Customer Reviews

Catholic Homeschool Companion

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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.

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.

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.

I wrote a chapter in this book, as well as did proofreading for it. The most amazing thing about this book is that I found new resources and ideas. I'm a homeschooling veteran, so it takes a lot for me to get excited about a homeschooling item.

When I read many of the essays, I discovered new things for math, new things for science, and new things for literature. I was so excited, I couldn't wait for the book to get out so I could recommend it to all homeschoolers.

Catholic homeschoolers will appreciate the faith-filled pages, but all Christian homeschoolers will find support, guidance, humor and love in the pages of this book. The authors wrote to share their stories, but also to share resources, ideas, help and knowledge. This book is a real gift to the homeschooling community.

There are chapters written by dads and older homeschooling students, too, which I found so encouraging to read. This book goes beyond what most homeschooling books can do because it has over 40 authors. That's a lot of good ideas in one book.

I'm 4 years into my homeschooling career, and had hit a real burn out! I was desperate for a workshop or something that would "teach me" how to homeschool. I stumbled upon this book and it has been a lifesaver. It's like sitting in a room with many wise homeschoolers and getting REAL advice. Each chapter addresses a unique topic and isn't very long (I would read a chapter or 2 while nursing the baby). It also addresses different homeschool styles, so you are able to take away from it what you wish. I highly recommend this book and have told all of my homeschool moms about it. I only wish I had read it BEFORE I began homeschooling.

I read this book because I am considering homeschooling my 3 boys. We are practicing Catholics and I wanted a book that approached it from a Catholic perspective. This book was excellent!

This book is nearly 500 pages and has 50 different short essays that were written by various men and women who have successfully home-schooled their children. I liked the essay format in that it allowed me to pick and chose topics that were most appealing and then go back and read the other essays. There were also a few essays written by home-schooled children who are now in college and included their opinions of why homeschooling was/is a good option. It alleviated any fears I had about false "stereotypes" of home-schooled children.

The various essays addressed many different topics such as: teaching core and enrichment (art, music, etc) subjects, homeschooling in high school, homeschooling styles and strategies, children with special needs, homeschooling in unique circumstances, the father's perspective, finding inspiration, homeschooling community support and so much more. The book is packed full of wonderful strategies and directs the readers to various places for additional resources.

The book will guide any homeschooling parents to find an appropriate curriculum, how to teach foreign languages and how to seek out other like-minded parents for support. This book opened my eyes to the many joys and struggles of homeschooling. What impressed me the most is that all of these parents had chose homeschooling in the hopes of providing their children with a Catholic environment that would ultimately lead them closer to our Lord. In doing so, as parents we are helping our children to seek salvation and as a result, our children are bringing us closer to Jesus and the Blessed Mother. The whole family unites and finds their strength in Christ. These children are being raised with a rich experience of their faith and this book offers support, encouragement and ideas to fulfill this mission. I recommend this book to any and all mothers who are homeschooling or considering homeschooling. This is such a valuable resource!!!! Thank you to Sophia Institute Press and Amazon.com for selling such a rich book.

Currently I'm in the process of deciding whether or not homeschooling is the path I'm going to take for educating my children. Currently one child is in a private school and the other is enrolled in the local public school. For years now, I have felt a strong pull to homeschool so I figured it might be beneficial for me to learn more about homeschooling. The Catholic Homeschool Companion has been a wonderful book for answering questions I have about homeschooling.

The book is a collection of essays written by forty-three authors on a wide range of homeschool topics. The book is divided into eleven chapters each of which covers a specific topic. Perhaps you're new to homeschooling or are like me and are trying to decide if it's right for your family. You can page through the contents and find the chapters that hone in on your most pressing questions or concerns. Prior to reading this, I felt pretty confident that I can, in fact, homeschool my children, but I was not sure that I could do so into the high school years. After reading this book and many of it's edifying essays, I no longer feel that homeschooling for high school would be totally out of the question. Maybe you struggle with homeschooling your children and maintaing your home. There's a chapter that can offer you insight and support in this book.

Overall, I found this book to be an incredibly helpful reference. You can read this book cover to cover, like I did, or you can jump around to the chapters or essays that specifically target a particular aspect of homeschooling. This book is filled with valuable insight and wisdom from veteran homeschooling parents. Should I decide to make the decision to jump into the world of homeschooling next year, I feel confident that I can do it. And if I hit a snag? I'm certain that I can turn to this book and find some support. I highly recommend this book to those who are interested in learning more about homeschooling or those who already homeschool.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of The Catholic Homeschool Companion by the publisher, Sophia Institute Press in exchange for my honest review.

This book is perfect for a first time homeschooler like me. Got me started and guided me through when I needed help.