Beth's Library - Book List
Let me introduce you to some of my best friends…
Sometimes I can't wait to read a much-coveted book (books are like chocolate that way) and I just have to buy it! I thought it would be cool to provide you with instant gratification by becoming an Amazon.com affiliate and installing direct links to Amazon for all of our library's book titles.
Alas, not all cravings can be satiated quickly (Amazon ships in 24 hours!), so for all out-of-print books Amazon will try to find it for you through their many affiliates that deal in rare books. Don't despair; someone out there has it for sale!
And, last but certainly not least, is the autodidact's true ace, inter-library loan! If you don't mind a wait, order the book through your library's inter-library loan program. If you don't know how to order an ILL, read my succinct (ha!) explanation on this same page under inter-library loan.
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HOMESCHOOLING
Home Grown Kids: A Practical Handbook for Teaching Your Children at Home, Raymond and Dorothy Moore
Dr. Moore, a developmental psychologist, and his wife, Dorothy are foremost authorities in the homeschooling community on the subject of delayed academics and late reading. This delightful book addresses the psychological development of children and how to parent at each stage with home education in mind. I love the way that this book dovetails with Elkind's book on hurried children and Liedloff's book about the parenting practices of the Yequana Indians of South America. The Moores patiently demonstrate a simple consistent plan for instilling in children responsibility, self-esteem and creativity. Follow their work to lay the proper foundation for your self-directed learner.
Better Than School, Nancy Wallace
A delightful story of a homeschooling family living in New York, this book will not fail to inspire you as you read of their struggle to pull their son, Ishmael, out of public school so that he might actualize his potential as a creative, bright boy. The children are inventive and demonstrate through their daily lives the type of self-directed learning that is possible when homeschooling is tailored to fit the needs and abilities of the children themselves. I found their approach to musical training particularly moving (they befriended John Holt and played music with him often).
Homeschooling For Excellence Nicki and David Colfax
I read this story when Octavian was still very young and couldn't imagine such success! After the Colfax's three boys were accepted to Harvard the Colfaxes wrote this story of their homeschooling experiences. Relying on lots of hands-on learning through the construction of their homestead, their children read widely and followed their interests to a prestigious end. They were a sensation when this book was first published, back in the day. Now, we who benefit from the pioneering of parents like David and Nicki enjoy favorable articles in Time magazine touting the superior test scores of homeschooled children and the fact that colleges love such self-directed learners.
The Simplicity of Homeschooling, Vicki Goodchild
This book is the only guide to homeschooling that I loan to newbies. It is full of wonderful information about different teaching methods such as conventional textbook, delayed academics, unschooling, and unit study method. Describing what she calls a "learning lifestyle," Goodchild weaves stories of her family's success into an educational method that seems to combine the best of all of the above. She favors the use of "living books" ala Charlotte Mason rather than dry textbooks because good literature stimulates creativity and a passion for life. I love the way that she legitimizes the hard play-work of children and their instinctive desire to learn about the world. She doesn't shrink from addressing the considerable needs of teen homeschoolers and provides excellent resources for documenting their work in preparation for college. She includes a resource section of organizations, publications, books and others for homeschooling. I am confident that Goodchild communicates my own homeschooling style with simple descriptions and stimulating stories.
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