Enter for a Chance To Win Homepreschool and Beyond

Home Educating Family Magazine has posted a review of my book, Homepreschool and Beyond on their review website. Hop on over, read the review, and enter for a chance to win one of two copies of Homepreschool and Beyond. Good luck!

~Susan

New Review of Homepreschool and Beyond/How You Can WIN a Copy

I am very excited to announce a new review of Homepreschool and Beyond.  Along with the review is a chance for you to win one of two copies for FREE! Read the review and find out how to enter on the wonderful blog, Generation Cedar.  If you have never taken the time to visit Generation Cedar, you are in for a treat! Enjoy, and good luck!

~Susan

New Review of Homepreschool and Beyond

Here is another review of Homepreschool and Beyond from Education Cafe. There are also some good links to other articles and sites included.

~Susan

Method Review: Before Five in a Row

        Before Five in a Row: A treasury of creative ideas to inspire learning readiness is a great resource for families who would like a little more “specific” help homepreschooling their very young children (those not ready for themes or unit studies).

        Before Five in a Row  is not a curriculum or an intensive “readiness” (i.e. formal academic) program; it does not concentrate on teaching A, B, C’s or 1, 2, 3’s (and rightly so; after all, Before Five in a Row is intended for children ages 2-4–I think it’s best for age 2-3.) Instead, Before Five in a Row uses the best in children’s literature to get preschoolers talking, thinking, playing and learning via relating to their favorite picture books. And once preschoolers get talking, thinking and playing, their learning really does take off. To quote from the introduction of Before Five in a Row, “This series of little ‘lessons’ was created especially to bring enjoyment to children ages two through four. The point is not so much to instruct or teach as it is have a happy introduction to books, provide an interesting, light introduction to many different topics, and to build intimacy between the  reader and the child. The topical subject headings are only to suggest in what areas these activities might lay a foundation for academic subject to be encountered by your child on later grades.”

        Before Five in a Row  offers ideas and activities that lay foundations in the areas of Bible, art, language arts, cognitive skills (noticing/talking about colors, patterns, shapes, sequencing, problem solving, etc); drama, literature, poetry and art; noticing order and detail;  science, games, math, etc all in a developmentally appropriate/fun way. Before Five in a Row uses classic picture books such as Caps for Sale, Blueberries for Sal, Angus Lost, and Corduroy as the basis for its “lessons” (24 books in all.) Many of the “lessons” are simply observing things about the book or its characters through conversation. This can be done during the time of the reading, or later—whenever “life” relates to the lessons of the book, or whenever the book is re-read (these books are so good that your preschoolers will want to hear them over and over!)

How Before Five in a Row Differs from Five in a Row

    First of all, Five in a Row is a “curriculum” (unit study/literature approach) for ages 4-8.  Five in a Row gets its name from the fact that you read each picture book every day for five days; thus the title, “Five in a Row.” After the daily reading, you proceed to do one or more of the activities suggested in the curriculum—you pick and choose the activities depending on the age, attention span, and abilities of your children. But Before Five in a Row doesn’t work that way. It does not encourage you to read the same book each day for five days in a row. The suggested activities are not intended to be used all in one week, either. Instead, they are meant to be used as a natural part of life during the reading and subsequent readings of the books.

Even More About Before Five in a Row  

        The first half of the book includes the books and activities, while the second half of the book includes a “treasury of creative ideas for learning readiness.” It includes activities in the areas of reading readiness, music, coordination, activities for the bathroom and kitchen, the arts, and more.

 My Thoughts

        Before Five in a Row is a good introduction to the literature approach for parents of very young children. The second half of the book is a good reference of basic activities. This book would be especially helpful for parents of 2-3 year olds who need a little help figuring out how to pull learning activities/conversations out of picture books.

        If you would like more activity/play/unit study ideas for preschoolers, check out my tabs, archives, and especially Homepreschool and Beyond.   

© 2011 Susan Lemons all rights reserved.  Copyrighted materials may not be re-distributed or re-posted without express permission from the author.

The Old Schoolhouse’s Review of Homepreschool and Beyond

     I’m excited to announce that The Old Schoolhouse magazine has included a review of my book, Homepreschool and Beyond, in it’s latest issue.  Amy M. O’Quinn gave a very positive review, stating that Homepreschool and Beyond is “a resource that is sure to become a handbook for home preschool education for years to come.” You can read the review for yourself HERE.

~Susan

A New Review of My Book, Homepreschool and Beyond

        I am happy to announce another review of my book, “Homepreschool and Beyond.”  Check it out on the Homegrown Mommy blog, HERE.  Thanks, Jennifer!

        ~Susan

New Review of Homepreschool and Beyond, and Another Chance to Win My Book!

     I have been blessed to have Jolanthe of Homeschool Creations read and review my book, Homepreschool and Beyond: A Comprehensive Guide to Early Home Education.  You can read her review HERE. 

     Best of all, Jolanthe is offering you a chance to win one of my books.  Simply go to her blog, read her review, then come back here and explore my blog.   Find the answer to her question and then go back to her blog and place a comment under the review.  That will be your entry.  You can enter two times, and we will be giving away two books, so that you get a better chance of winning.   Good luck!

