Apologia recently sent me a copy of Debra Bell’s The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling($20.00) for me to check out. I’ve been spending a ton of time in this book since it arrived here and I think it’s one of the best homeschooling books a parent can keep on hand.
We’ve been a homeschooling family for about 5 years now. I’m an avid reader… okay, more like compulsive reader. (why else would I take the time to actually read the tags on the recliner cushions???) I have foraged and gathered many many many books on homeschooling. (another compulsive behavior – gathering) I’ve read most of said gathered books. (i mean really, a girl has to sleep sometime! i can’t read everything!… can i???) Bell’s Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling will be a book I’ll turn to throughout the rest of our homeschooling journey.
So what makes this book so great, you ask? Well, here’s my two cents.
- down to earth language – If you’re gonna write a book about homeschooling and fill it to the brim, the brim, with useful knowledge, please oh please talk to me in a tone that won’t make me fall asleep! I absolutely love learning about anything. (seriously, test me on this one!) But even the most interesting of topics can cause an insomniac to nap when it’s presented in a manual format. I love Debra’s easy going, tell it like it is, humorous approach. She makes reading seem more like a conversation.
- organization of content – we’re dealing with titles and sub-titles galore here! I love this! When I’m flipping through a book looking for a specific passage, the more sub-titles the better. Between my own underlining and highlighting and Debora’s bold big fonted titles, I’m pretty confident I can find what I’m looking for in seconds.
- Up to date information – yay! website addresses for almost every resource mentioned!! I don’t think I have to explain any further…
- Useful How help – You say, huh? What I mean by this, is how one goes about homeschooling. Bell goes into detail about how to choose curriculum, suggestions for each subject, how to organize a homeschool, how to plan a homeschool year, what to teach and when, what happens when you and your children get suffer burn out, how to deal with child-specific problems, how to assess the child’s learning, etc. the list goes on and on.
Most homeschool guides seem to cover resources really really well and the how to stuff in an okay manner or vice versa. Debra seems to do an excellent job on both areas. I’m surprised so much info fits in the covers of this book. Speaking of the book, I also love the way this book feels. Now that may sound silly but for someone who’s held a ton of books (and boy, have I!) each book has it’s own unique feel to it. This one feels thick and strong even though it’s a paper back. The pages are sturdy, bright white with good bold black ink. The cover is slick so spills wipe off fairly easily, too.
Okay, okay, fine. Laugh if you want, but I like books. And I know a good book when I see it. : P
Some reader may be turned off by Debra’s emphasis on her Christian beliefs. I personally found it refreshing and right on. My only disagreement would be with her list of qualifications for a homeschool family. Not that they’re bad, just that there are many successful homeschoolers who would’ve failed Debra’s requirements for a successful homeschool family.
If you’re just starting your homeschool journey, I’d say get this and read it. Then read it again with a highlighter, post it tabs, and a red ink pen. You’ll want to make notes.
If you’ve been homeschooling forever, read it with the highlighter and post its in-hand.
Visit Apologia’s website to pick up a copy for $20.
Sara O’