Catholic Homeschool Companion [Paperback]

Maureen Wittmann (Author), Rachel Mackson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2006

Here’s your one-stop resource for information, insight, and inspiration about every aspect of educating your children at home — written by those who understand it best: homeschooling parents themselves!

Would you like to teach science or phonics better? Introduce your child to Latin, piano, or great works of art? Try new classroom approaches that other parents find effective? In these pages, you’ll find helpful essays from more than forty veteran homeschooling parents to help you do all this and more. You’ll also find wise advice and practical tips to make you a better teacher and your homeschool more productive and enjoyable.

Of course, homeschooling involves more than academics. That’s why The Catholic Homeschool Companion includes essays to help you foster your children’s moral and spiritual development, involve time-challenged dads, teach kids with special needs or in special circumstances, and handle other common problems homeschoolers face.

Are you frustrated trying to fulfill state academic standards or diocesan requirements for sacramental preparation? No problem!

Here’s shrewd advice from parents who’ve fought those battles already. There’s also humor to lighten your heart when the daily grind gets you down, and, for those really bad times when you wonder whether homeschooling is even worth it, The Catholic Homeschool Companion brings you heartening testimony from teenagers and young adults who tell how grateful they are that their parents taught them at home.

Information, insight, and inspiration: it’s all right here in The Catholic Homeschool Companion, the must-own resource for new and experienced homeschoolers alike.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"CHC gives its readers a variety of homeschooling methods along with a great wealth of resources, information, inspiration, and support." -- Danielle Bean, author, My Cup of Tea: Musings of a Catholic Mom

"This is truly the 'companion' all Catholic homeschooling families need" -- Cathy Duffy, 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum

"This treasure offers sound practical wisdom and heartwarming encouragement." -- Melissa Wiley, author The Martha Years series

About the Author

Rachel Mackson and Maureen Wittmann are veteran homeschoolers. Their previous book, A Catholic Homeschool Treasury, has helped countless parents teach their children at home.

Product Details

• Paperback: 482 pages
• Publisher: Sophia Institute Press (February 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933184167
• ISBN-13: 978-1933184166
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #482,010 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Maureen Wittmann (1961-present) is co-founder of Homeschool Connections, a Catholic homeschool curriculum provider. She is also the author of For the Love of Literature. Maureen is coeditor and contributing author to The Catholic Homeschool Companion and A Catholic Homeschool Treasury. She is a contributing editor to the Catholic homeschooling magazine mater et magistra. Her articles have appeared in Our Sunday Visitor, Homeschooling Today, Catholic Home Educator, New Covenant, Latin Mass, Catholic Faith, Catholic Digest, and more. Mrs. Wittmann and her husband are parents to seven children, who have always been homeschooled. She brings not only her experience but an excitement and love of homeschooling to her work as a writer and speaker as well as managing Homeschool Connections.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for Catholic Homeschoolers..., February 25, 2006

By 

Tanya Casper (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catholic Homeschool Companion (Paperback)

I just noticed that the last two reviews were by people who participated in the book. I thought I would write a review as someone who has no connection with the book. In summary, it is excellent.

I have found that in so many homeschooling books, authors tend to repeat themselves needlessly. Authors write in 100 pages, what could easily be found on someone's website written more clearly and concisely. This is not the case with this book. There are almost 500 pages of solid advice on Catholic homeschooling. Every chapter is written on a different subject by a different author, and the breadth and depth of the information is excellent.

A good example of this is the chapter on Art Appreciation: Recognizing Symbolism in Religious Art by Pattie Kelley-Huff. She explains what many religious symbols in artwork mean. For example, an anchor is a symbol for hope and steadfastness. She has entire lists with what the symbol means. The author also gives resources for further study.

Many of the chapters recommend additional material. I, personally, love mathematics, and I would consider that one of my strongest subjects. However, in the chapter on math, the author provides a listing of Math literature by grade level that I never would have known about on my own.

The only negative, I would say, is that because the book is written by various authors, some chapters are weaker than others. The chapter on teaching a foreign language would be an example of this.

I truly believe that this book will provide something for every Catholic homeschooler. In fact, even non-Catholic homeschoolers, or Catholics that want to enrich their child's school education might also find information in this book. Overall, I couldn't be more pleased with it.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Variety is the spice of homeschooling, June 1, 2006

By 

S. Lloyd "author, 'Please Don't Drink the Hol... (Whitehall, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Catholic Homeschool Companion (Paperback)

This is a resource that recognizes that homeschooling, even Catholic homeschooling is by no means one-size-fits-all. This book has a little bit of everything. There is a chapter for the hyper-organized and one for unschoolers. There's one on burn out and one on the joy of homeschooling. There's info on teaching the gifted as well as the autistic. And yes, there is humor.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Goes Beyond the Nuts and Bolts, February 7, 2006

By 

Melissa Ramirez Naasko "Naasko Family" (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catholic Homeschool Companion (Paperback)

I am a contributing author to this book, so I am not unbiased. However, that said, I have also read the book and found so many essays which were thought provoking treatments on pedagogy, as well as more practical elements such as home management and mother's well-being. There are also essays authored by and directed towards fathers, who are under-represented in this subject matter. This book is as useful to those starting out as well as those who are preparing children for high school and college. This is a necessary book for those interested in or actively involved in Catholic education in the home.