
The Old World's Gifts to the New, but it offers the Bible (in a version appropriate for each
more than that. The CWH Companion Reader child), Ancient World, Bible History, You Can
is a collection of short stories and articles from Understand the Bible, Usborne Time Travelers,
out-of-print sources that includes historical and Roman Lives (by Plutarch). Keep in mind
narratives from authors such as Dorothy Mills that you will be using only those core books
and Charlotte Yonge, Greek mythology, fables, required for the level at which each child will
stories that illustrate spiritual principles, and be working.
Bible stories. The readings vary greatly in Among additional core books required for
length as well as reading level, but most will CWH Volume 2 are Famous Men of the Middle
work well for read alouds for all ages. Readings Ages, Roman Britain, Augustus Caesar's World,
correlate directly with lessons although they and 57 Stories of Saints. You will also need to
are not yet incorporated into the lesson plans. select a core history text. Titles for the vari-
At the back of CWH Volume 1 are eight ous levels are: Founders of Freedom (beginning
forms that are used either for teacher planning level), The World's Story (grammar level),
or student reporting. Optional downloadable either The Old World and America or Light to the
files of Ancient History Timeline Cards (114 Nations (logic level), and History of the Church
cards for $16.95) and Illustrated Report pages from the Didache series (rhetoric level).
($7.95) are available for CWH Volume 1. CWH offers choices of core books since
These are real time savers, and they are likely some of the excellent newer options (e.g., the
to be more visually appealing than something Didache series and Catholic Schools Textbook
you create on your own. Nevertheless, you (or Project history texts) are much more expensive
your children) can create your own timeline than some older resources. Many books from
pages or a larger timeline for your wall, and Volume 2 are also used with the third volume,
 102 Top Picks
284
so keep that in mind as you decide which released in groups of units in 2014, and Volume
books to buy. 4B: Modern World should be out in 2015.
As with CWH Volume 1, many other titles While American History easily adapts over all
are on the list of basic books. Just a few grade levels, Modern World should probably
examples are: How to be a Roman Soldier, be saved for students at grammar level or
City, Famous Men of the Middle Ages, Pompeii: higher. Use only American History with begin-
Buried Alive, The Great Heresies, and Augustus ners the first time you use this course. Among
Caesar’s World. core books used at different levels with CWH
There are only seven units in Volume 2, but Volume 4A: American History are How Our
they will each take longer to complete than Nation Began, From Sea to Shining Sea, Keys to
those in Volume 1. Downloadable files for American History, Lands of Hope and Promise,
Illustrated Report Pages ($9.95) and Timeline and American Saints. Although the final list
Cards ($10.95) are also available for Volume 2. of books for Modern World is not yet available,
Volume 3: World History Light to the Nations Vol. II will be one of the
Through Catholic Principles core books.
by Sonya Romens Summary
This volume covers the 11th through 17th Each volume is likely to take most of a school
centuries of world history, reserving United year, depending upon how many of the sug-
States history for Volumes 4A and 4B. There gestions you use. Younger students will almost
are eight units that should take from three to certainly spend less time than older on both
four weeks each to complete. Volume 3 focuses reading and projects. Some of the activities
more on Western civilization, the source of our require extensive research or are projects that
Christian culture. It takes side trips to other will take a while to complete. For those unable
cultures, primarily through stories of explorers to use all of the recommended resources,
and saints. CWH has put together “Economy Packages”
Core books for this volume for the begin- that include the most essential books.
ner level are Founders of Freedom, Once Upon Connecting With History might require a sig-
a Time Saints and More Once Upon a Time nificant amount of teacher preparation and
Saints. For the grammar level students use The presentation time, especially with younger stu-
Old World and America. Logic level students dents. However, the methodology is excellent
read 57 Stories of Saints and Seven Lies About if you have the time to implement it. The nar-
Catholic History, plus your choice of either The rower you keep the study, the fewer resources
Old World and America or Light to the Nations. you will need and the less preparation time it
The rhetoric level uses One Hundred Saints, will require. However, you are likely to best
the New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History, meet the needs of your children and their vari-
Seven Lies About Catholic History, and The ous learning styles by using some of the more
History of the Church: A Complete Course (from time-consuming projects and assignments.
the Didache series). The publisher’s website features articles and
Volume 4A: American History sample pages from CWH. They also sell almost
and Volume 4B: Modern World all of the resources required for CWH.
Volume 4 will be published in two parts in RC History has been developing resources for
two separate books, so these are the fourth and CWH co-op groups. Building Your Connecting
fifth volumes of the series. CWH Volume 4A: With History Co-op covers all of the nuts
American History, covering Columbus through and bolts for starting a co-op. Co-op Lesson
the American Revolution, is currently being Plans for Volume 1 provides lesson plans, plus
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
285
overviews, discussion prompts, and notebook- Giles' approach to reading is a little unusual
ing ideas for each unit. Co-op Lesson Plan and worth mentioning. She describes it:
books for the other units should follow "Phonics is a tool for reading words you don’t
Purchasers of the program also gain free recognize. I teach my children the letter names
access to online updates and additional and sounds. Then I teach them to read by sight
resources that will enhance the program. words. Then I teach them phonics. Phonics is
simple at that point because they can already
read. All of this takes two years. I do this before
Easy Peasy they start 'school' so that they can do 'school'
by Lee Giles more independently and more effectively"
All in One Homeschool (http://allinonehomeschool.com/about/).
www.allinonehomeschool.com She draws heavily on the phonics presenta-
Easy Peasy is a free online homeschool cur- tion of Phonics Pathways in the first few years
riculum for preschool through tenth grade, for the phonics. However, because she also
generously shared by a homeschooling mom teaches sight reading, she expects that children
named Lee Giles. More is added to the curricu- should be able to read McGuffey's First Reader
lum as she completes additional grade levels as they start first grade.
and gets the time to post lesson plans. It is well After kindergarten level, you can either
on its way to eventually being a college prep select a grade level program that includes
program covering all of the way through high math, reading, and language arts in the lesson
school. The methodology is an eclectic mix of plans or you can select all courses individually.
traditional and "Charlotte Mason" methods Until recently, English courses in Easy Peasy
with lapbooking and online resources. It uses included reading, spelling, vocabulary, gram-
real books, picture studies, copy work, and mar, and composition, but these have now been
narration techniques, but it also has activity separated into separate reading and language
sheets and incorporates other online courses arts courses to allow for greater customization.
that are more traditionally designed. (I placed The lesson plans include instructions within
"Charlotte Mason" in quotes because there each lesson plan (with questions and answers
was no purposeful intent to employ Charlotte if appropriate). For example, students look at
Mason methods even though some of the a picture then tell what they see in the man-
methods such as narration and picture studies ner of a Charlotte Mason picture study. Math
look like Charlotte Mason.) questions and answers are likewise included
All of the resources you need are linked directly in the lesson plans at younger levels.
online. You will need to print out pages for Older students often have literature compre-
some activities, but basic requirements other hension or grammar questions. The intent at
than a computer with an internet connection all levels is that students will work through the
are paper, pencils, scissors, glue, crayons or lesson plans themselves, with or without assis-
colored pencils. tance depending upon their age level.
"Getting Ready" levels 1 and 2 are complete Note that Easy Peasy arranges middle school
readiness courses for preschool and kinder- math lessons for grades five through seven in
garten levels. Daily lesson plans include links three Steps that are equivalent to grade levels.
to everything you need to teach math, read- Step 1 uses quite a bit of material from Khan
ing, and language arts. Reading readiness and Academy while Steps 2 and 3 use material
beginning reading and writing get a lot of from many other sites. Easy Peasy has links to
attention at these levels. specific lesson material for each day with clear
 102 Top Picks
286
instructions as to where to go and what to do. student would get connected to a lower level
These websites provide practice problems and Program of Study assignment. Remember that
some quizzes for middle school math. Students you can always select individual courses rather
completing the middle school math Steps than a program.
should then be ready for Algebra 1. The elective course material (music, art,
In addition to math and language arts les- computer, and thinking) for elementary grades
sons, "Programs of Study" round out the curric- is supplemental—much less than a complete
ulum with history, science, Bible study, music, course in any one of those subjects for one year.
art, computer, and critical thinking. Designed Computer learning covers basic operations and
for the entire family to study the same topics the use of various programs and applications
together, the Programs of Study listed on the at the elementary level. "Thinking" (as Giles
website indicate four "Years" of core themes. labels it) primarily consists of links to logic
Year 1 covers biology, ancient through medi- games. In addition to the core curricula, there
eval history, the gospel of Matthew and the are links to review activities and games for
historical books of the Bible. Year 2 covers early the different subjects. Introductory Spanish is
American history and animals, and for Bible, included in the lesson plans for grades six and
students study the Gospel of Mark, the Acts of seven. Those who want to introduce a differ-
the Apostles, and many of the epistles. In Year ent language can use other links provided to
3, students study earth science, geography, find alternative lesson material. Links to sites
world cultures, and world history (between the for foreign languages include options for both
Middle Ages and modern times) plus the bibli- younger and older learners. Eighth grade les-
cal books of Job, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, Proverbs, son plans include Spanish 1 lessons that can be
and Luke. Year 4 covers physics and chemistry used for high school credit.
(elementary level) and twentieth century his- Questions are generally in the lesson plans
tory, plus the gospel of John and the prophets rather than on the activity sheets. Answers
for Bible study. These four core themes will be are often printed in white; highlighting with a
repeated at high school level. browser makes them appear. Some answers are
If you select the grade level program for any on password-protected pages. Also, many of
of grades one through eight, you immediately the links serve as drill and practice sites. There
see the daily lesson plans for math and lan- are no tests that I could find unless they appear
guage arts (including reading and literature). in a linked site. Every forty days, children are
Within those lesson plans are links to assign- told to give parents things to add to their
ments in the Programs of Study. You click on portfolio, so parents build a physical record of
which year you are using to go straight to the student work rather than a list of grades from
assignments for history, Bible, science, music, tests. Sometimes a lesson plan will tell the
art, computer, or critical thinking for that day's student to take a screen shot of a completed
lesson. (I can just imagine the work it took to activity that should be put into the portfolio.
create all of these links!) Separate Programs of Of course parents are welcome to grade stu-
Study are provided for grades one through four dent work as they go. A daily progress chart
and grades five through eight so that assign- provided as a PDF file is a simple chart with
ments are more age appropriate. If a student one small box for each day—essentially room
is working with seventh grade level math and to check off that a day's lesson was completed.
language arts and clicks on the Year 1 assign- Real books are built into the curriculum with
ment, the upper level Program of Study assign- recommendations mostly coming from the
ment will be displayed. Likewise, a younger Robinson (www.robinsoncurriculum.com) and
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
287
Ambleside (www.amblesideonline.org) curri- depending upon which sources are being used,
cula. Required books are available online. but you can always supplement or adapt as
Giles rarely interjects her own text into the needed. Remember that the entire curriculum
lesson plans for history and science. However, is free! If you find the Easy Peasy curriculum
Year 1 history and science both begin with useful, donation links are on the website.
one of these rare interjections as she explains
a Christian (young earth) view of early man
and of creation and the age of the earth. Year Five in a Row
3's Earth Science course also supports a lit- by Jane Claire Lambert
eral interpretation of scripture and a young Five in a Row Publishing
earth. The curriculum is Christian, but non- (Sold only through Rainbow Resource Center)
Christians might still use it and skip the Bible www.fiveinarow.com
lessons since the Christian perspective is gen- www.rainbowresource.com
erally lacking in most internet links. $35-$75 each
Students who are independent readers Five in a Row (FIAR)
should be able to do much of their work inde- volumes have been
pendently, but not all. Younger students will, written for preschool
of course, need much more parental assistance. through eighth grade
Even so, this program is very easy for the par- levels. They are best
ent and student to use. It could be great for a known for use in the
family with a number of children as long as you early grades since
have enough computers or tablets with inter- that was the target
net connections. (Note that some websites use of the original FIAR
Adobe Flash and won't run on tablets.) volumes. These study
Giles has also created a separate site for high guides are available for
school level at www.allinonehighschool.com. three levels—Before Five in a Row, Five in a
There are enough courses for about two years Row, and Beyond Five in a Row—but level des-
of study and then some, but the course selec- ignations are very flexible. This is a less intense
tion is limited. While Giles has created some of approach to unit study than others in this
the high school lessons, Easy Peasy fans have chapter that are designed to cover all grade
contributed others. High school options are levels and numerous subject areas.
continually expanding. Let’s first look at the original FIAR volumes
Summary written for children ages four through eight.
The entire Easy Peasy website is created on a The first three volumes available in this series
blog platform and it's quite impressive. While follow the same format. For each volume,
it isn't a full-service program with record keep- author Jane Claire Lambert has selected a
ing and personal assistance, you should be number of outstanding books for children and
able get help with your questions in a number built a “mini” unit study around each one.
of ways. First, read the FAQs on the website. Volume 1 has 19 units, Volume 2 has 21 units,
Then you might try the very-active Facebook and Volume 3 has 15.
Easy Peasy group. If neither of those avenues Each unit study should take one week, with
is productive, you can contact Giles via email. more or less time spent each day depending
Think of Easy Peasy more as a co-op where upon which lesson elements you choose to use.
everyone helps each other. While there are no biblical references in the
Sure the curriculum is sometimes uneven, these volumes, FIAR teaches positive character
 102 Top Picks
288
qualities such as forgiveness, compassion, and from those appropriate for non-writers and
honesty that tie easily to scripture. Likewise, non-readers to those for children who have
the selected stories are not overtly Christian, mastered these skills. Thus, you can use the
but reflect Godly principles. For those who lessons to meet the academic needs of pre-
want more explicit Christian connections, a schoolers up through about third grade level.
separate Five in a Row Bible Supplement ($35) FIAR is not intended to be a complete cur-
contains 175 Bible lessons relating to the 55 riculum for math and language arts. It does not
studies in Volumes 1 through 3. teach phonics, writing, or math in any sequen-
While Volume 4 is very similar to the first tial progression. In fact, you are encouraged to
three volumes, its 15 units will likely take use stories in whatever order you please. (A
up to two weeks each to complete. Also, calendar linking stories to calendar events sug-
Christian content is built directly into the gests a possible progression you might follow.)
lessons. Laminated story disks and FIAR cook- For four- and five-year olds, the material might
books lessons also come with the guide. All of be more than adequate to meet their learning
this makes Volume 4 more self-contained and needs. For six- and seven-year-old children,
more expensive than Volumes 1 through 3. the instruction in social studies, science, and
Examples of selected books for these four vol- art is likely to be much better than that in
umes are The Story About Ping, Mike Mulligan traditional textbooks, so you might want to
and His Steam Shovel, Katy and the Big Snow, Wee add only basic phonics and math, and possibly
Gillis, Make Way for Ducklings, All Those Secrets other language skill development for the oldest
of the World, and Gramma’s Walk. You will need children. Coverage might be light for eight-
to purchase or borrow the required storybooks year olds, in which case you can still use FIAR
for each volume. However, Rainbow Resource as a supplement.
Center sells packages of these books if you pre- An index lists what is covered under each
fer to buy them all at once. subject area, sometimes broken down further
Each story is to be read aloud every day for under subheadings. This helps you if you have
one week (five days). Lessons derived from the specific goals of your own. A reproducible plan-
story have activities for language arts, math, ning sheet helps you with weekly lesson plans.
science, art, and social studies—the term Instructions for activities are quite detailed.
loosely used to cover character qualities and Lambert includes valuable tips on questions to
relationships in addition to geography, history, ask your children to prompt discussions. Five
and cultures. in a Row is very user-friendly, especially for the
There are numerous hands-on activities and inexperienced homeschooler.
projects, although much of each detailed les- Other FIAR volumes are available for older
son plan is presented as “talk about this” type and younger children. Those with preschoolers
activities. An example is the story disk for each might want to use Before Five in a Row. This
unit. Story disks are to be cut out and lami- volume was developed for children ages two
nated, then used by students to locate where through four. Plenty of activities center around
stories take place on a world map. (These 23 picture books. The format is similar to that
story disks are also available as a ready-to-use of the volumes described above.
set covering the first three volumes, printed in Those with older children—approximately
color and laminated - $20 for the set of 55.) grades three through eight—should check out
You can choose to select only one subject Beyond Five in a Row. These three volumes
area per day or select a variety of activities were authored by Becky Jane Lambert, daugh-
from among the subject areas. Activities range ter of the original series author, Jane Lambert.
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
289
These are excellent, one-semester courses. The Heart of Dakota program is a compre-
Four "chapter books" for each volume are the hensive, Charlotte
foundation for each unit study. For example, Mason oriented cur-
Volume 1 includes The Boxcar Children, Thomas riculum in 13 vol-
Edison: Young Inventor, Homer Price, and Betsy umes that can be
Ross: Designer of Our Flag. Subject areas cov- used for preschool
ered include literature, some language arts, through high school.
history, composition, science, and fine arts. Many of the courses
Lessons are set up so that you read a chapter can be extended to
from the book, then work through your choice cover older students
of the suggested activities. These vary greatly by using additional
from day to day. resources; schedules
Quite a bit of historical and scientific infor- for those resources are in an appendix in the
mation is included within each Beyond Five main book. Titles and grade levels covered are:
in a Row guide, but you need to use outside • Little Hands to Heaven, ages 2-5
resources for additional research. Many such • Little Hearts for His Glory, ages 5-7
resources are suggested in the lessons. Lessons • Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory, ages 6-8
often include internet activities where stu- • Bigger Hearts for His Glory, ages 7-9
dents research particular websites on topics (extending to ages 10-11)
related to the studies. • Preparing Hearts for His Glory, ages 8-10
About half of the lessons include an essay (extending to ages 11-12)
question; you will need to tailor requirements • Hearts for Him Through Time: Creation to
on these to suit the age of each student. Christ, ages 9-11 (extending to ages 12-13)
Occasional "Career Paths" sections help stu- • Hearts for Him Through Time: Resurrection
dents consider career possibilities and offer to Reformation, ages 10-12 (extending to
suggestions for further research or experi- ages 13-14)
ence in the field. Timelines are recommended • Hearts for Him Through Time: Revival to
as a means of helping students understand Revolution, ages 11-13 (extending to ages
chronological relationships between people 14-15)
and events. Numerous hands-on activities are • Hearts for Him Through Time: Missions to
included: art projects, cooking, science experi- Modern Marvels, ages 12-14 (extending to
ments, learning sign language, etc. ages 15-16)
A list of all topics covered is located at the • Hearts for Him Through High School: World
back of each book; this will help you for both Geography, ages 13-15 (extending to ages
planning and tracking your accomplishments. 16-18)
• Hearts for Him Through High School: World
History, ages 14-16 (extending to ages
Heart of Dakota 17-18)
Carrie Austin, M.Ed. Two additional volumes are planned that will
Heart of Dakota Publishing cover the rest of high school.
1004 Westview Drive The courses are biblically based from a
Dell Rapids, SD 57022 Protestant point of view. While this is obvious
605-428-4068 in the bible lessons, it also underlies history,
www.heartofdakota.com science, and other subjects.
See the publisher’s website for package prices Each volume is a one-year curriculum,
 102 Top Picks
290
divided into 33 to 35 units, each of which will can accommodate older learners and teach
take one week to complete. The large book for more than one child the same subject matter
each course is your primary resource. It lays out at least part of the time. Reading schedules are
daily lesson plans that really cover everything included in an appendix in each volume rather
that you need for that level! Subject areas than within the lessons.
covered and the amount of emphasis upon Author Carrie Austin says that completing
each vary from volume to volume. Instructions all of the activities should take about 1½ hours
for learning activities are written out in each a day for Little Hearts, 2 to 2½ hours per day for
manual. Beyond Little Hearts, and about 3½ hours per
While some of the activities at lower levels day for Bigger Hearts. It becomes much more
for math and grammar direct you in the use difficult to predict time requirements for upper
of other resources, at upper levels most of level volumes since students do more indepen-
math and grammar is learned through other dent work and you will be making a number
resources. Read-aloud assignments also rely of choices depending upon the needs of each
upon other books. student. Although the assumption is that you
In every volume, each daily lesson plan is will complete all subject areas each day, you
divided into two parts: Learning the Basics will find that skipping a subject now and then
and Learning through History. Each subject won’t cause lasting harm, particularly in the
area is presented in a box with between nine first three volumes.
and twelve boxes per daily lesson plan. This Science experiments and activities are
makes it very easy to see what needs to be included in all volumes, and you are referred
done for each area. Lessons begin with his- to other books for additional science reading
tory each day. The Learning through History at each level. Science notebooking assign-
parts of the lesson on the left-hand page are ments are added beginning with Bigger Hearts,
designed like a unit study. Daily assignments while recording data and observations with lab
for history tell you which pages to read in the work are added at upper levels. High school
history book or Bible storybook (or your own science courses include options for hands-on
Bible) and the key idea upon which to focus. lab work. In the elementary grades, science
That key idea is also incorporated in Bible, art, focuses on fewer topics per year than we typi-
thinking skills, science, or some of the other cally find in textbooks, but science lessons do a
lessons for that day. Learning the Basics activi- great job of covering those topics interestingly
ties on the right-hand page don’t necessarily and in-depth with plenty of observation and
relate to the theme, but they cover language experimentation.
arts, math, and other needed subjects. For all For the youngest levels, hands-on math
subject areas, specific pages (tracks in the case activities are given in the manuals, then assign-
of audio CDs) are assigned in each day’s lesson ments are made from Singapore Math books
plans for the other required resources. This is at the appropriate level. Upper elementary
a huge time saver. through junior high levels drop the hands-on
The four Hearts for Him Through Time vol- activities for math but continue to provide
umes (upper elementary levels) have sets of Singapore Math schedules. Math assignments
student notebook pages. These are printed in are very specific with alternative page assign-
full color and are not reproducible, so a set will ments at the back of the book for the different
be needed for each student. levels of Singapore Math books that you might
Beginning with Bigger Hearts, extension be using. (You can substitute another math
resources and activities are listed so that you program if you prefer.)
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
291
Little Hands to Heaven Hearts, but the level of difficulty and time
Little Hands to Heaven serves as a preschool required for each subject are greater.
program teaching letters, sounds, numbers, Required history resources include three
pre-reading and pre-math skills, music, art, CLP titles with an early American history
and Bible, all with lots of physical movement theme. “Poetry and Rhymes” appendices in
and hands-on activity. both this and the Bigger Hearts volumes pres-
Little Hearts for His Glory ent one poem for each unit.
