Reviews (22)

Wonderful but Better With Power Chinese
This is one of the most underrated of all the Behind the Wheel courses I have reviewed.
Excellent!CD 1 and Beyond
The 'good' doesn't stop with CD1.It's just beginning.
Good for listening comprehension and practice
This audio set is very useful for getting an idea of how things are pronounced natively, and some slight variations on those pronunciations. However, it would not be a good idea to start here, as it relies heavily on memory. However, a good accompanying set to any books and courses.
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Subjects:  1. Audio - Language    2. Chinese    3. Foreign Language Study / Chinese    4. Home Schooling    5. Audio-visual aids    6. Audiobooks    7. Chinese language    8. Foreign Language Study    9. Mandarin    10. Self-instruction    11. Sound recordings for English speakers    12. Study and teaching   

Reviews (32)

A must-have!
This ancient times activity guide is absolutely a must-have to go along with the ancient times book!It is just full of SO MUCH MORE than you can imagine!Maps, hands-on activities, book suggestions...it will truly bring to life the history from the reader!I cannot imagine using one without the other...I can see where the ancient times books might not feel so "full" without the activity guide!It is well-worth the price and you will be thrilled at how easy it is to use, how much your children will enjoy it and how much you will all learn as a family!

Useful activities
The activities in this book are very helpful for teaching ancient history. I would not limit yourself to these activities but use them as a springboard to try other things as well. When you don't have the time or inclination to do anything else then no worries you are set with this book. The activities can stand-alone and provide a superb hands on history experience.

A great resource
As someone who sometimes find it is a bit intimidating to teach history in an exciting, interesting way and as someone who is concerned that my young children 'won't get it'; this is a great resource.
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Subjects:  1. Activity programs    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. Education, Elementary    5. History, Ancient    6. Home Schooling    7. Preschool & Kindergarten    8. Study and teaching (Elementary)    9. Teaching Methods & Materials - Social Science    10. Fiction    11. Primary / junior schools    12. Sociology, Social Studies   

Features

• Unabridged
• Audiobook
• Unabridged

Reviews (2)

Very convenient "teaching" tool
My 12 year old son loves listening to the CD.He doesn't even consider it school work and I would guess that he is learning a whole lot more than he would from a text book.It is a wonderful overview of history.

My eight year old really enjoyed this
and details about the medaeval world have filtered through his conversation ever since he listened to it.He also begged me to buy the next series. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    2. Children's Audio - 9-12    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Education    5. General    6. History - General    7. Home Schooling    8. Juvenile Nonfiction    9. Juvenile Nonfiction / History / General   

Reviews (15)

Good, with some caveats
I wanted to rate this 3.5 stars
A Homework Program for the Most Challenging Children and Teens
(From Dean R. Garrison, author of "Ending the Homework Wars")
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Before I read this book, I planned and spent my afternoons and evenings around my daughter's elementary school homework, keeping me from having time with the rest of my family.I spend countless hours asking her study questions, definitions, and checking her work.I hovered to make sure she "got it right".I used the Internet to brush up on concepts and topics that SHE was to be learning.Now I realize that by taking control of her homework, I was not allowing her to be responsible for it; I was sending the message that she couldn't handle the responsiblity on her own.Boy was I wrong!Now, although her grades are not perfect, they are HERS alone and she has earned them.Talk about boosting self-esteem!And I am now free to spend time with my family instead of re-learing mode, median and range!Thank you Mr. Rosemond! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Child Care/Parenting    2. Education    3. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    4. Home Schooling    5. Homework    6. Life Stages - Infants & Toddlers/Toddlers    7. Parent and child    8. Parent participation    9. Parents And Education    10. United States    11. Family & Relationships / General   

Reviews (154)

Excellent resource...
After reading through zillions of homeschool books and websites-this book finally gave me what I feel is a great base to start from and recommends some other great books that I cannot wait to get.
This book changed my life
As a SAHM with 8 children (college sophomore down to 2 yrs), I'd considered homeschooling now and again. I'd never felt compelled to actually begin homeschooling, however, until now.One of my children had to withdraw from public school (health issues), and thus began my real search for an appropriate curriculum.I read a number of books detailing different philosophies, but this was the first one that when I read it, I felt that I couldn't possibly send my children back to public school.
great reference
this book is a great reference for home schooling
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Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Education, Humanistic    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Home Schooling    6. Parent Participation    7. United States   

Reviews (13)

A Good Read For Parents
This is a good book for parents not just those with toddlers and preschoolers. It gives insight into the montessori method and really shows you the interelationship between how a child deveopls intellectually and physically. I wish that I had gotten it earlier because it has good insights into toddlerhood - tantrums and all. My son is 21/2 and we are hoping to send him to pre-school in September, so we wanted to get a guideline so to speak about what we should be looking for and the best kind of learning at his age. Also we were looking for new ways to engage him, so I'm anxious to try out the activities. He's in the 'I want to be independent stage' and after reading the book I have adopted some of its advice on how to help him acheive this. All in all I would say its a good buy, quite informative.

