Home Schooling from Scratch: Simple Living - Super Learning

by Mary Potter Kenyon

Mary Kenyon is a certified penny-pincher who has applied her talents to discovering the most economical routes for home schooling children. She shares her secrets with readers in Home Schooling from Scratch.

Genres: Education

127 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 1996

About the author

Mary graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a B.A. in Psychology and is certified as a grief counselor, trained under world renown grief expert David Kessler. She is an author, widely published in magazines, newspapers and anthologies. She teaches writing workshops for area community colleges, libraries and writer's conferences and does presentations and workshops on utilizing creativity in your everyday life, jumpstarting your natural creativity and facing grief with grace. She is the author of several books, including the award-winning "Refined By Fire: A Journey of Grief and Grace," with a foreword written by New York Times bestselling author, Cecil Murphey and "Called to Be Creative: A Guide to Reigniting Your Creativity," Mary and her husband Nick Portzen speak on the power of prayer in marriage and are currently working on a book on the same topic.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very helpful ideas and information within this book. A lot of info is outdated or obsolete, Like various newsletters that are recommended. Even though this book was written for a different time period (pre internet and pre cell phones, etc) I still enjoyed it and took away some things to try.

[Mary Kenyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mostly obsolete now, but for the year it was released (1996) it was relevant.

[Adriane Devries · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, I plucked this book from the library education shelf because, frankly, I needed something I could finish in a day. It was written in the early 90's and portrays the stereotypical homeschool family of its author, bless her well-intentioned heart. It even included a pen drawing of a homeschool mom wearing a plaid dress and sensible shoes! In it you will experience the modest beginnings of this movement, which began before the days of the internet, when familes would use the library card system, encyclopedias, and mail order to pursue elusive knowledge. So charming! So quaint! We have come a long way, and just as the pioneers did in the beginning, those of us who have chosen this lifestyle will have to forge our own learning-style based curricula, rather than submit ourselves to the fear- and peer-based schooling agenda. Arcane or not, this little book confirmed yet again my love of learning at our own pace as a family and also encouraged me to find out just how a family of four can spend only $50 a week on groceries. Must learn more...

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two thoughts:
It's amazing how quickly these sorts of books go out of date in the advent of the internet, isn't it? This was published in 1996, and she's debating whether or not one needs a computer! Plus it has no websites.
Also, I again run into the same problem: I already do most of the money saving stuff. My mom taught me too well!

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It great alot of great information about getting organized to cutting grocery cost. I filled several pages with notes and photocopied all of the art, science, etc pages that she had. What a great book to help get me started.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good beginner HS info on homeschooling for free or on the cheap. A fast read.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really enjoy this book. It was pretty out of date and didn't offer much insight into modern homeschooling even with us taking a very traditional route.