Brook Farm Books

Homeschooling, Canadian HOMESCHOOL AND MORE is a very good catalog of Canadian resources. Gertrude DeBoer, 29 Donald Dr., Charlottetown, PEI C1E 1Z5.

SCHOOL FREE: The Home Schooling Handbook, by Wendy Priesnitz, one of Canada’s leading homeschooling advocates and pioneers. This book provides an overview and sampling of experiences of homeschoolers across Canada, plus basic legal information. 140 pages including index. You can order the book from Natural Life Books.

Homeschooling, Canadian CANADIAN INTERNET NEWSLINE: The Association of Canadian Home-Based Education is a national organization dedicated to helping all Canadians who wish to teach at home. There are no political or religious affiliations, no hidden agendas; just friendly help and support. You will find them at www.flora.org/homeschool-ca. It’s got it all: legal requirements for all provinces, helpful resources, and much more.

Homeschooling, Canadian THE WONDERTREE FOUNDATION acts as an umbrella school and will help you design a course of study for your child. You’ll find them online at www.wondertree.org, or write to Wondertree Foundation for Natural Learning, Box 38083, Vancouver, BC V0B 2C0 Canada; 604-224-3663.

Homeschooling LEARNING AT HOME: A Mother’s Guide to Homeschooling, by Marty Layne (and recently updated) mother of four homeschooled young adults. Learning at Home is a personal book. Marty’s insights about interacting with her children should be used by all parents and teachers even though it was written primarily for homeschooling parents. What makes this book exceptional are Marty’s observations about the interaction between parents and children. She has an acute awareness of how children learn best and how to help them. Marty shares her insight into how to see and work through the conditioned responses we all subconsciously carry from society, our own upbringing, and our schooling in order to create a harmonious homeschool environment. The book begins by taking a close look at the answer to the very common question “Can I do this — teach my child at home?” You’ll find Marty has the unique capacity to help you sort out your inner thoughts and motivations and recognize your fears (and learn how to deal with them), and to impart confidence. You’ll find numerous comments and suggestions for creating a learning environment to suit yourself and your children, and the emphasis is always on how to relate and respond to your children, and how to best meet their needs and your own. Yes, Mom and Dad, you have to take care of your needs too; that’s a strong part of Marty’s message. Being a good mate and parent presents many challenges. Add teaching (working with, guiding, whatever you want to call it), and you’ve added to those challenges exponentially. Unless you’re superwoman or superman you’re going to find your life, at times, more stressful than is reasonable. Marty’s chapter on burnout — how to recognize it, what to do about it, and (most constructive of all) how to prevent it — is the best I’ve seen. This is a book designed for real people. She recognizes that parents as well as kids have times when they are grumpy, that there are times when the kids get bored or are unhappy, and she offers some interesting observations about why these times happen and some ideas for improving the situation.

Along with all this sagacious writing about critical issues, you’ll find chapters about helping your child learn to read, write, and do arithmetic; the importance of including the arts (music, art, dance, and drama); and using all of life as a curriculum. Many of us have read about homeschoolers becoming accomplished musicians at a young age, going to prestigious colleges, or doing other remarkable things. Marty makes the important point that homeschooling can “allow time to pursue an interest and reveal talent but can’t create it.” Thankfully, Marty recognizes that not all children develop remarkable talents or abiding interests, and points out that there are important talents our society does not recognize: “We tend to recognize only outstanding gifts that fall in recognized categories like art, music, drama, or sports. We are not willing to recognize talent for something like happiness, listening to others, being a warm person, taking delight in a rainy day.” I particularly value this observation because more important than any talent or recognition, living well with ourselves and those around us is one of life’s true goals and rewards. There is so much depth to this book that it’s worth reading and rereading.

If you are considering homeschooling it will help you decide if this is really what you want to do and how to do it successfully. This book also has great value to those who have been homeschooling for a while, because Marty has given so much thought to issues that frequently cause problems in daily homeschooling, and clearly states ways to help you deal with them.

October, 2009: Marty has just updated her book and added a chapter about reading. Her ideas are superb. A great addition to a terrific book.

The end of the book contains several very useful appendices, with a list of read-a-loud books, a bibliography, help in setting goals, and addresses for U.S. and Canadian support. $18.95.

The Lifetime Learning Companion is hot off the press and available at a special price for a limited time.

This web site is the primary resource section for the book The Lifetime Learning Companion, by Jean and Donn Reed. All the updated essays from The Home School Source Book, 3rd edition, are now part of The Lifetime Learning Companion. All the updated and new resources from The Home School Source Book, 3rd edition and The Lifetime Learning Companion are to be found here.

Donn and I believe learning materials should be fun, challenging, constructive, informative, and relevant to steady mental growth. We depend on orders from customers to continue offering this service, but we absolutely will not sell or recommend any item that does not meet our criteria.

We recommend many items we don’t sell, sometimes because they are available only from other suppliers, sometimes because we can’t give you as low a price as other suppliers can. As you’ll see, we have strong opinions. Whether you agree or disagree with us, you’ll always know where we stand, and will not be misled by indiscriminate praise and false “objectivity.” We want to make a living, but we want to make it honestly.

Don’t be dismayed at the lack of regulation textbooks on our website. You won’t find many of them. Our kids never liked them. We never liked them. They reminded us of commercial baby food – they fill a need but on the lowest possible level. At best, some make reasonable reference books. You will find books you and your children will enjoy that will transform your learning into a creative adventure.

Quantity

1 book $17.95 2 copies $30.00

If you would rather call with your credit card you can reach us toll-free: 877-375-4680. You may also send a check to the following addresses: Brook Farm Books, PO Box 246, Bridgewater ME 04735 or Brook Farm Books, Box 101, Glassville NB E7L 4T4. Canadians: please mark your check, “Payable in US funds.”

The remainder of the site is under construction and will be changing almost daily. Please bookmark this page so you can come back and find the creative learning materials you need on hand for your homeschooling adventure.

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