Homeschool resources

On Saturday, I hosted a tea for the local Catholic homeschool moms. After being the only Catholic homeschooler our last couple of years in Japan, I was very excited that there were nine of us!

Today, I thought I would write up a list of resources for moms who are thinking about homeschooling, especially for little ones, and I put it in an email to the hyattsmoms Yahoo group. But I want to keep it here, too, so I can find it again and not have to retype it.

Hello, Ladies,

Thank you all again for all the great ideas you shared on Saturday at tea. Below
are some links to resources that I mentioned or was asked about and a few that I
thought of later. Wendy, Jolene, and Therese, I hope you will have time this
week to reply with links for the awesome things you shared, too.

You truly don't need to purchase a pre-made program in order to have a
successful preschool at home, but it can help you to make your plan for the
year. It is easy to spend a lot of money on curricula that don't work out, so
please take me up on my offer to borrow or at least look through books before
you decide what to buy. :)

You are in my prayers as you and your husbands discern the best educational
paths for your children.

Blessings,
Judy

LENT STUFF:
Stations of the Cross pictures are available from Catholic Heritage Curricula
and Leaflet Missal Company:

CHC: https://www.chcweb.com/catalog/StationsofCrossPrints/product_info.html

Leaflet Missal 8x10:
http://www.leafletonline.com/8-X-10-STATIONS-OF-THE-CROSS-ILLUSTRATIONS/producti\
nfo/26363/

4x6:
http://www.leafletonline.com/4-X-6-STATIONS-OF-THE-CROSS-ILLUSTRATIONS/productin\
fo/26365/

I cannot find the 7-candle tealight holder online. I think it came from Craft
Warehouse out in Washington State in an after-Christmas sale. The thing is, if
you have an idea of how you could fit the Stations in your home and where you
might like to put them, you can find something for your space and in your own
style, and it will be lovely. Keep ideas like this in mind and the right thing
will turn up in a thrift shop or yard sale. :-)

For those who are still deciding whether to homeschool or not:
GENERAL HOMESCHOOLING books (an obvious classical and montessori bent here--I
haven't kept the books I didn't follow after we figured out how we wanted to
homeschool :-)) These are all on my shelf and you may borrow if you like:
Catholic Education: Homeward Bound, Kimberly Hahn and Mary Hasson
Catholic Home Schooling, Mary Kay Clark (a little dated, but still worth
mentioning)
Home Grown Kids, Raymond and Dorothy Moore (the only non-Catholic book in the
list, but worthwhile insights on readiness that led to Washington State's
decision to delay required public school entry to age 8)
Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum, Laura Berquist
The Well Trained Mind, Wise and Bauer
The Trivium, Sr. Miriam Joseph, CSC, Ph.D.
The Montessori Method, Maria Montessori

PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS and RESOURCES:
Little Saints Catholic Preschool program (I own this if someone would like to
take a look at it). You can purchase it here:
http://emmanuelbooks.com/product_detail.cfm/ID/649/OID//Little-Saints-A-Catholic\
-Preschool-Program-with-Classical-Disciplines/

Alphabet Path (all online, from a Catholic mom, Elizabeth Foss, who writes for
the Arlington (VA) Catholic paper) starts here with A, and other letters are
linked in the blog post:
http://www.elizabethfoss.com/serendipity/along_the_alphabet_path/

And one I forgot to mention on Saturday: I have found the book list in Catholic
Mosaic helpful in suggesting picture books and accompanying activities that
follow the liturgical year. I have this if anyone would like to take a look at
it. Or you can buy it at this link:
http://hillsideeducation.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=9_10

Another one I forgot to mention is Natural Structure (all online): an idea about
combining Montessori works with Classical Education that has inspired our
family's preschool:
http://www.nsmontessori.com/index.html

We have also had fun with the craft ideas for the liturgical year on the
following two blogs. You may already know about these or others that are also
great (please share!), but just in case:

Homeschool Goodies: http://thankevann.com/homeschoolgoodies/

Catholic Icing: http://catholicicing.com/

A.M.D.G.