We have been waiting for this day for a long time… My boys have spent the last couple of years very slowly going through an introductory Latin course for younger elementary kids. It was enough to whet their appetite for more foreign language study. The day has finally come that Jonathan is now entering 8th grade and ready to take a foreign language course for high school credit so we are moving on to the curriculum we've been eyeing for years: Visual Latin!

The wonderful people at Compass Classroom offered us a review copy of Visual Latin 1 in exchange for sharing our thoughts on the course with you. Of course, all thoughts and opinions are ours and we hope you'll find our review helpful in determining if Visual Latin is a good fit for your family.

This post contains our initial impressions and thoughts after completing 10 lessons and it will be updated when we finished the course. Yes, I do mean we, because I am also going through the course!

I want to share our thoughts from a few different perspectives: a homeschool mom with no knowledge of Latin, Jonathan's opinion as the student, and a mom taking the course herself for personal enrichment. I'll also share some logistical suggestions to make your journey through Visual Latin a little easier.

First, as a mom “teaching” or overseeing this course in my homeschool, I love the format. If you choose the digital download plus streaming option, you'll get access to the materials in an online course format as well as zipped files containing the video lectures. Jonathan uses the online streaming option most of the time. I believe that the course can be done independently for most motivated learners, especially those who are familiar with online lecture and teaching from another course. That's a big deal for a mom who doesn't have experience with Latin or doesn't have much time to devote to it. I've been mostly hands off as Jonathan has made his way through the first 10 lessons. He logs into the portal, finds his next lesson, watches the videos, does the corresponding worksheets, and checks his answers using the answer key. He records his score in an online spreadsheet for me but also verbally checks in with me to tell me how he did and if he had any questions. I also love Dwane's teaching style. He adds humor to keep your student's attention while giving easy to understand explanations of the concepts.

Second, as the student, Jonathan loves Visual Latin. He is taking it as a summer course, but was so excited to start that he jumped in a little early late this spring. He says about Visual Latin:

“What I like about this Latin course is that Dwane finds the perfect mix of laughter and learning. I also like how the learning it set up. He doesn't give you stacks and stacks of homework sheets. He gives you 1-2 practice sheets, a translation page or two, and then a quiz and you're done for the week . I like it because it is only as much work as you need and because you can't have too many laughs.”

This is also a great course for a mom (or dad) who wants to learn a language for their own personal enrichment. In full disclosure, in addition to taking a language in high school, I have a BA in Bible and MA in Old Testament studies so I'm no stranger to learning foreign languages. I've studied French, Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. I wanted to take this opportunity to learn Latin alongside Jonathan in order to in time gain a deeper understanding of the Bible. To my delight, the translation exercises are modified from the Vulgate! My language skills were little rusty after not using them much in the last few years, but I found that between Dwane's teaching style and format of the course that I picked it up quickly. I initially was working at a pace of a lesson a day! While I certainly don't expect the average mom to work at that pace, you could easily do a lesson a week with your child.

We are doing Visual Latin as a high school level course. This means that in addition to the lectures, worksheets, and quizzes, in a few lessons, we will be adding in Lingua Latina. We did take a peek ahead and we were both excited to see that with the knowledge we have gained through the first 10 lessons, we could both easily translate the first lesson in LL!

A couple of tips:

• A Google spreadsheet works really well to record scores from the worksheets, but a paper recording sheet is included in the teacher's guide.
• The workbooks are long. It is a lot of printing if you have chosen the digital files. We started with printing but then moved to all digital to save space and ink. Jonathan is writing on the PDFs using OneNote and a Chromebook with a touchscreen and stylus. I'm using the PDFs in Notability on an iPad mini and an Apple Pencil. Both methods are working very well for us.
• We live a very mobile lifestyle and need access across devices and when without internet. We downloaded the digital files to my computer and synced those to Dropbox. Now in addition to the streaming course format, we can access the files from any of our devices, including some when without internet access. If we are expecting to not have internet access, we will download the next several videos to the Chromebook or iPad so they are available for us.

Update: 2021

Jonathan has now completed both Visual Latin 1 and 2 and loved every minute of it. He's begging for more Latin! I unfortunately only made it to lesson 10, but I really hope to pick it up again in a less busy season of life.

