Education Books

I absolutely love this book. As a 1st year homeschooler this book has been invaluable to me. The book is an easy read and full of great tips from Tamara. I am really looking forward to applying all I've learned from this book into our second year! Thanks Tamara !!!

I literally read and studied every book on homeschooling at my local library! Homeschooling with TLC is my absolute favorite! It is a one-of-a-kind treasure trove of how-to in a to-the-point format by a real professional teacher and homeschool mother. This un-intimidating read is moving, truthful, inspiring, motivational, and simply a must-read and must-own. Homeschooling with TLC is the ONLY how-to-teach namely how-to-homeschool book written for average people seeking to make lesson time inspired, effective and FUN for their children.

The seasoned and long sought-after author, Tamara L. Chilver taught in the public school system for years and has homeschooled her own three children even longer! Finally published, Mrs. T.L.Chilver Gifts us all with her ability to teach us how-to-teach our children and make it a Blast! This handy, well organized gem compiles tons of tips, games and ideas. It is a succinct listing of what works and how to make it happen in your own home! Check out her website and sign up for her monthly newsletter at [...] She's my homeschool hero and mentor and more importantly my children's ...they can't get enough of her ideas! She will be yours too...Read it to believe it!

Finding the path to homeschooling with a bonafide expert holding your hand takes all of the trepidation and fears away. While staying on course to a stimulating and thrilling homeschool experience for the whole family is made easy in these few pages! No longer must homeschool teachers prepare boring tedious lessons and children be plagued by chapters of activity books. No longer must we read thick, heavy, wordy texts by inept authors on the subject nearest and dearest to our hearts and calling. It's simply Awesome to have the benefit of a "real" teacher giving encouragement and practical tips on the matter of superiorly educating our children at home.

You'll want to share Homeschooling with TLC with everyone. My copy has had to be replaced tens of times so I advise you to buy several copies now to share with all of your homeschooling friends, relatives, homeschooling groups and to anyone you know who is considering homeschooling. Share the Good news for the Children's sake!!!!

Homeschooling can become a list of chores for you and your children. This book has helped me put fun into our learning. Not only did this book help me use games and more hands on manipulables but I have been encouraged. Homeschooling can and should be enjoyable. This book is a great resource, it's a compact guide to cirriculum, it gives creative ideas, and it's a home educator's pick me up! Thank you for writing this book!

Whether you are just starting out or you have been teaching your children for a while this is a great book full of ideas and easy to implement strategies for making learning more fun for your children.

This is a Christian based small book of 109 pages with nine chapters. The first two chapters are all about your child and choosing curriculum. She then jumps right into Reading Methods and Writing Strategies followed by Social Studies and Science. Chapters 7 and 8 are about support and encouragement as you homeschool after which she deals with the extras such as music, foreign language, art, etc. in short snippets. Finally, the appendix is filled with a list of Newberry and Caldecott medal winning literature. I found the book quite informative and chock full of resources, ideas, strategies and methods for homeschooling. It is well written, easy to read and the cartoons throughout are good for a chuckle. I'm glad I bought it.

Horrible Harry is a good book because Harry gets in a lot of trouble. Once you read all the books you will see that he is not very horrible at all. His books have lots of information. Horrible harry has a lot of exciement in his books and he gets scared when he gets in trouble. I wish I can have as much fun as he does.

Horrible Harry is a good book because Harry gets in a lot of trouble. Once you read all the books you will see that he is not very horrible at all. His books have lots of information. Horrible harry has a lot of exciement in his books and he gets scared when he gets in trouble. I wish I can have as much fun as he does.

Horrible Harry and the Dungeon is a good book. I like Horrible Harry books they are good. I would recommend this book because it is like an adventure at school. I think it would be pretty cool if we could do fun things like that at my school.

