Secondhand Textbooks In Homeschool
Can Old Resources Be Used For Curriculum When Homeschooling?
Everyone had them, Golden Books, Children's Encyclopedia's and Grade School Readers but are they still good solid resources for today's modern homeschoolers?
When a parent opts to homeschool her child she become directly responsible for the success of the child in an educational arena. There are many questions that inevitably flow through a parent's mind when she first begin her journey, and of those perhaps the biggest question revolves around choosing not only a curriculum or style of education but also what resources to buy.
Homeschooling does not need to be an expensive undertaking with brand new textbooks and science equipment. In fact some of the best homeschooling resources don't cost much if anything at all. Heirlooms, favorite childhood books and that 1963 boxed set of encyclopedias mom and dad bought their ten-year-old are just as good for students learning the basics as newer more costly textbooks.
Old Resources That Can Be Used In Effective Homeschooling
For younger students the, I Want to Know About... book series [Children's Press, Chicago, various authors, 1960] combines words from a primary grade reading list with information on everything from plants to magnets. These are wonderful introductory books for youngsters with big bold print and many illustrations.
Middle grade students who need more information and perhaps less graphic description can use the How and Why Library book series [Childcraft International, Inc., Chicago Illinois,1981] this series covers everything from poetry to human development in terms suitable for students in about the late third to early sixth grade. These books are image and text heavy with many useful diagrams.
Middle students may also find The Golden Book Picture Atlas [Golden Press, New York, 1960] series useful in geography studies. This series has a total of six books dealing with a specific continent with the exception of the sixth, which includes Australia, Oceania and the polar lands. These books not only present maps of the regions but also include detailed information about each zone that can actually help a student to understand the material much better.
The last resource for middle students to be covered in this article is The Golden Book Encyclopedia [Golden Press, New York, 1960]. These alphabetical books combine illustrations and explanations for students eager to learn the basics about a specific topic.
For senior level student there are numerous textbooks from the past to consider. One such series is The Foundations of Science [Greystone Press, New York, 1966]. These books each tackle a specific area of the science field from molecules to the ages of the earth and the skies and seas. This series takes an in-depth and advanced look at the topics covered and would be suitable for students in high school science, chemistry and biology classes.
Using Secondhand Textbooks For Homeschooling Curriculum
Times have changed; remember there have been many developments in the world over the past 30-40 years. The fields of science, chemistry and biology have undergone massive changes and it may be necessary to supplement the use of older materials with newer up-to date ones. In addition expectations have changed and students are required to know specific things at specific grade levels. This is particularly important if plans include sending a student back into the public school system in the future.
And lastly worldviews have changed in the last 30-40 years especially where the treatment of women, ethnic groups, religious groups and sexual orientation are concerned. Parents are responsible for providing their children with well-rounded attitudes about the world around them and this includes understanding diversity.
For more information on homeschooling curriculum read these other suite 101 articles, Purchased Homeschool Curriculum, Art Classes: Back to the Basics and Nature as a Tool In Homeschooling.
