Resources for 12 and Under

Foundational Helps

The Homeschool Jumpstart Navigator ~ for Younger Children (For Ages 4-12) by Barb Shelton. Don't have a clue as to where to start homeschooling? Or RE-start, having burned out on too much "school at home"? For either case, this 90-page book is brimming with practical help for getting your child (re-)started onto a plan of learning ~ lots of real-life learning and "ample" academics. Here's what one homeschool mom said: "I have been reading your Jumpstart Navigator for Younger Children. Thank you for giving me confidence to get started. Having the knowledge in that book has made such a difference."

If your children have been in "regular school" or are burned-out on too much "school-at-home," they need time to "decompress" while getting occupied in some healthy "real-life learning." Once the child is all set academically (which this book helps you do), the book also gives specific direction to get the parent going on a season of "re- education" in what "education" really is ~ which will be very freeing and joy-producing for you! It is vital to know what education is before trying to do it with and for our kids! But most folks when first starting out, don't realize this. Our minds are still "unrenewed" in this vast arena of education ~ which is only natural. Our society is steeped in the public school system, so we naturally see that as being "the norm" and even "the best." Yet, that system is not producing the desired fruit in our children. Even so, new homeschoolers rush out to buy hundreds of dollars worth of curriculum, start funneling that down their kids' heads, and within a year or two ~ sometimes it takes just a few weeks or months ~ burn out! There's still a place for prepared curriculum, but, like TV dinners, which are very handy, and all set up for you ~ there are no decisions to make other than which one(s) to get. A steady diet of this is not the "healthiest" option. You can make those decisions, and this book shows you how to start ~ and how simple it is ~ and gives lots of practical tools to use with your children! This book includes five chapters, three of which are on:

~ "Warming Up Your C-c-cold Feet" ~ Here you'll find encouragement and direction for getting started, turning the focus to what true education is rather than to amassing a stack of text/workbooks before knowing what God wants you to do.

~ "Creating a Jumpstart Plan for Your Child" ~ 16 pages of ideas, insight, and tips from a homeschool mom (yours truly) who has been designing her own homeschool plan for 14 years); 6 pages of easy, practical, ideas for 18 "subjects" (all the "regulars" and then some!), a healthy mix of "real-life" and "academic" learning; 2 lesson plan format-charts (masters) for two age levels that cover up to several weeks (I used these for many years with my own children, and they are not at all overwhelming! In fact, they are as simple yet complete as you can get!), a week-at-a-glance "Child's Stuff To Do" check-off chart for younger children (age 4ish-8ish); and a "Weekly Assignment Plan" for older children (9ish to 12ish). And then there's the...

~ "Treasury of Learning Tools" ~ 28 pages of directions, recipes, and ideas for science, art, and cooking projects and masters you can duplicate for your children in math, science, finances, telling time, cooking, art, keeping memories, vocabulary, spelling, music, and abbreviations. Also a "My Time With God" guide for your child to use. Plenty to get you going!

(90 Pages / 8½ X 11" / Comb-bound) $8.00

And here is a neat note I received about this book...

I would recommend the Jumpstart Navigator to anyone who homeschools, simply for the ideas it will spark and you can take off on....... but I think it is MOST helpful to those who are just beginning to homeschool or have been doing "school at home," as in a textbook/workbook structured curriculum type schooling. It will give you a great place to start with getting your child doing productive, fun, creative things... while you are reading the things you need to free yourself up from the tyranny of strictly following a curriculum ~ or for first-time homeschoolers - to give you a chance to read
some of Barb's writings (books and on the website) and to seek the Lord about the direction you will take.

~ Cindy Walker

And another...

This book is (in my humble opinion) essential for its great ideas and practical help and encouragement. And may I encourage you to obtain a copy of the Senior High book as soon as possible, if you don't already own it? ;-) You'll have time to read it while your girls are doing the cool stuff in the Jumpstart Navigator for Younger Children, and you can get great ideas for them from the "older" Navigator inside the SHF-L book, too. I'm glad I read (and re-read) SHF-L many times before my sons got to their current ages (7th and 8th grades). .....anyway, just a gentle "hint" and encouragement....it is such a wonderful book! Not just for "things to do" (that is, it's not a curriculum at all!), but for "things it helps you to realize" and for its heartwarming inspiration.