Are you interested in Visual Latin for your kids or for yourself? Compass Classroom offers free sample lessons so you can see the format, watch a lecture, do a worksheet, and see if it is a good fit for your family. Go here to read more and get those sample lessons. If you like Dwane's style and humor, be sure to also check out his Word Up! vocabulary show.

Thanks Compass Classroom for giving us the opportunity to go through and share about Visual Latin 1!

Look for an update to this post some time in the fall after we've completed the course…

How can you increase productivity? One way is to learn from others who have found systems that work and then adapting those systems for your own life. I want to share two resources that have helped me do that.

First, I want to introduce you to Phylicia Masonheimer. She's spent years studying habits and productivity and learning how to apply it to her own life. She's passionate about helping people find more time to do what they love. She's also a great Bible teacher who I love to follow on Instagram. Her Insta-stories are always full of pointed but grace-filled teaching and encouragement, mostly on topics of dating/singleness, early married life, intimacy, and motherhood, especially mothering littles.

Phylicia has created the Driven Women Productivity Course. I joined this course a few months ago and have been slowly making my way through it. She does a great job leading you through topics like figuring out why you want to be productive, responding to failure, hacks for various life stages, and much more. She recently added a module that helps you understand your Myers-Briggs type in relationship to productivity.

As mom with chronic health issues who also juggles homemaking, homeschooling, and working from home, it can be easy to live in the extremes. I can be really hard on myself for not doing enough and then swing to being too permissive with myself and falling into laziness. I love Phylicia's grace-filled, no nonsense approach to productivity. It's all about rolling with the ups and downs, figuring out what works in your season of life, and getting back up again when you fail. She is a wonderfully encouraging guide for this journey and I have gleaned so much from this course.

Second, I love Trello, but it can be an overwhelming system when you first look at it. So many features and options! They have some great tutorials, but sometimes it helps to see how someone else is implementing the system to help you figure out how to tweak it for yourself. This is where Organize Your Life with Trello comes in.

This course was created by two moms, Cara Harvey and Elisa Giorgio. They take you through the basics of the features and how to use Trello. Then they show you example board after example board and walk you through how to actually use Trello on a daily basis to contain and process all of the information and tasks in your life. I had the opportunity to get in as a beta tester last summer for this course. I've watched as they have expanded this course and added more video tutorials to organize every area of your life.

I tried to go fully digital a few years ago. I stopped using a paper planner. I feel like I failed. It just didn't work. I need digital holding places but I still need paper for my day to day. I love using Trello to plan the bigger picture and hold information (along with Evernote, Google Calendar, and Dropbox). Organizing Your Life with Trello has helped me set up systems for meal planning, longer term to do list, vacation planning, and more. Then I pull from that information each week to fill out my planner and roll with the daily punches.

Because I want to help you increase your productivity in 2019, I am giving away a copy of each of these courses! There will be 2 winners, one for each course. To enter to win, use the form below!

Winners will be notified on Monday, February 18 and will have 48 hours to respond and claim their course or another winner will be chosen.

Why was this an ambitious goal?

Well, one of the struggles of having Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis and Lyme co-infections is phenomenon described as brain fog. It has to do with an imbalance of hormones and/or build up of toxins in the body and brain. Practically, this means that brain fog can make it difficult to read or work or focus on things, especially for extended periods of time.

At the same time, I know that I personally feel better when I read. I'm a researcher and learner at heart, so I love to read. I rarely read fiction. If I'm reading a book, 99.9% of the time, that book is non-fiction. Christian living, Bible study, theology related, self-help, productivity, biography, and similar are some of my favorites.

I wasn't consistent with this goal, but I was persistent. In addition to buying a few Kindle and paper books, most of the time I bought Kindle books when on sale, borrowed ebooks through the Libby app from my local library, borrowed physical books from the library, and found some great choices in the Amazon Kindle Unlimited program. There were days and weeks when I didn't read at all, but then when my head was clearer I would read a lot.

Guess what? By the June, I had met my goal!

And by the end of the year, I had exceeded my goal!

As of December 31, 2018, I had read 50 books plus the whole Old Testament!

So do you want to know which books I chose to read in 2018? I gathered all of the books into a list on Amazon for you. Jump over to the Books I Read in 2018 list.

By the way… You can follow me on Instagram and GoodReads to see what I'm reading this year.

