Wednesday, September 10, 2014

How to Homeschool When You Can't Get Off the Couch: Recommended Resources


Cross posted from Be Not Weary

Having struggled with chronic illness for most of my children's school age lives I am always on the lookout for excellent materials that fit within my educational philosophies, but can also be done by the children independently or with minimal help or oversight by me. Video, audio and computer resources especially have been a huge help - very much like having tutors on tap.

Below, I have listed resources that we have used in the past - or are currently using - that have helped make it possible to continue to give our children an excellent education at home, in spite of challenging circumstances. I've also included some materials that we haven't used yet, but may at some point. It is not a complete list, but these are our favorites, most relied upon, or hope-to-use.

Online Lessons

Starfall.com This is a great, free online reading program. Very well done and I have only come across one or two mildly objectionable things. You can upgrade to even more features (including math games) for an inexpensive yearly subscription fee.

Latin for Children This is one we have not done yet, but I have my eye on it. We love Song School Latin and other products from Classical Academic Press (see below) so I plan to use this or the DVD version soon. CAP also offers online teacher led courses.

Classics for Kids This is a wonderful resource for composer study! I need to use this more.

Veritas Press Self - Paced Online History We love these! We completed the Old Testament and Ancient Egypt course and are part way through  Explorers to 1815. They also now offer Bible courses and courses for older students. These are packed with information and taught classically with lots of memory work accomplished by games, review and timeline songs. They are also full of pictures of places, people and things from the lessons.

The courses we have done have only had two real negatives. One, I do not care for the way the history guides treat each other, especially in the Old Testament course. It is meant to be funny, but is just plain old disrespectful. Lots of eye rolling, belittling comments etc. between husbands and wives. I point this out to the children as not being acceptable.

The other issue was just with the OT course. We purchased the timeline cards (pictured above!) and I was quite horrified at some of the art that was used. Let's just say that some people in the pictures were lacking clothing. I worked around these few cards by printing out my own pictures and gluing them over the top of the picture on the card. Worked great! The cards were shown on the lessons online but were smaller and these issues weren't as noticeable.

Other than these two drawbacks, I highly recommend these lessons. They work wonderfully as a spine or outline to work from if you are able to add in other books. You can see sample lessons here and they are currently on sale!

Bob Jones Distance Learning Although it doesn't line up with my Charlotte Mason mindset, the distance learning program from Bob Jones is really quite excellent. It was a wonderful solution for us early on and my oldest even learned to read through their lessons. Some of the lessons are a bit long, but they are well done with teachers who are just exactly what you would hope your school teacher would be. They are similar to children's television programs with puppets, themes and props, but are Christian , even more educational and come with plenty of printed materials to go along with the programs (much of the paper stuff is optional and we only used a few workbooks).

We have only used the lower elementary levels, so I'm not sure what lessons are like for older children. The biggest drawback is the price. They aren't cheap, but they do have a payment plan option. The other drawback is Mr. Nice Guy on the Kindergarten program. He is quite babyish and rather disturbing. In real life, I wouldn't let him near my kids. In the lessons he just pops in once in awhile, thankfully. You can view sample lessons here.

    Computer Based

Sequential Spelling came highly recommended to me and I was delighted when they came out with the DVD. Short, simple lessons the children can do on their own on the computer. We also have the companion workbooks

Teaching Textbooks We haven't actually used these, but the reviews are excellent. We are already using Math U See, but if we weren't, I would go this route.

DVD

Math U See I am very happy with Math U See. Short, well taught video lessons that the children enjoy and work books and math blocks to go along with the lessons.

Netflix Not something I recommend, per say, but a very useful tool that has gotten us through many difficult days when I truly haven't been able to do more than lay on the couch or in bed. I appreciate the fact that they allow you to have different users on the same account, so the children have their own which goes directly to the "Kids" section and avoids any unpleasant stuff on the home page. Some of our favorite programs are Curious George, Busy Town Mysteries, Leap Frog, Blues Clues, Country Mouse City Mouse, Fireman Sam and How it's Made. Daniel Tiger gets watched too, but he is only favored by a few, short minority. A couple of those shows aren't currently on Netflix, but I'm hoping they will be again. Again, these aren't necessarily recommendations - more just a list of the best options we have found when I need the children to be able to just sit and watch stuff, while I keep an eye or an ear close by. There are also a ton of educational movies and documentaries, but some of those you might need to preview first or watch with your children.