I like it when Doug thought Harry might get chains on his hands. Becauase Harry got in trouble.
You should really read it. It is really fun. But I cant believe Harry and the teacher talked about fruit! It was wierd!
By Jennae

Horrible Harry and the Dungeon is a story that gives a realistic view of young children. In this story Harry, like most children his age, lets his imagination run wild. The principal has instituted a detention room for children who do not follow the rules. Harry and his buddy have decided that the detention room must be a dungeon. When presented with an opportunity to visit the dungeoun Harry can't resist. Horrible Harry allows the reader to follow as Harry learns a valuable lesson and has a change of heart. This is a great story for young children who will be able to relate to all the characters in Room B.

Kristen Houghton reviews:
How to Ace the SATs Without Losing Your Cool
Nearly every college in America accepts the SAT as a part of its admissions process. Typically taken by high school juniors and seniors, more than two million students prepare for this exam every year. Programs and books are available to help students prepare.

There are many books on the market that sell because they propose to help your child achieve higher scores on the crucial SATs. There are equally as many programs taught on SAT achievement. Most of these books and programs are the same in material and predictability of success, but there is a new book that is well above others in content
and strategies .

This new book, which I was asked to review, shows a unique and positive approach to raising a student's score on the SAT. The book, "How to Ace the SAT Without Losing Your Cool," written by Michele Lo Bosco and Jacqueline Lo Bosco, Ph.D. and co-written by Siovahn Walker, M.A., John Bankston, and Mike McGibbon, is one of the best books on the subject that I have reviewed in quite some time. It is part of the program called Academics Plus.

The readability of the chapters makes it easy for students to understand. All exercises shown are geared to help a student with critical thinking skills and the use of common sense needed when approaching the SAT. It is an invaluable tool for anyone who wishes to improve their score on the Reasoning Section of this exam.

The Reasoning Section is a measure of the critical thinking skills a student will need for academic success in college. This book prepares you to assess, analyze, and solve problems. "How to Ace the Sat..."thoroughly and easily, takes students through this process step by step.

The math section is equally helpful as it guides students in a manner that makes the processes of math completely understandable, user friendly, and "do-able."

I particularly like the fact that the authors do not talk down to their readers. They do not speak to their audience of high school students from a typically pedagogical level as some SAT prep book authors do. The authors explain and help the students to assess their abilities and offer support and strategic keys for interpreting the language of the SATs.

I am very impressed with the outlay and content of "How to Ace the Sat Without Losing Your Cool," and highly recommend its purchase for SAT preparation. The book's price is equitable to lesser SAT prep books and the strategies gained from reading it and doing the exercises are far superior to any.

The authors do have a program which students can attend located in NYC. If you are in that area it mat be very well worth your while to look into the program.

How to Ace the SAT Without Losing your Cool is one of those books that some people will buy simply because they want to learn how to pass the test.

But I personally think its a fun book to have because it teaches so many great and logical 'secrets' to how to master most tests and how to be a better student whatever ones age, so that you read more efficiently, write more efficiently and grasp mathematic ideas better.

In fact the book is one I think most families should have, just as I think board games like Monopoly can teach life skills. I loved the book so much I have been recommending it as a gift item and have passed on to my homeschooled grandchildren who are loving it.

Great for a car trip, and the book actually peaks ones interest in subjects to the point learning more and more isn't a chore but a passion.

A lot has changed since I was a teen preparing for university life. One thing, however, hasn't changed: the anxiety surrounding admission testing. In my day you were lucky to find a sole preparation course within fifty miles of your home. Studying for the test was generally something you either didn't do or you were left to buy poorly-written and confusing exam preparation books in an attempt to be better prepared than the student sitting at the desk next to you. Today students begin studying for the SAT months, even years, before sitting down to the test. Resources haven't changed a lot with the times, most preparation courses and books still seem to be confusing and may cause your child's stress level to rise rather than cause them to gain confidence. Unfortunately, preparing for the SAT exam is often as stressful as the test itself but How to Act the SAT shows students that it doesn't have to be.

How to Ace the SAT is perhaps the only SAT preparation course your student will need. This book is wonderfully simple, a very welcome change to the world of SAT preparation. How to Ace the SAT begins by explaining to the reader how the SAT works and instructing the student in how to read and interpret each question on the exam. Teaching students how to take this particular exam is a key factor in earning a higher score but it is often overlooked. How to Ace the SAT fills this void while instilling confidence in the student.