~ Amy Beckel

And yet another!...

Dearest Most-Wonderful Barb! (Just for the record, I'm not actually this wonderful! She just got done reading my book and is just excited.)

{{{{}}}} Hugs and smiles to you! I have just had the longest block of time to read more of the Jumpstart Navigator for younger children since I got it. :::sigh::: I cannot thank you enough for all your hard work. I don't know if I'm missing an organizational gene, or what, but the biggest and practically ONLY problem I've had for all these years, is knowing what to DO with all the stuff. Especially the papers. I've read millions of books ~ I was telling Megan (my 10-year-old-daughter) just now about what I've read in your book and how much I'm learning ~ and she said, "Didn't you learn any of that in those other books?!" NO! Not the practical nitty-gritty folders-and-boxes-and-what-to-put-in them-stuff. ... Now I know how I can put all my STUFF away and what I should get rid of, and I just thank you from the bottom of my heart! :)

The idea I especially like the most is for the 3-ring notebook for the mom's stuff with the collage on the front. That's the kind of notebook my kids have been using for their completed work, and they have designed their own covers every year. I have lots of homeschool pictures and I am looking forward to getting 45 minutes (!) and making MY own cover!

One more note of encouragement for you: my daughter is looking forward to our trip home to Michigan. We are going to alert the relatives in advance that she is working on the Cooks and Recipes book (which is in the Jumpstart Navigator), and have them be ready with their recipe and the cooked product so she can take a picture. And she said she would make her favorite one for them! Isn't that great? Thanks again!!!!

Love, Lorraine M.

That's probably about enough,

don't you think?

Better Late Than Early - by Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore.
(Quoting from the book:) "Do we use the preschool primarily as a convenience for our own freedom, or do we view it as vital to our children? Are we determined to solve the problems of our children on the basis of scientific evidence? Or do we prefer to operate by social pressure and shaky intuition? In short, are we willing to re-examine our traditional ideas and to make difficult changes involving long-range sacrifices if they mean the eventual enrichment of the lives or our children and our society? ... From our research and studies, we have concluded that: the home is the primary (and best) institution for young children; we doubt the need for preschool for the larger segment of our population; we see the home as potentially more cost effective than the school for developing young children. If you are more interested in your personal 'freedoms' than you are in your children, this book may make you uncomfortable. On the other hand, if you are (wanting to be) involved in the education of your children... then this book should be helpful." And I, Barb, would add... it WILL be VERY helpful! (Softbound)

$10.00

Home Grown Kids by Dr. Raymond Moore - 19 years ago this book took me from being a total skeptic about homeschooling (I thought it was about the silliest idea I'd ever heard of!), to being totally sold on homeschooling, even though I didn't want to do it! Every doubt and question I had at the time ended up being addressed in this book! It presents sound advice and many practical how-to's for starting to homeschool in a non-stressful way! On the back of the book: "Do you want to really enjoy your child? Do you want him or her to have the best possible teacher and go to the best possible school? According to [the authors] that teacher is you, the parent, and that school can be your home." If you don't want to find out the truth about preschool and its supposed advantages, then do NOT read this book! (Softbound)

$10.95

Teacher's College Record - by Dr. Raymond Moore. The subtitle is really more descriptive of this booklet: "Research and Common Sense" – because that's exactly what it is! Convincing evidence that "there's no place like home" to educate a child, and that the classroom, even with its certified teacher, not only does not produce what we hope for in our children, but is actually counter-productive and not in the best interest of the developing child. This is not my biased opinion, but the result of many well-researched studies – not from within the system (which are biased toward public education), which Dr. Moore very carefully lays out. Booklet:

$2.00

For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay. This book will change your perspective on and perception of early childhood education. What you think school will do for and in your child may be exactly opposite from your heart's desires. Appearances are deceiving, and that includes the colorful trappings of early childhood education. (On back of book:) "Everyone would like education to be a joyous adventure and celebration of life, as well as a solid preparation for living. Sadly, most education today falls far short of this goal. This book can help every parent and teacher awaken the young minds of their children and give them a new richness, stability, and joy for living."