 Liberty's Kids This is an excellent, very well done series that we just discovered. The children love it and I am impressed. I'd say it is the video equivalent of a living book. The children laugh and talk about Lafayette and what a cheerful undaunted fellow he was, they speak with awe and respect of George Washington and they were horrified at the betrayal of Benedict Arnold. (They did not know his story and the series does a masterful job of leading up to his treachery. The children were shocked when he turned out to be a traitor and it made quite an impression.) This series has spurred lots of interest and reading now on the American War for Independence .The DVD iscurrently on sale at Amazon for only $5.00 for the entire series! Definitely a great deal. Highly recommended!

I Can Do All Things Art Lessons We have only done the first few lessons, but they were a hit. This is a set of 4 DVDs for beginning drawing and painting. These set off a drawing frenzy in our house!

Audio

Audio resources are some of our favorite. My children love to listen to audio books and have learned so much this way. Each child has an inexpensive MP3 player (one of my favorite homeschool tools that I plan to write more on later) and I can load it with exactly what I want them to listen to. Latin songs, catechism songs, music from a composer we are studying and lots of audio books. The possibilities are almost endless. More and more curriculum publishers are offering an audio book version of their materials and I look for those specifically. Listed below are just a few


Song School Latin  Highly recommended! The book and CD are excellent as is the DVD. The workbook is very nicely laid out, the songs are well done and pleasant to listen to and the DVD gives even more information. All gently, but effectively, taught. I have been very happy with anything I have purchased from Classical Academic Press. I also highly recommend Song School Latin Vol. 2 Book, CD and DVD.

God's Great Covenant Also from Classical Academic Press. This is a great Bible study program, nicely laid out in workbook form. It could be done by a child individually or as a family. It also comes with the Bible stories from the book in downloadable MP3 format.

My Audio School This website is full of public domain books in audio format. Each book is laid out chapter by chapter or as a complete download , along with lots of illustrations that correspond with the book. Some of the content is free and the rest is available for a very low yearly subscription.

Exploring Creation from Apologia I love this series so far. Only one book is available on audio at the moment, but others are in the works and I am very much looking forward to that!

Mystery of History  We are not currently using this, but now that Volumes 1-3 are available in audio format I am hoping to incorporate it.

Introduction to the Classics This is a great series on composers that we are slowly working our way through

Jonathan Park Our children love these and have learned so much science through these exciting, but highly educational, adventures. Highly recommended!

What in the World? Ancient history, taught with enthusiasm by Diana Waring

Audible.com  Audible is a treasure trove of well-recorded audio children's books and classical literature. They offer multiple download options, or you can listen right from the computer. You can join for a free, month long trial.

Jim Hodges Audio Books A wonderful collection of classic literature, beautifully read! I especially recommend Stories of the Pilgrims, one of our family favorites.


Audio Memory My siblings and I listened to the songs from Audio Memory back when we were being homeschooled and I can still sing the states and countries! We also carried them in our family's homeschool bookstore and they were customer favorites. Planning to use these this year with my own children.

Misc.

Language Lessons  This wonderful workbook series by Sandi Queen teaches phonics, grammar, copywork, poetry, picture study (with full color paintings) and narration in simple, short  lessons. The older ones can easily do them on their own and for the little ones the lessons are so short and easy that I can manage them on a day where I am feeling better.


Kumon Workbooks A wonderful series of workbooks for the little ones with plenty of cutting, drawing, tracing, writing and more


That's all for now! Again, this is not a complete list, and what works for me, might not work for you. If you are in crisis mode, see my Netflix-Non-Recommendations and ignore the rest! We have definitely never accomplished all of this at once. These are truly just resources that have been hugely helpful to keep us on track when I am able enough to set them in motion. There have been plenty of days where Real Life Learning has taken precedence or Netflix and Amazon Prime have proven their educational merit. Pray and seek out the best for your family and your situation. I'll leave you with some sage advice from Mystie Winckler:
You are the mother. You are the teacher. You might not know the subject as well as the author of the material, but you do know your child much better. You are not teaching a generic classroom of averages, but your own house of individuals. Your job isn’t to pull them through the gauntlet laid out by the curriculum, but to determine your curriculum – the path you take – and use the materials as means to get there, always being the one in the driver’s seat.
What are some resources you have found helpful in your own homeschool? 

This post contains affiliate links to Amazon.com and other recommended companies or products that may render the website owner a small commission.

Monday, August 4, 2014

Liberty's Kids on Sale at Amazon

Amazon currently has the complete set of Liberty's Kids, the popular history series for children, on sale for 5.00! Amazon's prices can change quickly so the sale might not last long!