In Little Hearts for His Glory, the subjects Beyond Little Hearts offers reading plan
and skills covered are history, Bible, story time, options depending upon whether a child is a
science, phonics, math, art, dramatic play, beginning, emerging, or independent reader.
music, thinking skills, and both fine and gross For beginners, either Reading Made Easy or The
motor skills. History readings come from the Reading Lesson is recommended. For emerging
Christian Liberty Press (CLP) books History readers, there is a substantial appendix with
for Little Pilgrims and History Stories for Children a very detailed, annotated list of books that
as well as a Bible storybook. Children learn a gradually increase in difficulty, plus a sched-
great deal of Bible history and U.S. history with ule suggesting exactly which pages to read on
brief introductions to a few other people and which days. For independent readers, you are
events. directed to use Drawn into the Heart of Reading.
Minimal instruction is given for phonics Spelling lists (two for each unit) are found at
within Little Hearts. Instead, suggestions are the back of the book along with an annotated
made for the number of pages or lessons per bibliography of storytime read-aloud books
day to complete in either Reading Made Easy or that correlate with each unit. Copywork and
The Reading Lesson. You may also use another beginning grammar are also included within
phonics program of your choice. language arts coverage.
Appendices in Little Hearts include a list of Bigger Hearts for His Glory
optional literature supplements for each of Bigger Hearts for His Glory again advances
the 34 units and a “Rhymes in Motion” sec- in difficulty and skill levels as well as in time
tion with rhyming songs that incorporate large required for lessons. While each day’s lesson is
muscle movements. Math specifies assign- still presented on two pages, there are now ten
ments made from either Essentials Kindergarten boxes per day with a smaller font size used to fit
Math A & B or Primary Mathematics 1A &1B more information. Bigger Hearts covers history,
(both from Singapore Math). Among the other biblical character trait study, history notebook-
resources that you need are some storybooks, ing, timeline activities, art, geography, math
Rod and Staff preschool workbooks, either activities, hymns, English (with a Rod and
Italic Handwriting or A Reason for Handwriting, Staff text), spelling and dictation, vocabulary,
and the appropriate Christian Liberty Press and classic poetry. It has literature study plans
science text for kindergarten, first or second for read alouds. For science, students learn
grade. from real books and experiments, responding
Beyond Little Hearts with narrations and the creation of a science
Beyond Little Hearts covers history, Bible, notebook. Options for teaching cursive hand-
devotions, geography, timeline, art, science, writing are included.
poetry from classic poets, narration lessons, The study of American history continues up
copywork, grammar lessons, spelling, daily through the 1970s using more of a biographical
literature study with read alouds, math, and approach.
music. The overall plan is very similar to Little As with Beyond Little Hearts, there is a
 102 Top Picks
292
detailed schedule of reading for emerging while adding written lab sheets that help
readers that gradually increases in difficulty. students comprehend the scientific process.
For independent readers you are directed to Science addresses living things with Exploring
use Drawn into the Heart of Reading: Level 2/3. Creation with Zoology 3, Exploring the History
Other resources are referenced, but they are of Medicine, Plant Life in Field and Garden, and
not absolutely essential. other resources. Creation to Christ covers both
Dictation passages, spelling lists, and sug- ancient and biblical history using resources
gested read-aloud titles are found in the appen- such as Genesis: Finding Our Roots, The Story
dices. The read alouds are much more than of the Ancient World, Ancient Rome: Streams of
supplemental bedtime stories. These are care- History, and A Child’s Geography Vol. II.
fully correlated with the rest of the program to Hearts for Him Through Time:
cover different genres of literature and to teach Resurrection to Reformation
story elements, character traits, and narration. Hearts for Him Through Time: Resurrection
Preparing Hearts for His Glory to Reformation continues to move students
Preparing Hearts for His Glory adds beginning toward more independent learning. This level
research skills and guided written narrations. also turns attention toward becoming a Godly
For Bible, students study and memorize the young man or woman with a biblical Christian
Psalms with the aid of musical selections from worldview. To that end, it leads students in a
a CD. History and geography stretch from study of Philippians along with either Boyhood
creation to the end of the twentieth century and Beyond or Beautiful Girlhood. History study
using A Child’s History of the World along with uses a distinctly Christian approach to cover
other resources. Science studies correspond the period from the Resurrection through the
loosely with history studies. For example, study Reformation. Earth science is the theme for
of the stars correlates with reading about the science studies with different options available
Magi as well as with study of ancient civiliza- depending upon which books have been used
tions where astronomy played an important in previous years.
role. For science, student read biographies of Hearts for Him Through Time:
Columbus, da Vinci, and Einstein. Students Revival to Revolution
are expected to do more independent study Hearts for Him Through Time: Revival to
at this level than at younger levels. Reflecting Revolution begins with the mid-1700s and
increased emphasis on academics, Preparing continues through the 1900s. While it covers
Hearts for His Glory has weekly science experi- some world history, U.S. and church history
ments with notebooking, questions, and narra- dominate. Optional study of the 50 states is
tion activities. included. Science highlights inventors and
Hearts for Him Through Time: physical science, and an advanced option for
Creation to Christ science is offered. Some of the key resources
Hearts for Him Through Time: Creation to are George Washington’s World, The Story of
Christ follows the same layout, expanding stu- the Great Republic, The Growth of the British
dent research skills and building independent Empire, Who Is God? And Can I Really Know
reading and self-study into lessons for all stu- Him?, What in the World? Vol. 3, The Story of
dents. Self-study assignments include reading, Inventions, and Four American Inventors.
listening to audio CDs, written assignments, Hearts for Him Through Time:
projects, timeline activities, copywork, map Missions to Modern Marvels
work, drawing, and more. Science continues Hearts for Him Through Time: Missions to
with weekly experiments and notebooking Modern Marvels covers the 1890s through
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
293
modern times. In this volume, U.S. history subjects, but other than that, lesson prep
is interwoven with world history along with time is very minimal. The variety of learning
stories of Christian heroes and modern mis- methods should appeal to children of various
sions. A President Study and an optional learning styles.
Individual State Study are included. Science While courses follow a historical chronology,
topics focus on an introduction to chemistry you can begin at any level. For each course,
as well as on creation versus evolution from a you can purchase the main lesson plan book
Christian viewpoint. Additional math options by itself and gather the other resources on your
with schedules are provided for students who own, or you might want to purchase one of the
have already completed Primary Mathematics's economy, basic, extension, or deluxe packages.
sixth level. Package options become increasingly complex
Hearts for Him Through High School: as you move up to higher grade levels. See the
World Geography publisher's website for all of the options.
World geography replaces the history strand
in this high school level course, but its chrono-
logical study of geography inevitably includes My Father’s World
quite a bit of history. The course is designed by Marie Hazell and the MFW Staff
to provide up to 6½ credits: 1 credit each for My Father’s World
English, Math, World Geography, and Science; PO Box 2140
1 credit for Bible; and ½ credit each for World Rolla, MO 65402
Religion and Cultures, Logic, and Foreign 573-202-2000
Language. Science uses Integrated Physics and email: [email protected]
Chemistry (Paradigm) with an optional lab www.mfwbooks.com
manual and kit. Three options for Algebra basic packages for K-8 range from $129 to
I resources are suggested. Foreign language $299, deluxe packages for K-8 range from
credit is earned if students use the optional $216 to $394
Getting Started with Spanish. My Father’s World (MFW) offers complete
Hearts for Him Through High School: or almost complete grade-level programs
World History for preschool through twelfth grade. MFW
Students can earn up to seven high school embodies methodologies from unit study,
credits with this course. Lesson plans for four Charlotte Mason, and classical approaches
days per week cover Old Testament Bible with a strong biblical base (Protestant) and
survey, world history, English (literature, com- missionary emphasis throughout all levels.
position, and grammar), biology with lab, and Each program centers around a single guide
geometry for a full credit each. Health and and uses a mixture of real books and hands-on
Spanish coverage provide ½ credit each, and activities along with a few textbooks. Basic or
fine arts lessons might earn from ½ credit to a deluxe packages are available for each level.
full credit. Basic packages provide essential elements.
Summary Deluxe packages include additional resources
I like the way Carrie Austin has combined for art, music, read aloud, etc. A Bible (not
elements of unit study, living books, and text- included) is required for every level.
books in a format that makes it very easy for MFW courses are clearly structured with
the parent or teacher to know exactly what easy-to-understand instructions. Lesson prepa-
to do each day. Art and math lessons might ration time will be required primarily for gath-
take a little more preparation time than other ering necessary materials, so planning ahead is
 102 Top Picks
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essential. integrate lessons on sounds of the letters and
MFW also sells many of the recommended beginning blending (short-vowel words only)
books which might be helpful for those without with the unit themes. All learning is multi-
easy access to a library. Interestingly, MFW has sensory, combining worksheets, oral work, lis-
been able to keep a few of the core resource tening, movable alphabet, flashcards, and lots
books in print by working out agreements with of hands-on activities.
the original publishers for MFW to publish For example, Unit 11 teaches about insects,
their own editions. These often are edited emphasizing the biblical concept of working
regarding issues such as evolution to make hard (diligence). Ants, bees, and ladybugs are
them more appropriate for MFW’s audience. used as examples. Students learn the “A-a-
Samples of each level are available on the Apple” song, and they learn the /ĭ/ sound for
publisher’s website. Because of space limita- insect. You are to read aloud about insects from
tions, my review of their preschool program is any appropriate book—nine possible titles are
only on my website, and I include only a brief suggested. Children either set up the ant farm
summary of the high school courses. from the deluxe kit or assist you in following
God's Creation from A to Z: Complete the instructions for creating your own ant farm
Kindergarten Curriculum so they can watch insects at work.
MFW's kinder- Many learning activities use textured let-
garten curriculum ters (these come in the basic package), tac-
focuses on beginning tile activities (e.g., finger jello cut into letter
reading, math, sci- shapes, pancakes formed as letters), and verbal
ence, social studies, responses.
and Bible appropri- Simple science experiments, craft projects,
ate for children who and literature are built into the lessons.
are just ready to begin Day six in each unit features a “book time”
learning letters and for reading a real book and engaging in related
sounds. (Expansion activities plus an “outdoor time” activity. Math
ideas are provided for is often integrated in lessons; for example, sort-
kindergartners who are already reading.) Many ing leaves by color and size or cutting an apple
activities in the book—especially those not in half. Skills covered include shapes, com-
targeting beginning number and letter skills— paring and sequencing, measuring, calendar,
easily adapt for use with younger or older money, graphs, fractions, time, counting, writ-
children. ing numbers, and an introduction to addition
Charlotte Mason's influence is strong with and subtraction.
the incorporation of real books and hands- Lessons should take 60 to 90 minutes a day,
on learning throughout the program. Susan and there are sufficient lessons here for a full
Schaeffer Macaulay’s book about Mason’s school year. Lessons for each unit are present-
methodology, For the Children’s Sake, is referred ed in a two-page grid so you can quickly get an
to a number of times in the kindergarten guide overview of what you will be doing. Additional
and is included in the deluxe package. notes follow for each day, but there is minimal
The introductory unit, which should take teacher manual information that you need to
about ten days to complete, covers creation read before jumping into the lessons.
and introduces the names of the letters of the A variety of pages are provided in the large
alphabet. The next 26 units (centered around packet of Kindergarten Student Sheets—cut-
themes such as the sun, leaves, or water) and-paste activities, teaching charts, game
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
295
cards, short-vowel song cards, monthly calen- foundation in math principles.
dars, math activities, and patterns for badges. The First Grade Basic Package includes the
The basic program includes a beautiful full- teacher’s manual, student workbook, student
color set of A to Z Alphabet Flashcards. In sheets (which include timeline figures), Bible
addition to the textured letter set mentioned Notebook, Bible Reader, three Usborne science
above, you need access to children’s fiction books, a devotions book, a math workbook,
and non-fiction books. Extensive, annotated math flashcards, and math manipulatives.
lists of recommended books should make it This course builds a very strong familiarity
easy to find suitable books at your local library. with the Bible since it uses chronological Bible
To make things easier, MFW offers the readings as well as the Bible Reader and the
deluxe package that includes the basic pro- Bible Notebook. Children learn memory verses
gram (with alphabet cards and A-Z Textured and complete written work in relation to their
Letters), Butterfly Garden, an ant farm, an Bible lessons.
inflatable globe, Say Hello to Classical Music Minimal lesson preparation is required. Daily
CD, Cuisenaire Rods, Cuisenaire Rods Alphabet lesson plans provide detailed instruction and
Book, and the books What Really Happened are easy to follow. Some cut-and-paste activi-
to the Dinosaurs? and For the Children’s Sake. ties are used from time to time, and there are
These items and a few others are also offered numerous optional projects such as a celebra-
individually on the publisher’s website. A tion of the Jewish feast of Purim.
separate, optional Kindergarten Literature Children are asked to draw in many of the
Collection includes a set of classic picture lessons, and Hazell suggests using the book
books for “book time” reading. Drawing with Children for developing draw-
Some inexpensive art supplies such as clay, ing skills. The First Grade Deluxe Package
watercolor paints, and paintbrushes will be includes that book along with Honey for a
required; a few more such as tempera paints Child’s Heart, Enjoying Art Together, and Peter
and colored pencils are optional. You will also and the Wolf CD—in addition to all items in
need an extra set of Kindergarten Student the basic package.
Sheets for each additional student. Adventures in U.S. History
Learning God's Story: Complete (2nd or 3rd Grade)
First Grade Curriculum NOTE: This program is designed for a sec-
This first grade program very quickly reviews ond or third grader who is an oldest child.
letters and sounds then introduces short-vowel Families with older siblings should instead pur-
words. All basic phonics concepts are present- chase one of the 2nd-8th programs so that all
ed this year. Spelling and writing both receive students are working on the same topics.
much more emphasis this year than in kinder- Adventures in U.S. History provides com-
garten. In keeping with author Marie Hazell’s plete curriculum for Bible, history, geogra-
incorporation of Charlotte Mason’s ideas for phy, science, art, and music, with United
teaching science using real books and activi- States history being the primary theme for
ties, science in the first grade program relies the year. There is some language arts instruc-
heavily upon three Usborne books—Things tion, but it is not comprehensive. Math is not
Outdoors, Science With Water, and Science With included. You need to add your own math
Plants. Hands-on math activities plus math and language arts resources. MFW recom-
resources from the First Grade Basic Package, mends Primary Mathematics (Singapore Math),
including a colorful supplementary math work- MFW's Language Lessons for Today, and Spelling
book, provide a developmentally-appropriate by Sound and Structure (Rod and Staff). Study
 102 Top Picks
296
of a foreign language is recommended but not advanced level for seventh and eighth grades.
required. The first year of the five-year cycle is dedi-
Students do increasing amounts of reading cated to concentrated study of geography and
and writing at this level. Each student will cultures in Exploring Countries and Cultures.
need two three-ring binders—one for U.S. The next four volumes follow a chronological
history and geography, the second for all other order:
subjects. • Creation to the Greeks
Moderately detailed lesson plans are pro- • Rome to the Reformation
vided for each day. You need minimal prep • Exploration to 1850 (U.S./World History)
work before teaching the program: gathering • 1850 to Modern Times (U.S./World History)
or buying general school supplies and art sup- As with the other MFW volumes, these five
plies for I Can Do All Things, gathering library levels use real books and lots of hands-on
books, planning nature walks, and reading the activities to cover Bible, social studies, science,
first sections of the teacher’s manual. art, and music.
You may purchase either the basic or deluxe You might consider these as unit studies
package. The basic package includes the teach- although study in all subjects is not as tightly
er’s manual, a two-sided U.S./world map, stu- linked to unit themes as in other unit stud-
dent sheets (which also include state sheets/ ies. For example, music study might be about
cards/stickers), Patriotic Songs of the U.S.A. CD, a composer from the time period studied in
and books such as NIrV Discoverer’s Bible for history, or students might study Greek and
Young Readers, The Story of the U.S., American Latin word roots while working through the
Pioneers and Patriots, North American Indians, volumes that include study of the Greek and
The Fourth of July Story, First Encyclopedia of Roman empires. However, textbooks and other
Science, Science with Air, and Birds, Nests, and resources are also incorporated to cover spe-
Eggs. cific topics that might not fit with the main
The deluxe package includes all of the themes. For example, children learn the music
above plus an art program, science and fine of Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel during their
art resources, and seven additional read-aloud study of Creation to the Greeks.
books. Language arts are covered with your choice
At the back of the teacher's manual are of other resources, although children will be
pages of still more book and video recommen- working on some language arts activities within
dations (annotated with short descriptions) the curriculum itself. MFW suggests resources
that are arranged very helpfully week by week such as Spelling Power, Writing Strands, Language
so you can easily browse through possibilities Lessons for Today, and Intermediate Language
for alternatives or additions to the curriculum. Lessons for language arts.
2nd - 8th Grade Multi-Age Curriculum Math is not included in these volumes,
While the preceding programs all have nar- although Primary Mathematics (Singapore
rower age or grade level designations, the next Math) is recommended. Rosetta Stone is
sequence in the MFW curriculum consists MFW’s preferred resource for the study of a
of five volumes, all of which can be used for foreign language. Seventh and eighth graders
students in grades two through eight. Ideally, also need to add an appropriate science course.
you would use them in sequence, no matter Teacher’s manuals feature daily lesson plans
at what grade level you begin. You might com- with additional notes and explanations along-
plete all five volumes in grades two through side each week’s chart. Charts show specific
six then repeat the first two volumes at a more pages and activities within the core resources.
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
297
Some of the books included in the schedules Tales, Window on the World, Children's Atlas of
are not included in the basic packages; gener- God's World, Maps and Globes, Geography from
ally these are read-aloud books that you might A to Z, Properties of Ecosystems, Living World
find at the library. However, all resources listed Encyclopedia (Usborne), and Global Art. In
in the schedule charts are included in MFW's this volume, there is also a list of optional rec-
deluxe packages. Along with extra read alouds, ommended books to enrich topics addressed
deluxe packages for this group of courses within each week’s lesson.
always include resources for the fine arts and Seventh and eighth graders have additional
sometimes resources for science. coursework scheduled in the lesson plans.
Student sheets included with each year’s You will need to purchase the 7th-8th Grade
package are pages for creating a timeline, plus Supplement if you are teaching older students.
many others for activities such as mapwork, Creation to the Greeks
crafts, and written work. As with Adventures in MFW strongly recommends that children
My Father’s World, students will need to main- complete Exploring Countries and Cultures
tain two three-ring binders for their work for before beginning this volume so that they have
each volume of this course. foundational knowledge of countries and geo-
Exploring Countries and Cultures graphic terms that will be used in Creation to
As the title sug- the Greeks.
gests, this volume The outline for this study follows the Old
teaches about other Testament, beginning with Creation and con-
countries and cul- tinuing through the rebuilding of Jerusalem
tures. It is selective after the exile. Students also learn about
rather than compre- ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Babylonian
hensive in coverage, kingdom, early North American cultures,
an approach entirely Assyria, Greece, India (including a brief study
suitable for a young of Hinduism and Buddhism), early Russians,
audience. While all the Phoenicians, the Persian empire, and
continents are vis- Alexander the Great. Celebrating Biblical Feasts
ited, only a few representative countries are is used to incorporate study and celebration of
actually studied. Protestant missionary biog- the Old Testament biblical feasts.
raphies, stories from Hero Tales (heroes of Some of the core books, such as Streams of
Protestantism), and information from Window Civilization Vol. 1, are significantly more chal-
on the World (missionary efforts and status lenging than those used for Exploring Countries.
worldwide) are assigned for reading within The lesson plans help you navigate through
the lesson plans, often coordinating with the the resources, specifying some readings for all
country being studied that week. For example, ages and others only for older students.
the biography of Gladys Aylward, missionary to Examples of resources in the basic package
China, begins during the study of China (and are Journey through the Bible, Ancient World,
continues through study of Japan). The Trojan Horse: How the Greeks Won the War,
Of course other resources are also used along Genesis for Kids, Dinosaurs of Eden, Pyramids,
with Exploring Countries and Cultures. The basic Archimedes and the Door of Science, and English
package includes the teacher’s manual, Parent/ from the Roots Up.
Teacher Supplement, and student sheets. This volume also includes a list of optional
There are also other items such as an imita- recommended books to enrich topics addressed
tion passport, God Speaks Numanggang, Hero within each week’s lesson.
 102 Top Picks
298
Rome to the Reformation a research paper. Science this year is a study
The layout and methodology for this volume of plants and animals. Seventh and eighth
is essentially the same as for Creation to the graders should use either Exploring Creation
Greeks. This volume again includes many with General Science or Exploring Creation with
pages of optional book and video recommen- Physical Science. Resource recommendations
dations for each week of study. The assump- for math and language arts vary by the stu-
tion is that you have just completed Creation to dent’s grade level.
the Greeks and already have some of the 1850 to Modern Times (U.S./World History)
resources used with that volume. Examples of 1850 to Modern Times continues to intermix
resources in this year's basic package are How U.S. and world history, covering events in
the Bible Came to Us, The Roman Empire, chronological sequence, but with an under-
Augustus Caesar’s World, The Story of the World lying theme of heroic Christian virtue in
Vol. 2, Medieval World (Usborne), Trial and response to God’s call. You will need the 2nd-
Triumph: Stories from Church History, The 3rd Grade Supplement if you are teaching a
Human Body for Every Kid, The Wonderful Way student younger than fourth grade level.
Babies Are Made, and Exploring Creation with The course continues with a few books
Astronomy. begun in Exploration to 1850. Science intro-
The human body duces students to physics and chemistry.
and astronomy are Among resources included in the basic pack-
the primary science age are Tales of Persia; Witnesses to All the
themes for this year. World; States & Capitals Songs; The Story of
There is a lot of read- the World, Vol. 4; Children’s Encyclopedia of
ing material includ- American History; The World of Science (MFW
ed, but you will not edition); and 100 Science Experiments.
be reading every page High School Level
in every book, so it is My Father’s World also has a four-year pro-
not as overwhelming gram for high school level that covers history,
as it might seem. literature, language arts, Bible, economics, and
Note that history coverage is not restricted government. The Bible component is particu-
to Western Civilization but includes Japan, larly strong as it includes serious Bible study,
India, Australia, and other far flung places. apologetics, worldview, comparative religions,
Exploration to 1850, (U.S./World History) prayer, and Christian living. In addition, over
Exploration to 1850 is appropriate for students the course of the four years, students will
in grades four through eight. (You will need to read quite a few books such as The Iliad, The
add the 2nd-3rd Grade Supplement if you are Odyssey, Pilgrim’s Progress, Silas Marner, Pride
teaching younger students.) Exploration com- and Prejudice, Animal Farm, The Scarlet Letter,
bines both world history and early U.S. history. and The Hiding Place.
