On an elist I’m on, the question was asked what if we were going to a remote island for a year. What resources would we take for continuing learning – aside from the awesome life experience we would receive there?
I have thought about this before. What if I didn’t have my thousands of books home library? What if all learning resources had to fit in a box? Actually, we have had a couple of times when we had very limited of our resources available and the rest in storage – during moves and remodeling, that lasted far longer than I thought.
I noted how when you know your philosophy and methodology you don’t have to run after the latest, greatest. It makes choosing new resources much easier. You can go to the huge homeschool convention and bypass most of the thousands of offerings without a thought of “oh I have to have that” because you know it doesn’t fit in with what your goals and methods to reach them are. And save your money for REAL books!!
I’m assuming my laptop doesn’t count, because even without internet, I think I COULD have it all on here – or close anyhow.
Even though we are (hypothetically) only going to be gone one year, and I don’t have to cover EVERYTHING during this time, I’ve tried to make my reading selections my top, most important ones. If I needed to pare down further, I would choose from what I have listed. Also, I have children at most every level, so … this will take a couple of boxes, maybe 3. And I’d throw out clothes, food, whatever to make room for books!! I’m assuming we can get paper and such supplies where we are going.
I’d mainly take handbook type resources that cover all of an area for skills – thus leaving me more room for real living reading books. Teaching from a Biblical Worldview by Bible Principles is important to us, so I would take my teaching notes for each subject as needed, too.
I’d start with our Bibles and Strong’s Concordance, and if I had the room, I’d throw in my Bible Truth for School Subjects. It’d take up room, and be heavy, but I’d also take my 1828 Webster’s dictionary. These are my primary resources for actually studying a topic out.
For teaching reading and spelling I would take my own phonics program, somewhat derived and simplified from combining aspects of Writing Road to Reading and Scaredy Cat Reading Program (I know, a weird combination) or just a handbook like The ABC’s and All Their Tricks along with a list of the phonograms and basic spelling rules.
For writing, a good English/Grammar Handbook should take care of it, coupled with copywork, dictation and such. Actually, it’d probably be two. I like Learning Grammar through Writing for the younger children’s handbook, and the BJU English Handbook for a complete one (the original Write Source handbook is a more user-friendly, “funner” handbook, that I might take instead). If I didn’t really know what I was doing in basic natural methods yet, I’d throw in Cindy Rushton’s Language Arts the Easy Way.
For Math I could get by without any resources for early elementary – if I didn’t have that down yet, I’d take Ruth Beechick’s “Easy Start in Arithmetic”. I could probably get by the rest of elementary with her “You Can Teach Your Child Successfully”. If not, Ray’s Arithmetic w/ Ruth Beechick’s teacher’s guide would be the most compact way to go. If I felt I really needed to make things easier on myself, I’d take Making Math Meaningful at the appropriate level for each child above early elementary.
Now with basic skills covered, and close to a box filled – our reading books:
For character training and self-government I’d take Character Sketches, another big, heavy book but my children love it. (I’d make myself get by with one Vol.)
For history I’d take Little Bear Wheeler’s Historical Devotions CD’s for my younger ones (oh, that would require batteries too), and Charles Coffin’s Story of Liberty/Sweet Land of Liberty, and America’s Providential History for my older ones. I’d also throw in several biographies of historically prominent people and heroes of the faith. And How Shall We Then Live? and/or Tearing Down Strongholds and/or If the Foundations Are Destroyed for worldview.
For Nature and the Sciences, a couple of field guides for the area (if available) and a couple or so from The Wonders of Creation series and/or the Exploring series from Master Books (like, The Astronomy Book, or The Geology Book, etc. and Exploring the World of Chemistry, Exploring the World Around You, etc.). Along these same lines for the little ones, they like the Simple Science series books. Also a few living books, such as Joanne DeJong’s (oop) Of Skies and Seas, My Listening Ears, or The Rustling Grass, etc. and/or Worthington Hooker’s The Child’s Book of Nature. Oh, and I wouldn’t want to leave out Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation.
I’d probably just take a general poetry book, such as Favorite Poems Old and New, and maybe a Child’s Garden of Verses.
For music, The Gift of Music or Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers, and a few classical CD’s, a few hymn CD’s and book of Hymn stories w/short bios of the writers, our hymnal and psalm book. Of course, my electric stage piano would have to go too – or at least our smaller keyboard.
For art, How Great Thou Art, and my collection of David Quine’s and Barry Stebbing’s art prints and studies (from Homeschooling Today mag – you could get Quine’s Art program for basically the same thing,)
For literature I’d take a few “Lamplighters” (Rare Collector’s series – great old books republished by Lamplighter Publishing), a few books by Oliver Optic (my younger children’s current favorites), Pilgrim’s Progress would have to be included, and probably Dangerous Journey (a child’s picture book of PP). A few other classics, chosen from such as Robinson Crusoe, Les Miserables, Silas Marner, Ben Hur, Robin Hood, Ivanhoe, etc. For the younger ones, things like Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, Thornton Burgess stories, Winnie the Pooh treasury, Beatrix Potter treasury, and James Herriot treasury. And a few Margaret Wise Brown books and the Real Mother Goose, for the littlest ones. And The Child’s Story Bible.
I’d also take a couple of “growing into godly manhood/womanhood” books. And several “theological” books – probably mostly written by “dead authors” like Bunyan, Luther, etc.
I’m sure my boxes are full now, so I’d better quit. 🙂