Softbound / $12.95

Language Arts

The Make-My-Own Phonics Book - by Barb Shelton and your child! A tool that any parent can use easily, designed to help you help your child learn to read in a relaxed, logical, life-related manner. It presents three easy framework options which you can use to help your child discover, one bite- sized step at a time, the basics of phonics. Just the right size for the budding reader to work with, it's bound at the top for easy writing for both "lefties" and "righties." The sounds are presented in alphabetical order for quick access. On each page are two charts, each with a different sound or phonogram, with 7 spaces in which the child can write in words as they are discovered in real life and as the child is read to. See sample page!

(89 pages / 5½" wide X 8½" tall / Comb-bound at top) $8.95

The Booklet Building Book - by Barb Shelton. This is an easy-to-use tool for creative, hands-on learning in many subjects! One homeschool mom said: "I've enjoyed working with your books and the kids. My son has written a few books now and finishing them up on the computer has helped him to enjoy writing even more. Thanks for the vehicle to making writing and homeschooling easier." Ted Wade, (author of The Homeschooling Manual) says of the book: "Young hands need to be active, but they are often given only busywork. This idea combines activity with creativity for meaningful, delight-directed learning." It's geared for 'just- starting-to-read-n-write-ers' up through about age 12. It has over 35 different reproducible masters, each one being a hands-on project in itself! Mom just copies the ones she wants to use (children can go through and select the ones they are interested in!) It includes complete directions and ideas for forming them into a "make-my-own" booklets like "Buds-to-Blossoms Book"; "Grandparent Book"; "Around My Town Book"; "Days of Creation"; "Planets"; "A Week in My Life," and "Tree 'n' Leaf Book." This book is part of Barb's answer to "What did you do with your kids *before* they got to senior high?"

(90 pages /Comb-bound) $8.50

From Heart to Page by Michelle Van Loon. Encouraging children to keep a journal seems like such a good idea. It offers them a chance to express themselves, sharpen observation skills, and respond to what God is doing in their lives. But too often, the suggestion to "write in your journal" or "do a journal entry" is met with "But I don't know what to write." That's where From Heart To Page comes in! This easy-to-use booklet has 120 journal or essay writing prompters! Some are observation oriented, some offer the opportunity to capture dreams and ideas for the future on paper, some are focused on service towards others, and still others are focused on spiritual growth and development. A parent can plug From Heart To Page in at any time and simply check off each day's assignment in the book as it is completed. A complete introduction offers guidance, and the simple format makes this accessible for students across the age spectrum. This booklet makes an excellent complement to any language arts approach and is just the resource to provide the spark to turn writing from chore to joy. Appropriate and adaptable for beginning all the way through advanced (high school) writers. Most ideas are universal; the student will respond according to their own skill level.

(32 pages / Staple-bound) $7.00

Really Neat Stuff

to Use with Your Kids

(a.k.a. "Curriculum")

Growing Little Women - by Donna Miller. (Two editions: One for older girls;one for younger; explained below.) The subtitle of this book is actually the best way to describe it! "Capturing teachable moments with your daughter." On the back cover it says: "It seems that just yesterday you cuddled your baby girl. Your heart filled with hopes and dreams for her future, and you wanted to give her everything she would need to live a fulfilling life and grow to love God. But season followed season, and now her years under your wing are suddenly half over. As she blossoms, you can't help wondering: Am I sharing my insights and experiences with her? Am I preparing her to become a godly woman? Am I establishing a bond that will smooth her passage to womanhood? This book is designed to capture those fleeting moments before she becomes a woman. Within these pages you'll discover engaging stories, fun activities, and lessons on life to be shared between a ... girl and her mother, grandmother or mentor." (FROM BARB: It actually says a "9-to12-year-old girl" but believe that, for homeschoolers who are not as "worldly wise," this book is appropriate for a 10 or 11-year-old all the way through high school.)

Gloria Gaither says: "There is no richer or more significant time in the developing relationship between a mother and daughter than the years of later childhood and early teens. If mothers and daughters can hold each other close, then they will likely be best friends for life. Growing Little Women is a wonderful collection to build ladders of communication and weave from the fibers of devotion strong ties that bind."