It uses core resources such as The Story of the These courses are designed for independent
World, Volume 3 and George Washington’s World study under parental guidance. Weekly parent-
that take a story-telling approach to history student meetings are required to discuss and
along with texts such as Exploring American review the week’s work. Parents will almost
History and Building a City on a Hill. The certainly need to have additional discussions
last four to six weeks of the year are used for about some of the reading material in addition
students to write a report on their own state to the weekly meeting. Grading is based pri-
while learning simultaneously how to write marily upon parent evaluation of the student’s
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
299
written work, discussions, vocabulary quizzes, mission fields. As a result, Sonlight has grown
and essays with some use of traditional tests. to become one of the largest curriculum suppli-
Science, math, foreign language, and other ers in the homeschool market.
electives are available separately from My Sonlight has designed comprehensive grade/
Father's World. age level programs with carefully selected
Titles of the four high school courses are: resources. "Open and teach" instructor’s
• Ancient History and Literature guides outline lessons for each day using spe-
• World History and Literature cific pages within the materials provided. All
• U.S. History to 1877 with Government, guides, whether for Core Packages or indi-
American Literature, and Biblical Worldview vidual subject areas, include week-by-week
• U.S. History 1877 to the Present with lesson plans with record-keeping calendars,
Economics, English/Speech, and Bible thorough instructions, student activity sheets,
See complete reviews of the high school level answer keys, and much more. The easy-to-use
courses at www.CathyDuffyReviews.com. guides are one of the best and most important
features of Sonlight Curriculum.
Although Sonlight does not oversee your
Sonlight homeschooling efforts, the Sonlight website
offers a number of free resources (webinars,
podcasts and more), and experienced curricu-
lum advisors are available at no cost for one-
on-one consultation.
Sonlight sells build-your-own packages (see
Option 1) and complete curriculum packages
that include every subject (see Option 2) for
preschool through high school, but you may
also purchase any of the individual items found
Sonlight Curriculum Ltd. in the Sonlight packages.
8042 South Grant Way Option 1: Customizable Core Packages
Littleton, CO 80122-2705 Sonlight’s preschool to college prep program
303-730-6292 is literature-based and integrated around his-
email: [email protected] torical themes. Each of the 16 available Core
www.sonlight.com Packages (covering history, geography, Bible,
Sonlight Curriculum was started by a home- language arts, and literature) is designated as
schooling family that wanted to provide the appropriate for a range of two to five grade
best materials at a reasonable cost for families levels. Cores also include read-aloud books
living as overseas missionaries. They based (which parents read to children) and readers
their programs on the educational philosophy (real books rather than textbooks, which chil-
of Dr. Ruth Beechick—structured, yet flex- dren read on their own).
ible enough to maximize real-life learning. Read-aloud books are excellent choices
Influenced by Charlotte Mason’s ideas, they that you might enjoy having in your fam-
also wanted to include real books. In addition, ily library, even if you weren’t using Sonlight.
they wanted to create a program that doesn’t Bible instruction uses scripture and other
require too much time from busy parents. resources, including biographies of missionar-
These ideas reflected the needs of many ies and Christian heroes. This is essentially a
homeschooling families, both on and off the Protestant program, although the “History of
 102 Top Picks
300
God’s Kingdom” Core presents a very even- Math, Science and Electives
handed study of church history and doctrinal Math and science function independent of
issues comparing Protestant, Catholic, and the Core such that separate packages can be
Orthodox positions. combined with your choice of a Core to cus-
Most Core Packages focus on an area of tomize the curriculum.
history, such as world, U.S., or eastern hemi- For math, Sonlight offers three or more
sphere. Core A, for example, is an introduc- choices for most levels. Answer keys or solu-
tion to world cultures. The two preschool tion manuals are part of each program, but
Core themes are “Fiction, Fairy Tales, and there are no Sonlight instructor’s guides; they
Fun” and “Exploring God’s World.” At the are not needed.
upper level, Core themes are Church History, Science packages include an instructor's
British Literature, 20th Century World History, guide, an assortment of books, and supplies for
American Government/Economics, and World experiments and activities.
History and Worldview Studies. Elective packages or resources are also avail-
All Core instructor’s guides have geography able for critical thinking, foreign language, art,
and timeline activities and study guides for all music, geography, Bible study, typing, church
history, reader and read-aloud books. history, driver’s education, worldview, physical
Core Packages give you the ability to custom- education, health and nutrition, public speak-
ize the educational experience to fit your stu- ing, and computer programming.
dent’s skills, interests and goals. Sonlight will Option 2: Full-Grade Packages
help you put together the package that meets If you don’t have the time or inclination to
your needs, at no additional cost. customize a Core Package, you can order a
Language Arts Full-Grade Package that contains everything
In kindergarten through third grade, when you need to teach one child for an entire year
reading and writing abilities vary widely, you covering all subjects. Preschool through high
may choose the level of the Language Arts/ school Full-Grade Packages—14 in all—are
Readers package that best matches each child’s generally the most convenient way to order,
skill level. In upper-elementary through high and they offer the deepest Sonlight discount.
school, the language arts component is inte- All Core Guides for Full-Grade Packages
grated into each Core-level package. include geography and timeline activities and
Language arts material in the Core guides study guides for all history, reader and read-
incorporates all of the instruction for phonics, aloud books.
grammar, composition, and most other lan- Package costs vary from $285 for preschool
guage skills. I am particularly impressed with to about $900-$1000 for high school levels.
the weekly writing assignments built into the Summary
curriculum. Additional books in the packages Sonlight offers a one-year money-back
might be for handwriting or spelling. Sonlight guarantee, and returning Sonlight customers
has created some of their own phonetic read- receive additional discounts. Though prices
ers for the early stages of reading, but after that for the Core and Full-Grade Packages might
they use real books from other sources. seem to be on the upper end, note the number
Language Arts Guides are included with the of books you get—no need to visit the library
Core and refer to some of the books that come or search online. Also, most of the books you
in the corresponding Core Package, so if a receive are non-consumable, so you can use
child needs a particular level of language arts, them through the years with your other chil-
that might dictate which Core you choose. dren, all the while building a quality library.
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
301
You can save even more by teaching multiple 1-year plans: individual - $399.95, family
children with the same course material when- - $699.95; Monarch monthly plans:
ever practical, adding different grade levels for individual - $39.95, family - $69.95
math and language arts.
While Sonlight’s hallmark is the use of real
books—literature, historical fiction, and topi-
cal fiction rather than texts, they occasionally
use textbooks and workbooks such as Saxon
Math, Miquon Math, Teaching Textbooks, Primary
Mathematics, All About Spelling, Apologia sci-
ence texts, and Handwriting Without Tears. Alpha Omega Publications (AOP) first
Sonlight emphasizes activities that have clear developed their LIFEPAC curriculum, a self-
educational purposes, with optional hands-on instructional learning system using a number
activities for elementary-level Core programs. of worktext booklets for each subject. Years
Though parent-child interaction is required at later, AOP responded to the proliferation of
times, little time is required for lesson prepara- computers and improvements in technology by
tion. Some homeschooling parents report that using their LIFEPAC curriculum as the foun-
the hardest thing is finding time to get through dation for their computer-based curriculum,
the many read-aloud books. Switched-On Schoolhouse (SOS). Most recently,
Sonlight has proven to be an excellent they created Monarch, an online version of
option for families that want something differ- SOS.
ent than traditional curriculum but may lack Because both programs share most features
the experience to put it together on their own. in common, I will address those first.
To assess whether Sonlight is a good fit Both SOS and Monarch are available for
for your family (or not), read the two “27 grades three through twelve in a completely
Reasons” articles on their site at www.sonlight. computerized format that includes full-col-
com/to-buy.html and www.sonlight.com/ or graphics, videos, sound, a text-to-speech
not-to-buy.html. option, internet excursions, and many other
I also strongly recommend reading through features.
Sonlight’s information (online catalog avail- Many parents love SOS and Monarch because
able at www.sonlight.com/request-catalog. they allow students to work independently—a
html) or chatting for free with one of their tremendous help for parents with little time
curriculum advisors before determining which to oversee schoolwork. Parents only need to
program, levels, or resources to use. set up the initial program (with SOS) or sign
in to their account (with Monarch), customize
lesson plans if necessary, check student prog-
Switched-On Schoolhouse ress which can be viewed in teacher mode on
and Monarch the computer, and review writing assignments.
Alpha Omega Publications Parents can also build supplemental lessons if
804 N. 2nd Ave. E. they wish with SOS.
Rock Rapids, IA 51246-1759 For both SOS and Monarch, individual cours-
800-622-3070 es for Bible, math, language arts, science,
www.aophomeschooling.com and history/geography can be purchased, or
SOS or Monarch: $99.95 per subject; SOS you can purchase complete grade level sets.
complete 5 subject set - $449.95; Monarch Numerous elective courses are also available.
 102 Top Picks
302
The programs follow the same general for- override is permitted if you choose to accept
mat for each subject. A topic is introduced an answer as correct that the computer rejects
then students are given pertinent vocabulary as incorrect.
words to learn. Activities and games help stu- Both SOS and Monarch are professionally
dents to quickly master the vocabulary words. produced, and AOP continually works at
(Vocabulary words with definitions can also improving the courses. Courses allow parents
be printed for practice offline.) A number of control over which lessons are to be assigned in
games for reinforcing concepts and material which order, grade format, access to the inter-
are also built into the lessons for math, geogra- net, and how lenient or tough to be with the
phy, and vocabulary drill. However, games are spelling of answers. In both SOS and Monarch,
a proportionately small part of the program. “At-a-Glance Assignment Indicators” highlight
Students may skip these games if they wish. past-due lessons making them easy to spot, and
Students read through each section of a message center makes it easy for parents and
instructional material on the screen, then students to send notes to each other.
click “Show problems” at the bottom of the Parents also set up a school calendar that
screen to work through comprehension activi- allows the computer to schedule each student’s
ties. Questions are presented mostly in mul- rate of progress. The computer then alerts stu-
tiple-choice, sorting, and matching formats. dents if they get behind schedule.
Incorrect answers are immediately identified, The programs move at a fairly good pace for
and students have an opportunity to correct the most part, so there’s not a lot of wasted
them, but with a limited number of attempts time as there is in software that tries to offer
available in each lesson. equal part of education and entertainment.
In all subjects other than math, these sec- While in SOS answers are each followed by a
tion questions allow students to scan the verbal affirmation (which can be turned off if
text material to figure out what the correct students prefer), there are no cute animations
answer should be most of the time. However, wasting time between answers and subse-
sometimes students must make inferences, quent questions in either program within the
read maps, or interpret data to arrive at cor- coursework.
rect answers. Math programs require students The content is non-denominationally
to solve problems. If students miss questions, Protestant throughout all subjects. Biblical
those that were answered incorrectly are pre- concepts appear throughout all subjects,
sented again. although less so in math than others.
Once students have answered all questions The Bible programs offer solid content,
correctly for a set number of lessons, they take including some scripture memorization. You
a quiz. It is possible to set the program such can choose either the King James Version or
that students cannot scan material when tak- the New American Standard Bible for Bible
ing a quiz, so this is when you will really know content. Biblical map identification is added to
whether or not they’ve learned anything. (Be the typical questions and answers.
aware that the “open book” option allows stu- Language courses cover reading skills, gram-
dents to exit and enter the quiz as many times mar, composition, spelling, and vocabulary.
as they wish, allowing them to check the lesson Periodic writing projects stretch skills beyond
for information they don’t know.) Some writ- the short answers students write within the
ten responses are required in the exercises and lessons themselves. Book reports are included
quizzes. Exercises, quizzes, and tests are scored for grades three through eight.
by the computer although parent or teacher History and geography are combined, with
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
303
map work intermixed throughout lessons. A debatable. Teacher overrides are helpful in
historical timeline is available to students if dealing with such situations, but that requires
they choose to click on “linked” data in their more immediate oversight. To reduce the
history studies. (The timeline also can be number of computer-graded errors that might
accessed from within other subjects besides be debatable, SOS and Monarch have added
history and geography.) Essays, reports, and additional variations of possible answers to
special projects expand learning beyond the numerous questions.
computer. Science programs also include a few In the language program, students frequently
experiments, essays, observations, and other work with reading selections, answering ques-
non-computer activities. tions regarding the content. Unfortunately,
More than forty-five elective courses—some some of the questions are too nit-picky. For
for elementary grades but most for high school example, one question asks students how many
level—can either be added to an SOS or trees were in the backyard (13) in a story about
Monarch core curriculum or used on their own. family members being friendly to birds and
Just a few examples of the electives are Spanish animals. The number of trees was irrelevant
and French courses for elementary grades or unless you really want children to memorize
for high school, plus Consumer Math, State that sort of detail when reading.
History, Physical Fitness, Personal Financial I encountered another potential issue in
Literacy, Health, GED Preparatory Math, math courses with the presentation of addi-
Introduction to Information Technology, and tion and subtraction problems with regroup-
College Planner. ing. Given three-digit numbers, students will
Both SOS and Monarch now have “text-to- generally work from right to left to solve each
speech”—students highlight text they want to problem, yet the cursor begins on the left, and
hear, choose from various electronic voices, it is a bother to get it to enter numbers in the
and hear the passage read aloud. logical order.
SOS and Monarch are very sophisticated There are free Monarch math and language
systems, so in the teacher mode they have a arts placement tests at www.aophomeschooling
context-sensitive Help file as well as links to .com/diagnostic-tests (results apply to both
specific tutorials. In addition, free technical SOS and Monarch), or you can purchase
support is available for current subscribers to optional printed SOS placement tests for the
Monarch and for SOS users for two years after five main subject areas.
the purchase of the newest version. Differences Between SOS and Monarch
With each new edition, SOS and Monarch SOS runs only on Windows systems.
continue to improve. Graphics, games, web- Computer equipment should be fairly current
links, and attendance tracking and reporting for the program to run at a decent pace, for
as well as a template and report for creating smooth viewing of video clips, and for the use
transcripts in SOS have been among the more of sound. Web excursions are not essential to
visible improvements. Note that you can add the curriculum, so, for students using SOS, an
other courses than those in SOS or Monarch internet connection is not absolutely neces-
to the transcript and otherwise customize it so sary. However, web links in the courses add
that you can create a complete transcript. extra interest and additional learning oppor-
SOS and Monarch make life easy for parents, tunities. Also, an internet connection allows
but they are not perfect. As I have encoun- for automatic updating of the SOS curriculum.
tered in many other computerized programs, Monarch is web-based, accessible at any time
requested answers sometimes seem highly from computers with a consistent, high-speed
 102 Top Picks
304
internet connection. Monarch will run on com- and is maintained for seven years after your
puters with either Windows or Mac systems. subscription ends.
SOS offers more features than Monarch Another major difference between Monarch
although these may or may not be important to and SOS is the ownership. Customers purchase
you. In SOS, once you’ve got one student and SOS for up to five students to use on one
his or her courses set up, it is easy to add addi- installation at a given time. Their curriculum is
tional courses and students. There is so much reusable. On the other hand, Monarch is avail-
customization available to parents that most able on a subscription basis by the month or
novices will stick with the basics until they get the "year." One student may use a subscription
comfortable with the program. But once you’ve for 12 months (with leeway given for up to 18
used it for a while, you should experiment with months) with a year subscription. Monarch's
all of the fine-tuning features such as the abil- family plan accommodates up to three stu-
ity to customize your calendar, create assign- dents, providing you with up to 50 courses
ment options for students, customize subject (from the five core subject areas) for a year so
reports, and even edit and create subjects. It that you can customize with course content
is important to know that parents can zero out across more than one grade level if needed.
(reset) a lesson if a student needs to redo it It seems to me that the number of potential
completely. Parents can also print out lessons, students in your family who might use the
problems, assignments, and records. curriculum, the computer platform, and your
Other newer features in SOS are: internet connection would be the biggest fac-
• Bible lookup tool accessible from within tors for determining which option best suits
any subject your needs.
• Past Due Report form that lets parents Summary
know if any student assignments are late In spite of the computer-delivery platform,
• Enhanced assignment editor that allows SOS and Monarch are not a creative approach
you to include picture files, weblinks, and to learning since course content must be very
videos within customized assignments structured and controlled to be able to work
Parents should also take time to familiarize within the computer format. Nevertheless,
students with the dictionary and calculator many parents will find that these programs
available through the “resource center” in make homeschooling possible for them, and
SOS. some students will appreciate being able to
Monarch is not quite as sophisticated, but work independently.
AOP is continually adding and improving its
features. Curriculum updates to Monarch are
able to be released in real time all year round, Tapestry of Grace
rather than in an annual release like SOS. by Marcia Somerville
For instance, Monarch was updated to include Lampstand Press
Osama bin Laden’s demise and the switch 1135 North Eastman Road
to My Plate rather than the traditional food Kingsport, TN 37664
pyramid shortly after each event occurred. In 800-705-7487
addition, in Monarch, a virtual keyboard for www.tapestryofgrace.com
foreign languages makes it easy for students to digital edition - $170 per Year-Plan, print-
type the proper symbols and characters. And only edition - $295 per Year-Plan, both
there’s no worry with Monarch about backing digital & print editions - $315 per Year-Plan,
up data since it’s stored at a secure location individual units are $45 each for digital
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
305
edition and $80 each for print are unfamiliar with these terms, you should
Tapestry of Grace (TOG) is a unit study cur- read up on classical education in books such as
riculum that covers most of the major subject those I mention in the classical education sec-
areas for students in kindergarten through tion of Chapter Three or search for one of the
twelfth grade. Some features that make it espe- many internet sites on the subject.
cially appealing are: While the TOG volumes include World Book
• Christian worldview studies incorporated Encyclopedia information on many topics as
throughout the curriculum background information for the teacher, for
• a chronological approach to history as the the most part students will read information
basic organizing theme from recommended books that you purchase or
• a classical education approach based on borrow for them. You will use some books over
the grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric stages a long period of time, so you should purchase
of learning that allow all of your children to those, particularly history resources, literature
learn the same subjects at the same time anthologies, and some literary and reference
but at their own level. books. Many others will be used for only a
Subject areas week or two and might be borrowed. While
covered include some titles are strongly recommended, in most
history, writing, cases there are a number of choices listed,
literature, fine which helps families with limited resources or
arts, geography, who need flexibility. If you don’t have a big
church history budget, having easy access to a library will be a
including mis- real asset if you use TOG.
sions, and Bible. In order to access the resource list of books
You will need needed for each volume of TOG (referred to
to find other as Year-Plans), you can go to their companion
resources for pho- website at www.bookshelfcentral.com and use
nics, English grammar, math, foreign languag- their search feature. Bookshelf Central pro-
es, and science. vides helpful descriptions and information so
Like many other unit studies, while TOG that you can decide which titles you need to
uses many books, it also includes multi-sensory purchase versus those you might access at the
learning options to address different learning library.
styles and interests. These range from reading, There are four Year-Plans in TOG, and the
writing, and simple art projects through cos- idea is that you will progress through each Year-
tumed reenactments. Plan at one level of difficulty for each child
TOG covers the same general topics for all (lower grammar, upper grammar, etc.) then
students simultaneously, but instruction and begin to cycle through each Year-Plan again in
activities are divided into four levels of learn- the fifth year, advancing children to the next
ing reflecting the classical Trivium (with the level. You can see that the youngest children
grammar stage divided into two sections). might go through each Year-Plan three times.
There is purposeful overlap to address the real- A possible alternative is to take two years to
ity that students at the same grade level might cover a Year-Plan of TOG if you are starting
not necessarily be at the same developmental with younger children. (The flexibility of this
level. The divisions are: lower grammar (grades program is one of its major assets!)
K-3), upper grammar (grades 3-6), dialectic Year One: The History of Redemption covers
(grades 6-9), and rhetoric (grades 9-12). If you Creation through the fall of Rome. Year Two:
 102 Top Picks
306
The Medieval World to the Modern studies the CD-ROM that comes with print-only editions
time period of the medieval world through or online for digital editions, is a crucial com-
the signing of the U.S. Constitution. Year ponent of TOG. It has scheduling suggestions,
Three: The 1800s addresses both American and sample lesson plans, planning charts, project
European history for that century. Year Four: instructions, grammar helps, high school plan-
The Twentieth Century covers world history, ning information, course descriptions, a time
although U.S. history is a major component. line template, and more. While anyone can
TOG is available in either digital editions or access The Loom for free online, additional
print editions. Whichever edition they choose, helps that are part of The Loom for each
customers may print or reproduce all of the Year-Plan are accessible only once you have
pages they wish for their family. Co-ops can purchased the program. These include book
reproduce pages if every family has purchased updates, supporting links, and corrections.
that Year-Plan of TOG. Classroom licenses Supplements
are available for those co-op or class members TOG also offers a few optional items that are
who do not own a year-plan. (Note that digital very helpful.
editions can be updated for free annually. Keep Evaluations 1 through Evaluations 4 provide
in mind that digital resources cannot be resold you with assessments and tests for the pro-
or transferred, but the print-only versions can gram, year by year. This should be a great help
be.) to busy parents. Evaluations for each Year-Plan
Lessons are presented in full color in both are available as either downloadable files or
print and digital editions, although you might on CD-ROMs for $15 for each learning level
choose to print digital edition pages in black- or $50 for one Year-Plan’s evaluations for all
and-white for practical reasons. Each Year-Plan learning levels.
in the print edition comes three-hole-punched Pop Quiz is a supplement intended to help
and ready to place in your own binder. dads participate in the learning process in a
Whether you purchase the digital or print practical fashion. Audio CDs, recorded by
edition, there is a hefty amount of material Scott Somerville, give dads an overview of
that might seem overwhelming. However, it each week’s studies. CDs come with cards that
is very logically organized, and there are free have questions for leading discussions. A set is
videos on the publisher’s site that will help you available for each unit for $15, and sets for an
understand the structure and organization. entire Year-Plan are $50.
Each Year-Plan of TOG consists of four Another supplement, Writing Aids, is avail-
units, with each unit covering nine weeks. able as either a book and CD-ROM combo
Using tabbed separator pages for each week product or as a completely digital product.
($12.50 per set from Lampstand Press) will The Writing Aids book serves as a teacher’s
make it even easier to locate things. guide with student pages and supplements to
Overview charts work as general lesson be printed from your computer. Writing Aids
plans. The overview charts are followed by is also a writing handbook that interfaces
student pages for each level that should be with all TOG volumes. This will be a one-
printed for each student. These pages include time purchase since it will cover all genres
questions, activity instructions, charts to be and assignments in all four TOG Year-Plans.
completed, etc. Reading assignment charts for Purchasing Writing Aids as a completely digital
each week provide all of the reading lesson product costs $40, with extra cost for print or
plans. CD-ROM versions.
