The Complete Home Learning Source Book: The Essential Resource Guide for Homeschoolers, Parents, and Educators Covering Every Subject from Arithmetic to Zoology [Paperback]

Rebecca Rupp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1998

This exhaustive and comprehensive sourcebook provides parents and teachers with information on all the resources needed to plan a well-balanced curriculum for the home or the classroom, from preschool through high school. The Complete Home Learning Sourcebook not only covers basic academic subjects--the three R's--but also addresses interests that are off the beaten path of public school curricula, such as paleontology and meteorology. Thorough and up-to-date, this invaluable resource reviews all possible learning tools:

Arranged by subject, including "Philosophy," "Life Skills," and "Electronic Media," the sourcebook's organization and succinct and insightful entries make it a breeze to use.  Icons next to the entries denote the format and intended age group of each resource. Whether readers are looking for the best way to explain relativity or Egyptian mummification, The Complete Home Learning Sourcebook opens the door to a whole new universe for teaching and learning.

Books
Videos
Magazines
Catalogs
Timelines
Kits
Hands-on activities
Board games
CD-ROMs
Educational Web sites

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This ambitious reference guide lives up to its name. Practically three inches thick--and we're not talking large print here--it's packed with titles, ordering information, and Web site addresses. From where to send away for a kit to make your own Chilean rain stick to how to order a set of Elizabethan costume paper dolls, the book connects families to a world of learning possibilities. Book titles, short synopses, authors' names, publishers, and years of print make up the bulk of the guide. Classics such as The Cat in the Hat and Curious George share billing with lesser-known titles like Stone Fox, the story of a legendary Indian dog-sled racer. Every entry appears with recommended ages and an icon that shows whether the item is a book, computer disc, or video; an outstretched palm denotes hands-on materials. Most of the resources seem to have been test-driven by the author and her three homeschooled sons. Rebecca Rupp, a former scientist who has been teaching her kids at home for more than 10 years, peppers the guide with anecdotes about her children's experiences in various subject areas, much of it drawn from the family's extensive journals. Along with books, magazines, and kits for reading, math, writing, science, and history, a considerable amount of space is given to computer and television resources, as well as "life skills," a broad category that includes everything from etiquette and carpentry to sewing and sex education. Like a Yellow Pages guide to knowledge, The Complete Home Learning Sourcebook belongs on the shelf of anyone looking for new ways to spark a child's imagination. --Jodi Mailander Farrell

From Library Journal

Homeschooling is becoming the "school of choice" for more and more parents, currently involving one and a half million people. Rupp, who has homeschooled her own children, begins with some background notes on the movement, for instance, that the average homeschool family annually spends $546 per child. She gives a big plug to public libraries, calling them "an unending source of literature, information, [and] free enrichment programs." The bulk of the book provides useful names, street addresses, costs, and E-mail and web addresses for resources. All the basic topics are covered?reading, writing, mathematics, science, geography, American and world history, foreign languages, the arts, and life skills?with various resources, such as books, video games, audio recordings, and web sites, for each. Although targeted to homeschoolers, this book will be useful to any parent; teachers and school and public librarians can also benefit. A good choice for most public libraries.?Terry Christner, Hutchinson P.L., KS
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 880 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 1 edition (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609801090
• ISBN-13: 978-0609801093
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 1.3 x 10.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #262,764 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rebecca Rupp has written nonfiction articles for many national magazines on topics ranging from the history of blue jeans to the science of ice cream. She is also the author of THE DRAGON OF LONELY ISLAND, THE WATERSTONE, and several nonfiction books, both for children and adults. Of THE RETURN OF THE DRAGON, she says, 'I hope all of you enjoy the return of Fafnyr's cave - and hearing from Aunt Mehitabel again - as much as I have. Much as I love the three-headed dragon, I also love Aunt Mehitabel. I plan to be just like her when I turn eighty-five.' Rebecca Rupp lives in Vermont with her husband, three sons, three cats, and a tarantula named Immanuel Kant.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

154 of 157 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an invaluable resource, and a delightful read., July 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Home Learning Source Book: The Essential Resource Guide for Homeschoolers, Parents, and Educators Covering Every Subject from Arithmetic to Zoology (Paperback)

I do professional reviews of a lot of books about homeschooling, and I must say I found this one unusually fun to read, because there's so much packed into it about so many interesting and unusual resources, with something for everyone. It's gratifying to see a reference book so well done.

The Complete Home Source Book is quite literally a huge delight: with 865 pages, this book is 8 1/2" by 11" and almost 2" thick! The subtitle says it well: The Essential Resource Guide for Homeschoolers, Parents, and Educators, Covering Every Subject from Arithmetic to Zoology.

The book is nicely organized into subjects of study, and the subject titles are thoughtfully printed at the page edges in dark blocks to show even with the pages closed. Each entry is tagged with the age group for which the resource is intended. Symbols are used to identify whether the resource is: a book, curriculum, kit, video, software, magazine, audio, game, on-line resource, hands-on activity, or catalog. The price might at first seem expensive, but this is a huge reference resource for long term use, and should save the average person money in the long run, or even perhaps in the short run.

Just a few of the enormous range of subjects thoroughly covered are reading, writing, math, history, foreign language resources, the arts, sciences, journalism, research, mythology, libraries, ethics, religion, economics, philosophy, and life skills. The format consists of well-annotated lists of books, catalogs, games, hands-on materials, on-line resources, CD-ROMSs, tapes, and videos, along with Rebecca Rupp's comments, insightful observations, and delightful, thought-provoking, stories about her family's own experiences. The personal stories should be very helpful to a beginning homeschooler, in that they open a window into what homeschooling looks like in the real setting of one family's daily life. There's no reason, however, why a school-going family couldn't also enjoy and make good use of the book in the same way.

I really think this is one of the best resources to ever grace the home education market.-Lillian Jones

77 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the most helpful book in our home school library, September 5, 2000

By 

k - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Home Learning Source Book: The Essential Resource Guide for Homeschoolers, Parents, and Educators Covering Every Subject from Arithmetic to Zoology (Paperback)

When I borrowed this book from the library I actually read it cover to cover. It is more than just a list of books. Rebecca Rupp has done exhaustive research. She has given the home schooler (or the parent wishing to augment the education of their kids) a tremendous resource. Rupp has divided the book up into different sections according to subject-not just the three 'Rs, but also such things as philosophy, art, music...you name it. The age suggestions seem very accurate as well. Since people home school for a lot of different reasons, she also mentions if a book is religious or Christian, or a purely secular resource. I have used many of the websites that she lists, as well as sending away for a number of the catalogs that she lists. As someone relatively new to the home school scene, I also enjoyed the personal accounts of her three sons' educational experiences. I borrowed the book from our library first, but have since purchased my very own copy!

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for homeschoolers doing unit studies, May 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Home Learning Source Book: The Essential Resource Guide for Homeschoolers, Parents, and Educators Covering Every Subject from Arithmetic to Zoology (Paperback)

I've purchased many homeschooling books, but this is the one that I use constantly in planning lessons and unit studies. If you prefer to put together your own curriculum, rather than purchasing a series of textbooks, The Complete Home Learning Sourcebook will save you time and money. It is a great starting point - classified by subject area and sub-divided into topics. This is the place to get a sense of what's available in catalogs, games, kits, books, cd-roms and more, with contact info and web addresses, so you can find what you want! Rebecca Rupp includes sections from her homeschool journal to illustrate what worked for her family. If I could only have one book on homeschooling, this would be it.