Monday, December 31, 2007

19th Century World Maps(1840's) and Geography/Google Books


This old Geography book is useful in sections, mostly for the maps. Look how different Europe was in the 1840's. If you are doing a study of this time period, there are some nice maps in An Easy Introduction to Geography, published in 1840. There is coverage of other areas which can be still be used such as early American History.

A Compilation of Children's Literature for Teachers/Google Books

A large compilation of children's literature sectioned off into categories, beginning with nursery rhymes and ending with Poetry. Edited with notes, introductions and bibliographies, published by Rand McNalley in 1921. Click here. Reading suggestions for each grade level are explained here in section 4.

Nature Study in Elementary Schools: A Manual for Teachers/Google Books


A nice nature study month by month for the first four grades. Click here.

Evan-Moor Educational Books/Google Books

Listings for 288 Evan-Moor educational books. View full pages without advertising bar by clicking on HTML view(bottom of sidebar at links). These are not in public domain, but free to read. Not downloadable.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Out and All About(Animal and Nature Stories)/Google Books


Didactic story book about nature and animals. Elementary level, grade 3 and up(estimate). Click here.

The Child's History of Jerusalem/Google Books


Nice historical Bible study for grades four through early middle school(estimate). Click here.

A Child's Coloured Scripture Book/Google Books


Large writing, looks as if appropriate for ages 4-8 or grades K-2.Click here.

The Child's Coloured Gift Book/Google Books

1867 didactic picture book about everyday life around town with large writing - I'm guessing K-2nd grade or ages 4-8. Click here.

The Child's Scripture Book with Questions and Answers/Google Books


Appears to be appropriate for third grade and up. Click here.

The Children's Book of Divinity or Grandmamma's Stories About Bible Doctrine/Google Books


No pandering to self esteem here. Grannie is tough, and she talks a lot about sin. I'm guessing this is Anglican as it was published in London. Read section two to determine if the doctrine fits your faith. Click here.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Everyday Number Stories/Google Books


Terrific illustrations for early math through about 5th grade. The word problems get progressively harder and include mixed fractions, something that my son is covering in his 5th grade Rod & Staff math curriculum. This book makes a wonderful extra practice book for him. I'll also be using it for my daughter when she gets older. Click here.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Yule-tide Stories: A Collection of Scandinavian and North German Popular Tales & Traditions

Interesting book. I've linked to The Wreath(Questenberg, Germany) which I enjoyed skimming. The reading level is probably later middle school and up. It's well written and catches you interest right away.

Download Help from a Download Manager

I have dial-up which may be the reason that I have trouble downloading book from Google, although I've not had this problem elsewhere. The other day, I stumbled upon a free download manager, and for the first time was able to download books off Google.

If you've had similar problems, you might want to try a download manager. It pauses and saves, which is especially good for dial-up so when you lose your connection you aren't having to begin again. It save the portion you have downloaded before you lost you connection, and resumes after you re-connect.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Speaking and Writing English for the First Eight Grades/Google Books


This book is for the first eight years, and contains assignments and teacher helps by grade level. Click here. I'll be using the fourth grade lessons. I'll review them when I am done.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Who Knews Grammar Could Be Fun!


Introducing Nr. Noun, Dr. Verb, Mr. Adjective and many more grammar friends. What a fun way to learn grammar.

Grammar-land; Or, Grammar in Fun for the Children of Schoolroom-shire

Young People's Story of Music/Google Books

Click here.

St. Nicholas Book of Plays & Operettas/Google Books

Click here.

The Children's Book of Christmas Stories/Google Books

Nicely organized with stories for younger children identified. Click here.

Songs for Catholic Schools/Google Books

Click here. Also includes memory aids for catechism.

First Music Reader/Google Books


Click here.

Christmas: Its Origin and Associations: Together with Its Historical Events/Google Books


Click here.

Hymns for Little Children/Google Books

Hymns for Little Children(Anglican) By Cecil Frances Alexander
Click here.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Good Stories for Great Holidays

Stories organized by holiday. Click here.

A Child's Story Garden/Munseys

Contents:
SIEGFRIED, THE KING'S SON
THE SONG OF THE PINE TREE
A CHRISTMAS STORY
THE MYTH OF ARACHNE
THE BIRDS OF KILLINGWORTH
THE MYTH OF PAN
THE BELL OF ATRI
THE ANXIOUS LEAF
COMING AND GOING
HOW THE DIMPLES CAME
THE PROUD LITTLE APPLE BLOSSOM
THE BRAVE KNIGHT
KING ROBERT OF SICILY
THE GREAT STONE FACE
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE
THE STORY OF ABRAHAM
THE STORY OF MOSES
THE STORY OF DAVID
THE STORY OF JOSEPH
THE COURTESY OF THE SPARTAN BOY
TWENTY-THIRD PSALM.

Click here.

Popular Old-Fashion Christmas Short Stories for Children

And here too.

Christmas Potpourri: Holiday Etexts

Some of the links to Black Mask are not working because Black Mask has been resurrected as Munseys.

