100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing the Right Educational Philosophy for Your Child's Learning Style

I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book wasn't just about what curriculum Cathy Duffy thought was worthwhile. The beginning of the book is helpful to new homeschoolers, as well as those who have been at it for a while but still like a little help. I have been a homeschooler for 2 years now, and still found the Philosophy of Education, and the Learning Style portions to be very helpful and engaging. Being that we are a Christian family, I appreciate Mrs. Duffys insight on the science curriculum available, without it coming across as "preachy". This is a book that I will keep close by when making our future curriculum choices. Also, as a side note, her website has more reviews thatn just what is in the book, which I also found to be helpful.

I don't quite know just how to honestly evaluate some parts of this book. Ms. Duffy's other books have titles like "Christian Home Educators Curriculum Manual." In this book it appears that she has tried to become more general in approach to present information to the broader spectrum of home teachers. I really like her approach to stressing that the advantage of home schooling is to enable the schooling to be tailored to the specific needs of each individual student rather than fitting into the master plan of the school system. This is stressed in the sub-title of the book. Only in the science area is the Christian view brought strongly to the fore. Here she selects curriculum that stress creation and if evolution is mentioned it tends to be mentioned as, "provides tidbits of scientific information with which to challenge the theory of evolution." A child going on to college with only this kind of background may have a much more difficult time than one tought the generally accepted theories.

We just got back from the 2005 Indiana state homeschool convention -- what a vast array of curriculum in their exhibit hall! It was just the place for Moms and Dads to look at what's new and compare with the old. There is so much new curricula on the market today that for many, especially those new to homeschooling, it can be rather confusing and overwhelming. Cathy Duffy's newest book 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum has come along at just the right time to help us sort out all our many choices. I love Cathy Duffy's dedication at the beginning of this book: "To the thousands of dedicated homeschoolers who have resisted the impulse to imitate "real school" and have chosen instead to figure out what is best for each of their children, even if it meant writing their own curriculum. You have made the world of homeschool curriculum far richer than the most well-funded schools in the world." And what Cathy has done in her book is to help us do just that -- figure out what is best for each of our children. Under her direction, using pertinent questions and an easy-to-use chart, a homeschooling mom can determine which of the eight approaches to homeschooling would fit her child's learning style and her own overall goals and priorities for her child's education. It takes the guesswork and confusion out of homeschooling. The largest portion of the book is taken up with Cathy's reviews of her "100 Top Picks" for homeschooling books and curricula. She gives us thorough descriptions and necessary ordering details, strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum, and her own impressions on how it would work with the different learning styles. One of the best features of this book is an amazing eight page chart putting all the information together so parents can see at a glance and compare and contrast all the details of each "Top Pick." I would suggest that if you're having a hard time wading through all of your curriculum choices, you might consider buying 100 Top Picks. Keep it handy, because you'll be consulting it often.

Expert homeschooling curriculum consultant Cathy Duffy presents 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing the Right Curriculum and Approach for Your Child's Learning Style, a thorough guidebook to designing the proper educational program for one's child. Approaching the topic from a Christian worldview, 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum is nonetheless useful for any homeschooling family regardless of faith. The first portion of 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum discusses different types of learning styles, and how to know when one's child should learn what. The bulk of 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum focuses upon individual texts, study guides, and CD-ROM software ideal for giving one's child a firm grounding in phonics, literature, mathematics, history, science, foreign language, and much more. The pros, cons, and unique features of each study aid is discussed in depth, in this superb catalog of the best of the best educational resources.