Homeschooling Meme

Our friends in the Northern Hemisphere are all gearing up for the new academic year, while those of us in the South have our eyes fixed firmly on the finish line - only a few short weeks away now. ( Or is that just me and mine I'm describing?)

In the midst of all the excitement, Mama Squirrel from Dewey's Treehouse has tagged me for this homeschool meme. To be honest I was kinda overwhelmed - she is such an Überblogger and all. Oh my! The thrill of it all!

The meme. Oh right.

It sorta works better at the start of a year rather than the almost end, but I thought I'd have a bit of a go at replying.

In case you're interested.

I guess Mama Squirrel might be, at any rate.

1. One homeschooling book you have enjoyed

I haven't read a lot of homeschooling books, but my favourite three are For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay; When Children Love to Learn by Elaine Cooper; and When You Rise Up by R C Sproul Jr.

The first one inspired me to consider homeschooling Jemimah in the first place. The second defined much of what a Charlotte Mason looks like chez nous. The third one helped me to find the goals of education from a Reformed perspective that I found very similar to my own. I reread all three of these annually.

Of course I also constantly reread all of Charlotte Mason's books too - especially Volume 6.

Any question that asks me to restrict myself to just one book of any genre is just plain silly anyhow. (Unless it is the Bible.)

2. One resource you wouldn't be without

Google? My home library? My iPod? My blog (because that's where I store everything)?

Apart from these, probably Anne White's Plutarch Study Guides. I can do most subjects by myself, but without these guides, our Plutarch study would be a failure, to be honest. Anne's ability to pick out what is important and her way of explaining what is going on in each selection is just about invaluable, and makes Citizenship one of our favourite and most successful subjects. I would not study a Plutarch life without her by my side. Maybe in a few years, but not now.

3. One resource you wish you had never bought

My timeline book. Not because I don't like it - I think it is lovely - but I bought it too early before Jemimah's ability to understand the chronology of time had developed. I felt guilty when I neglected this book and it caused my lots of angst when I gave up on it for a term. Now that she is older, we are using it with far more success. In hindsight I should have stuck with a timeline or with a book with pages that open out into a timeline like this one. I blogged about our struggle with time here.

4. One resource you enjoyed last year

Why does this silly meme keep asking for one of things? I'll answer this for this year, because last year is...well... a year ago, and I can't remember.

I am delighted with how Pet Shop Maths is going. It is painless and fun. Jemimah is not learning anything new, but she is consolidating and practicing her skills and learning about maths as a practical subject not a theoretical one.

I also love Minimus Latin. Spelling Wisdom is doing great things, and though I wouldn't say Jemimah 'enjoys' using it, she is seeing fruit for her labours, so I am pleased with it. She is happier with The Silver Spoon for Children. She has been cooking her way through this book for our Kitchen Garden subject, and she has had a ball. Her Daddy and I have enjoyed the results as well!! I'll blog about this sometime.

I've loved most of the stuff we've used this year, but I'll stop now.

5. One resource you will be using next year

I'm going to follow Mama Squirrel's lead and try Mission Monde for French. We will start with a lower level than she is using with Crayons, her daughter, though. We will begin with Mission Monde Level 1, which is Grade 4 standard. I like the Mission focused sound of this course.

Most other things we will continue from this year.

6. One resource you would like to buy

A new camera. But that will have to wait a little longer. I have just succumbed to the lure of an iPad, and I will let you know how useful this is as I begin using it. Right now it is still a novelty.

7. One resource you wish existed

An Australianised Ambleside Online. That's why I'm creating one as we go.

8. One homeschool catalogue you enjoy reading

I only read two. I like the list of Free-read type books in the Sonlight catalogue, and the list of Christian books in the Veritas Press one. (Oops, just found myself distracted there by Veritas. Bad girl.)

9. One homeschooling website you use regularly

AO, of course. And MEP maths. I know I'm not using this this term, but we will continue where we left off next year. Still really recommend this programme.

10 Tag six other homeschoolers

If you would love to play along I would love to hear from all of you!

I am especially interested to hear the answers of these ladies though:

Renelle from Dove's Rest
Richele from Barefoot Voyage
Ellen from The Bluestocking Belle
Laura Lou from Wasted Textbooks
Erin from Seven Little Australians and Counting
Amy from Marigold Cottage

You can read Mama Squirrel's answers here.

Brandy's answers are here.

Anyone else?