While they finished up breakfast, I got things ready to start school and jumped online to quickly check Facebook. I saw a post from a client and blogging friend about losing a blogging friend. My first thoughts were of sadness for her and wondered who it was. Then I saw the name and I saw my Facebook feed filled with posts about this friend.

And then world felt like it crashed.

Hours earlier, in the middle of the night, a fire had broken out in the home of Mandy Kelly. Mandy, her husband, and two of their children passed away in the fire. Their two older children and her mother-in-law survived the fire.

I've known Mandy for several years, but I never had the chance to meet her in person. Mandy wrote for Kids in the Word and those posts now live here at The Pelsers. She and I were as a part of a small group in an online course we were taking when she passed. I was nowhere near as close to Mandy as some of the ladies in our circles, but I found myself overcome with grief and even some anger. I felt like I was in a fog much of that day and struggled to focus much of the week.

I know Mandy well enough to know that she wouldn't want me to cry over her. She is now in the place her spirit has always longed to be: in the presence of her God and Savior.

My Life Lessons from Mandy

You see Mandy lived with joy. She fully embraced life. But, life to Mandy wasn't about this earthly existence. Life is about eternity with Jesus and inviting as many people as possible to join us there. Her last published post on March 19, 2017 was about seeing Jesus for who He really is. Her last published words before leaving this physical world pointed readers to discover who Jesus is so we can also see who we really are – and how much we need Him.

Mandy finished well as she so desired and communicated in this Facebook live video. I encourage you to take the time to watch it.

Read Mandy's Kids in the Word Posts

Read Mandy's Blog Worshipful Living

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7

So, what did I learn from Mandy? Mandy's life has encouraged me to live with joy, embrace life fully, and finish well.

Those Left Behind

What do we do now? We focus on the life lessons we learned from Mandy and we care for those left behind. We can do that through prayer and support.

Please pray for the two children who survived the fire. I think that's where Mandy would want us to focus too. She, Scott, Lizzie, and Baby Judah are home with Jesus, but Bekah and Jared are still here with us. Bekah and Jared had already lost their mom years ago and now they've lost their dad, second mom, and two siblings. These kids have now gone through a second catastrophic loss at a young age. I've been a kid left behind so I know some of their pain. (My mom died when I was only 13 years old. As I write this, I'm actually almost the age she was when she passed.) Pray also for the extended family as they grieve and take care of Bekah and Jared.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Another thing we can do is to take care of Bekah and Jared's physical needs. If you would like to help the surviving children of Scott and Mandy, donations are being accepted by their church here. Checks should have Kelly Fund written on the memo line. For online donations, click the give button and choose Kelly Fund from the drop down.

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Matthew 22:37-39

The final thing we can do: Point to Jesus in everything we say and do. Learn from Mandy's example and finish well. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, so love God and love others today!

More Life Lessons Learned

Mandy touched so many lives… Read more life lessons learned from Mandy from some of my friends here:

Many people think that St Patrick's Day is all about catching gold at the end of the rainbow. About catching leprechauns. Sadly, our world has changed it into a holiday that is all about getting intoxicated and having a party. Oh, and don't forget to wear your Irish Kelly Green or you just might get pinched! However, that isn't what the holiday was ever intended to be.

When Patrick was 16, he was captured from Great Britain and taken to be a slave in Ireland. Six years later he escaped, but as a Christian, he chose to return to Ireland to bring the gospel to an otherwise superstitious and ungodly country. Legend has it that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), using the three leaves of the native Irish clover, the shamrock. It is believed that he died on March 17 – and so this is the reason we celebrate St Patrick's Day on this date.

St Patrick's Day can be a lot of fun to celebrate with your children. But, just like St Patrick used the Clover to explain the Trinity, we can use St Patrick's Day to remind our children of how important the Great Commission is.

In Matthew 28:19-20 we are commanded to go and teach all nations. It is a command, not a suggestion. Too many people want to pray about sharing the gospel when, in fact, there isn't much to pray about. God has told us to go and share the good news with whomever we come in contact. So – all we need to do now is go and be obedient!

My children have memorized the Great Commission from an early age! I felt like it was important to inscribe these words on their hearts so that they will know them, and hold tight to them as they go out in our world.

One of the best ways to memorize a verse is to write it. There is a copywork printable at the end of this post just for that! Another great way is to put it together like a puzzle. I write the words in groups on sentence strips and then have the children put it together. Laminate these so you will have them for years to come!

