Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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!

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.

This is the most comprehensive book I've found yet. I have lent it out to others both friends and educators. But..Many of the internet resource webpages have been discontinued so it is often time consuming to research which ones still exist before providing those resources to my children ages 9 and 16 yrs. I mark in the book if it can be used and cross out which ones are outdated. Still well worth the price!

Rebecca Rupp has lots of information packed in the pages of this book for every subject and every age group. She uses personal examples from her family to help emphasize the fact that every child learns differently, and her reviews of the resources in this book are based on what would work for which type of child and why.

HOWEVER, after homeschooling a few years, I've come to prefer the huge catalog from Rainbow Resources. They have so much more curricula included, and the list is updated every year. They also include reviews with every single item.

And never underestimate your local support group as a learning source! My children learn so much just from activities sponsored by our homeschool group. The clubs and field trips are much more valuable than anything that could come from a book. And other parents are alway eager to share what works for them.

It needs to be updated big time. A lot of recommended resources on the internet no longer exist and some recommended books are not recommended by the amazon customers. I have a 2 year old and I want to get ready to home school my child, but seems like this book will be so much out of date by the time he becomes 10 years old!

Rebecca Rupp is inspiring. The pages and pages of resources include books, films, science kits, board games,coloring books and more. We homeschool very eclectically and I love the way she thinks outside the box! This book gets more use at my house than any other homeschool guide or materials catalog. The one drawback is that it is getting a wee bit dated- and some internet links no longer work. I'd also love to see her include in an updated version some of the programs we've been very happy with, such as Story of the World and Singapore math.

I have homeschooled all my children all their lives. I have taught in public school. I tutor math, science, English and history. In every subject, every grade, I depend on this book for new, innovative ideas and resources to use. There is no other book that I have that I use nearly as much. Thank you Ms. Rupp!

Any book that claims to be a complete source book, "covering every subject from arithmetic to zoology," sets itself up for criticism. However, we have yet to look up a subject in Rupp's source book without finding some suggested resources. Handily divided into source types such as organizations, catalogs, magazines, books, games, videos, and on-line resources, entries are also categorized for student age range or parent/teacher resource. Entries are evaluative as well as factual. For example:
"The Vikings. Glorious adventure set in ninth-century Norway and Britain... The historical detail is preeise and impressive...There's really no graphic gore, but there are raids, brawls, battles, and lots of clashing swords."

Many of the online entries (including organizations, book or game Web sites, and magazines) are incorrect, probably due to the transitory nature of the Web rather than Rupp's fact-checking. Nearly 7 years old, the guide could use revision.

In all, I don't think you will find a more comprehensive guide to good learning materials on the market. This book would be helpful not only for homeschooling parents but also for parents of children in traditional schools who are looking for enriching resources.

There are so many homeschooling resources today a family can spend far too much time - and money - considering all of them. Becky Rupp has been collecting information on these resources for years, and she presents the best collection in the pages of this book. The book is pricey but it's big - and will surely save its reader the price and more when she goes shopping!