The Loom, which is accessed via either a Yet another valuable supplement, available
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
307
on CD-ROM or as a digital download, is Map
Aids. These are specially-designed sets of maps
and map activities for each year of the program. Time4Learning
Teacher’s maps that serve as your answer keys 6300 NE 1 Ave., Ste. 203
are included. Map Aids are $25 per Year-Plan. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33334
Summary 888-771-0914
A free, three-week TOG sample is available www.time4learning.com
at the publisher’s website so you can try it out Time4Learning (T4L) is a website for home-
before you buy—and with their digital delivery schoolers for preK
system, you can wait until you finish the first through high
three weeks before you pay for and download school that covers
the rest of your unit. The weekly topics cov- math, language
ered by each Year-Plan and the resources used arts, social stud-
are listed on the TOG website along with ies, and science. It
other information about the curriculum. is built around
Like most extensive unit study programs, CompassLearning
TOG requires a significant amount of parent Odyssey®, an
or teacher preparation and presentation, and online, interac-
large blocks of time should be dedicated over tive educational system that has been in exis-
the summer to plan and prepare for each school tence for many years. While CompassLearning
year. Also, parents or teachers really need to Odyssey has been used by public and private
familiarize themselves with the background schools through other interfaces, T4L provides
material and discussion threads in advance of the interface that works for homeschoolers.
each week's lessons. Most parents and teachers T4L can also be used on mobile devices using
will be getting a great deal of education of their Puffin Academy, a free educational mobile app.
own as they work through TOG! The Puffin Academy app provides anytime and
Overall, I think TOG’s use of classical educa- anywhere access to T4L lessons with most
tion methods combined with the chronological internet-connected smart phones and tablets.
approach helps overcome one of the weak- Students pay a monthly membership fee to
nesses of some unit studies—that children read access T4L lessons. The cost is $19.95 a month
good books and participate in fun activities but for preK through eighth grade. Additional stu-
sometimes fail to make connections between dents from the same family in these grade lev-
topics studied and their chronological relation- els are $14.95 each per month. Discounts are
ships. In addition, the worldview threads pro- available if you pay annually or semi-annually.
vide themes for discussions (ideally, directed by High school students are $30 a month for high
parents using Socratic methods) and activities school (four core courses) plus $5 a month
that help children make important connections for additional high school courses such as
and understand the significance of what they Economics or Health. There is a discount for a
are learning. TOG comes from a Reformed younger sibling (in grades preK through eight)
Protestant viewpoint, but it respectfully tries of a high school student but no discounts for
to include Orthodox and Catholic views as it additional high school students.
explores church history. Consequently, Tapestry Parents have their own login where they can
of Grace should be easier for those of the latter set up student lesson plans and assignments as
religious persuasions to adapt than some other well as access records of student work. Student
unit studies might be. schedules and records can be printed out.
 102 Top Picks
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Parents can select default grade-level courses, to lesson, upper level courses tend to follow
select particular courses, and customize lessons a similar pattern. They begin with a lesson
and assignments within courses. presentation by a real person, usually aided
T4L has students sign in to one of three lev- by computer graphics, images, diagrams, and
els: lower (preK through grade three), upper white-board problem-solving. Short lesson seg-
(grades four through eight), and high school. ments are followed by a one-screen summary
While T4L registers children by grade level of key points. Then students are presented
and offers courses based on the parent-pro- with one or more practice questions to answer.
vided grade-level designation, they will set up A quiz usually wraps up each lesson.
special configurations if needed. For example, High school courses have more traditional
you might have a child working at third grade teaching than do lower level courses since
level in most subjects but fourth grade level for there is an actual teacher presenting some of
math. I was able to set up a student with some the lesson material.
courses for the "upper" level plus a few high Math coverage aligns with national stan-
school courses. dards for preK through eighth grade. As the
While T4L concentrates on core curricula math starts to get more difficult, students will
for the four main areas right now, their website need to use paper and pencil to do some of
says that they intend to gradually “broaden their work offline then enter their answers on
[their] product offering over time with some the computer. For high school, students can
advanced math programs, art education, music choose to study Algebra I or II, Geometry,
education, foreign languages, and increased Trigonometry, or Pre-Calculus.
choices in the writing areas.” Language arts courses includes phonics and
The design of courses varies by grade level. reading skills, comprehension, grammar, and
Graphics and teaching methods are generally vocabulary in the lower level. They stress
age appropriate at each level, generally fast- reading comprehension and fluency rather
moving with a lot of variety. However, in the than phonics in the upper elementary grades
lower level, it seems to me that there’s a bit of and above, while also adding grammar, study
wasted time. While the courses teach the nec- of word roots, literary analysis, and critical
essary content, lessons are slowed by cartoons thinking. T4L has a built in writing component
and transitions. Concepts are taught, practiced called Odyssey Writer for students in third
and repeated, which is an appropriate teaching grade and above. When students click on an
strategy. However, sometimes there's too much icon to access it, writing prompts appear, and
repetition at the lower level. For example, students can then write within the program.
students answer math questions, and even if Since the program is not able to evaluate
they answer correctly, the answer is restated student writing, it includes a simple scoring
by the computer and the explanation of why rubric for parents to use for grading. In the
the answer is correct is given. It seems to me high school English courses, there are detailed
that the child who answers correctly should be scoring guides that parents can use to help
able to move on without the reteaching. The them evaluate writing assignments. Writing is
redundancy might be helpful to some students one of the weaker areas of the curriculum since
and boring to others. On the other hand, stu- students often need more guidance than is pro-
dents can review prior topics or retake lessons vided for some writing assignments. Because of
whenever necessary—a very helpful feature. this, T4L offers eight-week long, teacher-led
While lower level courses vary in design writing courses through their "sister site" www.
from course to course and even from lesson time4writing.com.
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
309
High school courses for language arts combine The “Nature of Science Supplement” that cov-
literary analysis with composition, vocabulary, ers foundational science concepts should be
reading comprehension, and communication used along with the first of the middle school
skills. Students begin writing research papers science courses. At high school level, students
in English I. Again, parents need to evaluate can choose Biology, Earth and Space Science,
high school students’ compositions. Physical Science, Chemistry, or Physics.
The social studies courses cover different top- Quizzes and tests are built into each course
ics at each grade level. In the younger grades, to assess comprehension. The program shows
social studies content is not intended to pro- when students have completed activities, quiz-
vide complete coverage for year-long courses. zes, and tests. T4L has an automated reporting
At any one grade level (except seventh), a system that tracks test and lesson scores as well
hodgepodge of topics is covered rather than a as the time spent on each activity. (The latter
logical progression of topics as in a chronologi- feature might be important for those who have
cal study. While content is a little light in the to log hours.) Parents can easily print weekly
primary grades, at fifth grade level and above reports, customizing them by date, subject, or
there seems to be plenty of content for a year- type of activity—a big help for record keeping
long course even though T4L has a disclaimer and portfolio documentation. There are also
that says the courses do not cover all state tests that simulate standardized tests, although
standards. Topics remain very eclectic in fifth scores on those tests are not factored into the
and sixth grade levels, but seventh grade offers student’s achievement in T4L.
a chronological study of U.S. history. You can Some of the material for preK through eighth
use these levels as complete courses as long grade seems rather easy for the designated
as they are covering topics your child needs grade level, with quizzes that students can pass
to learn. There is no social studies content with little effort. But this isn’t true all of the
for eighth grade; instead, students are given time. For example, math lessons for middle
access to the seventh grade course material school are probably as demanding as most
or they might choose a high school level his- textbook-based courses.
tory course. High school students can choose Some activities have printable worksheets.
from five courses: U.S. History I, U.S. History If the screen shows “Resource” under the title
II, World History, U.S. Government/Civics, of the activity, you can click to access a work-
and Geography. Go to www.time4learning. sheet. Worksheets are also accessible through
com/social-study.shtml for detailed informa- the Parent Administration section.
tion about what is taught in each grade. T4L also has an “online playground” for
Science courses up through fifth grade are students up through eighth grade and a "Game
considered supplemental rather than com- Room" for high school students. The lower
plete courses. As with social studies, younger level includes a timer that allows children to
students are presented lessons on an assort- play these games for up to a time limit set by
ment of topics. At sixth grade level, middle the parent. Playtime can be set to zero if par-
school science is presented in three complete ents don’t want children playing games at all.
courses that align with state standards: Earth (There is no timer for the upper level.) Games
and Space Science, Life Science, and Physical are actually ones that children will enjoy, and
Science. These courses combine animated they might well be used as rewards to motivate
lessons with instructional videos, worksheets, children to learn.
quizzes, and tests. They include some online The curriculum is secular and is tied to
and offline projects for students to complete. national and state standards, so you will
 102 Top Picks
310
encounter some of the same issues you would complement each other very well. It uses a unit
with any public school curriculum such as study approach built around geography within
conflicts with their treatment of evolution. the context of historical events. Science, art,
For example, the middle school Life Science and language arts are also covered, with lan-
course has a unit on evolution that is totally guage arts receiving a great deal of attention in
one-sided in favor of evolution. A secular out- a manner somewhat like that used in Learning
look shows up elsewhere in subtler ways, such Language Arts Through Literature (www.
as in one history lesson that teaches that reli- commonsensepress.com).
gion arose out of societies, reflecting societal
needs (rather than through divine revelation).
The T4L website has many pages with screen
shots, demo lessons, course outlines, and other
information that you can investigate to learn
more. T4L will run on most computers with
internet access, although a fast internet con-
nection will surely be helpful. Because it uses
Adobe Flash, it will not work on iPads. T4L
might seem a little confusing because it is such
a complex program, but there is plenty of help The first three volumes cover American
on the Getting Started page as well as within history. The second three volumes will cover
the courses. I could always find pertinent help world history. The plan is that a separate series
somewhere when I needed it. Also, T4L pro- will eventually be published for high school.
vides support by phone and by email. The first year, titled Paths of Exploration,
Time4Learning is one of the most thoroughly targets grades three through five, although it
developed educational websites I have seen. can be easily adapted for use with second and
While it is possible to use it for a substantial sixth graders. The second year course, Paths of
part of your curriculum, you will generally Settlement, aims for a slightly older audience in
need to be using other resources alongside it grades four through six. Paths of Progress, the
for a complete program. third course, shifts up to grades five through
seven. Supplements that will allow you to
simultaneously teach children in kindergarten
Trail Guide to Learning through second grade are also in the works.
by Debbie Strayer and Linda Fowler The world history courses, the first of which
Geography Matters will be available in 2015, target middle school.
P.O. Box 92 While the layout of the courses remains the
Nancy, KY 42544 same, the level of difficulty gradually increases
606-636-4678 from course to course.
www.geomatters.com Each course is divided into six units, with
Trail Guide to Learning is projected to be a each unit focused on a single theme that
complete program for students in kindergarten reflects a tight integration of geography and
through twelfth grade, although only three history. This approach covers fewer topics
years of the program are available thus far with but in greater depth than does the tradi-
the fourth coming soon. The methodology is a tional textbook approach. The six themes in
combination of both Dr. Ruth Beechick’s and Paths of Exploration are Columbus, Jamestown,
Charlotte Mason’s ideas, which overlap and Pilgrims, Daniel Boone, Lewis and Clark, and
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
311
Trails West. In Paths of Settlement, the themes bottom for students to check off as they com-
are Growing Pains, Freedom Decided, Nation plete other assignments for which there are no
Building, House Divided, Unity Restored, and student notebook pages. This helps children
Sea to Shining Sea. Paths of Progress covers from take on personal responsibility for completing
the Industrial Revolution into the beginning of all assignments.
the twentieth century with units titled: Great I first found it curious that at the beginning
Leaps, Making Connections, Perseverance of each lesson there is a boxed list of “Steps for
Pays Off, Cultivating Greatness, Success Takes Thinking” where you would normally find the
Flight, and Reach for the Stars. lesson objectives. The Steps for Thinking are
You can discern the natural thread of the more abstract and general than objectives. For
study of U.S. history reflected in these themes. example, In Unit 1, Lesson 3, Part 1 in Paths of
Paths of Settlement includes study of the indi- Exploration, the Steps are:
vidual states as well as a “home state project” 1. When you learn about people, it helps you
which should satisfy any requirement for state learn about things.
study. 2. Observation is a key skill needed for learn-
As mentioned at the beginning, geography ing about things in our world. It is the basis for
is also a thematic component, so each lesson success in science.
features map work and other geographical 3. The goal of reading is to gain understand-
activities that tie to the books and theme of ing. Hopefully it is also a source of enjoyment.
that lesson. For example, colonists coming to The book explains that these Steps are the
Jamestown started from London. So students main ideas in the topics presented in the les-
locate London on a map, expand to tracing a sons. Parents are to introduce these “big ideas”
map of the United Kingdom and identifying its at the beginning of each lesson, then make
countries, then expand further to neighboring connections to them as they work through
countries across bodies of water. the various lesson activities. The Steps for
For each course, lessons are laid out in detail Thinking are revisited at the end of the lesson,
for each day in two large hard-cover volumes at which point children should have a better
(sold as a set). Each volume should take a understanding and ability to discuss what they
semester to complete. mean.
Rather than having a separate student work- The objectives one normally finds at the
book that you have to buy, the first edi- beginning are located in “Lesson at a Glance”
tions have come with a Student Resources in the Appendix at the back of the book. This
CD-ROM with PDF files—more than 3000 is actually a record-keeping chart where you
printable pages for three levels! Instead of the can see and check off objectives as they are
CD-ROM, new editions are including online completed. Viewing all course objectives in
access for the original purchaser of a course one place and being able to keep track of it
to download these pages for free. (Note that if there certainly has its advantages, and I sus-
you sell the course to someone else or share it, pect it works better than simply having a list
other users need to pay a license fee for access of objectives at the beginning of each lesson.
to these pages.) In the newest editions, unit summaries are
These pages are primarily forms that students included in the Appendix. These summaries
will use as they create their own notebooks, provide a glimpse of what is covered for each
but they also include games, puzzles, and maps six weeks, including materials and resources
that students use for assignments. Student needed. New teacher sections, bookmarked on
worksheets include daily check boxes at the the digital files, have also been added to the
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newest editions to aid in preparation. These written to the student such as, “Carefully read
teacher sections include Lesson at a Glance and then copy, or write as your teacher dic-
charts, challenge spelling words, vocabulary tates....” This seems a little odd since a parent
lists, and more. might be teaching more than one child from
Notes to the parent or teacher are in the the same book, but it actually is quite useful as
margins of the books. These are frequently students become self-instructors. A parent or
valuable tips or insights regarding teaching teacher can work directly from the book, tell-
methods. The layout of the manuals actually ing children what to do, reading to them, and
makes them very easy to use. You work through leading discussions—adapting the language as
each lesson, selecting your choice of activities needed. As children become more indepen-
for the appropriate levels. Some advance prep dent, they can check on their next assignments
work is required to acquire books, print out and move ahead without requiring direction
student notebook pages, and obtain materials from parents except for those activities where
needed (shown on a list at the beginning of it is necessary. A significant amount of course
each week). Answer keys are provided at the content is included within the main books.
end of each lesson for those questions where it Many assignments are marked with icons for
is appropriate. third, fourth, or fifth grade in the first volume,
Copywork and dictation are important tech- for fourth, fifth, and sixth grades in the second
niques used in this program. Some student volume, and for fifth, sixth, and seventh grades
pages with copywork models as well as lined in the third. Parents or teachers will assign the
space to do the copying are found on the appropriate level to each child or show them
CD-ROM or website, but most copywork is how to select those with their icon. For all
done from assigned literature. Parents should courses presently available, there are optional
adjust the amount of copywork as needed for Middle School Supplements (available either
each child. on CD-ROM or as downloadable files) with
Student Notebook Pages are provided for more-challenging assignments on the same
word studies, dictation, drawing, writing topics. These are terrific resources for keeping
assignments, word searches, map work, scien- a broader span of children working in the same
tific observation, spelling, etc. The CD-ROM course.
and digital download group the pages by grade Real books are used throughout the courses.
level so you can print out worksheets that are A list of required resources is at the front of the
appropriate for each level. first book, divided into lists for Volume 1 and
Hands-on learning methods are built into Volume 2 so you can purchase what you a need
lessons as drawing assignments, games (e.g., a semester at a time. Examples of some of the
Bingo, Newcomers Game, Mechanics Tool Kit required resources for the first volume of Paths
Game), art projects, experiments, demonstra- of Exploration are Meet Christopher Columbus,
tions, cooking, and organizing student-made Stories of the Pilgrims, Profiles from History Volume
cards. Frequent discussions are a required 1, Handbook of Nature Study, 1911 Boy Scout
element of all lessons. Students create a note- Handbook, North American Wildlife Guide, Eat
book of their work that does double duty by Your Way Around the World, and United States
providing a means of documenting what they History Atlas. A similar assortment of resources
have learned. In addition to creating their is used for each of the other levels.
notebooks, students also do presentations that Students are assigned independent reading
demonstrate what they have learned. time each day and are encouraged to read
Instructions in the main textbooks are something they enjoy. They keep track of
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
313
their reading in a reading log in the student reading, research, and discussion—more chal-
notebook. Biographies are prominent among lenging work than for the first course. During
the selected resources, and there is a strong the second course students learn watercolor
emphasis on character building through study techniques which are then applied as they
of exemplary characters. Narration—children paint features of regions or states they are
retelling to you in their own words what they studying.
have read or heard—is another method com- Science in Paths of Progress teaches the sci-
monly used by Trail Guide to Learning that entific process and broadens out to both life
provides parents with feedback as to how well and physical sciences, teaching about friction,
children comprehend both their own reading machines, tools, and anatomy. Art activities
or books read aloud to them. connect with other topics studied in Paths of
There is a good amount of both reading Progress as students learn sculpting and model
and writing in the program, but parents are creation. Under fine arts, children also learn
instructed to adjust the amount and methods about musicians and different types of music,
to suit the child. Both reading and writing are orchestras, and musical instruments, along
often taught in relation to the lesson theme or with learning to play a recorder.
a meaningful context to help children under- While the core guides for Trail Guide to
stand why they need those skills. Also, these Learning are not overtly Christian, they are
assignments are interspersed with discussion, premised on a Christian worldview and many
narration, and other interactive activities to of the required reading books are definitely
keep children engaged. Christian, usually with a Protestant outlook.
Language arts coverage is quite comprehen- Those who want to incorporate an overtly
sive including spelling, vocabulary, composi- Christian worldview should purchase the Light
tion, grammar, public speaking, and reading for the Trail Bible Study Supplement CD-ROM
comprehension. Some of these assignments for each course. In this supplement, lessons tie
focus on skill coverage, but as often as possible directly to the lesson themes of each course
they tie to the lesson theme. with suggestions for prayer and worship time,
In Paths of Exploration, science takes a natu- weekly memory verses, and ideas for making
ralist approach as children learn to observe connections between faith and the topics
and record nature through drawing and writ- being studied.
ing. The North American Wildlife Guide and In all courses, enrichment activities are
Handbook of Nature Study are the primary included for students who complete their
science resources for this course. Art lessons work very quickly or are more advanced.
are often (but not always) connected to sci- These activities might reading recommended
ence as children sketch what they observe. books or working on more elaborate projects.
Basic drawing lessons by Barry Stebbing and While the student notebook is the best way
Sharon Jeffus are at the back of the first book. to document student accomplishments, you
Additional art lessons are in Lewis and Clark might need or prefer more traditional assess-
Hands On, one of the required resources for ments. The optional Assessments CD-ROM
the second half of this first course. for each course might prove helpful in such
The second course, Paths of Settlement, situations
teaches earth science. Weather: A Golden Optional lapbooks for all three courses are
Guide and a Rock Study Kit are used with available in either print or CD-ROM versions.
the Handbook of Nature Study (also used Lapbook activities can sometimes replace
with Paths of Exploration). Students do more other activities. Lapbook icons are located
 102 Top Picks
314
next to activities when this is the case. Discovering the Ancient World is a one-year
The Trail Guide to Learning series is a prom- course for grades eight or nine. It goes back to
ising solution for families seeking book-based the beginning, covering pre-history through
unit study that is easy to use. 500 B.C.
Note: Geography Matters also sells pre- Expansion of Civilization and Rise of Nations
printed packages of student pages if you do are each one-year courses for high school level.
not want to print them yourself from the The first covers 500 B.C. through A.D. 1500,
CD-ROM. They also sell packages of all of while the second slightly overlaps, beginning
the required resources. Check their website at A.D. 1440 and continuing through 1860.
for prices. Age of Revolution might be used as either a
one- or two-year high school course. It covers
1850 through 2012. Those concerned about
TRISMS coverage of U.S. history will be pleased to note
by Linda that Age of Revolution focuses primarily on the
Thornhill United States. However, U.S. history does
TRISMS not receive thorough coverage in TRISMS, so
Curriculum you might need to supplement or use another
1203 S. course to meet requirements if you need a full
Delaware Place year devoted only to U.S. history.
Tulsa, OK “Time Related,” represented by the T and R
74104-4129 in the TRISMS curriculum acronym, refers to
918-585-2778 the chronological approach of the study, which
www.trisms.com covers the history of the world from early
Discovering the Ancient World - $159, all civilizations to the present. I appreciate the
other courses - $279 each (except Age of chronological approach for upper levels, since
Revolution - $259 per semester or $450 for most students still need to learn how events
both semesters) and ideas interact and influence each other
TRISMS (Time Related Integrated Studies for over time. Biblical history plays a major role in
Mastering Skills) differs from most unit study Discovering the Ancient World, but biblical and
programs, both because it is research-based religious history is also incorporated through-
rather than tied to a particular spine or core out the other volumes to a lesser extent. The
book, and because it is designed for seventh other four volumes can fairly easily be adapted
grade through high school. The five TRISMS by those who prefer a more secular approach
courses are: since the Bible and religion coverage is not a
• History’s Masterminds major focus. “Integrated” refers to the integra-
• Discovering the Ancient World tion of language arts, writing, history, science,
• Expansion of Civilization geography, art, music, architecture, rhetoric,
• Rise of Nations philosophy, economics, and culture-studies.
• Age of Revolution Writing is taught with a Teaching Writing:
History’s Masterminds' target audience is Structure and Style component that you can
grades seven and eight. It might be used for use or not as you wish.
students as young as fifth grade level, but it High school students using the program
should then be used as a two-year course. earn full course credits for history/social stud-
It covers the beginning of recorded history ies and language arts. Science studies are his-
through A.D. 2012. torical in nature, and are adequate for junior
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
315
high students if they complete all assignments learning—especially through research. The
at more than a superficial level. High school questionnaires at first glance seem highly
students might receive a credit for either a sur- structured, but these are really recording and
vey or general science course in all but the Rise accountability devices for study that might be
of Nations and Age of Revolution volumes, but accomplished in a number of ways. TRISMS
they will need to complete separate lab courses recommends resources but doesn’t restrict
for other science credits. users to those resources. Students need not do
Students might also earn partial or full cred- every assignment in TRISMS, but parents or
its for electives such as bible history, music or teachers can select more or fewer structured
art history, critical thinking, philosophy, gov- learning activities depending upon the learn-
ernment, economics, or historical architecture. ing style and needs of each student.