Not only do our kids need to be reminded of the Great Commission – so do we! Just last night we were in the drive-thru line at a local hamburger restaurant. The lady who was taking my order was very rude, and my flesh kicked into high gear. My response was less than graceful, and we drove off. As we did, my oldest said “Mama, you should have told her that Jesus loved her.”

Well, my heart stopped and tears flooded my eyes. She was right. I could have used my moment to show love, but instead, I showed anger. Instead of kindness, I gave back the same rude behavior I was given. Instead of sharing the gospel, I turned my back.

We have teachable moments with our kids and we need to be sure we take them. This St Patrick's Day, go ahead and wear your green. Have something fun to eat – nothing is wrong with having a little holiday fun! But while you are at it, look for moments to teach your kids about sharing the gospel. Be an example of sharing the gospel. Just go!

Request the free printable using the form at the end of this post.

I've talked about how to choose a children's Bible. A friend did two round-ups of her favorite children's Bibles for me a few years ago – and my favorite one made her list too. (See Children's Bible Round-up Part 1 and Children's Bible Round-up Part 2).

Just as I thought we were going to need to buy a new copy of my favorite children's Bible, I received an email from my contact at FlyBy promotions asking if I'd like to share about the updated version of a children's Bible. Which one? My favorite one!

My boys were so excited to see the bright and shiny new copy of their old favorite appear on our doorstep!

The Beginner's Bible

Our favorite children's Bible is The Beginner's Bible published by Zondervan. Our original copy has been well-loved by 3 little boys as a read-aloud and an early reader. Boy #4 is now sitting in the lap of Mom and Dad listening to the stories too!

Zondervan has updated this beloved classic, which was originally released in 1989. The illustrations have been given a facelift while retaining the original designs. The full-color illustrations on every page now have a three-dimensional look and shading to them. Read more about updated graphics here.

With over 90 stories, The Beginner's Bible has a great selection of stories from the Bible. I love that the stories are simply told and written in a way that I feel does not add a lot of theological interpretation to the original text. The print is larger making is easy for a parent to read-aloud and for an early elementary aged child to read for themselves. The Beginner's Bible is flipped through by my toddlers and preschoolers and reading practice for my boys when they reach around a 1st grade level of reading fluency.

Buy The Beginner's Bible

Win a Copy!

Would you like a copy of updated version of The Beginner's Bible for your kids? Enter using the form below!

Material Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

I read the Bible to and with my kids, but I wonder sometimes if I'm talking to them on a level that they understand. Creating relevant object lessons that make sense to a child is not a strength of mine, but I found someone who is really good with teaching the Bible to kids in an engaging way.

Walk This Way

My friend Anne Marie Gosnell regularly writes about kids' faith and children's ministry related topics. Her graduate degree is in education and her specialty is in writing curriculum. Following this passion, she's written a book to help parents and children's ministry teachers teach their K-6th graders some basics of Godly living. She sent me copy of her new book to share with you.

Walk This Way: Ethics and Sanctification Lessons for Kids contains 20 lessons perfect for home or church use. These lessons are simple for the parent or teacher to use without being overly scripted. Each lesson gives you the Scripture focus, materials list, Bible lesson, object lesson, and life application. In the back of the book are reproducible coloring sheets and additional materials can be download from Anne Marie's site.

Walk This Way includes teaching on topics like:

• Bad language
• Being a peacemaker
• Self-control
• Rebellion
• Cheating
• Encouragement
• Boasting
• and more!

Read the first part of the book here:

Walk This Way is available in paperback and kindle formats on Amazon or at Future Flying Saucers eStore.

Buy on Amazon

Giveaway!

Win a copy for your family or ministry! Anne Marie is giving one paperback copy of Walk This Way plus printable posters digital download to one of you! Enter using the Rafflecopter form below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Material Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The boys and I have used Birth of Jesus two years in a row to celebrate Advent. I love Grapevine Studies and so do my boys.

Who doesn't love drawing stick figures? Right?

