Item #: 020495
ISBN: 9780974361635
Retail: $34.00
Rainbow Price: $29.66

For those of you who want to teach using the classical method, the authors of this book, Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn, have long believed and implemented this in their own homeschool. In this book they combine their knowledge and experience to present a spiritual and philosophical foundation and a practical program for Christian homeschooling in the classical style. The first four chapters discuss the reasoning and logic of teaching with classical education, a discussion of why parents should be in charge of their students' education, problems with classroom (public) schools, and an explanation and description of what the trivium is. The next three chapters study one element of the trivium each - language, logic, and rhetoric. Each chapter presents the topic, arguments for teaching it, guidelines for teaching, where to start, what children should be learning at appropriate age levels, and other tips and advice for incorporating these core subjects. Chapter eight follows the same basic format, delving into the study of literature. In chapter nine, the Bluedorns offer principles for the study of historical literature. The following chapter provides lots of advice and help for different methods and approaches to homeschooling in light of the trivium, such as the Charlotte Mason approach, unschooling, unit studies, and others. Part two of the book, The Practical Trivium, hold chapters listing things children should do at particular ages - ten things to do with students before age ten, ten through twelve, thirteen through fifteen, sixteen through eighteen, nineteen and onward, and finally the last chapter, Life's Goals Begin at Home. Appendix one includes 16 different articles discussing the trivium, education, and other related issues. Appendix two provides an thorough resource list, outlining general resources and those for language arts & English, rhetoric, literature, history, government, law and economics, languages, mathematics, logic, Bible and theology, philosophy, science, art and music, and other miscellaneous resources. While you may not agree with all of the personal philosophy in this book, if you want to teach from the trivium and are looking for a guide to implement a classical education in your homeschool, this is a very complete and thorough guide from experienced authors. - Melissa

Item #: 068521
Retail: $0.00
Rainbow Price: $3.00

Item #: 068520
Retail: $0.00
Rainbow Price: $3.00

Item #: 068522
Retail: $0.00
Rainbow Price: $3.00

Item #: 012937
ISBN: 9780802465771
Retail: $7.99
Rainbow Price: $5.75

Hamid, a poor north African boy who saves his little blind sister from being sold as a beggar, and Jenny, a rich English girl, search for the true light.

Item #: 054454
ISBN: 9780980345599
Retail: $14.99
Rainbow Price: $10.95

Questions relate to God, Christianity, life and faith. Questions tend to be fairly in depth, so while some may be used for younger children, this one is geared more toward adults (or older teens).

Item #: 056863
ISBN: 9781615382408
Retail: $24.95
Rainbow Price: $21.95

Is there a place for special needs children within the world of classical education? I've often wondered. It's so language intensive and language is often an issue. It's also rigorous and academically advanced and that seems unattainable. But it's also highly structured and brain-building. And that's the key. Cheryl Swope proved with her own children, adopted twins with multiple delays and issues, that not only is there a place, but it's the very best place. Simply Classical is more than their story – even though it's a beautiful one filled with hard work, daily sacrifices, heartbreak and disappointment, and then, ultimately, with the magnificent realization of what has been accomplished step by agonizing step. Simply Classical is a road map through a classical, Christian educational journey for children who face special challenges. Employing the basic principles of classical education – the three arts of language (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) and the four arts of mathematics (arithmetic, music theory, geometry, and astronomy), she built a disciplined plan for her children who had very different challenges and now has turned her efforts toward sharing what she has learned with others. This is a wonderful resource for the homeschooling parent of autistic or other special learners. It looks at the challenges faced by special needs children and offers insights for success in education and social skills. Part personal story and part practical resource providing curricula recommendations, book lists, sample schedules, tips on making modifications to meet a child's needs, mini-screening checklists, developmental milestones, informal and formal testing as well as others' stories. The book concludes with a thorough appendix of outside resources. 276 pgs, pb. ~ Janice