       ~Susan

Generations Radio Interview

      Ever wonder what I sound like?  I’m sure it won’t be what you imagine.  But if you’d like to know, you can listen to me on Generations Radio. 

    I was blessed to be interviewed this week by Kevin Swanson, a Pastor, author, leader in the homeschool community, and a homeschooling dad. 

    We talk about my book, the advantages of homepreschool versus institutional preschool, building relationships, the importance of conversation, music, and lots more.  You can listen HERE.

     Live the 4R’s!

                     ~Susan

Building Your Home Library

   

     This is (a part of) our home library.  I believe that every home should have books in it.  I always feel sad when I visit a house with no bookshelves in it….the house feels empty somehow…it just doesn’t feel like a home to me.   

   

     We have books in every room of the house (yes, even the bathrooms have books sitting near the potty…perfect for extended “sitting”, LOL.)     

     I like to say that I “decorate” with books.  In fact, I’m so crazy for books that finding room for bookshelves was one of our primary considerations when we purchased our house.  In Educating the Wholehearted Child, Sally Clarkson says that her family falls just short of “book envy and book covetousness.”  I feel the same way!   

   

   Choosing Good Books   

      I have very high standards when it comes to the books that go into our library.  I try to pre-read or at least preview books before they go into our library—especially if I am unfamiliar with the author.  I have a shelf in my room nearly full of books just waiting for me to read and approve (or disapprove—often you can tell just a few pages.)  Some of my standards are unexplainable—who can account for taste?  But some of my standards I can explain—and so I’ll try to do so below.   

     The overall rule for acceptable content in literature comes from the Word of God.  Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”  And Psalm 101:3 says, “I will set before my eyes no vile thing.”   I therefore avoid books with witches, demons, mythology, and other “paranormal” content, as well as books that directly or indirectly contradict our beliefs or “teach” lies (wrong ways of thinking, evolution, wrong attitudes, etc.)  And I ask myself:   

-Does the book present an accurate picture of the character of God?   

-Does the book encourage good morals?  Is sin punished and good behavior rewarded?  Does good triumph over evil?   

-Does the book “teach” a good lesson?   

– Are parents and other authority figures presented in a good light, or made to look “dumb”, cruel, abusive, etc?  Are children written as “misunderstood” by adults?   

-Does the book encourage rebellion?   

-Is the book “twaddle”?    

(A small part of my Landmark collection--you can recognize them by their distinctive spines.)

 -Does it exist simply to sell a product or promote a television show?  Is it based off a movie?  If so, it is probably “twaddle” and not worth the time.   

-Is it something adults enjoy, too?  Something you don’t mind reading over and over?   

-Is the book a “classic” or a “living book”?    

-Does the book leave you “hanging” (feeling as if the story isn’t really finished?  I hate that!)   

-I like books that “swallow me up.”  You know what I mean—books written so well that your imagination takes over, and instead of seeing the print, you only “see” the story.  I also like books that make me think.   

    

-I like books whose characters seem real and have depth (you have to care about what happens to them.)   

Where to Find Your Books    

   If you don’t have lots of money to spend on growing your home library (who does?), you’re going to have to be persistent and patient.  Over the years, we’ve built up our library by scouring yard sales, estate sales, thrift stores, and library book sales.  You can do the same!  (It’s the thrill of the hunt, baby!  If you ever go to a yard sale or book sale and find a Landmark book or a Happy Hollister’s book when you know other collectors came before you somehow missed it, you’ll know what I mean.)  Other sources you might investigate include Yahoo loops that allow “sale days” (where members can post books for sale via the internet), chat groups devoted to buying and selling books, and the old standbys EBay and Amazon, which also sell used books–some for as little as a penny (plus shipping.)  You might consider budgeting for books as part of your homeschool curriculum, which can then be added to you home library.   

Happy Hollisters Books

 Organizing Your Books   

     Why spend all that time and money acquiring a home library if it isn’t organized?  Without organization, you won’t know what you have, and you won’t be able to find what you have when you need it.  I’ve divided my books into categories.  I used to label some of my less “special” (i.e. non-collectable books) using colored tape, stickers, or file labels covered with clear strapping tape (this can damage books, so don’t EVER do this on hard to find/vintage books.) 

This obviously makes the books easier to find and re-shelve.  But now that my children are growing older, I simply shelve books together by subject, and instruct the children to always put them back where they came from.  If they don’t know, they are instructed ask me to put them away.   

     I do shelve some of our books by author—but only the special authors I that I collect (Gene Stratton Porter, Genevieve Foster, Marguerite D’Angeli, Marguerite Henry, C.W. Anderson, etc.)    

     Here are my categories:  One whole bookshelf is devoted to Picture Books, and one is full of Easy Readers (when my children were young, these were divided into sub-categories.)  I also keep chapter books for younger children together (First Chapter Books), and  divide the rest into Middle Literature and Preteen-Adult Literature—some grouped by author.  Additionally, there is a whole shelf devoted to Famous Animal Stories (especially dogs and horses); a full shelf of Missionary Stories; a couple of shelves of Religious books and Reference, a full shelf of Poetry, a full shelf of Eyewitness books, and a shelf for Art, Artists and Architecture.   Holiday books are kept in tubs and placed across the top of the longest wall of shelves (divided by holiday.)  I also keep my Seasonal books up there (summertime, wintertime, etc.)    