How to Ace the SAT is presented in a friendly and approachable manner. The book is divided into separate chapters for each subject. Each chapter is further divided into two or three sections consistent throughout the entire book. The consistency of this book is exactly what makes it appealing and accessible to students and is that "something" that other books miss.
Section one, "Know your Opponent", lets the student know exactly what to expect on the exam, giving typical wording of questions, teaching readers how to recognize the audience and so on. Section two, "Know Your Strategies" arms the student with proven steps to ensure performance on each task. Section three, "Practice", presents the student with real SAT questions to work through.

How to Ace the SAT Without Losing Your Cool" is a must-have for all students. I firmly believe that this book should comprise a large part of the curriculum used in the year leading to the test.

Though experts claim one really cannot raise one's SAT score more than 10-30 points at best, this guide can do some other things that are not precisely fact-related.

"How to ACE the SAT" provides strategies for answering questions, practices and writing guides. The key is in the subtitle "Without Losing Your Cool." Relaxation is probably the key to test-taking. I can attest to that! If I was confident on exams, I did really well. If I was worried and nervous, I froze up. Over the years, I learned to take tests in a relaxed state by going to Marx Brothers movies the night before, by creating test flash cards, by employing many practice strategies. Yes, I still take exams professionally, so I know the benefit of practice.

Another use of the book is to identify weaknesses. Let's say doing math problems is not your thing. If you were to use this book early in your academic pre-university career and focus on the next year's classes, you could hope to focus in on subjects you need to brush up.

This book is readable, has a very pleasant layout and has a lot of information. It looks like something a parent could use with a child together, reading practices and strategies and discussing academics. I did well on my SAT's, but as a student, I would have LOVED to have had this book. I would have felt great going in after such a practice to take the exam.

This book is a refreshing and very welcome departure from the usual dry SAT preparation materials. Sister authors Michele and Jacqueline LoBosco present a solid and useful guide in a friendly and down-to-earth manner. The narrative format is very appealing and accessible. I really enjoy the conversational tone of the book; it seems as if a friend has stepped in to act as tutor.

How to Ace the SAT without Losing Your Cool utilizes a concept referred to as "the way of the enlightened SAT warrior". Reminiscent of Sun Tsu's doctrine from The Art of War, students are presented with three goals: knowing yourself, knowing your opponent, and knowing your strategies. These goals are discussed throughout the book, with specific examples and worksheets set up to assist in meeting them. Prospective test takers are also encouraged to set goals for their SAT performance, and to consider a personal strategy for each type of test question.

It was interesting to see an omitting table and note exactly how many correct answers correspond to a particular score, as long as no points are taken for incorrect answers. The authors make it clear that in some cases it is best to leave a question blank, and readers will learn exactly when "the omitting strategy" should be adopted. Every incorrect answer costs the student ¼ of a point.

The book devotes relatively few pages (17 in total) to the SAT reading section. There are 28 sentence completions for practice, which I think is a bit sparse. Reading comprehension has some useful tips, but only six practice passages. Perhaps a future edition will remedy this situation.

The math prep section is over 100 pages in length. Mathematical concepts are broken down into consecutive integers, exponents, averages, percents, ratios, basic shapes, triangles, circles and arcs, shaded region, systems of equations and substitution, probability, permutations, conversions, functions, funky symbols, rate/distance, and slopes. These subsections each have descriptions and strategies, as well as practice problems. The overview reviews terminology and a topic chart where the reader can check off their comfort level with each type of problem. Choices are offered as "not very", "kinda", or "very".

The final section offers very helpful SAT writing preparation tips. Very specific suggestions to improve essay writing are easy to implement. There are five sample essay questions. I particularly liked the "get your feet wet" exercises. Practice questions for the writing section are also useful.

Highly recommended!