Any of the last four volumes might be supple- As students move up through the levels,
mented to develop a credit for economics, but there is definitely a gradual shift in TRISMS
the last three volumes would likely be best for that reflects a classical approach to education.
this purpose. (Suggestions for expanding the The first level leans more toward information-
study of economics are included in each vol- al learning (grammar stage). Other volumes
ume.) TRISMS provides detailed information shift toward more challenging thinking and
on appropriate subject credits that might be philosophical ideas (dialectic stage) as well as
given for each course. research and writing (rhetoric stage).
As I mentioned, TRISMS is a research- Students at all levels read and respond to lit-
based curriculum. For each time period or erature, especially as they develop composition
region studied, students are given question- skills through activities centered around the
naire forms, each with a standard list of literature. Literature readings draw from writ-
questions (the same questions for each time ings of the civilizations or time periods studied.
period). Each time period or unit also includes Many actual readings—especially poetry and
a unique worksheet that addresses that par- excerpts from classical literature—are includ-
ticular civilization or time period. Students use ed in the curriculum, although you still need to
reference works, biographies, historical fiction, borrow or buy other resource books. (TRISMS
and nonfiction books as their primary sources offers resource packages at discounted prices
of learning rather than textbooks. Similar that should appeal to those who would rather
questionnaires are used for scientists, inven- not search out their own resources.)
tions, and explorers in History’s Masterminds Other language arts activities include devel-
and for art history, music history, and archi- oping composition skills and vocabulary.
tecture in the other volumes. Age of Revolution Grammar receives some attention in the first
uniquely presents U.S. and world history side- volume, but not in the others. You might use
by-side and includes questionnaires for Major another resource if a student needs additional
Powers, Wars, Nobel Prize Winners, and U.S. work on grammar.
Presidents. While the questionnaires focus on For composition, language arts assignments
specific content, other student assignments incorporate lessons and activities from Teaching
require interviews, book reports, map work, Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS). This
drawing, research, and lengthy compositions. makes TRISMS a great tool for applying les-
On top of these assignments, students will sons learned through TWSS, but literature and
tackle one or more in-depth projects each year. writing assignments can be completed with-
TRISMS presents an interesting com- out using it. TWSS does not normally come
bination of both structured and discovery with TRISMS but is available from TRISMS
 102 Top Picks
316
as a stand-alone product or in a discounted packaged differently. One consistent item
resource package. for all courses is a large packet of student
Math is not included in any of the volumes, worksheets, activity pages, quizzes, and tests.
although some references are made to math- Permission is given to reproduce these for fam-
ematical discoveries and accomplishments in ily members but not for a co-op or other group
history. class. Extra packets are sold separately for $30
In each TRISMS volume, an overview of each for printed pages or $20 each for digital
each unit is shown in chart form as a “Unit downloads.
Plan.” Charts show events in chronological Map Keys (with blank maps, bonus maps and
order, then correlate (in other columns) topics map answer keys) are available for all courses
or events in art, music, architecture, science, except Age of Revolution as downloads ($24.95
and literature. A rhetoric column is added to each).
Expansion of Civilization and Age of Revolution, The other components for each course vary.
and the science column is dropped from Rise History’s Masterminds has four parts: a teach-
of Nations and Age of Revolution. Vocabulary er’s manual and answer key, student assign-
words, map details, “Compare Questions” for ment book, student pack/test packet, and Map
writing assignments, and other assignments Keys. Discovering the Ancient World, Expansion
that might be used for each unit are included of Civilization, and Rise of Nations each have a
in the unit plan charts. Expanded explana- student manual that includes all of the litera-
tions of assignments follow under different ture selections plus a teacher key, a student
subject area headings. There are 18 units per pack (questionnaires, maps, and worksheets),
course, and it should take about two weeks to and a test packet. Age of Revolution has four
complete each unit for one-year courses. volumes: two teacher's manuals, two student
While History's Masterminds does have daily books, and two student packs that include
lesson plans for middle school, the rest of tests. (You can purchase Age of Revolution one
the TRISMS courses do not specify daily semester at a time if you wish.)
assignments. Age of Revolution is about double the size of
Student work output is to be put into one the other courses, including about twice as
or more “coursebook” binders. The student many work and activity sheets per unit. Each
package pages that come with each course unit is also more extensive than in the other
might be divided into their unit sections with- volumes. Some of this is because of the inclu-
in the binders to get set up. Other work such sion of more (and lengthier) literary works.
as drawings or compositions should also be Some space is taken up by studies of movies—
inserted into the binders. Students will also be at least one each of a historical movie and
creating a timeline. You can make your own, a literature-based movie per unit. Students
purchase one from another publisher or pur- also work on a 12 to 15 page research paper,
chase TRISMS’ version, It’s About Time ($10). producing it as a series of three research
It’s About Time is a spiral-bound 28-page book essays that they work on throughout the year.
of lined pages to be used for recording timeline The paper’s theme will be drawn from one
information. Each page is sectioned into seven of seven different types of “revolutions” that
different areas with double lines. This is useful are studied: revolutions in economics, the
for written information, but the lines really arts, science, society, race, politics, and faith.
preclude using it for illustrations. This course, even more than the others, raises
The five TRISMS courses are ultimately many philosophical and belief questions for
similar in the way they work, but they are students to consider, but it avoids promoting
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
317
particular viewpoints. from traditional textbook and workbook type
Each TRISMS course except for Age of curricula to unit studies since it has the built-
Revolution includes instructions for adapta- in structure and accountability tools that are
tion for a wider span of grade levels, including lacking in many other unit studies. It might
using the high school volumes with students also appeal to parents who like unit studies
as young as sixth grade level. Age of Revolution but worry about accountability for high school
definitely targets a high school audience with students. College prep students who have
a heavy emphasis on the humanities, rhetoric, completed TRISMS courses should be well
and higher level thinking skills, so it would be prepared with the skills necessary for college
more difficult than the other courses to adapt. level work, and they should have excellent
In addition to the TRISMS components documentation of their work in TRISMS. In
for each course, there are a number of other addition, the curriculum is fully accredited
essential resources: an atlas, globe, world map, by the North Atlantic Regional High School
encyclopedia, thesaurus, dictionary, one or diploma program (www.narhs.org).
more three-ring notebooks, colored pencils,
and coil-bound index cards (for vocabulary
words). Students also need library and inter- WinterPromise
net access. by Kaeryn Brooks
Supplements WinterPromise
Catholic families might want to supplement 802-372-9200
any volume of TRISMS with An Overview email: [email protected]
of Catholic History by Katie Torrey (from www.winterpromise.com
TRISMS: $14.95 print, $7.50 download). This Wi n t e r P r o m i s e
specialized guide adds questions, topics, time- (WP) has developed
line activities, and recommended resources for a surprisingly broad
an expanded study of Catholic history. curriculum for pre-
Another TRISMS publication, Reading school through high
through the Ages ($29 print or $19.95 down- school levels over
load), serves as a supplement alongside all of the past few years.
the TRISMS volumes or can be used on its It's a themed cur-
own. It contains lists of briefly-annotated rec- riculum, similar to a
ommended reading books which are arranged unit study but with
chronologically. A key is used to indicate read- a few differences.
ing level, page count, and whether the book is WP predominantly uses the Charlotte Mason
historical fiction or biography. approach to education, but much of the learn-
Summary ing occurs around themes as in unit studies.
Parents or teachers need to put some effort Along with real books, WP courses use ebooks
into planning and overseeing student work, published by WinterPromise, the occasional
but TRISMS offers a stimulating alternative text or workbook from another publisher,
to traditional curriculum, especially for less- and your choice of math programs from other
than-enthusiastic students. (Bear in mind that publishers. WP incorporates technology such
students with poor writing skills might have as interactive computer programs, DVDs,
trouble with the many written assignments in CDs, and website links. Like unit studies,
the program.) TRISMS might be a comfort- WP incorporates lots of hands-on activities
able form of unit study for parents shifting and projects. It is also a multi-level program
 102 Top Picks
318
to some extent so that you can often teach curriculum—if the themed program isn't
students working at more than one level from already focused primarily upon science—from
the same course. coordinating packages published by WP. They
Core Packages also sell Horizons Math, the Life of Fred math
Similar to Sonlight and BookShark in one series, and Saxon Math, although none of the
way, with WP you select your core curriculum math programs are incorporated into the rest
package called a “themed program,” which of the curriculum as essential items.
might be themed around either history or sci- History follows chronological themes in all
ence. Listed below are the themed programs, of the themed guides except for Journeys of
a brief description when appropriate, and their Imagination, I’m Ready to Learn, Animals and
grade levels. (Note: The first two programs Their Worlds, and Children Around the World.
might be used simultaneously over one or two Timelines are used in most of the programs to
years.) help children understand the flow of history
• Journeys of Imagination - an introduction to and relationships between events.
children's literature (preK) Guidebooks
• I'm Ready to Learn - readiness for math, The key item in each curriculum package is
language, science, etc. (preK-K) a guidebook. Each guidebook provides basic
• Hideaways in History (K-1) instruction on how to use the materials in the
• Animals and Their Worlds - animals and package, detailed daily lesson plans, a supply
science (1-4) list, and additional lesson plans/schedules for
• Children Around the World - culture and older students who will complete some of
geography (2-6) their work independently when appropriate.
• The American Story 1 - early American Guidebook pages are three-hole punched for
history (1-3) insertion in a binder for use for both planning
• The American Story 2 - Civil War through and record keeping. Simply check off assign-
the 20th century (2-4) ments as completed.
• American Crossing (4-7) Guidebooks are very easy to use. They are
• American Culture (5-8) designed to make WP a curriculum with mini-
• Adventures in the Sea & Sky - history of sea, mal teacher preparation work. Each guide-
air, and space travel that incorporates the book directs you in the use of quite a number
science for each area (4-6) of books and resources. You can purchase vari-
• Quest for the Ancient World - ancient ous packages—choose print or ebook versions
history (4-8) of guides and some of the other books, and
• Quest for the Middle Ages - history and choose either basic or more comprehensive
science themes (4-8) packages. Packages do not include the adven-
• Quest for the Ancient World (9-12) ture reading books although all of the books
• Quest for the Middle Ages (9-12) are available from WinterPromise by special
• Quest for Royals & Revolution - the period order. Required novels and biographies are
of exploration and colonization (9-12) easily available through the library and other
• American History & Government in a Year sources.
(9-12) As an example, The American Story 1 Guide
• (Quest for Modern Times will eventually be and Exclusives Set for the early grades includes
the final program in the cycle.) the guidebook and two WinterPromise exclu-
After choosing your core theme package, sive items: A New Land (Early American
you also select language arts and a science stories) and Make-Your-Own American History
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
319
Book (for creating timeline pages). The com- Native Costume pages that have children
plete set includes 18 more history-related add details to drawings of costumes; Folks to
books that are biographies or brief topical Know pages and Things to See pages with
history books written for children. There are a variety of drawing, writing, and arts-and-
two Bible study books, four activity resource crafts activities; Culture and Traditions pages,
books, and seven more books on Native again with a variety of activities; and Postcard
Americans (the focus theme). On your own pages that have illustrated postcards on which
you need to obtain the ten adventure reading children can write (writing prompts included).
books that tie into the historical theme— Some activities are recommended for older or
books such as Ben and Me and Little House on younger students and some for all students.
the Prairie. In addition, you will need timeline Interactive notebooks that are similar in
creation items which WP also offers, or you concept are available for Adventures in the
can use your own. You might also want the Sea and Sky, Animals and Their Worlds, and
optional Early American Trades & Crafts Kit. Quest for the Ancient World Senior High. WP
A few of the items are consumable, so you will will release the same premiere notebooks for
need extras for additional students, but most both early and later American history in 2015;
items are non-consumable. these can be used either with WP's curriculum
Activity Books and Notebooks or alongside other curricula.
I mentioned WinterPromise’s Make-Your- Christian Worldview
Own American History book for The American Bible study is included in all themed pro-
Story 1. A similar Make-Your-Own book is grams, usually, but not always, coordinat-
included in each history-themed package. ing with the program theme. Resources and
These unique publications have a variety of perspective are Protestant. The Christian
activity sheets for students to use for creating (Protestant) worldview carries through the
their own notebooks. A separate Timelines in entire WP curriculum even though some of
History book consists of heavy cardstock pages, the books used are secular. The publisher
punched for a binder. Students use these pages notes in the lesson plans when there might
to create their own timelines using figures sold be potential problems for Christians such as
by WP, Homeschool in the Woods, or another evolutionary assumptions. Children Around the
source. Notebook pages from Make-Your-Own World is a good example of how the Christian
books correlate with their respective courses worldview is incorporated. It has wonderful
and can be inserted between timeline pages if sections that help children understand the
you so choose. poverty and danger in which many children
WP has started creating premiere versions live, then it encourages children to pray for
of their interactive notebooks for some of other countries and cultures.
their courses. I reviewed the Make-Your-Own Language Arts
World Travels Diary notebook for Children WP language arts programs are comprehen-
Around the World. This 286-page ebook is in sive, covering phonics, readings, vocabulary,
full-color, but pages can be printed in either spelling, handwriting, grammar, composition,
color or black and white for children to add to and communication, each at the appropri-
their notebooks. (A print version is available ate levels. These programs include some
in black and white with selected color pages in workbooks like Explode the Code, SpellWell,
the back.) Make-Your-Own World Travels Diary Wordly Wise, and Easy Grammar. But they also
includes country maps to be colored and/or include activity books and sets of real books
labeled; Flags and Facts pages to complete; to be used as readers. Reader packages are
 102 Top Picks
320
selected to coordinate with the themed pro- hands-on activities.
grams. Language arts programs are available By now, you might be envisioning quite a
for preK through high school, but only three stack of books for each year, and that is cer-
programs for high school level are available at tainly an accurate picture of this curriculum—
this time. Guidebooks for language arts have lots of books and lots of reading to do. But the
the same type of four-day lesson plan sched- selected books, especially for younger levels,
ules that make it easy to use and coordinate are often colorful and appealing, and most are
all of the resources. Language arts programs real books rather than texts or workbooks.
for beginning readers require quite a bit of Many of these books are ones you would love
one-on-one instruction as you would expect, to have in your family library.
but once children are independent readers, Scheduling and Accountability
the language arts programs require minimal WP is designed for a 36-week school year.
instruction. Schedules are set up for four days per week.
Science The fifth day might be used for field trips,
The ten WP science programs are intended extended activities, reading, or tackling some
to supplement the core programs that already of the ideas in the curriculum that you don't
have varying amounts of science included. have time for the rest of the week. It doesn't
Science program titles are followed by a brief seem likely that families could actually get
description and the appropriate grade levels. through all of the read-aloud books and
• The World Around Me - introduces children activities that come in each package, so you
to basic science topics such as nature, will sometimes have to be selective. While
water, light, color, and the night sky (K-2) there is lot of reading since this is a literature-
• Hoot & Chirp, Buzz & Bite - a study of based program, WP also incorporates plenty of
birds, plants, and bugs (1-4) hands-on and active learning activities. More
• Dinosaur Days - teaches about dinosaurs hands-on and arts-and-crafts type activities
from a creationist perspective (2-6) are included for younger students while older
• Foam, Stir, Fizz & Fizzle - beginning students are given more research and writing
chemistry (should be available in 2015) projects. Older students still have plenty of
(2-5) hands-on work such as experiments, active
• Rock Around the Earth - geology and earth investigations, and practical applications. WP
science (3-6) has made it a bit easier to select among the
• Equine Science - specializes in the study of numerous activities by coding them as to how
horses (3-7) easy or difficult they are and how much prep
• Human Body and Forensics 4/6 - body time is needed.
systems and forensic science (4-6) While preparation time is minimal aside
• Jiggle, Jostle & Jolt - introduces energy, from some of the more challenging projects,
electricity, magnetism, and heat (4-7) parents/teachers spend a great deal of time
• Slimy, Grimy and Scummy No More - actually using the program with their children,
conservation science (7-9) especially at younger levels. Most of the books
• Human Body and Forensics Jr/Sr - advanced for younger students are read alouds, while
version of this course (7-12) only a few are read alouds at upper levels.
These programs should take only two to In keeping with Charlotte Mason methods,
five hours per week to complete. All science children do narrations, create notebooks, and
programs include guidebooks plus a number participate in activities with varying amounts
of other books, always including some with of parental assistance.
 Unit Studies & All-in-One Programs
321
You might have also noticed that there's than trying to use books from other publishers.
no mention of tests and answer keys. While They also help create a consistent Christian
answer keys come with the SpellWell books worldview. In addition, since most of the WP
used in the language arts programs and are books are published as either print or ebooks,
optional for a few other workbooks, there the ebook versions present an opportunity to
are no tests and answer keys for the core lower the cost of your curriculum.
programs. Instead, children write, narrate, The curriculum intentionally does not align
and create notebooks—demonstrating their with state or Common Core standards. Like
knowledge through their activities. Parents most unit studies, topics are studied fewer
work closely with their children and can easily times but at greater depth than occurs in stan-
spot when a child does or does not understand dard textbooks. Ultimately, children are likely
a concept. Nevertheless, WP guides suggest to cover all of the required topics, but they
using games (directions included) if you want are also likely to retain more since learning
to quiz children on retention of information as methods are much more appealing.
well as other methods of evaluation. The publisher's website has explanations,
Summary free sample pages, a discussion board and
WP has gradually been writing and produc- other information that will help you better
ing many of their own books. These coor- understand the curriculum before purchasing.
dinate much better with the themed guides
 CHAPTER
14
Selected Electives

After creating my initial list of Top Picks for core subjects, I discovered I already had close to
100 items before even touching electives. I could not bring myself to totally eliminate any elec-
tives, since you might get the impression that they don’t matter! Some electives such as foreign
language and government are required. Yet, I don't have space to give you a sampling of recom-
mendations for all subject areas.
So I have arbitrarily included just a few electives in this final chapter. I actually consider some
of these electives to be as important as core subjects, but it is up to you to decide what is most
important for your children to learn. You can check my website at www.CathyDuffyReviews.com
for reviews of many more electives.

Critical Thinking and Logic

Logic beat out other electives for inclusion in this chapter because I am convinced that a grasp
of logic—at a minimum, what is called informal logic—is essential to a good education. If you
can’t think straight and then express your ideas logically, if you can’t spot the shysters and the
propaganda and sort through it to the truth, then your education is incomplete.
In addition, many logic books on the market are fun to use. My eldest son says that one of the
best books we used in all of our homeschooling years was a small paperback titled How to Lie
with Statistics (W.W. Norton and Company). This little gem has been reprinted numerous times
since it was written in the 1950s. It will have you in stitches with some of its examples. It’s a
terrific way to inoculate your older teens against marketers, politicians, and media manipulation.
However, it is not in my Top Picks list is because it really serves as a supplement to logic studies
rather than a primary resource and because it does require “parental editing”—read it yourself
first before using it with your older teens since there are sections you will probably want to skip.
 Selected Electives
323
I have included The Fallacy Detective and The student books - $29.99-$32.99 each,
Art of Argument, two great resources for young- Primary teacher’s manual - $24.99
er and older teens respectively to introduce The Building Thinking Skills series is probably
them to informal logic—a required course for the most comprehensive resource for thinking
all students if it were up to me. I fudged a little skills for younger students. Each reproducible
by also including The Critical Thinking Co., a student book (except for Primary) includes an
publisher with hundreds of items. answer key. While students will be able to
For more resources for teaching logic and criti- complete some lessons independently, others
cal thinking, check out reviews at my website or will require teacher interaction—more so with
investigate the articles, reviews, and helps at www. younger students. Each lesson should take
fallacydetective.com/articles/. about ten to twenty minutes to complete and
requires minimal preparation.
The first four books
The Critical Thinking Co.™ in the series are writ-
1991 Sherman Ave., Suite 200 ten for preK through
North Bend, OR 97459 sixth grade. The books
800-458-4849 are quite large, rang-
www.criticalthinking.com ing from 224 to 416
As I mentioned above, I fudged by selecting pages, increasing in
an entire product line for this Top Pick. The size from the youngest
Critical Thinking Co. is not the only publisher level. (There are two
of critical thinking resources, but they have additional books in the
what I consider to be by far the broadest and series, both for grades seven through twelve,
best selection. Their line includes pre-logic but I have not reviewed them.)
books for young children; books relating to The first book, Building Thinking Skills
different subject areas—math, language arts, Beginning is suggested for ages three to four.
science, and social studies—that appeal to This colorful book helps children develop
children of different learning styles; books for pre-reading and math skills, auditory process-
teens that address informal and formal logic; ing, and logic and spatial concepts. Attribute
and software programs. Most of their products blocks might be used along with some of the
are supplementary, but some such as their lessons, but they are not required.
Mathematical Reasoning series might be your In Building Thinking Skills Primary for kinder-
core curriculum. Many of their resources are garten through first grade, children deal with
self-contained workbooks (with answer keys similarities and differences, sequences, clas-
included) or computer programs that children sifications, and analogies. Visual-figural skills
can use on their own. All of them are great get a workout in these lessons, too. Attribute
for challenging your children to stretch their blocks and interlocking cubes are required for
thinking skills as well as helping them learn to some lessons—these are used both prior to
function in other thinking and learning modes. and while students complete the worksheets.
