out_of_the_ordinary

Congratulations, LIttle Sister!

On 10/2/2023 at 5:08 PM, Jeepers said:

Amish made furniture is top quality and very heavy. It might cost a little more but around here, not much more that a good furniture store.

We have Amish made bookcases.   They're awesome and very sturdy....the only bookcases in the house without bowed shelves.     Bookcases here are filled with books.     

Also, with my chemical sensitivities, I can't have the particle board type furniture due to offgassing.

Sorry to hear about your mailbox again, Miki.   I hope the catch whoever is doing that.

Happy Birthday, ANewMe! 

Now the Lavario website says they hope to begin production again in Mid-2024. 

Forgot to add...

The Lord of the Rings series

Narnia series

The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, 

Anne of Green Gables series by LM Montgomery, 

Little Britches series by Ralph Moody, 

Sowers series (Christian biographies), 

The Light and the Glory series by Peter Marshall and David Manuel,

the Thornton Burgess animal series,

Crown & Covenant series by Douglas Bond 

Miki, 

Miki, 

MtRider, I hope you and your DH are feeling better soon! 

Thank you, Jeepers.

Any advice for math in higher grades?

We're using Ray's for Today for math.  It is what we have used from the beginning and works well for us.    Currently, there are 6 levels.  We began level 4 this year. 

I'm trying to figure out what to use after we are through the Ray's for Today levels.

Looking at the high school requirements for my state,  we need high school mathematics to include algebra and geometery.   

Any ideas or suggestions?   I'm starting to have research overload.   I don't want to be internet dependent, and I'm seeing a lot of things that are.  

I looked at Jacob's (reprinted by MasterBooks), but that won't work for us as they are printed overseas.

I'm looking at Life of Fred, but I just don't know....and Math U See.   Ray's has been simple for us, simple for me to teach, Math U See looks...like there's alot to it.  

Here's a link to a list of private lending libraries.   They seem to be popular for homeschoolers, especially ones wishing to avoid some of the things that are now in public libraries.   

https://www.biblioguides.com/libraries/

LittleSister, you might be interested in https://www.maplelandmark.com/products-by-type/for-the-kids

for wooden toys.   We've had a lot of Maple Landmark wooden toys.  And Holgate Toys, but I think Holgate went out of business.   They were made in PA. 

LittleSister, I hope it helps.   When DD was a toddler, we started really buying books for our home library and homeschool things.  I am so thankful we did so.    We've also stuck to the more "old-fashioned" toys instead of electronic things and I think that makes a difference when they are little with their development.   Like wooden blocks, wooden lacing shapes, puzzles, ect.   We kind of had to, to have made in USA things, but I think it worked out.

Jeepers, I understand your concern, but there is also abuse (seems like more and more of those stories) and drug use going on in schools.   It is sad and horrible that not every parent is a loving, dedicated parent.   I don't think it is right to use that to justify more laws on everyone.   I wish PA had more freedom and followed Indiana's homeschool laws!

BeccaAnne,  I'm sorry I completely led your thread on state history resources off track. 

LittleSister, there are homeschooling companies that sell history that isn't distorted/rewritten.    There are so many options, sometimes it is tough to narrow it down!   The 2 biggest companies selling Christian homeschool materials are:

Christianbook  https://www.christianbook.com/page/homeschool?navcat=Homeschool

Rainbow Resource Center  https://www.rainbowresource.com/

edited to add: I'm not saying everything they sell is okay, but there is stuff on those sites that is okay.

There are many smaller companies selling homeschooling books as well.  Usually small, family run companies.  And there are homeschool conventions with vendors selling materials. 

I like Cathy Duffy's site for reviews.  https://cathyduffyreviews.com/   I also like that she mentions if books are Christian, but the religious perspective as well. 

We've been using The Mighty Works of God series (it's awesome!)  and there's nothing rewritten there, and they taught DD and I that history is HIS story.  

https://pilgriminstitute.org/?option=com_content&view=article&id=267&Itemid=19

https://cathyduffyreviews.com/homeschool-reviews-core-curricula/history-and-geography/u-s-history-core-curricula/the-mighty-works-of-god

We supplement with so many good history books.  I heard Glenn Beck say we suck at telling the story and I heard David Barton say something about history used to be taught using biographies. (When I was going to school the history books just had little paragraphs about people.  I like how we are learning at home now.)   I keep those things in mind.   We've been reading through the Sowers series of biographies.  We recently finished the ones on Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee.   Yes, I live in the North and 6 of my direct ancestors are Union Civil War veterans.  But we should learn about both sides and I thought it was shameful that statues were torn down.   

Anything from Wallbuilders or National Center for Constitutional Studies is good.  

https://shop.wallbuilders.com/books-more/

https://nccs.net/

We have the 3 history books by Edward Eggleston, all printed before 1900.  https://www.rainbowresource.com/category.jhtm?cid=4405

I bought the hardback ones that Lost Classic Book Company reprints. 

 The Light and the Glory series by Peter Marshall.   Takes you up to the Civil War.  There was a set for young readers, but now only the first one is in print.  Christianbook sells them. 

Oh, the Charles Coffin books!   The Story of Liberty was printed in 1879  https://www.christianbook.com/the-story-of-liberty/charles-coffin/9780938558200/pd/674008?event=ESRCG

and Sweet Land of Liberty in 1881 https://www.christianbook.com/sweet-land-of-liberty/charles-coffin/9780938558484/pd/674010?event=PRCBD1 .  

They didn't rewrite those...printed with the original words.

I wish I was taught some of this in school.  I was an honors student, in the advanced classes and the gifted program.  I've learned more in the few years I've been teaching DD than in all my years of government school. 

I'd love for my state to have that kind of freedom when it comes to homeschooling!   So many hoops to jump through.       

Don't forget "supervision"  or "accountabilty" means accountable to who?  Or under the supervision of who?   The government.  The same government that doesn't look too kindly upon the fact that a child isn't sitting at a desk in a government school, learning what (and how) the government wants that child to learn.

Jeepers, that looks so nice!  I hope the Indy house is starting to feel like "home" for you.  

Lauren's books are placed back to front...so the spine of the book is placed against the wall and just the pages are facing out....hence the neutral look because you are just looking at pages.   How can you find a book that way?   I've seen people have bookcases like that and they are obviously not people who actually read their books!  It must be more of a trendy decor thing. 

Happy Birthday, Buttercup!

Shelves here are full and some are double stacked.   I wonder if that pic is from one of those newer "open concept" houses.  My living room insn't big enough to have the couch out from the wall.    I like having rooms...rooms with walls...for the bookcases.  I also don't have non-book items on the bookshelves....book shelf space here is for the books!  

Annarchy, 

For our family readaloud,  Captain John Smith: Foothold in the New World by Janet & Geoff Benge.   He certainly led an exciting and interesting life!   Jamestown was only a part of his many adventures.  Everyone here likes it and they don't want me to stop at the end of the chapter.   This Dear Bought Land by Jean Lee Latham was recently republished ( it is about Jamestown)  and I'd like to get that at some point.   I haven't read it, but it is supposed to be good and I've read other books by Latham that were very good--Carry On, Mr. Bowditch and Pathfinder of the Seas (about Matthew Fontaine Maury), so I think it will be good.   I read The Happy Hollisters by Jerry West and then passed it to DD to read.  She really liked it.   I think Kappy recommended the Happy Hollister books.   They're set in the 1950s/60s and follow a family solving mysteries.   Good, clean, and sort of reminded me of the Bobbsey Twins a little.   I've been reading though my old Lucy Maud Montgomery books lately...something calm, but interesting before bed.