I am a parent, and chair of a group that is the process of starting an elementary charter school in my community. Mary Lang's book, How to Choose the Perfect School, was written for parents choosing a school, but that same information is valuable to me creating one. I agree with the author that the first thing a parent needs to do when choosing a school is to create a definition of an educated individual in the 21st century. In our charter process we were required to create our definition of an educated person, and we focused on what Lang calls "deep" education--the ability to apply knowledge in real settings to solve problems. I like its approach to technology, it talks about computers as tools children program in order to learn, not machines to program our children.

I think this book will be helpful to you. The book has a section on research into learning and how that research should be applied to school design. Its school report cards distill that research in ways that can help you attend to the important features that contribute to a successful school environment. I recommend this book to parents who are actively involved in their child's education and want to understand the choices and options that are available to them.

As the parent of a teenager, I have come to understand the importance of choosing a school that will help my child fulfill her potential. The information in How to Choose the Perfect School, assisted me in choosing a successful elementary school for my child. Later, when there were no school choices in our community at the junior high and high school level, the summary of educational research contained in the book provided me with a foundation for me to evaluate the educational issues she faced and be more aware of the alternatives to the traditional school setting. This is an excellent book for parents who need to evaluate a school they are considering sending their child to or who are attempting to evaluate the school that their child is currently attending. The specific information contained in the book, is comprehensive and easy to use. I highly recommend it to parents with children in the K-12 educational system.

Choosing the right school for our daughter has always been a top priority for my husband and myself. "How to Choose the Perfect School" provides parents with a guide that includes specific features to look for when they are evaluating schools. This is an easy to read, informative book for parents who are in a position to choose between alternative K-12 programs. Besides the handy detailed checklist to take on a school visit, the book has helpful questions if parents choose to interview school administrators during their visit to potential schools. The information from this book has been helpful to us in understanding the general programming of the school that our daughter currently attends. I highly recommend it to all parents who are interested in understanding more about their child's current school, as well as alternative school programs, when they are faced with school choice.

I am a parent of a middle school student and my husband and I are choosing a school for our daughter for the third time in five years. I have found, How to Choose the Perfect School, to be a very useful book for parents like me faced with school choice during our child's very important formative years. Before reading this book, I had a feeling about what I was looking for but I was unable to verbalize it. Now when I visit a school I have a clear notion of what I am looking for based on the authors encouragement to define what I consider to be a quality education prior to starting my school search. The school report card, containing the many things a parent should look for in a school, has been especially helpful as I review school materials and visit schools. I would highly recommend this book to other parents who are feeling confused about finding the right school for their child.

Sincerely,
Maria O.

As a parent of two young children I have found the process of searching for schools in large city to be a daunting task. There are so many choices, and it's hard to know where to start. Fortunately, this book has provided me with detailed information about school features that enhance the learning ability of the students. I have learned how to identify a school that contains a curriculum that is based on research findings about what makes a high quality learning environment. The checklists and sample interview questions are especially helpful when visiting schools and comparing choices. I recommend this book to anyone who is searching for the right school for their child.

Sincerely,

Jean Powers

I am a high school teacher and recently during a break from class, several students noticed "How to Create a Magical College Life" sitting on my desk. They wanted to know what kind of book it was. I simply told them to read the book cover. After each student read the back, I was stunned to see just from them reviewing the back cover how excited and inquisitive they became about the book. I'm sold that this book is a must have for anyone young or old who is serious about being successful in college. Taylor has made this book easy to read with practical, real life examples that everyone can identify with. I especially like his approach to time management, goal setting, and visualization. I highly recommend this book to be apart of every serious students' library.

John Scott
Director of Bands
Henrico High school
Henrico Public Schools

Thank you for your service. It was a great experience to buy from you. I received what I expected -on time and in great conditions.

If you're a student, and you're serious about getting good grades and achieving your goals, you'll find this handbook very useful. Not only would this book help a new student, but as a returning student, I found the theories and principles just as relevant--if only I had this book during my first time in college. Morris Taylor does a wonderful job of blending practical knowledge and inspiration. His advice provides superb guidance not only during the college years, but well beyond. I appreciated the variety of topics covered, from improving time management skills to tips for social engagements--I was not disappointed.