Most of them are very easy to use and rarely Primary is the only book in this series that has
require lesson preparation. a separate teacher’s manual which you need
In this review I highlight some of my favor- as an answer key as well as for instructional
ites series as well as a critical thinking course information.
for older students. Building Thinking Skills Level 1, suggested for
Building Thinking Skills® series grades two and three, begins with visual-figural
 102 Top Picks
324
skills then shifts to more abstract verbal work. Book 1 is for preK through kindergarten, Book
For example, children work with figural analo- 2 is for grades one and two, and Book 8 is
gies then with verbal analogies. Many of the for grade seven through adult level. The first
lessons require children to analyze relationships two levels are also available on CD-ROM
between objects and words. Among other top- for $25.99 each for a family license—you can
ics and skills addressed are deductive reasoning, install the program on one computer but set
classifying, describing, figural sequences, parts of up individual users for all family members. The
a whole, spelling, vocabulary building, Venn dia- CD-ROM version adds hints at the click of a
grams, mental manipulation of two-dimensional mouse and reward games after each puzzle.
objects, and sorting words into classes. This Adding another dimension to Mind Benders'
level is also available on CD-ROM. clues and grids, the new Crypto Mind Benders
Level 2, suggested for grades four through six, series presents clues and information as math-
does all of the above, expands to additional ematical/logical statements such as this group
types of analogies, and adds map skills and of three: “i > k > e,” “m > k,” and “m ≠ 9.”
directionality, branching diagrams, “if-then” Students have to determine which letters (e, i,
statements, overlapping classes, and more. k, and m) correspond on the grid to the num-
Some activities require students to write out bers 1, 2, 9, and 10. After solving three grids,
their answers or explanations. Activities vary students can use the results to solve a crypto-
in difficulty, so select those that seem most gram at the bottom of the page. Two Crypto
appropriate for each child. This level is also Mind Benders are available in either print or
available on CD-ROM. ebook versions; Crypto Mind Benders Famous
Mind Benders® and Crypto Mind Quotations and Crypto Mind Benders Classic
Benders® Jokes. The solution to each cryptogram will
$9.99-$12.99 each be either a famous quotation or a classic joke,
Mind Benders is a depending which book you are using. Crypto
series of 32- to 48-page Mind Benders are recommended for grades
books. Each book is three and up.
self-contained with James Madison Critical Thinking Course
teaching suggestions student worktext -
and instructions in the $42.99, instruction
front and detailed solu- guide - $10.99
tions in the back. Students in high
In all but the introductory Warm Up level, school and beyond—
children organize clues in grids to derive logi- even adults—might
cal conclusions. For example, in one lesson, want to tackle the
students are told, “Edmund, Ida, Joanne, and James Madison Critical
Tony are two sets of twins. Tony is a month Thinking Course. This
younger than Edmund. Joanne is a month huge, 534-page work-
older than Ida.” Students must then answer text is more challenging than The Fallacy
two questions, “Which pair is the younger set Detective but it seems more approachable than
of twins?” and “Which pair is the older set of most other formal logic courses. This is prob-
twins?” These activities are like detective work ably because most lessons are presented as
as students try to match clues with identities. cases being investigated by a police detective.
Books 1 through 8 cover spans of grade levels Other situations and subject matter are also
from preschool through adults! For example, used, but almost everything is taught within
 Selected Electives
325
a practical context. Instruction on each new Muscatine, Iowa 52761
topic is relatively brief and includes examples. 309-537-3641
The book begins with an introduction to www.christianlogic.com
critical thinking and continues with topics $22
such as distinguishing between fact and opin- The Bluedorn family, longtime promoters
ion and hazards such as ambiguity or vague- of Christian classical education, encountered
ness. At first, students spend most of their time content problems in most critical thinking
working through exercises which are mostly and logic resources. So the Bluedorn brothers,
multiple-choice questions—but these ques- Nathaniel and Hans, put their heads together
tions are not easy! and came up with this excellent introduc-
In the fourth chapter, students begin to ana- tion to practical logic from their conservative
lyze and construct arguments and conclusions Christian homeschoolers’ perspective.
using letters to stand in the place of statements. Subtitled Thirty-Eight Lessons on How to
In the next two chapters, students frame argu- Recognize Bad Reasoning, it uses humor, histori-
ments and conclusions using symbols. cal references, and real life situations to help
From there it takes a plunge into proposi- teens learn to think and express themselves
tional logic and categorical syllogisms, devot- clearly. Comic strips from Calvin and Hobbes,
ing about 250 pages to these topics in two very Dilbert, Peanuts, and Nuna and Toodles (the
long chapters. It wraps up with a brief inves- Bluedorn brothers’ own creation) are a nice
tigation of inductive arguments and informal touch that was added to the second edition.
fallacies. The authors often construct dialogues to illus-
A quiz concludes each chapter. The instruc- trate errors in thinking.
tion guide is vital since it has all the answers For example, to demon-
plus explanations which will help when both strate a weak analogy,
student and teacher are stumped. they use this dialogue:
And Other Resources "Clyde: 'Our new car is
The Critical Thinking Co. also publishes a blue Ford. It has a fif-
books that help develop thinking skills with- teen-gallon gas tank,
in various subject areas such as math, lan- five cup holders, and a
guage arts, science, and history. (Reviews of sun roof. It sure drives
Developing Critical Thinking through Science, fast!' Bert: 'Hey! Our
Sciencewise, Cranium Crackers, and Quick car has all of those
Thinks Math can be found on my website things. I'll bet it drives fast too.’" (p. 126).
at www.CathyDuffyReviews.com.) Check out The humor and creativity makes this book fun
The Critical Thinking Co.’s website for more to read.
options. Sample pages are available for most The Fallacy Detective will likely appeal to
books. (Note: this is a secular publisher, and many families for another reason: it doesn’t
you might find occasional, minor content need to be taught. Students in junior high and
problems.) above can read and work through it indepen-
dently. However, it might be enjoyable for both
parent and student for the teen to read the
The Fallacy Detective lesson on his or her own, summarize the main
by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn idea to a parent, then go through the exer-
Christian Logic cises out loud together. Some exercises require
PO Box 46 simple identification answers, but others might
 102 Top Picks
326
prompt some great discussion. The authors’ one or another of the fallacies. The authors
answers are in the back of the book. also sometimes create dialogues between two
Instructions for a Fallacy Detective Game in students, Nate and Tiffany, and the philoso-
which players make up their own fallacies are pher Socrates.
also at the back of the book. This would make The text begins with an introduction to logic
great family fun for those with two or more then divides the rest of the text into two units.
teens. The first unit deals with fallacies of relevance
You might also be interested in following The (e.g., ad hominem, snob appeal) and the second
Fallacy Detective with The Thinking Toolbox, with fallacies of presumption (e.g., begging the
another excellent book by the same authors. question) and clarity (e.g., distinction without
a difference).
Lessons don’t follow a consistent format,
The Art of Argument which keeps things interesting. Review ques-
by Aaron Larsen tions, review exercises, worksheets, and “dia-
and Joelle Hodge lectic exercises” show up unpredictably. Some
Classical Academic writing is required and some review exercises
Press direct students to do research such as “Look
3920 Market St. for examples of print advertisements that make
Camp Hill, PA 17011 use of the argumentum ad verecundiam” (p. 86).
866-730-0711 The text has a glossary at the end and a chart
www.classical of the fallacies printed on the inside front and
academicpress.com back covers. Two appendices include some
student book - extras you might want to use. One is a script
$22.95, teacher’s for “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Election,” that
edition - $24.95, DVD set - $54.95, bundle can be read or acted out. The other is a dated
of all three items - $88.95 but apropos short story, “Love is a Fallacy” by
The Art of Argument introduces students to Max Shulman.
informal fallacies, but at a slightly more chal- The course can easily be used for indepen-
lenging level than the The Fallacy Detective. dent study, but it would be fun to have a group
The content and style of delivery make this class meet once a week for discussion.
most suitable for high school level, although The teacher’s edition has the entire student
some students in junior high might be ready text with answers overprinted. It also has quiz-
for it. zes, tests and answer keys.
This course incorporates humor with exam- Busy parents might appreciate the new Art
ples drawn from current events, popular cul- of Argument DVD set that includes five DVDs
ture, advertising, religion, politics, and history. with 28 presentations—one for each fallacy
The course seems to have been written for that is taught. On the DVDs, four experienced
Christian students since it draws on examples logic teachers and a small group of students
familiar to and of interest to them, but that model discussions for each lesson.
shouldn't preclude secular homeschoolers from You might want to follow up with two
using it. other books from Classical Academic Press,
There are loads of photos and illustrations, The Argument Builder and The Discovery of
many of them humorous. These include many Deduction.
phony print advertisements created by the
authors that look authentic but which embody
 Selected Electives
327
there are other products targeting this audi-
Worldview ence, this one is presented in only four lessons
that are engagingly taught through stories,
In my opinion, logic goes hand in hand with hands-on activities, and discussion.
studying worldviews. We have to teach our In addition, the course is written without any
children to think and reason clearly before particular denominational perspective, and
we can expect them to seriously address the without even an overt pitch for Christianity in
big questions of life such as, "Who is Man?," general. However, the key questions raised and
"What is his purpose?," "Does God exist?," and the general presentation gently lead toward
"What happens when we die?" Answers to Christianity even though the lessons open the
questions such as these inform our worldview door for discussion of worldviews other than
and influence the way we think about almost Christianity as part of the search for truth.
everything. While the course might work in a classroom,
While I do not review religious education it really is designed for family use.
courses in this book because there are so many It includes an 86-page book plus a zip-lock
denominational differences, I make an excep- bag with instructions and materials for a num-
tion here for two worldview courses that are ber of hands-on activities used in the course.
definitely religious. Worldview studies used The first lesson begins with a brief introduc-
to be reserved for the teen and adult years, tion of the concept of worldview as "the lens
but I've selected these two resources because through which people see and understand the
they can be used with a broader age span that world in which they live." To reinforce the
includes the elementary grades. Also, the first concept of seeing through different lenses,
review highlights a program that should work students are directed to the computer to view
for Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox, a geodesic picture on the publisher's website.
while the second should appeal across a broad They complete an observation sheet view-
expanse of Protestant denominations. ing the geodesic picture with the naked eye,
through sunglasses, and through 3-D glasses
(provided in the bag).
A Young Historian's Introduction to Next, students either read or listen to the
Worldview story of Lensland that demonstrates how con-
by Marcia Harris Brim flicting perceptions can have significant conse-
Brimwood Press quences. Lensland's citizens divide into three
1941 Larsen Drive groups: Twoeyes, Multieyes, and Thickeyes. As
Camino, CA 95709 one might guess from their names, each group
530-644-7538 has different eyes and, consequently, views
email: tfyh@ things differently. Their conflicting visual per-
brimwoodpress.com ceptions lead toward a clash that threatens the
www.brimwoodpress. peace and tranquility of Lensland.
com The lesson then transitions back to the real
Young Historian's world using the example of two actual authors
Guide - $35 who both write about DNA. Each of their
A Young Historian's Introduction to Worldview articles demonstrates how different "lenses"
might well be the most practical and creative influence how people might interpret the same
tool for teaching the concept of worldview to information.
students in grades five through eight. While The rest of the lessons follow similarly
 102 Top Picks
328
creative formats. The second lesson teaches worldview/young-historians-introduction.htm.
what all worldviews have in common—the
important questions about the meaning of
life and existence of God. The third lesson What We Believe Series
introduces a simple way to divide worldviews by John Hay and David Webb
into four categories, using some very creative Apologia Educational Ministries
hands-on activities. The fourth lesson primar- 1106 Meridian Plaza, Suite 220
ily uses stories and discussion to demonstrate Anderson, IN 46016
the impact of beliefs in selected historical 888-524-4724
settings. email: [email protected]
Discussion questions are interspersed www.apologia.com
throughout the lessons, and lessons con- books - $39 each,
clude with "Table Talk: Family Discussions Notebooking
Facilitated by Parents." These sections review Journal or Junior
key ideas from each lesson and raise questions Notebooking
for family discussion. Table Talk sections might Journal - $24 each,
be used by the entire family even if everyone is coloring book - $8
not involved in the rest of the lesson. each, audio books -
I particularly like the discovery approach this $29 each
course uses to lead students into worldview The What We
concepts. By raising questions and working Believe series of four
through activities, students are led to explore books helps children
their own beliefs and recognize the important in the elementary grades construct a bibli-
questions they need to ponder. cal Christian worldview from a Protestant
Because younger students are particularly perspective.
susceptible to the influence of teachers, it Who is God?, Who Am I?, Who Is My Neighbor?,
makes the most sense to use this course within and What on Earth Can I Do? are the titles of
the family rather than in a classroom so that the four books. These beautiful, hardcover
there is opportunity to discuss the family's books feature plenty of full-color illustrations.
religious beliefs. Each family can then decide Children will want to see the pictures even if
how far they wish to go in exploring alternative you use the books as read alouds. The com-
worldviews. bination of stories, activities, and discussion
Brimwood Press also publishes a number makes what could be heady content more
of other items for teaching worldview. Their accessible and interesting to younger children.
series of four historical novels can be used as The authors suggest using the books with
springboards for worldview discussions. They children ages six through fourteen, although
also have published the first guide of what I think children beyond age twelve might find
should eventually be a series of guides for parts too young, and younger children might
the four novels. The guide turns study of the find some of the vocabulary and concepts dif-
novel into what could well become another ficult to grasp. Nevertheless, I recommend try-
full-year course. You should also check out ing to use these with the entire family, adapting
Conversations from the Garden, their guide for as necessary to your children’s ages.
Socratic discussions for the first three chapters Four optional items are available as compan-
of the book of Genesis. Full reviews of these ions for each volume: a Notebooking Journal,
items are at www.CathyDuffyReviews.com/ a coloring book, a Junior Notebooking Journal,
 Selected Electives
329
and a full audio version of the book. lives.
The Notebooking Journals do not duplicate Children who can write might want to keep a
material in the core books. Instead they offer notebook as they cover the lessons. Older stu-
note-taking pages, thought-provoking ques- dents might maintain both a notebook and the
tions with space for students to write lengthy Notebooking Journal. They should also write
responses, puzzles, drawing activities, vocabu- each lesson’s vocabulary words and definitions
lary words with space to write definitions, and in their notebook.
a few other activities. The journals are great While older students might complete more
tools for engaging older students, especially work independently, I think the layout of the
those in junior high. They might work inde- lessons lends itself best to family read-aloud
pendently in their journals while you have a and discussion for at least part of each lesson.
discussion with younger children on concepts The entire family can work together on the
already familiar to your junior high student. two Bible verses to memorize for each lesson.
Younger children might enjoy using the col- About twice per lesson, a box titled Make a
oring books as you read aloud since the color- Note of It provides a list of student questions,
ing pages correlate with the lessons. Junior an extended Scripture reading with a reflec-
Notebooking Journals are for ages six through tion question, or something similar. These are
nine. The Junior Notebooking Journals incor- not simple comprehension questions; they are
porate about one third of the pages from the thought provoking questions to which older
coloring books plus simple crossword and word students should write responses in their note-
search puzzles, some fill-in-the-blank ques- books. The questions are probably too chal-
tions, scripture verses to write and memorize, lenging for children in the primary grades, so
suggestions for songs and books, and sug- for them you should either simplify the ques-
gestions for hands-on activities. The Junior tions or use them for discussion rather than for
Notebooking Journals fill the gap between written assignments.
the coloring book and the journals for older Lessons also include brief articles that inte-
students. grate other topics such as the arts, science, and
While it's best for family members to read history. For example, an article on the eruption
aloud from the books then discuss the mate- of Mount St. Helens helps children make sense
rial, sometimes the audio versions of the books of natural disasters in the context of a fallen
might be used for the first reading or for review. world.
Children might even want to re-listen to some Some lessons include hands-on activities
of the stories. such as creating a Mobius strip or making
Each lesson in the textbooks has a number s'mores clusters to eat. Some of these relate
of components. First, an introduction briefly directly to lesson concepts, while others seem
reviews previous topics then presents the "big only marginally connected.
idea" of the upcoming lesson. Following that is "What Should I Do?" sections teach godly
a list of lesson objectives. character traits. Children learn appropriate
Many of the lessons feature fictional stories responses, given what they have just learned
about children representing various world- about God and their relationship to Him.
views. The stories are especially helpful for Prayers conclude the main part of each lesson.
making the abstract worldview ideas more con- Two final sections in the first volume develop
crete for younger learners. Discussion ques- deeper level worldview concepts and should
tions following the stories help children grasp help older children begin to develop some
the ideas as well as implications for their own understanding and skill with apologetics. The
 102 Top Picks
330
final section in the first volume and selected the actual stories in the Bible and followed by
lessons in the other volumes show a worldview questions that help tie together the stories with
model constructed like a building that has concepts of servanthood.
been adapted from Summit Ministries' Building The fourth volume, What on Earth Can I
on the Rock curriculum. (The What We Believe Do?, teaches a biblical view of stewardship—
series was created in partnership with Summit the handling of our possessions, time, and
Ministries.) The model construction begins talents, as well as our care for the environ-
with the first book and is completed as you ment and the health of our own bodies. At the
work through the other three books. end of each lesson, "Parables of Jesus" stories
The first book, Who Is God?: And Can I are expanded versions of Bible stories that
Really Know Him? introduces foundational illustrate stewardship. Questions at the end of
ideas about the existence of God, our ability to each "parable" help students grasp what Jesus
recognize truth, the nature of God, the Trinity, has to say about stewardship. The fourth book
God as creator, the Fall, the purpose of our actually seems like much of it is targeted for an
existence, our relationship to God, the problem older audience. I would recommend it for chil-
of sin and separation from God, and the neces- dren no younger than fourth grade level since
sity of Jesus for salvation. it deals with war, the evacuation of children
The second book, Who Am I?: And What Am from London in WWII, and other difficult sub-
I Doing Here? helps children understand what jects. Stewardship topics throughout the book
it means to be made in the image and likeness also sometimes assume a familiarity with life
of God. They consider what this means in issues such as work and finances, a familiarity
regard to decision making and the use of their that most young children do not have. While
personal gifts and talents. Along with stories the Junior Notebooking Journal for this text
of children from other cultures and religious provides age-appropriate activities for younger
beliefs, this volume features a series of stories students, some of the stories and content of
about Brandon, a young page who will eventu- the main book still make the entire course
ally become a knight. It draws parallels between more appropriate for older students.
service to earthly kings and the King of Kings. The six-page introduction in each book
A Worldviews in Focus story at the end of each explains how to use the series, although it does
lesson uses modern-day stories to introduce not fully describe the extensive teaching mate-
competing worldviews as they play out in the rial available on the website. Apologia provides
lives of people from around the world. free, password-protected teaching resources
The third book, Who Is My Neighbor?: And on their website. While the teaching material
Why Does He Need Me? helps children grasp is helpful, it is possible to work directly from
the concept of servanthood. It teaches pri- the books without using the online teaching
marily through stories of Christian service in material at all. However, the online teaching
both ordinary life and extraordinary situa- material is especially useful if you have younger
tions. It challenges children to consider what children since it provides discussion questions
they ought to do on all levels—from within appropriate for them.
their families out to the broader world stage. The ideas presented in the What We Believe
"Encounters with Jesus" at the end of each series are actually quite challenging even
lesson build on biblical stories of people who though they are presented in a way that young-
interacted with Jesus, fleshing out characters er students can begin to think about them.
and creating a fuller backstory than we find in While younger children might still find some
Scripture. These stories are then compared to ideas too abstract, they are likely to stay tuned
 Selected Electives
331
in for the stories about children and some of cultures of their times.
the activities, and they are likely to pick up at Written for students in preschool through
least some of the concepts. twelfth grade, there are twelve books in the
The What We Believe series should work series. Designed to work in either homeschools
very well for homeschooling families. It com- or classrooms, the books are labeled for a range
bines the convenience of using one resource of grade levels, so you might even be able to use
for most or all of the family with a great intro- one course for most of your children. You can
duction to worldviews in a format that chil- most easily use a younger-level book with older
dren are likely to enjoy. students since many skills and activities are
challenging enough or offer scope for an older
Art and Music student to develop greater skill. For example,
on page 49 of Elements of Art and Composition,
I have selected only three Top Picks to rep- Grades 4-5 Book 1, a lesson about “How to
resent the fine arts. The two art resources both best show the subject” illustrates and discusses
cover art skills, art appreciation, and projects. drawing animals at different angles. While a
While Artistic Pursuits offers a dozen courses, younger student might do a rough drawing
each designed to be completed in one year, with less detail, an older student might provide
Feed My Sheep is a single volume that might be a much more detailed and complex drawing.
used over a number of years. Beethoven Who? All books have a plastic comb-binding so
is a broad introduction to the world of music. they will lie flat. This is very helpful when you
are trying to follow instructions while working
on an art activity. Books are printed in full
Artistic Pursuits color with illustrated instructions and exam-
by Brenda Ellis ples of student artwork. Each book has a list
Artistic Pursuits, Inc. of required art supplies both at the beginning
2626 E. 109th Avenue of the book and within each lesson. Students
Northglenn, CO 80233 work with a variety of art media, shifting to
303-467-0504 more difficult art techniques at upper levels.
email: [email protected] Each book should take about one school
www.artisticpursuits.com year to complete. The books for kindergarten
$47.95 each through third grade each have 36 projects
Artistic Pursuits is a which works out to about one project per
series of courses that week. For grades four through twelve, there
covers art apprecia- are 68 projects per book. Following are descrip-
tion, art history, art- tions of the courses that are available.
ists, and skills. The The Way They SEE It, for ages three to five,
emphasis on each differs somewhat from the other books since it
area shifts from book has more background instruction for patents.
to book. Throughout It helps parents understand the early stages
the lessons, students in the development of artistic perception and
work on their own skills. However, it also teaches art appreciation
projects with various art media. While there and skills through a variety of projects and
is an underlying Christian worldview, it isn’t activities.
overtly presented until the junior and senior An Introduction to the Visual Arts, K-3 Book
high level in articles about artists and the 1 has three sections: What Artists Do, What
 102 Top Picks
332
Artists See, and Where We Find Art. The first two entire units on depth. This course might
section deals with observation, imagination, be very challenging for students with little
composition, and subject matter. The second to no prior work with various media and art
section gets into line, color, shapes, and other techniques.
elements of art as students study some works In Color and Composition, Middle School Book
by the masters and other illustrations. The 2, students explore color, working with hard
third section emphasizes art appreciation and pastels and oil pastels. Artists and their works
history as students study topics such as cave are from around the world.
art, Greek pottery, Byzantine mosaics, and With Elements of Art and Composition, High
medieval illumination. (This volume might fit School, Book 1 the level jumps in difficulty as
particularly well alongside the study of ancient students apply the elements of art to learn
history, although it does touch on types of art about balance, rhythm, depth, perspective,
up through the Middle Ages.) and proportion. Most work in this course is
Stories of Artists and Their Art, K-3 Book 2 done with drawing pencils and charcoal.
continues the art appreciation and history Color and Composition, High School Book 2
emphasis of Book 1, picking up in the Middle teaches topics such as hue, value, balance,
Ages and continuing into the nineteenth cen- rhythm, intensity, and emphasis as students
tury. Each lesson concentrates on a particular learn to work with various art media and study
artist and one of his or her works of art. principles related to color. Watercolors are the
Modern Painting and Sculpture, K-3 Book 3 primary media.
continues to follow the historical timeline, Two new books, Sculpture Technique, Construct
covering from the nineteenth century to the and Sculpture Technique, Model are both for
present. This time, each lesson focuses on an grades five through twelve. Students should
artist or artistic movement, emphasizing posi- really complete Construct before Model. The
tive and creative art. Children explore sculp- first course teaches students how to work with
ture along with other art media. paper, cardboard, papier-mâché, and wire to
In Elements of Art and Composition, Grades construct their own pieces of art. In the sec-
4-5 Book 1, art elements and principles such as ond course, students work with putty, clay, and
shadows, source of light, shading, texture, and wool to create their own unique sculptures.
balance are taught as students develop obser- The books in this series really don’t repeat
vation and application skills. themselves even though they sometimes treat
Color and Composition, Grades 4-6 Book the same topics. Each level approaches an ele-
2 introduces students to color theory with ment of art at a different level and with differ-
an exploration of American art and artists. ent examples and applications. There is a real
Students learn to work with colored pencils synergy that builds from book to book, so it
and watercolor pencils (with a brush). would be ideal if you could work through the
Although titled the same as Elements of Art entire series.
and Composition, Grades 4-5 Book 1, Elements Students are exposed to many different art
of Art and Composition, Middle School Book 1 media over the years. While a greater variety
definitely stretches students to a higher level of media are used in the K-3 Books, the upper
as they work on elements and composition. level books use fewer media each year but
For example, as they learn about balance, they help students develop real expertise with those
also learn about asymmetry. There are some selected. I also appreciate that from the Grades
very challenging lessons such as one on how 4-5 Book and up the author has students use
to “contain movement” within a picture and real art supplies most of the time rather than
 Selected Electives
333
tempera paints, crayons, and other media often a kneaded eraser, a ruler, an extra-fine marker,
used in schools. While preschoolers through and a sketchbook. (Most of these items come
third graders do use inexpensive water colors in the bundle pack.) Later lessons on painting
and tempera paints, they also learn to work use pure pigment paints and brushes.
with more sophisticated media. Depending upon the age and ability of the
Even though books are written to students, student, this can be a three- to four-year cur-
parents will need to work with students in riculum using one lesson per week. One of
the K-3 Books, reading aloud, leading discus- the primary goals for the course is that stu-
sions, explaining the instructions, demonstrat- dents learn to draw realistic images. However,
ing techniques, and assisting as needed. For work with other media and skill development,
Grades 4-5 and Grades 4-6 Books, students including cartooning, are also taught. You need
might be able to work more independently. to select lessons that are appropriate for each
Even if students are able to work indepen- student. If you purchase the bundle pack that
dently, they are likely to benefit greatly from includes the book plus a set of pure pigment
working alongside at least one other student paints, brushes, Prismacolor pencils, drawing
so that they can inspire each other and share pencils, and drawing pen, you will have what
their work. you need on hand whenever you choose to
work with the various media.
