The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas by Linda Dobson
Dobson, Linda. The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas: 500+ Fun and Creative Learning Activities for Kids Ages 3-12. Roseville, CA: Prima Publishing, 2002.
In The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas: 500+ Fun and Creative Learning Activities for Kids Ages 3-12, Linda Dobson offers readers a compendium of ideas and activities she compiled from homeschoolers worldwide. Chapters center on particular subject areas, including chapters that focus on things like group activities and life skills. In her introduction and throughout the text, Dobson and her guest authors emphasize that many activities naturally cross subject lines and many of these ideas take a multidisciplinary and multisensory approach. As a librarian, I love the way books and libraries are incorporated throughout the text. The math chapter, for example, includes a booklist compiled by Holly Furgason called “Read Math” that features librarian favorites like G is for Googol by David M. Schwartz and Math Curse by Jon Scieszka. The chapter on history includes a number of sources one can use to identify historical fiction titles. The chapter on life skills includes a couple of activities to help kids learn how to use the library more effectively. “Decipher the Dewey” by Calandra Johnson even shows how learning more about the Dewey Decimal System can reinforce math skills. Overall, this is a practical resource that will be useful and inspiring to a wide range of homeschoolers, no matter what their philosophy or amount of experience. I’d recommend it for any collection.