      History/Geography is divided into these major categories (these topics have at least one shelf each):   

–General World History; Ancient History; Middle Ages/Renaissance (Kings, Queens, castles, etc);  Geography/Places to Know/Cultures; Early American History (Columbus until Civil War); Civil War/Slavery/Reconstruction; Later American History (approximately from the late 1800’s until the present, excluding the major wars); Wars and Warfare (World Wars, later wars, war craft, weapons, etc); Biographies (some biographies are shelved with their time period—i.e. Lincoln is shelved with the Civil War).  California History shares part of a shelf with the topic, Ships, Sailors and the Sea (pirates, etc).   

     Science is divided up into these major categories (most are only a part of a shelf):  Field guides/General Nature Study; Creation Science/Dinosaurs/Archeology (one shelf); Science Experiments/Microscopes/Disaster Science and Spies share a shelf; Human Body/Medicine (& history of—one full shelf); Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians (one shelf), Insects, Trees and Plants (one shelf); Oceans/Ocean Life (one shelf); Habitats (one shelf); Disaster Science/Weird Science/Spy Technology (one shelf); Science Sets/Reference (one shelf); Space/Astronomy/Weather share a shelf, as do Rocks, Caves, and Volcanoes (earth science); How Things Are Made/How Things Work; Energy, Gravity, Physics, and Technology (engines, machines, inventions—including airplanes, etc).   

 

Book Lists and Books About Books   

       There are many ways to “find” good books.  A good place to start is in homeschool catalogs.  I you see a certain book praised in several different catalogs, it is probably a fairly safe bet. However, even within homeschool catalogs I have found books that I would never want my children to read and some that I felt were a waste of time (twaddle…as I said, I’m very picky.  Additionally, some books fall into another special category—books we don’t read because we find their content objectionable, but for the sake of cultural relevance, we’ll discuss the premise of the book and/or read a summary of it.)    

     Here are my favorite ways to find good quality literature books:   

-Stick to the classics.  It’s disturbing to me that so many of the great classics don’t even appear on book lists nowadays (especially government school book lists.)  It’s better to have a few of the very best books than shelves and shelves of “twaddle”.   

-It’s not always true, but in general, books written before the 1950’s will be less likely to contain offensive material and MORE likely to include references to God or good morals.   

-Learn about the great authors.  Once again, there are exceptions, but in general, when you find an author you like, it’s a good idea to seek out the other books s/he has written.   

-Seek out a mentor/friend who has the same standards as you do, and ask for recommendations.   

My "First Book of" collection

-Use books about books:  A some of the best are:  Honey for a Child’s Heart,  Turning Back the Pages of Time, Books Children Love,  and Who Then Should We Read?   

    There are many others, but these are my favorites.    

     If you have a preschooler, you will find that these books list very few picture books.  That’s why I included an almost chapter-long list of books especially for preschool-third grade (25 pages of mostly picture books!)    

     There are also some good booklists online.  Here are some of the more popular ones (remember, I can’t vouch for each and every book on these lists–they are just a “jumping off” point for you.  You must still investigate your books before purchasing.  Some of these lists DO contain books relating to mythology and magic..use your own judgement.  These lists can introduce you to authors and titles that you may not be familiar with, but tread carefully.) 

Five In a Row Book Lists (very highly recomended; no objectionable content that I am aware of.)  

1000 Good Books List  

Eager Reader Website   

My favorite catalogs for literature (not mentioned above):  

Purple House Press (reprints of classic picture books!) 

The Book Peddler   

Lifetime Books and Gifts   

Winter Promise  

My Father’s World    

     Final tips:  When you’re just starting your library, take your wish list, a list of the books you already have (especially the books from any series you’re collecting) AND a book about books with you whenever you hunt for books (better yet, just keep it in your purse/car.)  This will help you decide if a book is appropriate, remember what you’re looking for, AND help you avoid buying doubles.  

        Happy hunting!   

                 ~Susan    

Books I Collect:  Landmark books, “First” books, Gene Stratton Porter books, Marguerite Henry books (this website does not contain a complete list of her books.  Cinnabar the One O’Clock Fox is missing, among others, I’m sure), Happy Hollister Books, Marguerite de Angeli books,  and many, many others!!     

Portions of this post were paraphrased from Homepreschool and Beyond, used with permission.  © 2010 Susan Lemons all rights reserved.   Remember, copyrighted materials may not be used or re-posted without permission. 

Contest Winners

My heartfelt thanks go out to all of you who blogged about my book or the contest.   I really appreciate it! 

          And the winners are:  Silvia, who sent me the most referrals from her two blogs:  Homeschooling in a Bilingual Home  and  Charlotte Mason Group Blog; 

and  Jennifer, our random winner, who blogs at Little Lambs PreparatoryAcademy .

Congratulations to you both!