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Curriculum, Book & Software Reviews
REVIEW:
"The Basic Cozy Grammar Course"
by Marie Rackham
Although grammar has been relegated to the dusty back shelf in many schools, it is an integral part of effective language usage. This gentle, quiet set of easy to understand lessons brings it back out to the light, and into sharp focus.The author/narrator, a former English teacher, brings you to her lovely river retreat for the 27 short-but-sweet lessons on two video tapes. Good explanations, examples and practice, with the ability to rewind and repeat that video is so handy for, make this an excellent course. The lessons are not too simplistic, but take a very basic path, which makes them suitable for youth or adult. The included workbook reinforces the lessons in a clear and concise way, and offers review, tests and answer key. There is none of the flash that most recent kid oriented stuff is so prone to.
The author encourages the student to hand copy the sentences in the exercises, in order to improve eye/hand coordination. This serves to preserve the reproducible workbook/study guide for use with other students. The course is also well suited for use in ESL studies.
I liked this curriculum, and found the $110.00 price reasonable for the quality.
The Basic Cozy Grammar Course Videos, Part one and two: you can find them at Splashes From The River
Reviewer: Sarah A. McUmber-House of HomeSchool Help at Sassafrass Grove
REVIEW:
"Homeschooling: A Patchwork of Days" and "Homeschooling: Open House"
both by Nancy Lande
Probably the second most common question I get, when talking about homeschooling (right in between "How do I get started?" and "What about socialization?", is "What is a typical day like?" In Nancy Lande's initial book, 'Homeschooling: A Patchwork of Days' we get a good glimpse in the window at thirty different homeschooling families' versions of that "typical day". She follows up on several of those families, and introduces some new ones in the second, 'Homeschooling: Open House'. Look for reassurance and inspiration on your journey through these books. You may also find yourself looking at your daily life with a new focus and noticing educational opportunities in places you hadn't considered before.Reviewer: Sarah A. McUmber-House of HomeSchool Help at Sassafrass Grove
