Practical teaching tools that make the job easier. This is where you turn when you get stuck.
Learn to Write, Write!: A DIY Writer’s Companion
Ready to get started writing? Learn to Write: Write! is your guide to discovering and practicing the art of writing. Cover the basics, such as finding something to write and overcoming fears, to more advanced topics like revising your work and cultivating your voice and style. The book gets out of the way as great writers and their writing encourage you to apply their ideas to your own writing. Put pencil to paper and stretch your abilities as you learn by doing. Learn more.
A Home Start in Reading (Grades K-3)
by Dr. Ruth Beechick
Includes when to start reading, how to begin, and step-by-step instructions through fluency. A parent guide that removes the mystery from teaching a child to read. Want to teach your child to read? This is the only book you need. Really!
A Strong Start in Language (Grades K-3)
by Dr. Ruth Beechick
This book starts by pointing out that YOU are an effective language teacher. Think how much your child has already learned! Emphasizes the natural way of learning language including guidelines for all language components at each level.
An Easy Start in Arithmetic (Grades K-3)
by Dr. Ruth Beechick
Here we learn the different attitudes we need to be aware of when we teach math, the different ways we “see” math, what we can do in the early years, real math, and teaching suggestions at each level.
The Three R’s
by Dr. Ruth Beechick
This is the above three titles together in one book. Sometimes you’ll do better purchasing this one book, at other times it may be more cost effective to simply purchase the three individually.
You Can Teach Your Child Successfully
by Dr. Ruth Beechick
What a wealth of useful information! From reading, writing, and arithmetic to history and social studies, science, music, art, and Bible, Dr. Beechick includes lessons, spelling lists, math charts, mechanics, and grade-level guidelines — all in a common-sense, easy-to-understand style. Very practical!
How to Write Clearly
by Dr. Ruth Beechick
What if writing was actually very simple? What if the key was — much as we learn to walk by walking, or we learn to talk by talking, or learn to read by reading — simply to learn to write by writing? Those familiar with Dr. Ruth Beechick will be quite familiar with this phrase and the natural method of learning to write it connotes. Many of her ideas on writing are summarized in this book. Read our full review.
Write Something Every Day: 366 Pencil Sharpeners for Students of Writing
by DIY Homeschooler
366 Carefully crafted, open-ended assignments for writers young and old seeking to improve their writing skills. We used nearly 20 different forms of writing to keep the student engaged, including exercises and activities. Learn more and download a free sample!
Evaluating for Excellence
by Teresa Moon
Too often we evaluate without knowing where we started. We evaluate using arbitrary evaluation tools that cannot tell us if we have met the goals we were working on.Using this simple diagnose-plan-guide-evaluate model, we can adequately assess our children’s progress in any area and develop a truly individual program for each child. You’ll appreciate the author’s light and encouraging tone throughout this book — along with all of the examples and forms! Read our full review.
How Children Learn
by John Holt
Holt was obviously a very gifted individual. His principles will work very well for gifted children. Other children, for one reason or another, may need some hand holding to move toward using their skills and learning all of the time.
In the end, the works of John Holt (who died in the 80s) became associated with the “unschooling” movement. Like every other thought theory out there, there are things we can learn from unschooling. We don’t have to accept the whole. We can pick and choose those elements that work for us in our environment. In addition, all children need training. As mentors, we can provide a framework that keeps them moving toward.