Friday, February 12, 2010

Dollar Homeschool- A Review



As part of the TOS crew I have had the honor this year to receive some awesome products, to try out for free, online and through the mail. I will be honest and say that e-books or curriculum on CD have not been my favorite but they are growing on me.  The Eclectic Education Series offered by Dollar Homeschool has definitely helped with this.
Many of you know I am a unapolegetic bibliomaniac (lover of books and anything that has to do with books). I especially love older books but they can be expensive especially when you are talking about a popular collection such as the McGuffey Readers and Ray's Arithmetic. Out of curiosity I looked at several places online such as christianbook.com and amazon.com to see the prices and just to purchase these two series would cost me about $165.00. 
Take a look at what Dollar Homeschool is offering with the Eclectic Education Series for the price of $159:



Ray's Arithmetic textbooks.
The Ray's series includes a total of 38 books. These include the 12 core Textbooks, + Answer Key's, Teachers Editions, and several intriguing books of mathematical pursuits for the aspiring student, such as Surveying and Navigation, Astronomy, Book Keeping, and Physics. Click here to view a list of the entire collection of Rays' Arithmetic provided on the CD.


The entire collection of McGuffey Readers
Throughout history of the United States it's safe to say that no series of books has ever embodied the vision and beliefs of early America better than the McGuffey Readers. Used almost exclusively in schools and homes all over America for more than half a century, the McGuffey Readers do not just teach reading, but instruct the learner in Christian morals, history, and public speaking.
Grammar CD
The EES Grammar CD includes three different series on the skill of writing and language. Longs Language covers the first four grades, and deals with basic writing skills. Then Pinneos Grammar steps in, with a more technical look at the subject, and a gradual progression of difficulty. When finished with Pinneos Grammar, the student will be more than prepared for writing, but in case more study or a reference is desired, Harvey's Grammars are included as well.



The EES History CD
The History CD is an excellent collection of historical books, including Thalheimer's histories, a rare 3 volume set on Oliver Cromwell, Andrews Constitution, American Poetry, and more.
Sample pages can be viewed here.



Science CD
The science books included in the Eclectic Education Series provide an interesting and informative introduction to many of the major sciences: Chemistry, Physics, Economics, Accounting, Botany, Industrial Mechanics, and more are all addressed.
Sample pages can be viewed here.



I took a few more minutes to search some of these titles online and even though hardback books are wonderful, to get all that is offered here looks like well over $300 worth.  My own personal opinion is the content contained in this collection is priceless.  The lessons are something you and your children can sink your reading chops into! Even better, they emphasize patriotism, traditional values, and the Bible.
Read more here about the history behind the EES.
In the welcome letter found in Ray's Arithmetic there is advice on how to place a child in the series, how to help a child with dyslexia/disabilites, helping a child that has difficulty studying and the advice I appreciate the most is this:
"The trick is to make sure they learn each lesson AS they do it. Requiring 100 percent accuracy has accomplished that for us." (quote from a homeschool mom)

In my 'treasure chest' of homeschool resources the Eclectic Education Series is a definite diamond!
Want to see for yourself? Take a few minutes to watch this video and learn more! Also check out their new blog, Dollar Homeschool Blog.
Thank You Dollar Homeschool for the opportunity to review this gem!

April
I received this product free of charge and the opinions expressed in this review are mine.

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