Excellent Montessori resource for the home
I was looking for a good way to teach my preschool son at home using some elements of the Montessori method.However, I wanted to go at my own pace and in a relaxed way.If you need a more regimented and structured Montessori method at home read Elizabeth Hainstock's books.Leslie Britton's book is well-written, concise and hits all the main points.I really like the games and activities designed for children from two to six.I am able to pick and choose and with home materials to teach my son at home.My son is two so he's only able to participate in a few exercises.Can't recommend it enough.

Excellent tool for parents of pre-school age kids
Montessori school can be unbelieveably expensive (approx. 500 dollars per 8 week sessions, and that's just half days!), and your child has to be "approved" in most institutions. Based on the teaching of Maria Montessori, it is designed to help toddlers and young children learn in five simple steps: observation, participation, practice, "eureka" movement, and performance. This learning process can help youngsters be well ahead of the game by the time they go into Kindergarten. While a Montessori school can help give your kids interaction withkids of all ages, you can still apply this method of learning in the home, as Montessori pointed out: "Parents are still the child's first and most important teachers".Read more

Subjects:  1. Activities    2. Aids and devices    3. Child Care/Parenting    4. Education    5. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    6. Handbooks, manuals, etc    7. Home Schooling    8. Methods Of Instruction In Early Childhood Education    9. Montessori method of education    10. Play    11. Teaching    12. Family & Relationships / Education   

Reviews (13)

excellent book
I've read a lot of homeschooling books in planning for my children's education. This book is a parent's dream! It truly helps you plan from the bottom up, apply thought to aspects of homeschooling that are not considered by other books. It would be the first book I recommend to anyone if they are thinking about homeschooling, just starting homeschooling, or even have been homeschooling for a while and need a good curriculumteaching resource.
THE book I have been looking for as a beginner!
I've read a lot of homeschooling books in planning for my children's education and I learned something from each one, whether I liked the book or not! This book, however, is a planner's dream! It truly has you plan from the bottom up, applying thought to aspects of homeschooling that I had not previously considered.
Cathy Duffy's popular homeschool picks
This is well organized, clearly written. Her criteria is clearly stated & she writes unpretensiously. I thought it was a great referance book. Especially since she gave great reviews for the KONOS curriculum. Actually, everything that I own she reviewed with great reviews. I think you would buy this book to have a guide on hand before you make future purchases. :) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Curricula    2. Curriculum planning    3. Education    4. Home Schooling    5. Parent participation    6. Religion - Christian Education - Home Schooling    7. United States   

Reviews (30)

very helpful
This book was extremely helpful in creating a curriculum for my 2 children. They are both in special classes and do not follow grade to grade curriculum. This book allowed me to customize a curriculum for each of their individual needs. It was helpful and gave many ideas, websites, etc. I do have to say some of the websites were gone, but only a few.

About the best book you'll find on the subject
First off, I should say that I believe it is a shame that there even has to be a home schooling movement. It takes the student away from a potentially excellent socializing institution and one that theoretically at least is at the foundations of the ideas behind a democratic country where education is open to all.Nowadays, People live in barricaded, guarded communities so as to avoid crime. This might achieve its purpose, but some how one's humanity may be lost in the process. Home schooling can be a reasonalbe response to an even worse situation--the deterioration of public school education, so I can't fault the movement. But how about improving the schools. Are homeschoolers top afraid of venture out of doors? That to me is the hidden message and children pick up on such things quickly. That said, if you are going to homeschool your children, this book offers a good blueprint on planning and organizing your own curriculum.It is neither reductionist or too technical.It can serve as a teaching aide, but in the end, the individual parent must be savvy and sophisticated enough to take the responsibility and develop the expertise to know a good education from a bad one.I would have liked to see some information on the transition from home schooling to college.Perhaps there are other books that address this important issue.As a former college professor, I became so outraged by college practices, particularly the way they rip off parents and students, that I started a website about it: www.inthetext.com.It offers hints on what goes on behind the scenes of academe and what you can do about it.Good luck.
Great Resource!!!
THis book has been a life saver in the very tedious job of designing a curriculum for home schooling. It is very well organized and provides wonderful references. Bravo!
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Subjects:  1. Curricula    2. Curriculum planning    3. Education    4. Education / Teaching    5. Experimental Methods    6. Handbooks, manuals, etc    7. Home Schooling    8. United States    9. Education / Home Schooling   

