Curriculum Advice for Every Need
Are you unsure if you should homeschool or even if you can homeschool? I have two CDs for you! If the idea of homeschooling overwhelms you and you don’t know where to begin, you must hear Curriculum Advice from Victoria Botkin Volumes 1 & 2. If you are beginning to feel more comfortable in your role as a home educator but you sometimes wonder if you are giving your child the best education possible, you still must listen to Curriculum Advice from Victoria Botkin. If the idea of teaching without textbooks scares you, this CD set is for you. If the idea of not using textbooks enthralls you but you are unsure how to proceed, listen to this set. Thinking about homeschooling high school? Again, these CDs are for you.
Victoria Botkin, mother of seven mostly grown children, takes on a difficult challenge. In two hours, she summarizes her many years of homeschooling experience.
After an excellent introduction to biblical home education by her husband, Geoffrey Botkin, Volume 1 focuses on the early years—teaching math, reading, writing, and developing a curiosity about what God has made and what He has done. Subtitled “Practical Help for Beginning Homeschool Mothers,” this section will help you do the following:
• Discover what to do with your young children and how to educate them at home (arguably the most difficult part of homeschooling).• Develop important attitudes in yourself that will make you an excellent teacher for your children.
• Cultivate a love of learning in yourself and in your children.
• Learn specific curriculum suggestions for each subject area. These are tried-and-true materials with a high success rate.
In Volume 2, Mrs. Botkin addresses the challenges of teaching children over the age of eight. She encourages us to follow God’s unique plan for our particular family. While there are plenty of specific suggestions for materials, this is not a systematic plan for achieving a traditional high-school education. Subtitled “Practical Help for Intermediate Home Educators,” Volume 2 addresses these things:
• The place of upper-level mathematics• Choosing reading material, developing discernment, guiding your child’s imagination, and analyzing literature
• Encouraging an interest in and love of history and geography
• Developing an interest in God’s creation through books and experiences
• Teaching a child how to write, to write well, and to understand the importance of writing
• Training our children to be ambassadors for Christ
Scattered throughout the set are personal reflections and stories from her children. Mr. Botkin directly addresses husbands and fathers at the conclusion of the set and encourages a focus on godly goals and measures of achievement rather than following the world’s views.
You can purchase this encouraging product as a set (Volume 1 and 2) for $20, or you can purchase each CD individually for $12. Keeping up with the latest technology, the Botkins also offer each volume available on MP3 download for $5.95 each. Both options are available at www.firstpacificmedia.com.
I believe this two-volume set is the most helpful product on the market for seeing education biblically and learning how to flesh out this ideal in real life.
©2009 Homeschooling Today magazine, Nehemiah Four, LLC