You have seen these before. You probably used them when you were a child. They are the big, hardbound books that don’t fall apart.
Traditional textbooks are good for people who:
Enjoy and trust the ways of tradition.
You learned from a book. Your husband learned from a book. Lincoln learned from a book. Washington learned from a book. Moses . . . well, Moses wrote a book, but it was a scroll, wasn’t it?
You want your children to learn the value of a book, how to take good care of it, keep it clean, not drop it in puddles. You want them to grasp it in their hands and at the same time realize its heaviness means all their education will spring from it every time they open it. Compact, tidy, fragrant from the realities of life. . . how can anyone beat a book for learning?
You know who you are.
You love the smell of a BOOK. A well-loved book is even better.
You love the way they look on the shelves.
You love the way they offer up to you the fingerprints of those who went before.
You want this love for your children, too, and know the exposure will teach them this love.
Want to reuse or several children to reuse the books.
Your household is big. Maybe not big enough to be famous, but not being famous means even less money for throw-away stuff.
You know a book will last through at least five children, and that would be a great start.
You know how to make a book jacket, and your oldest has begun learning how, too.
You know after the initial investment, you will be home free for curriculum, and that will be important.
Besides, you just like the way they smell.
Have children who are visual learners.
Your children do not need to fidget, handle, or talk in order to learn.
At an early age, they crawl up into the recliner and read themselves to sleep at nap time.
When you say, “Go play!” they go to the books.
They prefer to do science experiments by reading about it and say, “Aw, Mom, we can tell from the pictures and the questions what it will do!”
You’ve caught them writing little books, too, and drawing diagrams of the house they want to live in, someday.
They take one look at a map and know where they are on it.
The path from their eyes to their brains is short.
Lecture kills them.
You like things put away.
That all the pages of all their studies could fold up between two hard covers and slip into place on a shelf is pure bliss for you.
That today’s answers could double over and fit between those cover, too, is almost joy. That you could walk through the house without slipping on loose stuff is just too important.
Think about this style of teaching, learning, and living. Does it fit you, or describe your goal for you home school? You may need traditional textbooks. A few old-time favorites are Abeka, Bob Jones, and Rod and Staff.
Check them out.
Home's Cool! 