Reviews (10)

Fine Arts of this book only
This book was recommended to study for the CSET test for teacher licensing. I only bought this book to study for the Fine Arts and Music Section of the test. It is very easy to read, however, it is not a revised book like for grades 1 to 4. The reason I say this is because in the visual arts section, the paintings are not in color. I had difficulty trying to understand the lingo of art without seeing the color. Plus I am not a fan of art.
A great basic for adding to your child's education at home
I found this book and all of the Core Knowledge Series books to be very helpful.They allow parents to see what their child should be getting in each grade and add to the classroom education at home if needed. These books are full of common sense!My daughter has been in public elementary school as well as a private Episcopal Day School and the books are helpful in both circumstances.

Absolutely Essential!
This book has completely educated me on what my eleven-year old son needs to know for his 6th year.I have read the book and can say that if everyone in the country knew everything in this book we would all be better off.As a matter of fact, I know very few adults that know one quarter of what is in this book.This has motivated me to add this to my son's daily routine.We work it together and have wonderful mom-son time alone.A book you can't do without! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Curricula    2. Curriculum planning    3. Education    4. Elementary    5. Elementary education    6. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    7. Home Schooling    8. Parenting - General    9. Sixth grade (Education)    10. United States    11. Education / Home Schooling   

Reviews (79)

Wonderful history book!
This is a "living book" for history at its best!Naturally it cannot contain EVERYTHING one might want in an ancient times history text, it does a WONDERFUL job of bringing history to life for children ages 6-12!I was unsure about this series at first, but once we got into the 1st book, we were hooked!We added some other resources into our study (to fill-in some gaps) and also used the activities book that is available.All-in-all, this is a nice, solid anicient history book for children and while it won't fit all families, it was exactly what we were looking for.:o)

I really, really wanted to love this book!
I really wanted to love this book.I was seeking an engaging survey of ancient history told in an accessible manner for young children.While it partially accomplished that goal, the book had a number of flaws.
Great History Curriculum
This curriculum has wonderful craft and activity ideas to go along with each chapter.The lessons are short and interesting.It is simple enough for very young children to enjoy, but plenty of material is provided for older students to dig deeper and do work on their own. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. Education    3. Education / Teaching    4. Home Schooling    5. Study & Teaching    6. Teaching Methods & Materials - Social Science    7. Education / Home Schooling   

Reviews (18)

Perfect guide for getting started!
My 7-year-old and 2-year-old have gone to Montessori school since they were babies, so when I recently decided to quit working and keep the 2-year-old home with me for a couple of years, I immediately sought out this book to help me prepare my home classroom.It has been wonderful for getting started.I can see though that I will eventually need more in-depth Montessori instruction manuals so I can fully understand how to introduce and teach using the more advanced Montessori materials.But this book was excellent for teaching the basics!

Great place to start when looking to homeschool a preschooler
I originally checked this book out from the library, and I appreciated the information so much I ordered a copy for myself.I am investigating homeschooling my 4 year old, and I wanted to get some information on hands-on, child-friendly teaching methods.This is a great beginning.This book has several chapters of narrative, that cover all areas of education (literacy, math, science, fine and gross motor skills), followed by many pages of how-to instructions on making the materials and supplies needed to teach in Montessori style.I was very excited by this book, and felt that it really equipped me to teach my 4 year old self-care, independence skills as well as furthering her knowledge of letters, numbers, and the world around her.

Good, but lacking just a little
This was a very good and very easy to read and use book. However I found that it fell just a little short and needed more. I do recommend it though. Especially if you don't really want a lenghty read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Education, Preschool    4. Experimental Methods    5. Home Schooling    6. Montessori method of education    7. Parent participation    8. Preschool education    9. Specific Teaching Methods    10. Child care & upbringing    11. Education / Teaching Methods & Materials / General    12. Educational systems    13. Teaching skills & techniques   

Subjects:  1. Curricula    2. Curriculum planning    3. Education    4. Education / Teaching    5. Elementary    6. Elementary School Curricula    7. Fifth grade (Education)    8. Home Schooling    9. Parent Participation    10. Religion - Christian Education - Home Schooling    11. United States    12. Education / Home Schooling   

Reviews (3)