As a profesor of history at a Big Ten univerity for over thirty-five years I have struggled to help students develop "Strategies for Better Grades, Healthier Relationships and Super-Self- Confidence." It would have been great if Morris's book had been available at the time. While professors and student advisors are well aware of many of the strategies in the book, they have not always been able to present or package them to students in a way that is interesting, fun, and instructive without sounding "preachy."

The book is student-friendly. Morris comes across as a buddy sharing advice over lunch or during a basketball game. Every "freshperson" should have this book and every parent of a new college student should sit down with him or her and go over the strategies in this book. For example, Strategy #1 Know Your College Imperative: "Why do you want to go to college? Why do you want a college degree? What are you willing to do, sacrifice, to put up with in order to do well and graduate on schedule?" These are the key questions students have to ask themselves before they waste their time, their parents' hard-earned money, and the precious time and energy of aging professors such as myself.

Morris presents four ways students can benefit from this strategy by posing several questions including the big one: "What will happen if you do not get your college degree?" Once students seriously ponder this question, they can then proceed to the other strategies, such as: resolve to always accept responsibility for your circumstances, create a personal vision statement, set personal goals, master your time, practice fiscal responsibilty, etc.

As I begin my thirty-sixth year of teaching I can already spot the students who can use this book and professors who can benefit from having students read it. This book should be in every college student's backpack.


Richard W. Thomas, Ph.D
Professor of History
310 Morris Hall
Michigan State University
E.Lansing, Michigan.

Morris Taylor's "How to create a magical college life" is a little book filled chock full of wisdom. In a very real, very student-friendly manner, Taylor conveys the message that college is what you make of it.

Lynn Byrne

My daughter goes to a Montessori daycare. Before signing her up, I had reviewed online information. This book does not really give you more than what you can find online on the method itself, and does not touch on the critism made to the Montessori method.
However, it is a very pleasant book and good introduction. It gives very practical advise to apply Montessori to your home.

The photos and layout of this book make it fast and easy to read.

I am so happy that this book is available as it is one of the few Montessori books that has so many lovely photos. This book is for anyone interested in Montessori and has many easy and basic suggesions for setting up your home to be child friendly. Even if you do not intend to take your child to a Montessori school, you will be able to use this book at home for years and years. It has great birthday party suggestions which I have never seen in a Montessori book before. It is filled with great ideas.

This is not the book to get if you are looking for an introduction to Montessori schools. It is primarily geared toward the home.

I checked this book out from our local library and was so impressed with the layout, photos, and the simple yet effective dialogue that I ordered two copies and gave them to our daughters who are each new mothers. It is a great way to introduce the Montessori philosophy to young parents!

This is no literary great, but a short and sweet little guide about montessori in the home. The photos are exquisite, a real joy in themselves. The ideas and activities in the book are more contemporary than some of the other montessori the in the home books around as well.

As a Pastor of Children's Ministries, I frequently give away or recommend books from this series. The series provides parents with information and a strategy for presenting the material to their children. Use the recommendations as a suggestion - your child may need to hear the content sooner, depending on the exposure he/she has had from peers or others.

This is a great book with clear descriptions and discussions. However, it is way more information than my 9 year old needs right now. I am going to order book 2 and go from there. It will be a good book to have on hand when the time is right though.

I've been searching for just the right book for my 11 year old son and this is one has just the right look and information I wanted for him. Many other books were way too long, some with pages in the hundreds and other books were too immature for his age. This is a great beginner book for covering all of the facts and terms. An 8 yr. old would need help reading it but an 11 yr. old could read it alone. I think it would be fine even for 12-13 who hasn't learned much about reproduction and puberty. The illustrations are simple but accurate, not like some I've seen that are more like from a medical textbook or cartoonish. There is a glossary with pronunciations and definitions. I like that it is Christian and family based. It's everything I was looking for!!

My husband and I have read through the book and feel that this is the place to pick up where previous discussions have ended. Having a biblical basis was very important to us and this book does so wonderfully.

