I must confess I’ve not read many books on homeschooling, partially because I was homeschooled myself, loved it, and had a great experience, so I never went through a “research” phase to determine if it was something I wanted to do or not.
But this time of year I am deeply thinking and planning about our upcoming academic year, and I find myself returning to some books again and again, as well as discovering some new favorites.
One book that I read almost annually is Sarah Mackenzie’s Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakeable Peace. This is a slim volume that is full of wisdom, encouragement, and practical suggestions. This book introduced me to loop scheduling, using a “time budget,” and choosing a literary mentor to guide my reading through the year.
I’m currently really loving the influence of Cindy Rollins. First, I read her book Mere Motherhood: Morning Times, Nursery Rhymes, and My Journey Towards Sanctification. It’s really more of a memoir than anything else, but filled with so much goodness that includes what she did right–and wrong–told in a conversational way with a side of sarcasm. I’ve also become a Patron of her podcast, and am literally sitting down and taking notes of the exclusive content I’ve received by joining here.
Know and Tell: The Art of Narration by Karen Glass is a book I wish had been written several years ago when I was just starting this homeschool journey. It has cleared up all my questions having children narrate (“tell back”) the material that is read to them (or they read) either orally or in written form. Since my boys struggled so much with reading/writing due to dyslexia we have not been consistent in this area, but this book has helped me as I plan for this year. There is even a chapter on narrations and learning challenges, so there is much to consider in this wonderful book. I will also be implementing some of the content from the “narration in the classroom” chapter in my co-op class this year.
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