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Free Homeschool Planning Sheets

Free, editable homeschool planning sheets from Educational Snaphots:
I am so excited about this planner. These are the forms that I use to plan my homeschool year, and I am sharing them with you.All you have to do to get your free homeschool planner with eleven different planning forms is subscribe to Everyday Snapshots by entering your email address below. You can print and write on the forms or edit, print, and even save your edits in Adobe Reader.
Click here to download.

Monday, June 23, 2014

25% off for Audible Members During the Month of June!

June is Audio Book Month (not sure who decides these things...) and Audible is offering 25 % off to members sitewide! Audible has a wonderful selection of classic literature and children's books and once they are downloaded you can listen in a variety of formats.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Sale at Jim Hodges Audio Books

Download any "Yesterday's Classics" title from Jim Hodges Audio Books during June 2014 for only $10! This is a great opportunity to add quality recordings to your audiobook library.  (Stories of the Pilgrims is one of our family favorites!)




Friday, June 20, 2014

Free Shipping on all orders over $75.00 from Library and Educational Services!

Library and Educational Services is offering free shipping on all orders over $75.00 until June 30th. They have a wonderful selection of amazingly discounted books, so this is a great deal!

From their newsletter:
As a small, Christian wholesale company, we consistently offer everythingeverything, not just a few select items—yes, everything we carry at tremendous discounts of at least 30% and usually much higher.
We also offer some hard-to-find resources that most retailers do not offer. We invite you to do a price comparison on your order and see if you save money on average. Let us know what you find.
 So when we do offer to pay the shipping on your order, it is a BIG, SPECIAL (and rare) SALE!
For the next 10 days, we will pay your economy shipping for any U.S. order of books, CDs, and DVDs over $75.00.
 L.E.S. sells to libraries, schools (including homeschools), resellers, specialty stores, churches, missionaries, daycare centers, and ministry leaders. An account is required to shop with them, but it is free and simple to set one up and well worth it!

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

The Literature of Honor for Boys

Two very helpful book lists from Cindy at Ordo Amoris:


Last month we learned that we are failing to give our boys a reason to learn. We learned that boys are motivated by honor and that our society has left them without hope. We also learned that one antidote to the problem may be using great literature to motivate our sons to pursue honor. But what books should they read?  I recently asked a group of longtime homeschooling mothers, women I highly respect, what books they recommended. The following is what I gleaned from raising my own sons and also the suggestions of these moms. I have broken the list down into 3 parts: fiction, poetry, and biographies. Click here to read the rest.
I often get questions about good picture books for younger children and I notice that my choices are usually archaic in the sense that new authors and new stories have flooded the market. This list will reflect the books that my boys loved when they were little about last Friday.  I will try and stick to books that meet our theme of illustrating honor and not just books that we loved. Click here to read the rest. 

Monday, June 9, 2014

Homeschool with Pinterest (for the Organized & Unorganized Alike)

From Amy at Raising Arrows:
I know Pinterest isn’t for everyone.  I know some people can’t help but get lost there and never use anything they pin.  I know for some people, it could spell a colossal waste of time.  But, for me, it has helped my homeschooling efforts tremendously!  It is like a great big network of homeschoolers sharing resources so I can be a better homeschooler!
Click here to read the rest 

Friday, June 6, 2014


"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."  ~ Dr. Seuss


Children's Picture Books

From Vintage Novels:
Let's talk about picture books! A few months ago, two friends asked me if I could recommend any good picture books for children. They explained that it seemed many picture books today are either badly written, badly drawn, or both. I sat down and soon came up with this quick list--missing many classics, no doubt, but containing all our favourites, and some others I've heard recommended:
Click here to read the list

Monday, June 2, 2014

Free or Cheap Audible Audio Books!

Excellent tips on utilizing Audible and getting the best bang for your buck from Simply Convivial:
There are a handful of classics that you can get for free on Audible (professional, high-quality, $30-or-more recordings) if you first buy the Kindle version, including the free copy. Seeing as how I love audio books and prefer the high-quality recordings of Audible (all digital, no scratched library CDs, with good sound quality), I thought I’d share the links to the deals that I had to scrounge for.
Click here to read the rest 

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Reading to Your Children May Be More Important Than You Think

From Kelly Crawford at Generation Cedar
Home was once the place where hearts could be filled with “good treasure”, and reading played a significant part in that. Good literature was an integral part of the Christian home and the formation of character depended much on parents reading and instilling the love of reading in their children.If we relinquish our commitment to intentionally form the mind and hearts of our children toward what is good and noble, we give it to someone else–other influences and voices fighting for their allegiance.