Thursday, March 1, 2007

Homeschool Tag

I have been tagged by DevilDogWife

1) One homeschooling book you have enjoyed.
I really like anything by the Raymond and Dorthy Moore. They have really helped me to realize that I do not have to rush my children through learning.

2) One resource you wouldn’t be without.
I know I should say the Bible, but honestly, I don't use this in homeschooling as much as I should. I guess I would say my blogging friends. They have been an invaluable resource when it comes to homeschooling support and information.

3) One resource you wish you had never purchased.
Almost EVERYTHING! I wish I had read the Moores MUCH earlier. I wasted a lot of money buying a lot of educational "toys" and flash cards and such that my children have never really used and I feel it was just a waste of money. Instead, I could be teaching them REAL life things with REAL life sized things (why shouldn't they use a measuring cup and a baking pan and bake a real cake we can all enjoy?!?! :)

4) One resource you enjoyed last year.
TEACH magazine (this has to be THE BEST magazine out there!!!)

5) One resource you will be using next year.
I really want to start using more real life things. I think we will be doing a lot more field research (like going out and looking at birds and finding out what kind they are, discovering what wild plants are edible, and also discovering what herbs are good for medicine - like making poultices out of and taking internally too).

6) One resource you would like to buy.
I would really like to have some field guides. OH, and a telescope. A NICE telescope.

7) One homeschooling catalog you enjoy reading. ????
Right now I am reading through the old out of print catalog The Elijah Company (thank you Nancy!!!) You can buy it online. It is really geared towards someone in the early stages of homeschooling from what I can tell so far. But I also LOVE looking through Rainbow Resource. GREAT prices and so much STUFF I want!! :)

8.) One homeschooling (educational) website you use regularly.
Hmmmm. I really like No Greater Joy. They have some great homeschooling articles which are a great reminder. And I really was encouraged by their Homeschooling Ideas CD. I also really like Homeschooling is Life. VERY motivational and encouraging articles there. In fact, she recently posted a poem which is really encouraging! She schools the way I want to. :) I also use Charlotte Mason. And there is a GREAT yahoo group about the Moore Formula as well as Christian Unschooling. While we do NOT unschool, we do use a lot of the principles and methods. I like to call what we do relaxed homeschooling. I find Christian unschoolers usually school the way I want to compared to non-Christian unschoolers who are much more relaxed and liberal with their children than I feel God would have us be. Not all, it is a generality.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

There's a gray area between unschooling and non-unschooling homeschooling.

Paula said...

YES, that is true. That is why I would call what we are doing relaxed homeschooling. It takes a few of the principles of unschooling but is NOT unschooling by the true sense of the word. :)

Heather @ Marine Corps Nomads said...

We enjoy a more relaxed homeschooling as well. We do have some "formal" schooling, but most things come from every day life.

I enjoyed reading your response.

Anonymous said...

Elijah Company puts out a great catalog BUT is it right to pretend that Chris and Ellen's divorce didn't happen? Maybe if they explained--but hiding it doesn't seem right.