By Jan C.

In the confusion that rules our world today, there are MANY educational approaches and ideas. How do we know which approaches and ideas to follow? All we can do is pray for God’s help and guidance and move forward with confidence holding on to His hand each step of the way. What follows are suggestions that may or may not work for your child. Pray and ask God to help you to choose the ones that will help your son or daughter. This is NOT a comprehensive list – it is merely offered as a suggestion of materials/ideas to provide a skeleton framework to have on-hand to teach your child during troubled times.

Reading

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, by Siegfried Engelmann

220 Basic Sight Words (See attached list)

Language Experience: The Language Experience Approach to reading is where you simply ask your child to tell you a story as you write down what they tell you. It is often good to start by asking them to draw a picture and then tell you about it as you write down what they say. Use their (and your) imagination to guide how long or short the story is. As they mature in their writing skills, the student writes the story and reads it to the parent (or older sibling). Depending on what is written, use this as an opportunity for future lessons in English/Writing/ Reading Skills:

• Sentences begin with a capital and end with . ? !
• Proper names of people, pets, places begin with a capital.
• Phonics/Sight words, etc.

Old Readers – Embrace old readers. The values old readers teach far outweigh the out-of-date pictures. Old readers (pre-1980), show children interacting with their families and going to Mom and Dad with their questions and concerns. Many readers written in the 1980’s and beyond show very little family life and children are seen going to their teachers for help and advice with no regard for their parents or families. An excellent set based on old readers is the Faith and Freedom Readers: Grades 1-8 Available individually or as a set from Seton Educational Media 866-241-8819 or online at www.setonbooks.com (Note: Basic Readers are important at younger levels, but not as important, in my opinion, at higher reading levels.)

English/Writing Skills

Daily Grams, Easy Grammar Systems, by Wanda C. Phillips

Warriner’s English Grammar and Composition (Out of print, will have to buy used)

A Manual for Writers, by Kate Turabian (Available at Seton Press)

Andrew Pudewa: Institute for Excellence in Writing

Paragraph/essay writing:

•  Introductory sentence

Middle sentences:

•  Point One
•  Point Two
•  Point Three

Ending sentence:

•  Ending Sentence

Suggested multi-paragraph format:

•  Intro. paragraph (use single paragraph format above, ending with thesis statement in place of summary sentence.)
•  First middle paragraph: Restate point one listed in intro paragraph and expand on it.
•  Second middle paragraph: Restate point two listed in intro paragraph and expand on it.
•  Third middle paragraph: Restate point three listed in intro paragraph and expand on it.
•  Final paragraph: Restate/summarize points given above, end with final thought.

Math

Basic Addition/Subtraction/Multiplication/Division Facts

Mastering Essential Math Skills (Level 1 – Elementary; Level 2 – Middle School & High School)

Math-U-See

Saxon Math

Religion

All the Seton Religion Books are good, but if you had to choose only two books, Seton Religion 3 would provide a good framework for Grades 1-3 and Seton Religion 5 would work well for Grades 4-6.

New Catholic Picture Bible, by Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik

St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism (No.1 – Elementary; No. 2 – Middle School; No. 3 High School. If you can only get one, get No. 2)

Didache Series (High School)

Science

Apologia Exploring Creation series for Grades 3-6, 6-8, 9-12. (Available at Seton Ed. Media).

Social Studies

Junior High/ High School: The American Story, The Beginnings, by David Barton & Tim Barton

Junior High Literature Suggestions

(Available at Seton Educational Media www.setonbooks.com):

Grade 7:  

•  The Singing Tree
•  Men of Iron
•  Johnny Tremain

Grade 8:  

•  Red Bade of Courage
•  Old Man and the Sea
•  A Christmas Carol

High School Literature Suggestions

(Available at Seton Educational Media):

High School Grammar by Seton Press