Life Changing. Should be in Every Homeschool Library!
I bought this book because it was suggested by a friend to check for any learning gaps. HOWEVER, I got much more. I came away in awe! I learned how badly I needed to renew my mind regarding education. Mrs. Sampson explains in easy to understand language how many homeschoolers begin on the right path-wanting to teach their children how to be godly- but leave this path due to fear.
A Must for Christian Homeschoolers!
I bought this book after hearing several homeschoolers tell me how it drastically changed their teaching for the better.
A neccesary resource for homeschooling!
I purchased this book after discovering another book by the same author, titled: "A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays."This book was such an inspiration to me and helped me to re-evaluate my curriculum choices.For fans of Charlotte Mason and Ruth Beechick, this is a must read!For everyone else considering homeschooling, this book will introduce you to a God-centered method of educating your children, while ensuring you have guidelines to meet state educational standards at the same time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Education - Children & Youth    2. Education    3. Home Schooling    4. Religion - Youth Issues    5. Achievement tests    6. Curricula    7. Religious education    8. United States   

Reviews (18)

Really Great College Guide!
I wondered why this text hasn't been updated since 2005, but it would be a difficult book to briefly update every year, and I'm sure the information is accurate still (in October 2006).It's a great interesting book.I wasn't looking at any of these colleges for my students but I literally read this book cover to cover.It provided me with information that allowed me to better understand the top schools.There were schools I would definitely recommend to my students and others I would never even think of recommending now.
great resource for college bound students
Of all the college information books i have read this one has been the most helpful.I strongly suggest it to any student interested in any of these "top schools".The student perspective gives much deeper insight into what life is like on campus.This book helped me rule out some schools i was considering, and also gave me a different view of schools i wasn't very interested in before.

My college admissionssavior
I am a junior in high school currently, and this has been my BIBLE for the year.It is clearly well-researched, well-edited, and very well-informed.It is from a perspective of current students, which is excellent because I am personally too shy to talk to random people on-campus when I'm visiting the actual colleges.While it does not cover every aspect of every college, it makes no claim that it does so and it certainly gets closer than any other college guide.I didn't buy any other college books, because it has been so helpful to me in my searches.This book has served multiple purposes for me: for one thing, it opened my eyes to some places that I thought I wouldn't want to look at, but which I'm now thinking I'd like to visit.For another thing, I always read it after I get back from a college visit, to compare what I saw to what other people who actually attend say about it, to see if what I was seeing was a fairly accurate representation of the school.I love the fact that I can read through three different student reviews and see which one would be the most like me--it is so helpful when weighing schools to be able to compare onesself to the actual students.This book has lessened the stress of applying to college immensely, and I recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone starting out on the Great College Search. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. College Guides    2. Directories    3. Home Schooling    4. Institutions Of Higher Education    5. Reference    6. Research    7. United States    8. Universities and colleges    9. Education / Reference   

Reviews (2)

Excellent, and nothing quite like it
This book is smart.It is practical and helpful.Besides offering many great ideas on writing coherant paragraphs, it becomes an excellent aid to brainstorming.My only gripe is that there is no bibliography for reference and further study, and no references to recommended paragraphs by other writers.Still, I know of no book quite like this.I'm glad I bought it.

For aspiring authors of all ages & backgrounds
A Writer's Guide To Powerful Paragraphs by Victor C. Pellegrino is a straightforward, easy-to-understand how-to guide to improving the quality of one's writing, one paragraph at a time. Aspiring writers are provided with thirty different but effective ways to organize and write competent paragraphs, including paragraphs focused on chronology, physical or process analysis, classification, enumeration, cause and effect, dialogue, anecdotes, introductions, conclusions, transitions, and a great deal more. Highly recommended and quite "user friendly", A Writer's Guide To Powerful Paragraphs is a superbly organized and presented supplement for aspiring authors of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels ranging from the high school novice, through community college and university level writing assignments, to professional contract and free-lance authors. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult & Continuing Education    2. Children's 12-Up - Language Arts    3. Children's Books/Young Adult Misc. Nonfiction    4. Composition & Creative Writing - Academic    5. Composition & Creative Writing - General    6. English language    7. Home Schooling    8. Language    9. Language Arts & Disciplines    10. Language Experience Approach    11. Paragraphs    12. Writing Skills   

Reviews (3)

The master of modern homeschooling
Don't read my review.Buy the book and read it instead.If you only ever puchase one book on home education, then let it be this one.John Holt is simply the best.