Author Barry Stebbing’s Christian perspec-
Feed My Sheep tive is evident throughout the course in Bible
by Barry Stebbing verses, lesson explanations, art appreciation
How Great Thou ART lessons, and even the choices of examples.
PO Box 48 The book is written to the student so he or she
McFarlan, NC 28102 can work independently. However, younger
800-982-3729 students will probably need some assistance.
email: [email protected] Instructions are fairly thorough so even par-
www.howgreatthouart.com ents with little art background should be able
$39.95, bundle pack - $59.95, DVDs - $59.95 to help students through all of the lessons.
This is a combined Art appreciation is incorporated into many
art text and work- of the lessons, and more focused lessons direct
book for teaching students to the library to locate and copy art-
drawing, color theory, ists’ works or examples from particular periods.
art appreciation, per- Students also research answers to questions
spective, portraiture, posed about art history, styles, artists, etc.
anatomy, lettering, Overall, this is a very comprehensive course.
painting, and more For parents who wish to maintain academic
to students ages ten accountability, there are occasional quizzes on
through adult. Older art theory and appreciation with an answer key
students and adults at the back of the book. This single volume
without art experience should find this a valu- offers a tremendous amount of art instruc-
able course. It contains more than 250 lessons tion. Since students actually work in the
plus a packet of 17 paint cards. (The cards are book, it is best to purchase one for each stu-
8 1/2” x 11” in size and are a heavy, 110 lb. dent. However, for parents who would rather
stock.) For many of the lessons, students need copy the lessons for multiple children, this is
only drawing pencils, a set of colored pencils, allowed for in-the-home use only.
 102 Top Picks
334
Parents short on time or who prefer that page you are on before clicking a link that
someone else does the teaching might want takes you elsewhere in the book itself since you
to purchase the set of seven Feed My Sheep might have trouble finding your place again in
DVDs on which Stebbing walks through every this giant 334-page book! This isn’t an issue
lesson in the book. In addition to covering all with the internet links since those open in your
of the instructional information in the book, browser without losing your place.
he sometimes adds extra comments. He also The book has an introduction and four
shows examples of student artwork for some sections: Listening to Music, Reading Music,
of the lessons. The DVDs makes it very easy Making Music, and Appendices.
to understand what is expected in each lesson. The first section, Listening to Music, begins
Students still need the book since they work with a chapter titled “The Elements of Music.”
directly in the book for all except the painting This chapter and chapter eight are dryer than
activities. the rest of the course. The purpose of the first
How Great Thou ART also publishes two chapter is to teach some basic musical vocabu-
small volumes for ages eight and up that cover lary words such as melody, harmony, rondo,
some content similar to that in Feed My Sheep. sonata, concerto, prelude, and percussion. Words
These are called the Lamb’s Book of ART, Book are linked to definitions or examples within the
I and Book II. For ages six to ten, check out I book, but they are not linked to the internet.
Can Do All things: A Beginning Book of Drawing It seems to me that you would do just as well
and Painting, and for ages twelve and up, con- to start into chapter two with the “Getting
sider the company’s flagship book titled How Started” listening activities on page 30, then
Great Thou ART. jump into the third chapter. The vocabulary
terms come up frequently with hot links to
the glossary. (Again, make sure you don’t lose
Beethoven Who? Family Fun with your place if you jump to these links.) Some
Music terms are explained as they are used, and you
Marcia Washburn won’t need to go to the glossary. Probably most
Building Tomorrow’s important is that children will be listening and
Generation watching musical performances that give them
email: marcia@ experiential ways of understanding many of
marciawashburn.com the terms.
www.marciawashburn. Chapters three through seven introduce
com students to classical music in a huge variety
CD-ROM - $34.99, of formats, many of which will delight even
download - $29.99 reluctant listeners. The presentation works
Beethoven Who? Family Fun with Music pres- chronologically through musical periods from
ents a great introductory music education for the Baroque period through the twentieth cen-
all ages, and it’s not just about Beethoven. It tury. In these chapters about musical periods,
comes as a PDF book via digital download or brief biographical information leads directly
on a CD-ROM. You need to read the file on into discussion of each of the composer’s
a device with an internet connection since works. These discussions link to examples to
the book is heavily reliant on internet links. view and hear as various techniques or musi-
It has loads of YouTube video links and other cal pieces are highlighted. The text sometimes
internet sites as well as links to other locations refers to specific time markers on videos to
within the book itself. Be sure to note what watch for particular movements or events in a
 Selected Electives
335
performance. This helps focus students’ atten- CDs with many of these songs. Second, are
tion much more than just listening. The inte- action songs, with directions for the actions for
gration of the information with the experience many of the standard songs such as “Itsby-Bitsy
of listening and viewing musical performances Spider" along with the lyrics. Next is a chapter
makes this a very effective way to teach music on “Love and Friendship” songs such as “Down
appreciation. Both parents and children will in the Valley.” The book continues with songs
likely appreciate seeing and hearing examples about animals, work songs, patriotic songs, and
immediately when they are discussed. And sacred songs. Background explanations and
parents should appreciate not having to search weblinks are occasionally included.
out musical works on their own. Chapter 21 presents creative ideas for
It is impossible with this type of project to “Sharing Your Music with Others.” Examples
keep all of the links current all of the time of the ideas are presenting a music report and
since they are controlled by others. I found serving high tea while listening to Handel’s
some broken links as I worked through some “Water Music.”
of the lessons. But there are so many links that You can skip around in the book to some
I didn’t feel like I was missing anything criti- extent. In fact, on page 14, author Marcia
cal with the occasional broken link. Parents Washburn encourages you to “mix in listening
should check out all links just before using a lessons from Sections I and III with the hands-
lesson if possible. Pre-select links you think on activities in Section II.” She also explains
will be most interesting to your children. on that same page that “Chapters 1 and 8 are
The second section, Reading Music, begins more instructional in nature and are designed
in chapter eight with a lesson on how to read to support other chapters.“
music. You can skip this chapter if you are Be sure to read the introduction before start-
not concerned that your children learn to ing the course, especially the section of the
read music at this point. But if you choose to introduction titled “How to Use This Book.”
teach it, be sure to use the companion games Once you’ve got a sense of what is included
and activities in chapter nine that make it within the course, you should feel free to
much more fun to learn musical notation. work through it however works best for you.
Chapter ten teaches children to recognize For example, if you have young children, you
pitch. Chapter eleven teaches rhythm, and might want to start with action and rhythm
chapter twelve teaches dynamics. Each of songs from the third section. If you have older
these chapters includes multi-sensory games children, you might want to start with the
and/or activities for learning. You might teach classical composers and their works. You could
these three chapters even if you skip chapters complete the first section in a year, working
eight and nine. through lessons in chronological order, but
Section three, Making Music, is all about other sections of the book give you so much
songs. First are traditional American folk songs musical material to work with that you could
with a list of songs with which the author spend years working through various sections
believes children should become familiar. Links as you and your children learn to enjoy and
are included to sites with some songs and relat- make music together.
ed activities as well as to Wee Sing that sells
 102 Top Picks
336
E N D N OT E S

Chapter 2
1. Charlotte Mason, Home Education: Training and Educating Children under Nine (Wheaton, IL:
Tyndale House, 1989), 281.
2. Ibid., 188.
3. Ibid., 177.
4. Ibid., 141.
5. Ibid., 232.
6. Ibid., 173.
7. Gene Edward Veith Jr. and Andrew Kern, Classical Education: The Movement Sweeping America
(Washington, D.C.: Capital Research Center, 2001), p. x.
8. Ibid., 11.
9. Ibid., 11.
10. "The Logger's New Math," accessed October 27, 2014; available at http://www.oocities.org/
geminilaz1/newmath.html.

Chapter 5
1. Common Core State Standards Initiative, "English Language Arts Standards/Reading
Foundational Skills, Kindergarten," accessed August 28, 2014; available at http://www.corestan-
dards.org/ELA-Literacy/RF/K/.
2. Common Core State Standards Initiative, "Mathematics/Grade 4/Operations & Algebraic
Thinking," accessed August 28, 2014; available at http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/4/
OA/.
5. Next Generation Science Standards, "HS.Natural Selection and Evolution," accessed August
28, 2014; available at http://www.nextgenscience.org/hsls-nse-natural-selection-evolution.
6. Common Core State Standards Initiative, "Mathematics/Grade 2/Operations & Algebraic
Thinking,” accessed August 28, 2014; available at http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/2/
OA/.
 Index
337

Index
Alexander Graham Bell 245 Amos Fortune, Free Man 94
Symbols Alexander the Great 207, 283 Analytical Grammar 64, 111-113
57 Stories of Saints 283, 284 Algebra 1 176-179, 182, 183, Ancient Egypt 206
100 Science Experiments 298 185, 188-193, 196, 197 Ancient Greece 207, 238
1911 Boy Scout Handbook 312 Algebra 1/2 189,-191 ancient Rome 205, 237
1984 106 Algebra 2 175, 176, 178, 179, Ancient World 283, 292, 297,
185, 187, 191-194, 196- 314, 316
A 198 Andrew Carnegie: Builder of
A Beka Book 13, 32, 33 Algebra and Decimal Inserts 176, Libraries 211
grammar 131 178 And Then What Happened, Paul
history 213 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Revere? 209
language 64, 108-111 105, 128 Angelicum Academy 277
math program 42, 160 All About Reading 64, 73-76, Animal Farm 99, 106
readers 89 141 Animal Lives 245
Reading for Fun Enrichment Li- All About Spelling 66, 140-142 Anna Karenina 105
brary 88 All American History 69, 213 Anne of Green Gables 97, 98,
Abe Lincoln: Log Cabin to the All American History Junior 214 105
Whitehouse 210 All-in-One Programs 70, 274, anthologies 43, 99
Abraham Lincoln’s World 229 275, 278, 281-285, 289- AP courses 276
academic goals 3 321 Apex Learning 277
Across Five Aprils 210 All Quiet on the Western Front Apologia science 20, 69
Activity Resources 161 105 elementary 262
ACT test 195 All the King’s Men 105 junior high 246
A Day No Pigs Would Die 94 All Those Secrets of the World approaches to education 2, 9, 10
Advanced Academic Writing 126, 288 Archimedes and the Door of Sci-
127 All through the Ages: History ence 207, 245, 297
Advanced Biology: The Human through Literature Guide Around the World in Eighty Days
Body 248 212, 230 106
Advanced Chemistry in Creation All Ye Lands 220 Art 323, 326, 331-333
248 Alphabet Flashcards 294 The Art of Argument 70, 323,
Advanced Mathematics 191, Alpha Omega 326
192, 194 LIFEPACs 12, 13, 19, 164- Artistic Pursuits 70, 331
Advanced Physics in Creation 166, 194, 301 assessment 55
248 Monarch 19, 301-304 asynchronous 277
Adventures in Ancient Egypt 206 Switched-On Schoolhouse auditory 33, 44, 142, 155
Adventures in Ancient Greece 19, 301-304 Audobon field guides 245
207 Amanda Bennett unit studies 17 Augustus Caesar’s World 207,
The Adventures of Huckleberry Amelia Earhart 211 229, 284, 298
Finn 105 America and Vietnam: The El- The Awesome Forces of Nature
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 95 ephant and the Tiger 211 series 245
Adventures with Atoms and Mol- American Girls 209, 211
ecules 267 American Literature 98, 100, 102 B
The Aeneid 207 American Pioneers and Patriots ball-and-stick 154, 156, 157
Against the World: Odyssey of 296 Base Ten Blocks 40,161, 165,
Athanasius 207 America’s Favorite Patriotic Songs 167, 171, 172, 177
Albert Einstein, Young Thinker 298 Beautiful Feet Books 206, 229
245 America’s Paul Revere 209 Beautiful Girlhood 292
 102 Top Picks
338
Beechick, Ruth 310 Bluedorn, Nathaniel 325 Casey at the Bat 95
Beethoven Who? 70, 331, 334 Bob Books 87 Castle 245
Before Five in a Row 288 The Body Book 298 The Cat of Bubastes 206
Behold and See Science series A Book in Time 212 Catechism 282
69, 250 Booker T. Washington 210, 211 Cathedral 208, 245
Ben and Me 209 BookShark 70, 278, 318 Catholic 65, 67, 69, 71, 219,
Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia The Boxcar Children 289 231, 235, 239, 277, 281,
209, 260 Boyhood and Beyond 292 283, 284, 307, 317
Ben Hur 207 The Bracelet 211 Catholic history series 219
Benjamin Franklin 209, 245 Brave New World 105 Catholic Schools Textbook Project
Berean Builders Science Series The Bridge 94 69, 219, 223, 283
69, 253 Bridge to Terabithia 94 Celebrating Biblical Feasts 297
Beric the Briton 207 British Literature 100, 102 character building 92, 274, 281,
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever The Bronze Bow 98, 207 288, 291, 292, 312
94 Buddhism 297 character development 15, 18
Betsy Ross 289 Building a City on a Hill 298 The Charge of the Light Brigade
Beyond Five in a Row 288, 289 Building Christian English series 105
Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory 64, 113-115 Charlotte Mason 3, 28, 30, 31,
289 Building Language 126, 127 47, 60, 64, 66, 69, 70,
Bible 62 Building Poems 126 A Charlotte Mason Companion
Bible atlas 233 Building Spelling Skills 66, 143- 14
Bible-Based Writing Lessons in 145, 151 A Charlotte Mason Education 14
Structure and Style 133 Building Thinking Skills series 323 Charlotte’s Web 94, 98
Bible for Young Catholics 283 By Pike and Dike 209 chart of Top Picks 58, 64-71
Bible history 282, 283, 291 By the Great Hornspoon 209 charts
BiblioPlan 69, 205, 215-218 approaches to learning 9
Bigger Hearts for His Glory 289, C goals 54, 57
291 Cabin Faced West 209 Chemistry 247-249, 257, 259,
Billy Budd 105 Caddie Woodlawn 97, 209 260, 264, 266-268, 270
biographies 245, 273, 292, 297, Caesar’s English 126, 127 Childhood of Famous Americans
315 Calculus 175, 176, 179, 183, 206, 245
Birds, Nests, and Eggs 296 186, 194 Children of the Dust Bowl 211
BJU Press 12, 13, 21 Calculus with Trigonometry and Children’s Encyclopedia of Ameri-
history 213 Analytic Geometry 194 can History 298
language 12 The Call of the Wild 98 A Child’s First Book of American
literature 64, 99-102 Calvert 20, 21 History 69, 223, 224
math 160 Calvert School 224 A Child’s Geography 292
science 61, 69, 256 Calvert Virtual Academy 277 A Child’s History of the World 69,
Black Frontiers: A History of Canterbury Tales 105 224, 225, 238, 292
African-American Heroes in Can’t You Get Them to Behave, The Children’s Homer 207
the Old West 210 King George? 209 The Chosen 105
Black Like Me 105 Carlota 209 Christian Kids Explore Creation
Black Ships before Troy 207 Carolina science supplies 246 Science 259, 260
Blood and Guts 245 Carry on, Mr. Bowditch 94, 98, Christian Kids Explore Science
Bluedorn, Harvey and Laurie 16 209 series 69, 257-260
 Index
339
Christian Liberty Academy 20, 21 A Connecticut Yankee in King Diary of an Early American Boy
Christian Liberty Press Arthur’s Court 129 210
history 213 Connecting with History 53, 70, dictation 137, 138
readers 89 278 Didache series 283
Christian Light 19 Constitution 214 Dinosaurs of Eden 297
Christian worldview 27, 31, 62, Counting on Grace 211 Discovering Geometry 178, 191,
204, 276, 292, 305, 313 The Courage of Sarah Noble 93, 198
A Christmas Carol 101, 129 98, 209 The Divine Comedy 105
Christy 105 Cranium Crackers 171 DK Eyewitness 245
City 245, 284, 298 Create-A-Story Game 64, 115 DK Eyewitness Books: Great Sci-
Clara Barton: Founder of the creative activities 44 entists 245
American Red Cross 209 creative writing 18, 34, 41, 42, DK Publishing 206, 231, 245,
classical approach 276, 281, 44, 135, 136 272
305, 307 The Cricket in Times Square 94, Don Quixote 105, 209
classical Christian education 16 98 The Door in the Wall 94
Classical Christian Education Crime and Punishment 105 Dr. Seuss 88
Made Approachable 17 Crispin: The Cross of Lead 99 Dragon’s Gate 210
Classical Conversations 17 Crispus Attucks: Black Leader of Drawn into the Heart of Reading
classical education 3, 12, 15-17, Colonial Patriots 209 64, 89, 90, 92, 291, 292
28, 30, 31, 41, 47, 60, critical thinking 322-325 The Drinking Gourd 93, 210
64, 66, 69, 70 The Critical Thinking Co. 20, 70,
Classical Education: The Move- 325 E
ment Sweeping America Cross Creek 106 Eagle Christian 277
17, 337 Cry the Beloved Country 105 Early Bird Kindergarten Mathemat-
Classical Historian 69, 225-228 Crypto Mind Benders 324 ics 291
Classic Myths to Read Aloud 207 The Crystal Snowstorm 211 ease of use for teacher 59
Classroom Atlas 297 CTC Math 66, 162-164 Easy Grammar 61, 62, 64, 108,
Cliff’s Notes 95 Cuisenaire Rods 40 117-120, 130, 131
Clonlara’s Compuhigh 277 cultural studies 203 Easy Grammar Ultimate 119
The Collapse of Communism cursive 154-158 Easy Peasy 70, 285, 287
211 Cyrano De Bergerac 102 Eat Your Way Around the World
Come Look with Me 295 312
Common Core State Standards D eclectic approach 3, 20, 61
3, 52, 53, 165, 175, 337 Daily Grams 108, 117-119 Editor in Chief 108, 119
The Compass Learning Odyssey Daily Reading Practice 64, 90, Edmund Campion 209
277 91 Educational Learning Games 161
Competent Carl 35-39, 42, 43, Daniel Boone Frontiersman 210 electives 322
46, 64, 66, 68, 70 D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths Elemental Science Classic series
Complete Curriculum 70, 278, 207 246, 260
281 David Copperfield 105 Elementary Algebra 198
composition 107-115, 117, 123, The Death of Socrates 105 Elements of Literature 100, 102
125-127, 130-132, 135, Declaration of Independence 213 engineering 270
136 The Devil and Daniel Webster 105 English from the Roots Up 66,
computation drill programs 161 diagramming 108-114, 118, 145, 297
conceptual development 171 127, 130, 131, 134 e-Science Curriculum 271
 102 Top Picks
340
Escondido Tutorial Service 277 Feed My Sheep 70, 331, 333 George Washington’s World 210,
Essay Voyage 126, 127 field trips 40 229, 292, 298
Essentials in Writing 64, 120- First Encyclopedia of Science 296 Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting
123 First Encyclopedia of the Human 66, 158
Excursions in Literature 100, 101 Body 298 Gettysburg 210
Exodus 105 Five in a Row 17, 43, 70, 287-289 The Giver 94
Exodus: Road to Freedom 283 Five in a Row Bible Supplement Gladys Aylward 297
experiment 243, 244, 246, 251, 288 Global Art 297
253, 258, 263, 267, 268, Fizz, Bubble & Flash 267 Go Free Or Die: A Story about
270, 271 Focus Guides 99 Harriet Tubman 210
Explode the Code 64, 76 Following Narnia 133 goals 3
Explorations in Literature 100, For the Love of Literature 212 choosing your own 52