Item #: 005572
Retail: $29.95
Rainbow Price: $27.95

While new homeschool curriculums crop up fairly often for history, science and language arts, it's a rarity that a new homeschool health program is developed! Author Michele Spadafora has done an incredible job in pulling together this easy-to-use, thoroughly Christian P.E. and nutrition course that incorporates weekly lessons in "faith, fitness and fuel." It's an 18-week course that includes three segments on each of those "building blocks" per week, with tests included after every 3rd or 4th week and lots of helpful and inspiring video content as well. Scheduling works most naturally if you do health three days per week for one semester. Each week includes three topical reading segments (each about two pages in length), questions for the student, space to write goals for all three areas for the week, and space to journal about the week. "Faith" reading assignments focus on a biblical message, typically a goal that we could all work towards in our relationship with the Lord. These include: giving God control, replacing stress with peace, prayer, worship, loving others, serving others, making disciples, and more. Scripture references are sprinkled throughout the text, and several questions typically follow the reading. "Fitness" readings focus on the practical and include the benefits of exercising, frequency of exercising, warm-ups and cool-downs, proper form, weight loss basics, core strength, exercise gear, etc. "Fuel" readings focus on nutrition, like eating portions and proportions, understanding food labels, the importance of breakfast, avoiding sugar, the importance of whole grains, eating healthy snacks, avoiding diet mistakes, understanding eating disorders, and more. Readings on fitness and fuel typically do not have questions for the student, but are always followed by a space to write a goal for the week. The tests are fairly short and made up entirely of multiple-choice questions (an answer key for these is included at the end of the book).

The video content is one of my favorite aspects of the program. It not only allows the author to "talk to" the student via video, but it also provides a way to demonstrate proper exercise form, workout ideas, or cooking technique. There are 32 short videos that complement the content in the book, and prompts to view them are found at the end of the readings. Students are also directed to several "Burst" videos throughout the program. These videos are about ten minutes in length and, just like the name suggests, these offer short energetic workouts to get the blood pumping. These are also found on the author's website. A DVD is also included with the book which features three full-body workouts, each about a ½-hour in length. The workout routines are fast-moving, yet simple enough to follow along with and feature upbeat Christian music from a variety of contemporary Christian artists. No fancy gear is required; while exercise bands make an appearance in several of the workout videos, and weights and exercise balls are discussed in the book, most fitness routines do not require any equipment. Whether you use the routines included or your own fitness program, the student is asked to work out at least three times a week, outside of specific assignments from the book.

This easy-to-implement program would be perfect to do together as a family. The readings are fairly short and easy for students at different ability levels to understand. Technical details on nutrition and fitness are kept to a minimum, and the fitness routines and exercises will appeal equally to girls and boys. Compared to a full-year health course, you won't find nearly as much content on the human body or physiology here; the emphasis is truly on practical knowledge and motivation to stay fit. It would make sense to incorporate the nutritional information into the whole family's diet as well. The text is designed as a consumable, but if your students all write in their own journals or notebooks, you could use the text as a family. Christian families will especially appreciate the emphasis on building your faith while you build your physical endurance. 171 pgs, pb. – Jess

Item #: 049158
Retail: $8.00
Rainbow Price: $6.50

I'm not sure what's more likeable here – the simple concept or the cute packaging! The small, portable game consists of nine picture dice packaged in a sturdy flip-out box about the size of a card deck. The dice are printed with simple black-and-white pictures on each face for a total of 54 different images. A few examples include: a clock, a bee, a shooting star, a key, a flashlight, an apple, fire, a magnifying glass, a question mark, a book, a light bulb, and a tree. Originally designed for storytelling, there are three game ideas included inside the cover, each of which entails rolling the dice and using some or all of the dice to create a story. You can modify the number of dice, play solo or as a group for more variety. Of course, you could also use a roll of the dice to pick a theme for extemporaneous speaking, to inspire young children to write a story (using just one or two cubes), or as writing prompts. I'm sure you can come up with some of your own educational and party ideas as well! - Jess

Item #: 065951
ISBN: 9780199119950
Retail: $16.95
Rainbow Price: $12.75

 

  I used to love encyclopedias as a kid! Every page had something interesting and wonderful to learn. You get the same sense of wonder when it is all in one book (not a set of 30 books like the old days)! This is a large book with lots of color photos and illustrations. The text is presented in short paragraphs, captions and text boxes. The language is simple but full of great vocabulary words. Topics covered include: the human body, people/places, the arts, Earth, animals/plants, science/technology and the universe. This is an updated edition, but the copyright is 2009. I looked for outdated information and found a few things: Pluto is still called a dwarf planet, there is a huge iPod shown as being cutting edge technology, also some things about computer games and the internet are passé, and the mobile phone shown is a flip phone. The rest of the book stands up to today’s information. You can certainly use it as a resource for science and social studies. Also, this book mentions prehistoric life as being millions of years ago, so it is not from a Christian worldview. 144pp, sc, 9.5x12” ~ Sara