Growing Little Women (for 11ish+) (Both versions are wire-bound) $12.95

Growing Little Women for Younger Girls (Age 10ish and under) $12.95

A First Dictionary of Cultural Literacy - by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.
This book will help give the younger child (from kindergarten age through junior high) a "solid grounding in the arts and sciences but a clear understanding of the world around them from world wide geography to the World Wide Web; from ancient history to current technology, in one engaging volume." The format of this book is more like a mini-encyclopedia than a "dictionary"! It's a great discussion starter and, being brief (on hundreds of topics) but informative, it will provide many opportunities for the parent to fill "the rest of the story." Even as an adult I have learned many new tidbits I wasn't aware of! (Of course, you have to consider the source on that one!) Read Cultural Literacy for "the bigger picture" on the need for this; The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy is appropriate for Junior High through High School and (far) beyond.

(Hardbound) $15.00

Life Before Birth - by Dr. Gary Parker. He and his wife, Mary, explain the Biblical view of life before birth in a conversation with their children that takes place in Dad's lab. Cartoonish illustrations are colorful and amply instructional for younger children. Such topics as abortion and birth defects are covered in a special way. Evolution is, by evidence, ruled out as a remote possibility. An excellent starting point for teaching about creation science!

(Hardbound) $12.95

Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories - Uncle Arthurs' Storytime: Children's True Adventures All three of our children grew up on these and loved them! (So did their mama and daddy, as adults!) They teach values and lessons of all kinds, including obedience, integrity, honesty, faithfulness, kindness servanthood, diligence, compassion, cooperation, patience, perseverance, unselfishness, just to name a few, through stories. Comes only in a 3-volume set, with each being a good-sized hard-cover volume having about 20 stories, two to four pages each. We read these over and over, through the years! I frequently heard "Oh, read the one about the...! " (My own favorite is "The Hollow Pie!) (3 Hardbound books in an attractive case; a lovely family keepsake or gift set. We have given a brand new set to each of our children for them to take with them when they leave home!)

$29.95

Little Visits With God - by Mary Manz Simons. I used this children's devotional book with our children when they were young, and we all loved it! Timeless treasures of stories and lessons, of just the right length for young attention spans. It's delightful – a very good resource! (Softbound)

$11.00

The World of Little House - by Carolyn Strom Collins. "Meticulously researched, this book is for anyone who has ever read and enjoyed the Little House books. Explore the houses, foods, activities of daily pioneer life, journeys, and landscapes. Learn about events of Laura's childhood and her happy marriage that are not included in the Little House Books." This beautiful book makes an excellent gift for any "Little House" lover! (even Mom!)

(Hardbound / 150 pages) $25.95

Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. These books, much-loved by young and old alike, are great resources for teaching real-life history, good work ethics, daily life as it really was back then, and character building. Pioneer culture, skills, and traditions are woven throughout the stories. Books may be purchased individually or in money-saving, nicely encased 5 or 9-book sets.

5-book set contains:
   Little House in the Big Woods.....$5.95
Little House on the Prairie.....$4.50
On the Banks of Plum Creek.....$4.50
By the Shores of Silver Lake.....$4.50
Little House in the Big Woods.....$4.50


9-book set contains all 5 above books, plus:

   The Long Winter..... $4.50

The First Four Years.....$4.50
These Happy Golden Years.....$4.50
Little Town on the Prairie.....$4.50

5-Book Set (must be ordered at one time as a set).....$29.75

3-Book Set (Little House Pioneer Girls).....$14.85
9-Book Set (must be ordered at one time as a set).....$53.55

(Both book sets come in attractive, sturdy cases.)

It Couldn't Just Happen - by Lawrence O. Richards. "An almanac of solid truths concerning creation and evolution with a colorful, fun layout. Scientific evidence that creation could not have been the result of evolution, but only the work of an all-intelligent, Master Designer. For ages 8ish–15ish. This book gives "real answers to tough questions" and "incredible examples in nature that help us to learn more about our amazing Creator."

(Softbound) $14.95