Using Goodreads For Homeschooling

[michelle+8]

My two 7th graders are using living books for everything but grammar and math this year, and they use Goodreads to track their daily required reading. I love seeing their updates in my stream, with little comments -- like my daughter writing how sad she was to finish her book about ocean animals, and my son giggling over the name Nathaniel Bacon, LOL!

Do your kids use Goodreads?

[William]

Although my own children are grown, I know that some of my middle-school fans use Goodreads as a means of sharing their enthusiasm for my allegorical series. It's a good way for readers to meet and connect over similar tastes and interests in literature.

[Patricia]

I've been thinking of having my kids use Goodreads, seems like a nice way for them to connect with other kids who enjoy reading. Michelle, glad it's working out for your children.

[Mary]

Goodreads seems like a giant library or bookstore where you can actually meet authors. What a terrific educational experience! I have enjoyed meeting some writers, published authors and readers who encourage a love of books. I think it is a great homeschool resource. Don't know if it existed when my kids were school age, but I know I would be using it if we were schooling now!

[Susan]

Absolutely! It's a good way for them to share their reviews w friends. While my kids are big readers, some of their friends aren't. GoodReads has encouraged the non-reading friends to try books they otherwise wouldn't have (and see who they can borrow them from!)

[Karyn]

Great idea!!

[Katie]

I just got my daughters' accounts set up. So far they are having fun looking up books for their shelves. I'm planning on them using their accounts as a sort of book log for next year's reading.

[Alba]

I love being able to send them recommendations that they won't lose!

[Tina]

I've used Goodreads to log my children's reading for years. I just have shelves on my account for them. Each year I make 2 new shelves for each of them: (year) Read aloud to (child's name), and (year) (Child's name) read to self...that way all the years at the beginning put the shelves in chronological order. And I'm not having to flip back and forth between accounts to add books. I may consider getting the app for my 13yr old's iPod touch eventually, but I doubt she'd use it.

I also imported all the books I tracked years ago in a spreadsheet, prior to Goodreads. So I have pretty accurate records of every book my children have read or have had read to them. It's especially cool to see at a glance how many books they read in a given year!

I also use Goodreads to track any excellent books I find for homeschooling. Particularly nonfiction picture books. I am an avid collector of great book titles! I separate them by subject on my shelves.

[Jayelle]

This is a great idea! I've homeschooled my kids on and off, and now I'm going to be homeschooling my son again for 8th grade. Using goodreads to keep track of his progress in certain books sounds like something that's right up our alley. :D

*hugs*

[Panisoara]

The seven medals of success presents the adventures of two children who win, one by one, the medals of courage, cooperation, curiosity, patience, creativity, perseverance and empathy. In their journey they are accompanied by Memo, the dwarf of their memory; he reminds them certain events in their life and they learn the rules of each psychological characteristic.
The book contains stories for children about developing personal success skills and it is based on psychological and pedagogical studies. Every chapter of the book has a Parent's Corner, with a short description of the psychological concepts and exercises for developing each personal trait. Also, every chapter includes a poem because psycho-pedagogical studies demonstrate children learn easier by combining the linguistic and the „musical” intelligence.
We, the authors are university researchers and professors: G. Panisoara has a Ph.D. in Psychology and I.O. Panisoara has a Ph.D. in Educational Sciences.
The patience poem (fragment from the ebook)
Do you know Trici – the caterpillar?
She cried: her beauty was no thriller
But time marched on, as it went by
She turned to a fine butterfly
Here is why:
You want time to pass by quicker,
“I want to play now,” you dicker,
You want to grow up much faster.
But patience is what you must master.
If you have patience you will learn
To calm yourself and wait your turn
Step by step you will succeed
Patience is the thing you need.
http://www.amazon.com/seven-medals-su...

[Michelle]

It is a great way to track what they read, thanks.