I like using the electronic versions of Grapevine Studies, but you can buy print versions too. The electronic family license allows us to print as many copies as we need for our immediate family. I prefer to use the teacher's guide on my iPad. It saves on printing costs and you really need to have the teacher's guide in color. {Here's how I use digital books and worksheets on our iPad.}

Grapevine Studies are easy to teach. The teacher's guide tells you exactly what to have your child do in their book. You guide your child through Bible readings, words to define, stick figure drawings, and memory verses. Jonathan likes following through the teacher's guide on the iPad and copying the drawings from there, but you can use a white board to draw the stick figures for your kids to copy.

Jonathan always has such an intense look on his face when he is working, but I love the look on his face when he completes a section of the study. He gets so excited to see his finished product.

The stick figures are simple for kids to draw and help them remember the parts of the story.

I love that my boys can now do Grapevine Studies together. Last year, they added traceable studies to the line-up at Grapevine Studies. The traceable studies are great for your younger kids!

Jacob worked hard on his drawings. Between getting up and running around, between pretending to be superman and jumping off the couch, he worked on tracing the stick figures in his traceable student book.

Jacob was only three when we did this study last year. Tracing was still a little above his level. Some days were better than others. But, he tried. When he didn't feel like tracing, he colored instead.

He was excited to work and study alongside his big brother. See how proud he is of his work?

If you've never used Grapevine Studies, this is a good one to use first. It gives you a good feel for what Grapevine Studies are like without committing to a longer study.

Birth of Jesus is 5 lessons long. That's 5 weekly lessons or 24 daily lessons. My boys like to do a whole lesson at once, which can take them an hour or more to do. I love that Grapevine Studies are flexible. I can easily adjust them to fit my kids and their interest or attention spans.

Get Birth of Jesus

You can get a taste of the Birth of Jesus study by downloading this free eLesson on this page.

Disclosure: We received Birth of Jesus in exchange for an honest review.

So, what do you do? Suffer? Wait it out? Go immediately to medications?

My personal opinion is to try to use natural remedies before jumping to drugs whenever possible but especially when pregnant or nursing.

Here are 10 things that have helped me survive the 1st trimester yuck.

1. Water. Drink lots of water. It is essential to stay hydrated.
2. Change your vitamin. I was using a generic vitamin and it made me so sick. It is the same brand I used with my first two pregnancies, but it was terrible with #3. I switched to a vitamin from Whole Foods that included ginger, B6, and some additional digestive aids. With #4, I loved this raw prenatal from Vitamin Code.
3. Take your vitamin in the evening. The initial switch of the vitamin really helped, but then the nausea came back. I started taking it at night instead of in the morning and I saw a more lasting reduction of nausea.
4. Citrus water. I put a little lemon in a glass of water on those times when it's difficult to drink water regularly. Citrus can be an all around a physical and emotional pick me up.
5. Really Good Ginger Ale. It needs to be made with real ginger and a lot of it. My favorite kind is Reed's Premium Ginger Brew. It's sweetened with honey and pineapple juice and tastes wonderful. My boys even try to sneak it from me! One-third to one-half of a bottle slowly sipped is usually enough for me. This brand can be hard to find. Some of my local chain grocery stores carry it and some don't. Earth Fare and Whole Foods seem to carry it regularly.
6. Ginger essential oil. I wish I would have had this remedy earlier! I would keep Ginger essential oil prediluted in a little bottle or roll on. I could easily rub a little on my belly this way or smell it straight from the bottle. It's amazing how even the smell of ginger can calm my stomach.
7. Magnesium Oil spray. Many women are deficient in magnesium. That can cause nausea and legs cramps/tingles in pregnant women. I read this great article at Wellness Momma about magnesium. I use my homemade spray at bedtime when I get restless legs. I find relief almost instantly and am able to get to sleep.
8. Baby Skin essential oil blend. I love the Baby Skin essential oil blend from Rocky Mountain Oils. It's perfect for moms and little ones. It's calming. It can help with nausea. I find it helpful for heartburn when stronger oils are contraindicated. It's already pre-diluted in fractionated coconut oil and just a drop or two rubbed on my chest was soothing. Plus, it helped with my restless legs and minor sciatica. I rub it into my legs and I'm able to relax, settle, and sleep well. I used to use Young Living's version of this blend, but Josh thought that smells a little strong. I didn't mind, but Baby Skin smells better to both of us. 
9. Prayer and Thankfulness. I've had lots of time to just talk to God. Be thankful for the downtime and rest. Your body needs it. Remember it's for a good reason!
10. Talk to your doctor. When all else fails, take the drugs. Your doctor can prescribe something that will help with the nausea. You may find that you have something like Hyperemesis Gravidarum. 

