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Mary Pride's Complete Guide to Getting Started in Homeschooling by Pride Mary (2004-06-01) Paperback

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For the past decade and a half, Practical Homeschooling magazine publisher Mary Pride has helped hundreds of thousands of families just like yours homeschool with confidence. Now you can draw on her years of experience, as well as those of Practical Homeschooling writers and staff. Packed with insider information, Mary Pride's Complete Guide to Getting Started in Homeschooling helps you pinpoint the best teaching methods for your child...catch up with what's new in homeschool options and issues...and get inspired with the success that's waiting for you! Ideal for new homeschoolers and those just considering homeschooling, Mary Pride's Complete Guide is also sure to please veteran home educators with its up-to-date and expanded information on how to find everything from the newest contests to the coolest learning adventures.

Unknown Binding

First published June 1, 2004

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Mary Pride

25 books12 followers

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5 stars
27 (23%)
4 stars
40 (35%)
3 stars
30 (26%)
2 stars
12 (10%)
1 star
4 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Rebecca.
26 reviews4 followers
August 25, 2009
i'm looking at homeschooling, or alternative forms of education as i'm not thrilled with the school district we're in.
while this book has some good information, great definitions, it left a bad taste in my mouth with its quite literal holier than thou; anything from the government is of the DEVIL attitude.

while i understand there is a definite Christian movement in homeschooling, and even though I am a Christian, this book was not written for me. The impression i got from this book was that it was creating the stereotype of the weird "Christian Homeschooled kids/HomeSchooling Parents" that so many people want to avoid.

Like I said, it has some great information. But beware take it with a giant salt block, not just a grain. Or better yet, go somewhere else. I wouldn't buy this book, nor would i recommend it to my friends. I'm glad I got it from the library so I didn't actually pay for it....
Profile Image for Lyn.
23 reviews
March 7, 2011
Mike called this book, my "telephone book" about homeschooling. At times it read like a telephone book! A lot of what I read I have heard or read other places but for me reading it a second time really helped me to understand more of the different teaching/learning options in homeschooling. The one part that I did not like was that the author's sentiments about government involvement in homeschooling was infused in many parts of the book. But it is titled, Mary Pride's complete guide to homeschooling. I would recommend it someone who is seriously looking into homeschooling.
6 reviews1 follower
April 10, 2011
This is a great source of information to get started homeschooling. It is only one opinion though, so I found that I agreed with some of her methods and not so much on others. It really gave me the confidence and knowledge that I need to get started homeschooling.
Profile Image for Carrie.
33 reviews6 followers
July 21, 2017
A great starting point for someone who is planning to start Homeschooling. It explains the different styles of homeschooling, gives curriculum suggestions, and ideas for avoiding beginning mistakes.
Profile Image for C.
170 reviews9 followers
September 20, 2009
Lots of good information, but I disagreed strongly with much in the chapter preaching about avoiding charter schools and involvement with local government.
108 reviews1 follower
May 13, 2015
There is so much useful information packed into this giant book that I wish I owned it instead of just reading my library's copy. But despite all that is wonderful about this book, I have to deduct a star from my rating because the author has some really extreme opinions that she inserts into the book rather aggressively in some places. I'm a Christian, but I disagreed strongly with some of her claims about Christianity. She's highly critical of the public schools, which isn't uncommon among homeschoolers, but she takes it to extremes. Maybe the most offensive part for me was her point of view on psychiatry. But if you can try to ignore the irritating parts of the book, it's a really great resource.
Profile Image for Terri Lynn.
997 reviews
July 5, 2011
Mary Pride has both homebirthed and homeschooled her family just as I have so though she is a Christian and I am an Atheist, I have found her Big Book of Home Learning useful since the 1990's. This book was volume 1 of the redone Big Book of Home Learning which only got to the first volume but this book is quite useful, even to an Atheist like myself. She discusses methods of homeschooling, learning styles, and some curriculum choices as well as info on home school groups in all of the states and resources for where to buy materials.
5 reviews
December 24, 2011
This book is full of ideas for homeschooling and provides an overview of several different methods. I kept a notebook beside me while reading this so I could jot down links, books, and curriculum that I would like to look into. The one thing that bothered me was the section about special needs children. The author believes that many children diagnosed with special needs actually have a character problem (or parenting problem).
255 reviews4 followers
July 2, 2014
I was looking for helpful information because Im considering homeschool my young one. This book actually gave me some of the information I was looking for. While just talking about your homeschooling experience is nice its not the stand alone information Im looking for. This book had both. I was homeschooled but I still want information and resources before I begin. This book helped alot.
159 reviews
February 14, 2015
Good info although a bit too much in some areas, but you can skim over or skip that. It's also a bit dated as it was published over 10 years ago and internet resources have exploded in that time. It provided some good background on learning styles and approaches to homeschooling.
Profile Image for Virginia.
1,134 reviews1 follower
June 30, 2014
Although informative, much of this book seems dated. Also, I can't believe Pride thinks that Harry Potter is a bad influence. She is a bit too "Christian" - and in a really weird way.
75 reviews3 followers
May 16, 2015
I thought it was boring and too generic - it covers a lot - but I really didn't learn anything new.
Profile Image for Kristi.
33 reviews1 follower
July 25, 2013
Loved it! Learned a lot. Some of the information was outdated, but that's a-okay.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews

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