Printable Christmas Stories/Baldwin Project

Click on title.

Friday, November 30, 2007

Cavalcade of America - Audio Learning

Cavalcade of America was a weekly radio program featuring dramatized American history during the 1950's. Internet Archives has these shows in public domain for download. I also noticed that McGuffey readers were listed in the audio archive.

Click here.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

A History of the United States and Its People/Google Books

This is the third book in Eggleston's American History series. Click here. Ages 12 and up. A little more about this book at Lost Classics Books. They have republished this book series.

The other book in the series is Stories of Great Americans for Little People.

Thorndike Mathematics/Google Books


A very nice elementary school math book with mostly word problems and drills. Wonderful everyday examples. Click here.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Audio Books/Internet Archive

There are 1,794 audiobooks listed here for download. Unfortunately they are not categorized, so you'll need to use the search engine to find specific books, or browse through all of them.

These are MP3 downoads which can be burned onto a regular CD with Microsoft's Windows Media 11(free). I've downloaded a few to CD, and they played fine on my regular CD player in the car.

I'm working on a collection of vintage old time radio historical MP3's for children. They are wonderful to listen to while in the car.

Friday, November 23, 2007

The Silver-Burdett Arithmetics Series/Google Books


I've linked to the table of contents for each of these books.

Book 1
Book 2
Book 3

Complete Book - looks like a review(remedial?) with consumer math.

First Arithmetic(Mathematics) Book/Google Book Search


First arithmetic book covers counting, addition, subtraction, simple multiplication, measurements, simple factions and more. Click here. I've linked to the table of contents. There are some nice illustrations as well, and simple word problems.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Early Elementary Science and Nature Studies/Google Book Search

This is a science text with comprehension questions for early elementary. There are even some poems. I really like this text for young children - easy to understand and thorough. Here is a sample for the first page:

LAND AND WATER. When we go out of the house, upon what do we walk ? Do we always walk upon the ground ? How does the ground feel under our feet? Why do we not sink into it? Do we ever come to something on the ground which is not hard or solid, and upon which we cannot walk? What makes these puddles of water on the ground? We often call the ground land. Wherever we go we shall be either upon the land or upon the water. We can walk upon the land because it is solid. If we should try to walk upon the water, we would sink down into it. Then, if we could not swim, we might be drowned. Copy the following sentences, and fill the blank spaces ....

Click here.

Our American Neighbors, Studies of North and South America/Google Book Search


This elementary level social studies text explores Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Click here.



Our American Neighbors: Canada

Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans/Google Book Search

Click on title.

American History for Elementary/Google Book Search

Hero Stories of American History. According to the appendix, this book is to be read first or along with a formal history text. Here's a nice one by Channing: A Short History of the United States.

A few recommended in the appendix: The Beginner's American History, McMaster's Primary History of the United States , Tappan's Our Country's Story, Eggleston's First Book in American History and Thorpe's Junior History of the United States.

I liked a First Book in American History so much that I bought a vintage edition online. I'll post my reviews after we've completed this book. This book has been reprinted by Lost Classics Books.

Free Downloads: Homeschool Living Books for the Ears

Click on title.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Google Books Download Helps and Google Library

Google Books has improved their free online book service. You can now switch to plain text to copy and paste, or highlight all(select all) in order to copy and save text to your computer. I'm fairly certain the plain text option was not available during the summer. You can also switch to HTML(bottom right margin) which means you can save the pages and pictures to your computer, copy pages, and see hyper-links on the table of contents.

Once you switch to HTML mode, just right click on the image of the page in order to save or print. Most of the links I post here are already in HTML mode. The default mode at Google Books is standard mode which does not allow right clicks on the images of the page.

Another new option is the Google Library. This is so helpful! I have added over a hundred books from Google Books to my library for later viewing. Click here to take a peak. I'll being reviewing these books, and adding them here if they are helpful to homeschooling.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Halleck's New English Literature/Project Gutenberg

"The book furnishes a concise account of the history and
growth of English literature from the earliest times to the present day. It lays special emphasis on literary movements, on the essential qualities that differentiate one period from another, and on the spirit that animates each age. Above all, the constant purpose has been to arouse in the student an enthusiastic desire to read the works of the authors discussed. Because of the author's belief in the guide-book function of a history of literature, he has spent much time and thought in preparing the unusually detailed Suggested Readings that follow each chapter."

Click here.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

What Great Men Have to Say About Women/Project Gutenberg

Click on title.

The Child's Day/Project Gutenburg


A very nice wholesome health studies book for early elementary from 1912. Teaches basic hygiene and good health practices. Also includes some basic anatomy. Book has comprehension questions for each unit.

Click here.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Woodside or, Look, Listen, and Learn/Project Gutenberg


"Now for the dear, dear country,
Its trees and meadows fair,
Its roses, cowslips, violets,
Whose sweetness fills the air.
"'Tis there we hear the music
Of lark's and blackbird's song,
And merry little finches,
Singing the whole day long."—C. H.

Very sweet story book about children who visit their grandfather at the farm. Along the way they learn about nature. A very wholesome science type reader for the warmer months with references to scripture as well.

