Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #436919 in Books
• Published on: 1999-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 590 pages

Customer Reviews

Indispensible
I own all 3 of Mary's Big Books--"Getting Started", "Preschool and Elementary" and "High School and Beyond" (or something like that). They are not perfect, but they're close! Mary is very opinionated, as another reviewer mentioned, and in this case, it's a good thing because I don't have time to read reviews from people who are beating around the bush.

There are a few curricula I would have liked to have seen (Upton Strayer Practical Arithmetics, which I love, isn't there) but boy she doesn't miss much. Some people have gotten upset that she "disses" some curricula, but usually it is only History and Science in the lowest grades--and she is correct. You'd spend a whole lot of money on those boring, shallow materials when you're better off hitting the library for real books. I've used Walt Disney's True Life Adventure series for my kids learning about nature--way more informative and entertaining than lower grade nature curricula. For history, I got real books and read out loud. My young children not only learned more, but they were so curious that we had to go to the library to find more books to satisfy their thirst for this knowledge. The textbooks, on the other hand, are stultifying for little kids. Mary knows this, and isn't afraid to say so.

Mary and the other reviewers in the book are unabashadly Christian, and although she reviews some secular curricula, her main focus in on Christian (including Catholic and Mennonite) curricula. So be forewarned.

I have turned to her Big Books time and time again, especially when other people *insist* I need this or that curriculum or method. She's saved me money more than once when I was tempted to get this or that, as it wasn't for us--I do not like subjects that require me to have gobs of manipulatives or do bunches of crafts, and Mary mentions those caveats in her reviews. I can't figure out why some reviewers are complaining of her not focusing on "Learning Styles" when it's so obvious by her reviews which curricula and materials would fit which learning/teaching styles, without her having to come right out and say so. Duh.

I do wish, like others here, that Mary had done ALL the reviews. She IS very opinionated, authoritative, and thorough. While that type personality can sometimes drive people nuts, it is indispensible when it comes to the thorough, detailed reviews you need. One example example is when she reviews materials with a distinct doctrinal focus--she'll let you know when a Catholic might get offended with Reformed material, or when Protestants might get offended with some Anabaptist history book. A few of the other curriculum reviewers in the Big Book series seem reluctant to offend anyone--that's nice, but in this case I like straighforwardness.

Lastly, she has great advice in each section before she reviews the actual materials. Do you really need to spend a bunch of money on a Bible curriculum, or can we just simply use "The Bible"? And maybe a good Bible story book? Do we need to spend every year of our lives learning grammar? NO. Once you've learned it, then use it! Don't rehash the same junk year after year. What a waste.

I give 4.5 stars rather than 5 for the one reason mentioned above for an otherwise perfect series of books.

Excellent Resource
I enjoy Mary Pride's personality in her writing. If you do not like her Christian worldview, may have to overlook some things. This shouldn't distract from the helpfulness of the book. It is a nice place to look for ideas from an experienced homeschooler.

Ignore the negative feedback! This book is awesome!
How anyone could write a negative feedback on Mary Pride's books are beyond me.
As a newbie homeschooler, this book has been a Godsend! It has every possible piece of information you could possibly want & answers every question you could possibly think of. Mary Pride has 2 or 3 degrees, has homeschooled her NINE children and is a pioneer for the homeschool movement. Who better than to get advice from?
There are hundreds and hundreds of curriculums, unit studies, homeschool books, activities, & manipulatives. How could a newbie possibly buy and or research everything? There's no way. That is where The Big Book of Homeschooling comes in. It covers everything from reading to art appreciation to bible to math to keyboarding to physical education to engineering to the constitution! It goes on and on. I couldn't put the book down. For "the reader" who claims that she wishes it was by grade level: number 1, Pride's 1st book is for preschool/elementary, her second book is for the middle school years and the last one is for the high school years so it IS by age and as we all know, when you homeschool, grade level is non-existent basically. Grade levels were devised for the public schools. I teach my children without worrying about grade level! The other person who left a negative review obviously is too sensitive. Yes, Mary Pride tells it like it is, but isn't that what you want when you are researching something? I wouldn't want to read a homeschooling book that sugar coats EVERYTHING. How would I ever make a decision? I already know that EVERY curriculum isn't perfect. That's unrealistic. When you read Pride's books, just highlight what might interest you and then go back and decide what curriculum and ideas fit your budget, your child's learning style and what you want to accomplish. This book is a fantastic starting point! I highly recommend this book and all the others by Pride.