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Although these materials may all be used as early as preschool, most are intended for a rather broad age range and can be used well beyond the preschool years.

Also see: Homeschoolstories.com Preschool and Math

"How can it be a large career to tell other people's children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone? No; a woman's function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute. I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity her for its smallness."
-- G.K. Chesterton in What's Wrong with the World

I am aware that many people even today have lingering sentiments over the Civil War. As I grew up in California from more recent immigrants to the U.S., I have no particular emotional or other attachment to either side of "The War Between the States." I think the best way to get a balanced picture of the good and bad on both sides is to read a variety of good books from different points of view. Besides being a moral issue in its own right, there are many parallels between slavery and abortion. The study of the Civil War and the effects and problems of slavery can shed much light on issues of today.

Geography is a subject that "leaks into" almost every other subject. Every family should have a world map and/or a globe and refer to it frequently. Every time you read a story, learn about a new Saint, etc., have your children find where these people lived or these events took place. Similar to memorizing history dates, being familiar with where things happened helps to understand any given lesson much more fully.

Can Homeschoolers Get Accepted into "Good" Colleges? Absolutely! See List of Colleges that have accepted Homeschoolers. Homeschooling has moved well beyond the stage of having to convince colleges that our students are capable of handling their programs. Harvard has been accepting homeschoolers for many years and has a full-time admissions officer dedicated solely to homeschool applications. The College Board, which administers the SAT tests, has many pages of information on their website dedicated to homeschooling. Homeschoolers have been accepted into all kinds of Colleges and Universities - religious, secular, military, etc.

Preparing for the SAT/ACT -
Doing well on these tests will be one of the biggest factors in the college admissions process, particularly for homeschoolers. Set academic goals that will help you do well on the SAT and prepare for it as well. Don’t let the SAT define your high school academics, but don’t underestimate its importance. By the way, studying Latin has been a real help to many homeschoolers in the English part of the SAT.

You can find books on preparing for the SAT at any bookstore - they contain practice tests and other tips and suggestions. Remember that the test has a time limit. Practicing timed tests would be a good idea.

The SAT includes timed tests in Grammar and Math and a Test of Standard Written English. Some colleges (such as University of Notre Dame) will require homeschoolers to take the SAT II (formerly called ACT tests) which tests in English, Math, Science, History and a Foreign Language. This is to give them a more objective record of your abilities in these subjects. You’ll have to find out the policy of the college you’re interested in.

Transcripts -
It’s a good idea to keep detailed records of your highschool education - grades, subjects and books studied, and samples of your work. Don’t panic if it’s not complete, however, because many (but not all) colleges are quite lenient on this point if you can write up a good summary of what you’ve studied and if you do fairly well on the SAT. (Also see Thomas Aquinas College's homeschooling information.

Letters of Reference -

Many colleges require letters of reference to determine intellectual ability, leadership qualities, etc. Many times parents will be considered somewhat biased in this area. Be creative in thinking about appropriate people for this task. If you’ve had some classroom experience outside the home during highschool, that teacher would be a possibility. People you’ve worked with in extracurricular activities and volunteer work are other possibilities.

Admissions Essays -

The Admissions Essays (where required) can be a great place to display, among other things, your abilities, interests and writing skills. Be humble enough to admit your weak areas, but don’t be afraid to let them know your strong points too. Be sincere.

Other Suggestions -

Collect information from colleges early on to get an idea of what you should be aiming for.

Apply to several colleges. Dr. Andrew Tadie, in an article from The Catholic Home Educator makes the following recommendation. "...apply to several schools I the fashion of triage: apply to two or three dream schools, two or three that are highly desirable, and two or three that are minimally acceptable. Make your choice after you know which institutions have approved admission and after you know the amount of financial aid they offer." (Lent 1997 issue)

It would be nice if regional homeschooling newsletters would print lists of colleges that have accepted homeschooled highschoolers from their group. (As is the norm with many high school newsletters.)

The topic of evolution is a difficult and complex issue. Within the framework of believing that God created the world and that the book of Genesis is not mythological, there is a great divide among Catholics regarding many particulars - the age of the earth, the possibility of limited forms of evolution, the role of science in interpreting the Bible, whether or not the six days of creation should be taken literally, etc. Ironically, faithful Catholics on both sides of these issues work diligently on their studies and arguments with the belief that their positions are essential for the continuation of the Catholic faith. It is not for me, with my limited understanding, to discern the correct positions on each of these issues on my own. On this page I will merely attempt to report, as fairly as I am able, on the positions and qualities of Catholic books that deal with evolution and related issues.

Homeschooling is a serious undertaking and many people wonder how it can work on a practical level - particularly for people on tight budgets and those with large families. Although not all of these books specifically address homeschooling, they have some very useful and practical ideas for running a household more effectively, especially in the areas of organization, finances, time management, and family life.

St. Thomas, son of Gilbert Becket, was born in Southwark, England, in 1117. When a youth he was attached to the household of Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury, who sent him to Paris and Bologna to study law. He became Archdeacon of Canterbury, then Lord High Chancellor of England; and in 1160, when Archbishop Theobald died, the king insisted on the consecration of St. Thomas in his stead. St. Thomas refused, warning the king that from that hour their friendship would be broken. In the end he yielded, and was consecrated. The conflict at once broke out; St. Thomas resisted the royal customs, which violated the liberties of the Church and the laws of the realm. After six years of contention, partly spent in exile, St. Thomas, with full foresight of martyrdom before him, returned as a good shepherd to his Church. On the 29th of December, 1170, just as vespers were beginning, four knights broke into the cathedral, crying: "Where is the archbishop? where is the traitor?" The monks fled, and St. Thomas might easily have escaped. But he advanced, saying: "Here I am - no traitor, but archbishop. What seek you?" "Your life," they cried. "Gladly do I give it," was the reply; and bowing his head, the invincible martyr was hacked and hewn till his soul went to God. Six months later Henry II. submitted to be publicly scourged at the Saint's Shrine, and restored to the Church her full rights. "Learn from St. Thomas," says Father Faber, "to fight the good fight, even to the shedding of blood, or, to what men find harder, the shedding of their good name by pouring it out to waste on the earth."

Errors regarding the story of Galileo's "run-in" with the Catholic Church over the heliocentric (sun-centered) theory of the universe and the inerrancy of Scripture are so common that it might be impossible to completely avoid all books that contain the error. It is essential, however, to find out what really happened. Generally, modern texts proclaim Galileo as a great hero who was willing to stand up to the Church's out-dated, anti-scientific beliefs. The truth is, of course, more complex.

Joshua prayed to the Lord, and said in the presence of Israel, Stand still, O sun, at Gibeon, O moon, in the valley of Aijalon! And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, while the nation took vengeance on its foes. Is this not recorded in the Book of Jashar? The sun halted in the middle of the sky, not for a whole day did it resume its swift course. Never before or since was there a day like this, when the Lord obeyed the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel. Joshua 10: 12-13

The passages in the Bible which speak of the sun standing still were traditionally believed by the Church to mean that the sun actually revolved around the earth. Those involved in the Galileo case (most notably St. Robert Bellarmine) stated very clearly that if science proved that the sun did not revolve around the earth that the Church would accept that that particular passage of the Bible should not be understood literally. However, Galileo had not yet proved that the earth did move around the sun and, in fact, still had some serious errors in his scientific facts. There are other important details, including mistakes and silly-sounding quotes from some on the side of the Church all of which can be discovered by reading the following articles on the Galileo incident.