How People Learn
Do you remember what they taught you at school? Me neither. I learned to read very early on, mostly at home, and I still remember some math, but only because I balance my checkbook and know when I'm getting correct change at the market. All those years, isolated from the real world in the artificial environment of school, sitting at a desk all day with 30 of my same age peers, how was I to learn about what an actual life in the world is like, or about what I wanted to do with mine? I remember learning to take tests. Now I never take them. A lot of it was pleasant enough, some of it was not, most of it was boring, and somehow I never noticed that I was mostly wasting my time. A treatise from the "granddaddy" of homeschooling
In this unofficial treatise for the homeschooling movement, John Holt, longtime private school teacher, maintains that the traditional classroom model no longer works and may, in fact, ruin kids for learning. He exhortsparents to challenge the conventional wisdom and be their children'steachers. You don't need to be a homeschooler to benefit from Holt's books;you simply need to care about children and education and to have uttered,if only once, "There's got to be a better way." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Home Schooling    4. Parenting - General    5. Advice on education    6. Parenting & Childcare   

Reviews (29)

Good source for thinking about your further education
I am very happy with this book.It has given me food for thought about where I would like to take my desire for lifelong learning.

The Classics Wait Patiently
One need not be a college graduate with a skimpy acquaintance with the Great Books to appreciate how to read them.In THE WELL-EDUCATED MIND, Susan Wise Bauer outlines the reasons why "classic" has unfortunately become synonymous with "hard" or at worst "boring." The key, Bauer asserts relentlessly, is a mindset that has evolved from a state of non-caring to caring such that dedication to reading becomes paramount.Reading, she notes, has several levels of discipline.To read a novel that is plot driven, say anything by Steven King, need not be anything more involved that skipping from word to word, looking for plot connected details.Unfortunately, for the reader who aspires to tackle the Great Ideas, such cursory reading skills will simply not do. Bauer demands much of the serious reader. Such a reader must learn How to Read, a process that involves actively coming to terms with the author. She urges one to underline, take notes, ask questions of oneself or with the absent author.How can one pass judgment on a work unless one first understands that work?Bauer sets up strategies for reading and ultimately evaluating all the genres that typically constitute what classicists term Great Ideas. She confronts the obstacles inherent in making sense of histories, novels, autobiographies, drama, and poetry. Bauer begins each genre with a series of exercises that differ more in degree than in form.With each genre, she wishes the serious reader to grasp the essentials of that particular genre.For novels, Bauer suggests that one connect the general ideas of prose with the specifics of that prose work: plot, character, theme, setting, and symbolism come to mind.For autobiography, one must first grasp how the concept of "self" has evolved from Augustine's CONFESSIONS to Malcolm X's autobiography. What did that self-chronicler know about himself or the times in which he wrote?Such a daring and daunting task becomes less daring and daunting when the serious reader asks questions of himself that the autobiographer asks of himself. And for drama and poetry, Bauer insists that the best reading comes only with a pen in one's hand as one reads and searches for a meaning that is denied to all those unwilling to treat the ideas in the work as unworthy of seriouseffort.
An O.K. starting place
One day in a bookstore I came across both this book and Baur's "The Well-Trained Mind," and looked through both of them. Later I went to the library and pulled this book off the shelf to get a better idea.
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Subjects:  1. Best books    2. Books & Reading    3. Books And Reading    4. Education    5. General    6. History and criticism    7. Home Schooling    8. Literature    9. Literature - Classics / Criticism    10. Reading    11. Literary reference works    12. Literary studies: general   

Reviews (2)

What a wonderful program!
We have decided to homeschool our son.We are not fanatics, this is just the best option for our family.That being said, I really wanted my son to have a structured preschool experience.I am so glad that I found this curriculum!I am so impressed!What wonderful ideas Ms. Shaw has put in it!The layout and daily plan has really been thought through.There is just the right amount of content and time spent on each subject for the short attention span of children this age.Each day, there is Bible, a themed topic from God's World (My Birthday, Birds, Communication, Insects, Food, Five Senses, etc) - this topic is continued all week, Language Skills, Physical Education, Math, Art or Music (alternate days), Health, Safety & Manners or Character Building (alternate days), a Memory Verse and snackThis truly is a wonderful program for children of the 3-5 age range.A complete listing of topics covered can be found on the Bright Beginnings website.http://www.bright-beginnings.net There is a yahoo group for users of this curriculumhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bright_Beginnings/ Take good care and enjoy!

All you need in two books to teach your preschooler
I wish I had BRIGHT BEGINNINGS when my children were preschoolers! I'm a home schooling mother of six, whose oldest, completely home schooled, child graduated last year from high school.I have a masters degree in school psychology and am familiar with many home school curricula.
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Subjects:  1. Curricula    2. Education    3. Home Schooling    4. Preschool & Kindergarten    5. Religion - Christian Education - Home Schooling    6. Religion - Educational Resources