101 Founders of Freedom 283, 284 for teaching science 243
Exploring American History 298 Four American Inventors 292 God’s Design Science series 69,
Exploring Creation 292, 298 four-level analysis 127, 129 264
Exploring Creation with Astronomy The Fourth of July Story 210, 296 God’s Gift of Language 109
298 Fraction Overlays 175-177 God Speaks Numanggang 297
Exploring Creation with Biology Fractions 161, 172, 173, 177, Golay, Dr. Keith 33
247, 248 184 Golden Goblet 206
Exploring Creation with Chemistry Freedom’s Sons: The True Story of Gold Fever 210
247, 249 the Amistad Mutiny 210 Good Books 15, 16
Exploring Creation with General From Sea to Shining Sea: The The Good Earth 105
Science 247, 248, 298 Story of America 219 grammar 107-120, 124-127,
Exploring Creation with Marine Fundamentals of Literature 100- 130-132, 135, 136, 138
Biology 248 102 Grammar and Composition
Exploring Creation with Physical Further Up and Further In 17 books, A Beka 109, 110
Science 247, 248, 298 Grammar Island 126, 127
Exploring Creation with Physics G Grammar Songs 119
247, 249 Galen and the Gateway to Medi- Grammar Town 126, 127
Exploring Creation Young Explorer cine 245, 298 Grammar Voyage 126, 127
Science 69, 262 games 41, 45 Gramma’s Walk 288
Exploring the History of Medicine Genesis: Finding Our Roots 292 The Grapes of Wrath 105
292 Genesis for Kids 297 The Great Adventure: A Journey
Exploring World Geography 297 Genesis: The Book of Origins through the Bible 282
Eyewitness Books Chemistry 268 283 The Great American Authors 113
Genevieve Foster books 69, 228 The Great British Authors 113
F geography 203, 204, 212, 232, Great Books 15, 16, 30, 106
The Fallacy Detective 70, 323- 233, 240, 241 The Great Divorce 105
326 Geography from A to Z 297 Great Expectations 105
Famous Men of Greece 283 Geology Rocks! 268 The Great Gatsby 94, 105
Famous Men of Rome 240 Geometer’s Sketchpad 193, 200 The Great Heresies 284
Famous Men of the Middle Ages Geometry 161, 167, 169, 173, The Great World Authors 113
284 175, 176, 178, 179, 181, Greek 15, 16, 142, 144-146,
A Farewell to Arms 105 186, 191, 193-200 151
Farewell to Manzanar 211 Geometry, Saxon 193 Greek and Latin roots 145, 151
 Index
341
Greek Lives 283 History Stories for Children 291 Institute for Excellence in Writing
Green Eggs and Ham 86, 87 history textbooks 204, 205 95, 131, 132
The Growth of the British Empire history through unit studies 205 Intermediate Language Lessons
292 Hitler 211 296
Guerber history series 69, 230 John Holt 18, 19 Intermediate World Atlas 312
Gulliver’s Travels 105 The Hollow Men 105 Into the Mummy’s Tomb 206
The Guns of August 105 Home Education: Training and The Invisible Man 105
Educating Children under Iron Dragon Never Sleeps 210
H Nine 337 Iron Scouts of the Confederacy
Hamlet 94, 105 Homer Price 289 211
Handbook of Grammar and Home Start in Reading 73 Isaac Newton 209
Composition 109, 111 Home Training Tools 246 Island of the Blue Dolphins 210
Handbook of Nature Study 312, Honey for a Child’s Heart 295 Italic handwriting 66, 154, 158,
313 Mary Hood, Ph.D. 19 159, 291
hands-on 36-38, 40-45, 47, 58, Horizons Math 61, 66, 161, It’s About Time 316
60-62, 72, 73, 82, 275, 164-167
288-291, 294, 296 Horizons Pre-Algebra 66, 167, J
handwriting 66, 107, 108, 140, 194 James Madison Critical Thinking
154-159 Houghton Mifflin 13, 41 Course 324
Handwriting Without Tears 66, The Hound of the Baskervilles Jane Eyre 94, 98, 105
154, 155 105 Jed Smith: Trailblazer of the West
Hang a Thousand Trees with Rib- The House of Sixty Fathers 211 210
bons 210 How Children Fail 18 Johannes Kepler 209
Hans Bluedorn 325 How Children Learn 18 Johnny Appleseed 210
Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates How Should We Then Live? 239 Johnny Tremain 94, 98, 210
241 How to be a Roman Soldier 284 Journey through the Bible 297
The Hawk that Dare Not Hunt by How to Lie with Statistics 322 Jump In 64, 123
Day 209 Huckleberry Finn 105 Junior Analytical Grammar 111
Heart of Dakota 70, 289-293 The Human Body for Every Kid Junior Analytical Grammar: Me-
Heart of Darkness 94 298 chanics 111
Hearts for Him 289, 290, 292 A Hunger for Learning 210
Henry Ford: Young Man with Ideas K
211 I K12 277
Henry V 105 I Can Do All Things 296 Katy and the Big Snow 288
Heroes of Asgard 14 If You Traveled On the Under- Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie
Hero Tales 297 ground Railroad 210 93
The Hiding Place 94, 98, 298 If You Traveled West in a Covered Key to ... series 161
high school literature 105 Wagon 210 Kidnapped 106
Hinduism 297 The Iliad 105, 207, 298 kinesthetic 33, 40, 44, 58, 143
historical atlas 233 In His Steps 105 Kinetic Books 66, 196
history 203-241 Incidents In The Life Of A Slave The Kingfisher History Encyclope-
History for Little Pilgrims 291 Girl 210 dia 236
History of the Church 284 independent study 3, 6, 19, 20, The Kingfisher Illustrated History of
History of the World 69, 206, 22, 28, 59-62 the World 236
231, 232 Ink on His Fingers 209 A Knight of the White Cross 209
 102 Top Picks
342
KONOS 17, 18, 45, 293 LIFEPACs 12, 13, 19, 164-166, Changed the World 209
194, 301 Mason, Charlotte 9, 13, 14, 18,
L The Light and the Glory for Chil- 20, 22
lab experiments 246 dren 240 The Matchlock Gun 210
The Land I Lost: Adventures of a Light for the Trail Bible Study Mater Amabilis 212
Boy in Vietnam 211 Supplement 313 Material Matters: Mixtures, Com-
Landmark 206, 209, 210 The Light in the Forest 98, 105 pounds & Solutions 268
Lands of Hope and Promise 220, Light to the Nations 219, 221, Mathematical Reasoning 66,
222, 223 222, 283, 284 170, 171, 173
language arts 107-139 The Lion, The Witch and the mathematics 66, 160-202
language arts standards 48 Wardrobe 94 MathHelp 66, 197, 198
Language Lessons for Today 64, Literature Approach to History Math Mammoth 41, 66, 173-
124 guides 206 175
lapbooks 41 Little Angel Readers 89 math manipulatives 42, 161,
The Last of the Mohicans 209 Little Hands to Heaven 289, 290 165, 166, 170, 171, 174,
Latin 16, 17, 53, 142, 144-146, Little Hearts for His Glory 289, 176-178, 187, 194, 195
151 291 math standards 48
learning contract 43 Little House in the Big Woods 94 math supplements 161
learning disabilities 46 Little Women 101, 105, 211 Math-U-See 40, 47, 62, 66,
Learning Language Arts through Living World Encyclopedia 297 160, 175-179, 187,195
Literature 310 Logger's New Math 23, 337 Math Without Borders 20, 69,
learning modalities 33, 44 logic 322, 325 200, 202
Learning Patterns and Tempera- Logic of English Foundations 64, McGraw Hill 13
ment Styles 33 78-80 MCP Phonics Practice Readers 88
Learning Resources 161 The Long Way to a New Land 94 McRuffy Language Arts 64, 80-84
learning styles 32-47, 275, 277, The Loom 306 Measurement 161, 173
315 The Lost Baron 208 Media Angels 17, 246
adults 34 Lysbeth: A Tale of the Dutch 209 Medieval World 298
children 36 Meet Christopher Columbus 312
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 105 M Men of Iron 105, 208
Leif the Lucky 208 Macbeth 94, 95, 102, 105 The Merchant of Venice 105
Leonardo da Vinci 209 Macmillan 13 Mere Christianity 105
Lés Miserables 105 The Magician’s Nephew 94 Meriwether Lewis: Boy Explorer
Levison, Catherine 14 The Magic Lens 126 210
Lewis and Clark Hands On 313 The Magic School Bus series 245 The Merry Adventures of Robin
The Librarian Who Measured the Magna Charta 208 Hood 208
Earth 207 Make Way for Ducklings 288 Michael Clay Thompson Lan-
Lifeguard’s Locker 123 Make Way for Sam Houston 210 guage Arts 64, 125-129
The Life and Times of Frederick Making Math Meaningful 45 A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Douglass 105 A Man for All Seasons 105 105
Life of Fred 66, 167-170 Maniac Magee 94 Mike Mulligan and His Steam
The Life of J.E.B. Stuart 211 Maps and Globes 297 Shovel 288
Life of Our Lord for Children 283 The Marquis’ Secret 105 Mill 245
The Life of Stonewall Jackson The Martian Chronicles 105 Mind Benders 171, 172, 324
211 Martin Luther: A Man Who Minn of the Mississippi 210
 Index
343
The Minstrel in the Tower 208 Noeo Science 62, 69, 246, 266, Paula’s Archives 212
The Miracle Worker 106 267 Paul Revere’s Ride 95
missionary emphasis 293 North American Indians 296 The Pearl 105
Moby Dick 105 North American Wildlife Guide Perelandra 94, 106
Modern Curriculum Press 13 312, 313 Perfect Paula 34, 37, 38, 41, 45,
Monarch 19, 20, 70, 301-304 NorthStar Academy 277 60, 64, 66, 68, 70, 274,
Montessori 17 Norton Anthologies 95, 99 275
More Charlotte Mason Education novel study guides 93-99, 107 Perilous Road 211
14 Number the Stars 212 Peter Pan 128
Moses 206, 237 Peterson Directed Handwriting
Motel of the Mysteries 206 O 66, 156
Mother Cabrini 210 The Odyssey 105, 207, 298 Peterson field guides 245
motivation 37, 46 Oedipus Rex 106 Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt 206
Mr. Revere and I 210 Of Mice and Men 105 philosophy of education 6, 10,
multi-level 59, 61 Okay for Now 106 14, 25, 31
multi-sensory 58, 60, 62, 134, Old Western Culture 20, 64, 99, phonics 72, 73, 75-77, 81, 83-
143, 155, 156 102 87, 107, 108
multi-sensory activity 58 The Old World and America Phonics Pathways 64, 85
The Music of the Hemispheres 283, 284 Phonics Practice Readers 88
126 The Old World’s Gifts to the New Phonics Readers 87
My Father’s World 53, 70, 293- 283, 284 A Picture Book of Frederick Doug-
298 Oliver Twist 98 lass 211
My Father’s World from A to Z Once Upon a Time Saints 284 The Picture History of Great Inven-
294 One Day in the Life of Ivan Den- tors 245
My Side of the Mountain 98 isovitch 106 Pilgrim’s Progress 14, 106, 298
The Mystery of History 69, 232 One Hundred Saints 284 Pink and Say 211
The Mystery of the Periodic Table online courses 276, 277 Pioneers Go West 210
245, 267 Orton-Gillingham 73, 140 Pippi Longstocking 98
Mythology 207, 283 Othello 105 The Pit and the Pendulum 106
Otto of the Silver Hand 208 Plant Life in Field and Garden
N Out of the Silent Planet 94, 106 292
narration 123, 137, 275, 291, Ox-Cart Man 94 Pocahontas 210
292, 313 Oxford Tutorial Service 277 A Pocketful of Goobers: A Story of
Nasco 246 Ozymandias 106 George Washington Carver
Nasco Math 161 210
National Geographic Kids series P poetry 126, 291
245 Paddle to the Sea 210 Pompeii: Buried Alive 284
Natural Structure 17 Paradise Lost 106 Pop Quiz 306
Nature Readers 89 Paragraph Town 126, 127 The Potter’s School 277
Nature’s Workshop, Plus! 246 Pasteur’s Fight Against Microbes Pre-Algebra 167, 175-178, 183,
The Negro Cowboys 211 245 185, 194, 196-198
NIrV Discover’s Bible for Young Paths of Exploration 310-313 PreCalculus 176, 179
Readers 296 Pathway Readers 90 Preparing Hearts for His Glory
Noah Webster’s Reading Hand- Patriotic Songs of the U.S.A 296 289, 292
book 64, 76, 84 Patty Reed’s Doll 210 prep time 59
 102 Top Picks
344
preschool 73, 78, 287, 289, A Reason for Handwriting 66, Saxon Math 19, 66, 167, 185-
290 157, 291 194
Pride and Prejudice 106, 298 The Reb and the Redcoats 210 Saxon Teacher CD-ROMs 194
Primary Language Lessons 295 recommended reading for high Dorothy Sayers 15-17
Primary Mathematics 41, 66, school 105 The Scarlet Pimpernel 209
160, 174, 179-182, 290, rectangle building 176 Scholars’ Online Academy 277
291 The Red Badge of Courage 94 School of Tomorrow 19
The Prince 106 Red Hugh: Prince of Donegal 209 science 107, 242
The Princess Bride 106 The Red Keep 208 Science 69, 274-321
Priorities 7, 26 The Red Pony 105 Science in Ancient Greece 283
Profiles from History 312 Reformed Protestant 307 Science in the Kitchen 296
Progeny Press Study Guides 42, The Relaxed Home School 19 Science Mastery Programs 270,
61, 64, 93, 94, 99 Relaxed Homeschooling 18 271
project-oriented learning 44 religion 23, 62, 63 Science Scope 244
proofs 178, 186, 194, 199 The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone 206 Science With Water 295
Properties of Ecosystems 297 Rifles for Watie 211 scientific method 243
Protestant 34, 37, 38, 41, 45, Right Start Math 40 Scott Foresman 13
65, 67, 69, 71, 293, 297, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi 95 Screwtape Letters 105
231, 235, 239, 307 The Road Not Taken 106 Secular 65, 67, 69, 71
PSAT test 194 The Road to Damietta 208 sentence diagramming 108, 109,
Pygmalion 106 Robert E. Lee 211 111, 130
Pyramid 206, 245 Robert E. Lee, The Christian 211 Shadow Hawk 206
Pyramids 297 Robinson Crusoe 14, 106 Shakespeare’s Plays 113
Rocket Man: The Story of Robert shape book patterns 41
R Goddard 211 Shiloh 98
Rainbow Resource Center 161, Rockets, Radar, & Robotics 133 The Siege of the Alamo 210
287, 288 Rod and Staff 13, 90, 291, 295 The Sign of the Beaver 98, 210
The Rainbow science 69, 269 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry 94, Silas Marner 106, 298
A Raisin in the Sun 106 211 Simply Charlotte Mason 14
Rand McNally’s Answer Atlas 235 The Roman Empire 298 Singapore Math 41, 66, 160,
Rand McNally’s Historical Atlas of Roman Lives 283 174, 179-182, 290, 291
the World 235 Romeo and Juliet 102 Sing Down the Moon 210
reading 107 Ronald Reagan 211 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Reading for Fun Enrichment Rosetta Stone 296 208
Library 88 Rosie the Riveter 211 Sitting Bull: Dakota Boy 210
The Reading Lesson 291 Ruth Beechick 73 slant print 154, 157, 158
Reading Made Easy 291 The Slave Dancer 211
Reading Roadmaps 94-96 S Smokestacks and Spinning Jennys:
reading skills 90 Salvation History 283 Industrial Revolution 211
Reading through the Ages 317 Sam the Minuteman 94, 210 Sociable Sue 35, 36, 38, 39, 43,
Ready Readers 94, 96 Samuel F.B. Morse 210 44, 46, 64, 66, 68, 70
real books 8, 14, 15, 18, 20, Sarah, Plain and Tall 94 social studies 203, 204, 212
22, 40, 43, 44, 91, 204, Saxon Classic Editions 191 Socratic 15, 41, 42, 94-96, 126,
205, 212, 277, 281, 293- Saxon Grammar and Writing 64, 128, 225, 276, 277, 307
296 129-131, 167 Sojourner Truth 211
 Index
345
Sonlight 20, 53, 70, 299, 300 Streams of Civilization 297 This Was John Calvin 209
Son of Charlemagne 208 Streams to the River, River to the Thomas Edison, Young Inventor
Sower series 206, 209-212 Sea 210 245, 289
speech 109-112, 114, 115, Structure and Style 66, 95, 131- Tiger, Tiger 106
117-119, 127, 131, 134 133 The Time Machine 106, 129
spelling 66, 74, 75, 81, 83-85, Student Writing Intensive 131, Time4Learning 70, 277, 307-
93, 97-99, 107, 108, 116, 133 310
130, 140-151 Student Writing Intensive Continu- Timeline 204, 231, 240, 282-
Spelling by Sound and Structure ation Course 133 284, 298
295 Supercharged Science 69, 270- To Kill a Mockingbird 94, 95, 97,
Spelling Power 296 272 98, 106, 211
spelling rules 140, 144 Sweet Dried Apples: A Vietnamese Total Language Plus 42, 64, 93,
Spelling Wisdom 66, 146, 147 Wartime Childhood 212 97-99, 107
SpellingYouSee 66, 147-150 The Swiss Family Robinson 98 traditional approach 10-12, 28
Spellwell 62, 66, 150, 151 Switched-On Schoolhouse 19, traditional handwriting 154
spiritual beliefs 25 61, 70, 301-304 traditional textbooks 3, 12, 274
The Spy 106 synchronous 277 Trail Guide to Learning 70, 310
Stalin: Russia’s Man of Steel 212 Treasure Island 106
States & Capitals Songs 298 T A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 106
St. Bartholomew’s Eve: A Tale of Take A Stand! 69, 225 Tree in the Trail 210
the Huguenot Wars 209 The Tale of Peter Rabbit 95 Trial and Triumph 298
Stepping Stones Game 116 A Tale of Two Cities 94, 105, The Trilogy of the Ring 106
St. George and the Dragon 208 209 A Trip around the World 297
Stonewall 211 Tales from the Underground Rail- TRISMS 43, 70, 314-317
Stories of the Pilgrims 312 road 211 Tristan and Iseult 208
The Story About Ping 288 Tales of Ancient Egypt 206 trivium 15-17
The Story of Harriet Tubman 211 Tales of Persia 298 The Trojan Horse 207, 297
The Story of Inventions 292 Tales of the Greek Heroes 207 The Trumpeter of Krakow 98,
The Story of King Arthur and His Tales of Troy and Greece 207 208
Knights and Other Arthu- The Talisman 208 TruthQuest History 69, 238-240
rian Tales 208 Tanglewood Tales 14 Tut’s Mummy Lost and Found
The Story of Rolf and the Viking Tapestry of Grace 17, 43, 47, 283
Bow 208 70, 304-307 twaddle 13
The Story of the Ancient World Teach a Child to Read with Chil- Twenty and Ten 212
230, 292 dren’s Book 64 Twenty Thousand Leagues Under
The Story of the Great Republic Teach Your Own 18 the Sea 106
230, 292 teaching style 34, 39, 46
The Story of the Renaissance and Teaching Textbooks 66, 182-185 U
Reformation 231 Teaching the Classics 64, 96, 99, Ultimate Easy Grammar 119
The Story of the U.S 296 102 The Ultimate Geography and
The Story of the World 62, 69, Teaching the Trivium 16 Timeline Guide 69, 204,
235, 236, 298 Teaching Writing Structure and 240
The Story of the Wright Brothers Style Seminar 66, 95, umbrella program 3, 20
and Their Sister 211 131-133 Uncle Tom’s Cabin 106, 211
Stranger in a Strange Land 106 Teresa of Calcutta 212 Under Drake’s Flag: A Tale of the
 102 Top Picks
346
Spanish Main 209 Vocabulary from Classical Roots Wise Bauer, Susan 16, 212, 215
Underground 245 66, 145, 151 Witchcraft of Salem Village 210
Understood Betsy 211 Vocabu-Lit 66, 152 With Lee in Virginia: A Story of the
unit studies 3, 9-11, 17, 18, American Civil War 211
27-31, 40, 43, 44, 53, 70, W With Pipe, Paddle and Song 209
107, 204, 205, 229, 241, Wagon Wheels 94 Witnesses to All the World 298
274, 275 Walking the Road to Freedom: The Wonderful Way Babies Are
limited 17 Sojourner Truth 211 Made 298
University of Delaware 212 The Wanderings of Odysseus 207 WonderMaps 235
unschooling 3, 12, 13, 18, 19, War and Peace 105 The Word Within the Word 126,
21, 28, 30 The Way Things Work 245 128
The Unschooling Handbook 19 WCA Games That Teach 161 Wordly Wise 20, 66, 153, 154
Up From Slavery 211 Wee Gillis 288 Wordsmith series 66, 134-136
Usborne Books 206-209, 236, The Well-Trained Mind 16, 212, Wordsmith Apprentice 61, 135
238, 245 236 Wordsmith Craftsman 136
The Usborne Book of World His- What Do We Know About the World Book Encyclopedia 305
tory 236 Middle Ages? 209 The World God Made 291
The Usborne History of The Twen- What in the World? CDs 292 The World of Animals 264, 273
tieth Century 238 What on Earth Can I Do? 328, The World of Captain John Smith
The Usborne Internet-Linked Ency- 330 209, 210, 229
clopedia of World History What’s Under the Sea 245 The World of Columbus and Sons
236 What We Believe series 70, 328 209, 229
Usborne Internet-Linked Myster- The Wheel on the School 98, A World of Poetry 126
ies and Marvels of Science 212 The World of Science 245, 272,
267 When Jessie Came across the Sea 273, 298
Usborne Internet-Linked Science 212 The World of William Penn 229
Encyclopedia 267 Where Do You Think You’re Go- worldview 47, 327-331
Usborne Internet-Linked World ing, Christopher Colum- A Wrinkle in Time 98
History 206-208 bus? 209 Writing Adventures 117
Usborne Time Travelers 206, The Whipping Boy 98 The Writing Road to Reading 144
209, 283 Who Is God? And Can I Really Write Now 159
U.S. History 281, 292, 296, 299, Know Him? 292, 328 WriteShop 66, 137-139
306, 311, 314 Why Don’t You Get a Horse, Sam Writing Adventures Game Pack
Adams? 210 115, 117
V Wiggly Willy 33-36, 38-42, 44- Writing Aids 306
Vikings 208, 209 47, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70 Writing Road to Reading 84
Virginia’s General: Robert E. Lee Wilbur and Orville Wright 245 Writing Strands 296
and the Civil War 211 William Tell 209 Wulf the Saxon: 209
visual 33, 41, 44 The Wind in the Willows 128 Wuthering Heights 106
The Visual Dictionary of the Hu- Window on the World 297
man Body 245 The Winged Watchman 212 Y
visual modality 33, 44, 142 Winning His Spurs 209 The Yanks are Coming 212
vocabulary 66, 107, 108, 125- Winston Grammar 66, 133, 134 The Yearling 94, 106, 211
130, 138, 140, 144, 145, WinterPromise 70, 317-319 The Year of the Horseless Car-
151-154, 156, 158 Wise, Jessie 16, 212, 215 riage 1801 229, 230
 Index
347
You Can Understand the Bible YourTeacher.com 197
282 You Wouldn’t Want to Be in Al- Z
A Young Historian's Introduction to exander the Great’s Army! Zoobooks 245
Worldview 70, 327 207
A Young Person’s Guide to Know-
ing God 298