Got any pregnancy tips or remedies you'd like to share?

Original Image Credit

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor and this is not medical advice. These are things that I've personally found helpful and I hope they will help you too.

1. The Bible

Spiritual considerations were a big part, though not the only part, of our decision to homeschool. The Bible daily shapes our homeschool and our lives. In case you're curious, Josh and I prefer to read the ESV. Jonathan started reading the NIV and has moved over to the ESV. Jacob has been using the NIrV.

Get a new Bible on Amazon

2. For the Children's Sake

When we started to think about our kids' education, I was interested in a local school based on the Charlotte Mason method. For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay is required reading for all parents who apply to the school so I decided to read it. I was thoroughly convinced after reading this book that I didn't want my kids to be in a traditional school setting. I was quite drawn into Charlotte Mason ideas.

3. Charlotte Mason Companion

I continued to research Charlotte Mason's ideas but her original writings are a tough read. Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola was recommend to me and it became one of my most referenced books early on in homeschooling. It's a great practical guide for understanding and implementing the Charlotte Mason method. Over the years I've incorporated from classical ideas into our homeschool, but Charlotte Mason ideas are still at the foundation of our school.

4. Raising Real Men

When I first read Raising Real Men by Hal and Melanie Young, we only had one boy (Jonathan) and were expecting another boy (Jacob). Now it's hard to believe that we have 4 boys! I've had a feeling for years that God was going to give me a house full of boys, but I didn't grow up with boys in the house when I was little. Raising boys is not something that comes naturally to me, or a lot of mommas for that matter. While this is not really a homeschooling book, so many of the ideas apply to homeschooling and truly schooling boys to become godly men. I love hearing Hal and Melanie speaking at conferences and appreciate their recommendations and over the years have come to count Melanie as a friend. I wrote a whole series on Raising Real Men where you can read my favorite parts of each chapter.

Read the first part of the book here:

5. How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids

How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids by Rachael Carman is not specifically a homeschooling book, but speaks to the hearts of moms in raising their kids. There are plenty of principles that apply to homeschooling and Rachael is a homeschooling mom of many. I hosted a book club on this book and you can read my thoughts and those of some blogging friends on each chapter.

Read the first part of the book here:

6. 7 Tools for Cultivating Your Child's Potential

Zan Tyler and her family were instrumental in South Carolina's battle for homeschooling. She spent a lot of timing fighting for fair laws there. 7 Tools for Cultivating Your Child's Potential are seven things that Zan learned along that way that were important for shaping her kids' to be their best. We did a book club with 7 Tools too where you can read my reflections and tips from other bloggers.

Read the first part of the book here:

7. Read For the Heart

Some books are reference books that you go back to over and over again. Read for the Heart by Sarah Clarkson is one of those books. It's filled with recommendations of the best books for kids at various ages and for particular topics. When I'm looking for a book to go with our studies, I start with Read for the Heart. I wrote a review of Read for the Heart here.

While this book is available in Kindle format, this is one that I highly recommend having in paperback. Read the first part here:

8. 101 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum

I have 100 Top Picks, and it's been updated over the years. The latest edition is titled 102 Tops Picks for Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy. My favorite part of this book is the beginning where Cathy talks about different learning styles. For those just starting out, there's a great chart that categorizes some of the best curriculum options into those learning styles.

9. The Well-Trained Mind

As much as I love the Charlotte Mason philosophy of homeschooling. I'm also drawn to some of the aspects of Classical homeschooling. We've incorporated quite a few parts of classical schooling over the years. The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer, now available in the 4th edition, is one of the best books on Classical homeschooling. It breaks down the 3 stages of learning and gives recommendations for books and resources at each level for each subject.

Read the first part of the 4th edition here:

10. Educating the WholeHearted Child

And finally, my very favorite books that has shaped our homeschool is Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson. Much of my parenting philosophy has been shaped by Sally Clarkson's writings and it's only right then that my favorite book that has shaped our homeschool is Educating the WholeHearted Child. This is another book that I blogged through chapter by chapter – it's that good. Assuming that you already own a Bible and can only get one book, I think it should be this one!

What are your favorite homeschooling books to add to this list?