Item #: 054706
Retail: $8.00
Rainbow Price: $6.50

As you might guess from the title, this set of nine cubes is entirely made up of verbs – 54, to be exact! This set can be used as an expansion for the original set (although you will always want to use just 9 cubes total), or you can pick one of the suggested games described in the cover, including "Past-Present-Future," "Lights, Camera, Action," "Re-Action," or "Show Some Action."

Item #: 045461
ISBN: 9781465451422
Retail: $19.99
Rainbow Price: $13.95

Item #: 059382
ISBN: 9780761178026
Retail: $8.95
Rainbow Price: $7.25

Item #: 049916
ISBN: 9781623411367
Retail: $0.00
Rainbow Price: $39.00

Hmmm. I think you would call this series of DVD lectures "in-service training". Don't we need a certain number of credits each year? Oh, wait! I'm getting us homeschoolers confused with the other guys. Nevertheless, these are wonderful lectures. From Andrew Pudewa's description of the four arts of language (yes, just four, not the umpteen that we normally think of) – listening, speaking, reading, and writing – to Andrew Kern's lost tools of writing, these lectures are inspiring; they're insightful; and they're practical. The Christian, classical home educator will find herself recommitted to the development of strong language skills in her children as well as better able to facilitate that development. The three DVD set provides five lectures plus a question and answer period with both Andrews. Lectures: The Four Language Arts, The Five Paths to Great Writing, The Distinctives of Classical Rhetoric, Developing the Essayist, and Assessment. Handouts to the lectures can be downloaded from the IEW website. ~ Janice

Item #: 056187
ISBN: 9780876594513
Retail: $29.95
Rainbow Price: $23.95

At the preschool level, life is school. While structure is necessary, much of learning can be done amidst the regular rhythms of life. This is the premise on which the authors, Kathy and Lesli (home educators themselves) base this wonderful resource. Rather than fit home life into school, school should meld into home life. Nine chapters help you focus on your educational priorities and help you visualize and plan what your learning environment (home) will become. These chapters focus on development, learning through play, building a learning environment, organization and special issues that don’t “fit in the box.” Then you’ll find a treasure trove of almost 80 pages of activities encompassing home activities, science, math, language, art, socio-emotional, gross and fine motor skills. Directions are detailed enough and supplies are fairly minimal. Layered with wonderful, full-color pictures of the authors’ preschoolers, directions, and recipes; and accented with personal notes from each author and wonderful educational quotations. Appendices include activity checklists, resources and detailed directions for making a light or sand table. 204 pp, sc. ~ Ruth

Item #: 054740
Retail: $35.00
Rainbow Price: $14.95

Providing a solid foundational understanding of the providence of God in our nation's history, this one semester high school humanities course is an essential resource to solidify the Christian ideals of our young people as they prepare to enter the market place of ideas. Using Peter Marshall's popular books: The Light and the Glory, From Sea to Shining Sea, and Sounding Forth the Trumpet, as spine resources, this study covers American history from 1492-1860 with a specific focus on four major themes: Call, Covenant, Repentance, and the Leader as a Servant. Throughout this one semester study, students are also required to conduct a community based project putting these principles into practice.

Beginning with an 18-week lesson guideline, this curriculum is organized in a clear, easy to use format. The three core books have been organized into sections (called parts), and each part has further been developed to offer introductions, learning objectives, continuing themes, key words and concepts, key people and places, video and audio recommendations, supplemental reading recommendations, activity suggestions, writing/Socratic seminar topics and research ideas. Time spent on each part varies from one day to one week.

