Q&A Friday: What’s your favorite book about homeschooling?

by on April 26, 2013
in a mom's education · 32 Comments

favorite homeschooling books ~SimpleHomeschool.net
Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool, also blogs about motherhood at Steady Mom

If it weren’t for the books I discovered back when I was considering homeschooling, I don’t think I would have had the courage to start down this path.

Without many real life homeschooling friends at the time, the books I read kindled my interest, answered my questions, and fueled the dream I was mentally crafting about what learning could look like for our family.

I love this quote by American journalist Edward P. Morgan:

“A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man’s mind can get both provocation and privacy.”

Most of us have been significantly impacted by at least one homeschooling book. Here are a few of my favorites:
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The transformative power of historical fiction

by on April 19, 2013
in curriculum · 24 Comments

historical fiction recommendations for ages 9-18 simplehomeschool
The following is a guest post written by Caroline Starr Rose of Caroline by line and the verse novel May B.

What’s the point of historical fiction? Publisher’s Weekly recently ran an interview with Newbery and Newbery-Honor medalist Karen Cushman, one of children’s literature’s most celebrated authors. Here’s what she had to say:

“I think for readers historical fiction is important because it helps them to see beyond the boundaries of their own experience. It helps them to stretch and to see what life is like for others. This helps illustrate both how we are the same and how we are different, and can give readers more empathy.”

As a social studies teacher turned children’s author, nothing fires me up as a much as a well-crafted historical novel. Nothing has made history more personal than the books I’ve treasured in childhood and beyond.

Here are some historical titles worth celebrating, worth sharing, worth reading with the young people in your lives.
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Our top 25 read-alouds (ages 5-12)

by on April 12, 2013
in family time · 51 Comments

Written by contributor Sarah Small of SmallWorld at Home

We started reading to our firstborn the day we brought him home. We didn’t start with Pat the Bunny or Goodnight Moon, although those both played an important part in our story time with all our children. We started with a college textbook, Western Civilization. We just wanted him to hear the sound of our voices and to get a feel for language.

Over the years we have read hundreds of books to our three children, from board books to great classics. Reading aloud comes in two forms in our family: as part of school (we have used Sonlight’s literature-based program for the  majority of our years) and before bed.

Beginning at about age 5 with each of our kids, we moved from a diet of picture books and short easy readers to serious chapter books. Don’t worry about your child not “getting” a book that is “meant” for older kids. They will.

Around age 12 or 13 the evening reading aloud ended, followed shortly by the end of our school-time read-alouds. We are down to just one child who gets all of our reading attention now, and we are determined to have lots of reading time together until he, too, prefers his own voice in his head.

Below is a list of our Top 25 favorite family read-alouds. They are in no particular order, except that I listed a few series at the end. Why did these books make the list when dozens of others didn’t quite qualify? These are the books the kids remember with almost a tender fondness and sometimes almost awe. These were books we lived in, the ones that do, indeed, seem like part of our family.
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How to avoid summer setback

by on July 11, 2012
in curriculum · 21 Comments

Written by contributor Jena Borah of Yarns of the Heart

Do you know about summer setback? Education researchers say a child can lose up to two months of reading achievement between May and August. If this happens every summer, children can lose up to a year and a half between 1st and 6th grade (Cooper et al., 1996).

Why? Because their home lives are not full of books and enriching experiences. Whatever learning momentum they had gained during the school year comes to a screeching halt. When I heard that, I was amazed! We homeschoolers never stop learning.
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5 Thanksgiving Stories to Enjoy this Holiday Season

by on November 1, 2010
in family time · 8 Comments

Written by Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool and founder of Steady Mom

A note from Jamie: Today I’m launching a new site called Steady Home Deals. It’s a deals blog with a twist–highlighting ways you can spend intentionally that feel good to both your wallet and your conscience. If you’re interested in sustainable spending for families in the real world, I’d love you to stop by for a visit!

Thanksgiving books will be flying off the shelves shortly, which is why I’m publishing this post on the first of the month. Add these titles to your wish list so you can beat the Thanksgiving library rush!

I always appreciate personal book lists and recommendations because in today’s market the amount of choices can leave me feeling overwhelmed. Having a trusted source share ideas helps me narrow down my options and make new book discoveries.

I’ve read many Thanksgiving stories over the years to my three little people; the following five have been my favorites thus far.
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