Click here.

Haydn/Project Gutenburg

An easy read for advanced middle school-high school. Click here.

Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John H. Haaren and A.B. Poland

The introduction mentions that this book is written for elementary school. It covers European history years 476-1492.

Click here.

Homeschool review


Also available at The Baldwin Project, and as an audiobook here. Google books has a copy here.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Geographical Twins Series by Lucy Fitch Perkins/Project Gutenberg





Geographical Series

THE DUTCH TWINS PRIMER. Grade I.

The Eskimo Twins . Grade II.

The Dutch Twins . Grade III.

The Japanese Twins . Grade IV.

The Swiss Twins . Grade IV.

THE FILIPINO TWINS. Grade V.

THE IRISH TWINS. Grade V.

THE ITALIAN TWINS. Grade V.

THE MEXICAN TWINS
. Grade V.

The Scotch Twins. Grade VI.

The Belgian Twins Grade VII.

The French Twins . Grade VII.

Historical Series

THE CAVE TWINS
. Grade IV.

The Spartan Twins . Grade V.

THE COLONIAL TWINS OF VIRGINIA. Grade VI.(CurrClick has it for sale as a download)

THE AMERICAN TWINS OF 1812. Grade VI.

THE PIONEER TWINS. Grade VI.

THE AMERICAN TWINS OF THE REVOLUTION. Grade VII.(CurrClick has it for sale as a download)

The Puritan Twins . Grade VII.

Supplemental:

Original 1922 Lucy Perkins The Twins Series paper dolls 


Paper dolls of Friends Around the World

Catholic Home Education: Papal Documents of Interest

Click on title.

The Story of Mankind/Project Gutenberg

History for later elementary. Click here. Skip the first section if you would rather avoid the evolution theory. HT to Love2Learn who mentioned that they were using this book as a complement to Hillyers History of the World.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Free Writing and Grammar Workbooks Grades One - Six

Click on title.

HT to Betsy.

English Literature For Boys And Girls, H.E. Marshall/Munseys

Grades seven - ten. Click here.

Character Education Books/Project Gutenberg


Very cute books for early childhood.

The Goop Directory Audio version here.

More Goops and How Not to Be Them Audio version here.

HT to Creative Frugality.

A Child's Story Garden/Munseys

Wonderful short stories with a high moral tone, a few stories based on Bible heroes. These would be wonderful to read to younger children, and fairly easy to read for a fourth or fifth grade reader. Click here.

The United States' Spelling Book, With Appropriate Reading Lessons/19th Century Books


After a quick scan of this book, I'm quessing this spelling book would cover spelling for early elementary through about sixth grade. Click here.

The Scripture Guide : Being a Familiar Introduction to the Study of the Bible/19th Century Books

Friendly well written introduction to reading the Bible in story form - Uncle Austin teaches his nephews. Click here.

Word-primer : a Beginner's Book in Oral and Written Spelling by William Swinton/19th Century Books

Click here.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Free Easy to Read Online Picture Books

Beautifully illustrated and written by Marilyn Scott Waters of the Toymaker.com, a folded paper toy store. Click here.

She is also offering some free paper toys.

HT to In Beauty and In Grace.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Reading List: Books Sorted by Level

This book list is based upon the Robinson Homeschool Program which is homeschooling with quality vintage books on CD. Many of these books are available at Project Gutenberg, or at the links for free books on the sidebar. As a bonus, there are a few free tests/quizzes for some of these books.

This list is a nice guide, just another tool for organizing and sorting your collection of free homeschool curricula.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

50 Famous People A Book of Short Stories/Project Gutenberg

"Every boy and girl should remember the name of Benjamin Franklin. He was a great thinker and a great doer, and with Washington he helped to make our country free. His life was such that no man could eversay, 'Ben Franklin has wronged me.' "

Click here.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

The American Class Book/19th Century School Books

The American class book, or, A collection of instructive reading lessons : adapted to the use of schools : selected from Blair's class book, etc. by Thomas Kimber.

Wonderful short writings covering various topics. All have a high moral tone. I plan to use some of these when my son gets a little older.


Click here.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

The Story of the Pony Express/Project Gutenberg

"This little volume has but one purpose - to give an authentic, useful,
and readable account of the Pony Express. This wonderful enterprise
played an important part in history, and demonstrated what American
spirit can accomplish. It showed that the "heroes of sixty-one" were not
all south of Mason and Dixon's line fighting each other. And, strange to
say, little of a formal nature has been written concerning it."

Click here.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Fun and Nonsense/Project Gutenberg

"Fun and Nonsense are a pair
Of merry little twins,
And when they come to visit us
They bring their friends, the Grins.
They're coming now to visit you.
This page we'll call the door.
To open wide, just turn the leaf.
Why, we have met before!"

Click here.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

History of the United States by Beard/Project Gutenberg


Topical approach, interesting big picture wide swath coverage of history from Migration and American Colonization to Progressive Democracy and the World War. Comprehension questions at the end of sections. Click here.