This has so much info in it, I am afraid it had a little too much for my 11 year old. She became a bit nervous at some things I thought she would not. I would not let a child read it alone, as suggested, until a parent has read it first and made sure there is nothing too mature for the individual child.

My 17 month old daughter with Down syndrome adores this book. She enjoys answering every page when it asks "can you?" She gets very excited by the pictures of the babies/toddlers and frequently kisses the pages. I believe that some day we will use this book that she is so attached to begin talking to her about Down syndrome.

We love it so much we bought ten copies and donated them to the local NICU where my daughter stayed and the social worker is giving them to babies who are born there with Down syndrome.

I am writing this review because as a prior Early Childhood Special Educator to children birth-3, it was very hard to find board books that had children with different needs and races. I think that this is a wonderful book for both children and parents. It shows children doing the typical things that happen in their daily routines. I really enjoyed that the pictures were really children in real situations. The book was colorful and fun to read. I would recommend that daycares and preschools add this book to their libraries for all children to enjoy.

Cute book for little ones learning or who have down syndrom. My son has down's and he loves the pictures.

My son has Down Syndrome and it was so nice to have a book for him to see other people like him, I bought two of these because 6 days after my son was born another little guy with DS was also born, I gave one these to his mother as well and she loved it too!!!! The book has great photography and is nice and simple, It catches the eye of my 6 month old! Highly reccommed it to anyone and everyone!!!

This is a great book! I love that it shows young children with Down Syndrome participating in typical early childhood activities. There need to be more books like this that include children with special needs with out explicitly pointing out their differences.

This book has been wonderful as we go through our authorization process. I strongly recommend anyone thinking about starting an IB program should get this book.

I must admit that I do not have the book, yet, though I do plan on ordering it. I have been helping my school firm-up the Extended Essay process and I found the downloadable supplemental forms (specifically for Chapter 11)EXTREMELY helpful. They are easily adaptable and well-planned. Dr. van Loo was very accommodating in responding to my request to use his forms even though I do not, yet, have the book. If his prompt and courteous reply is any indication of how profesional the book is, I have no doubt that it is worth the highest rating. My rating is for the forms that I used and I would recommend the format they follow (and the advice they give)for any IB school.

Coming from the perspective of a sheer dread of educational manuals this book is a first for me in terms of its easy to read, easy to understand, practical, insightful and intelligent approach to implementing IB.

I found this book to be an excellent source of information on all matters from planning and implementing an IBDP to teaching my own subject (Maths). It is accessible on many different levels; certain chapters and sections can be chosen to provide an overview of the whole progamme, whilst others explore a single aspect in greater depth. The case studies and advice from practising IBDP teachers and administrators are both revealing and insightful. The addition of a web site to provide updated information is innovative and helpful. As an experienced IBDP teacher, I would recommend this book to all high school teachers. It should also be in the professional library of any current or aspiring IBDP school.

I found this book to be very accessable and helpful in devloping my own IB classroom. For anyone new to IB coursework (or even for the seasoned veteran looking for different ideas and approaches), this book is quite good. Of particular interest was the section on Theory of Knowledge--an essential, but at times neglected, component of the IB program. The chapter offered great suggestions for structuring an effective TOK curriculum. The recommended readings were very insightful, too.

These are a great tool for students grades 1-3! I love that my students create their own Star of the Week posters without going overboard. These are perfect!

I have my students fill out there poster whenever they are chosen as the Star Student of the week. Each student can present their poster, take a few questions, and then bask in the glory of having their poster hanging in the hall for the week. Also, after the poster has been presented, I have every student write a friendly letter to the Star Student. All letters are made into a booklet that the Star Student receives at the end of their week.

I really like using this in my classroom. It's a great way to get to know each student throughout the year. I allow for them to share their poster, and have a mini share with their favorite things that they bring from home.

GREAT for a beginning of the year project with kids... let them use their imagination and their markers!!

I plan to use these personal posters with each student of the week. After the poster is completed and returned, it will be laminated and displayed. The students can take them home at the end of the week to display at home or give as a gift to a relative.