Let me share an example from Part 19 (expected to take 3 days). Students begin by reading chapters 10-11 in the book, "From Sea to Shining Sea". The introduction covers how inherently wrong slavery is from our modern perspective, as well as the perspective of the majority of Christians in the early 19th century. The objectives focus on understanding the history of slavery in America, understanding why slavery did not develop in the North as the South, the impact of slavery on every political debate in America, the incompatibility of slavery in light of our Declaration of Independence, the realistic picture of slavery and the picture of Christianity role in the lives of slaves and slave holders. Continuing themes focus on God's selection of individuals and His perfect timing as well as how power can blind even good-hearted individuals and the love of money. Key Words and Concepts along with Key People and Places are provided. A sampling of the recommendations for viewing, listening and reading include: Roots, The Great Civil War Debate (Rev. Peter Marshall vs. Rev. Steve Wilkins) among others in the viewing category; a link to listen to Negro spirituals; and several links to online resources to read. Writing/Socratic Seminar Topic suggestions are numerous. For example: "Explain the impact of the cotton gin; or Chapter 11 teaches us that the public was very aware of the realities of slavery, yet seemingly remained indifferent to it. Are there parallels today? How can you explain why we ignore them?" Additionally, five research ideas are presented. As you can see based on the scope of options available, families can chose to expand these areas, creating a more in-depth study or select from the options to create a well-rounded study.

At the heart of this study is the Reflective Notebook (RN) students are required to create. Following the principle approach to education, this notebook is designed to train independent thinkers and writers and will contain class assignments and notes along with journal entries, reflection entries, and a place to process their learning and express opinions and feelings. While many of the activities are easy to incorporate at home, you may find some of the projects lend themselves to a group or co-op setting, making this a versatile study for many homeschool families.

An expansive appendix offers beneficial resources including: a summary of dominant American values; suggestions for the reflective notebook; ideas/guidelines for the various projects including the covenant (social justice) project, American values multi-media project, American body biography project, viewing and reading guides; how to "read" art; final assessment ideas; supplemental reading lists organized by topic and time period; and additional teaching resources. Required for this study are the three spine books written by Peter Marshall, a spiral bound notebook (I would use a three ring binder for more versatility), highlighters, colored pencils/magic markers for map work, and butcher paper. Spiral. 240 pgs. ~ Deanne

Item #: 054743
ISBN: 9780929320199
Retail: $23.99
Rainbow Price: $17.85

What's the most useful book for a new homeschooler - or any homeschooler for that matter? In my opinion, it's Cathy Duffy's 102 Top Picks. Why? Because this book includes everything you need to get started - an overview of homeschooling methods, encouragement to develop your own philosophy of education, information on your child's learning styles, an idea of when children need to learn what (where the Common Core State Standards are discussed), and of course the 102 Top Picks. Cathy Duffy empathizes with new homeschoolers faced with an overwhelming array of choices and provides the perspective and tools they need to become competent and wise homeschool moms/dads. The 102 products are listed first in a handy reference chart and then each one is individually reviewed. The 102 Top Picks chart is an amazingly useful tool. Each product's characteristics are noted - how it works with each learning style; how much parent/teacher instruction and prep time is required; whether it works for independent study, one-to-one, or with a group; whether it's grade level specific or multilevel; the amount of writing required; ease of use for the teacher; how necessary the teacher's manual is; whether it supports Charlotte Mason or classical education; and, lastly, if its publisher is protestant, catholic, secular, or secular but 'Christian friendly". See what I mean? Just in the chart alone you get a wonderfully pinpointed view of each curriculum product - and that's before you read the well-written, informative reviews. Reviews are presented within chapters dedicated to educational subjects – phonics, reading, & literature; language arts: grammar & composition; language arts: spelling, vocabulary & handwriting; mathematics; history, geography & social studies; science; unit studies, all-in-one programs, & online courses; and selected electives. Each chapter is more than just a collection of product reviews. Take history, geography & social studies for example. Ms. Duffy starts with a short introduction that includes her Christian perspective on how to approach the divergent resources and worldviews one finds in this area. An amazing inclusion in this chapter is a six-page listing of "real" books by time periods and topics. The thirteen product reviews include a number of series and are extensive, providing complete contact and price information as well as insightful general and detailed information. This is an update of 101 Top Picks which was an update on 100 Top Picks which was a new take on Ms. Duffy's previous curriculum review manuals. She brings a seasoned, Christian perspective to every aspect of evaluating homeschool curriculum. I'll keep two of these books on my shelves - one to refer to and one to loan to friends. 347 pgs. pb ~ Janice