So, why do people love your Real Mom Guides? First, they are easy to use. The simple, week-at-a-glance format is what I get the most positive feedback on. I was a Sonlight user prior to creating my own guides, and I loved the simple, eye-friendly charts for each week, so that was an idea I kept when I put together the Real Mom Guides. Second, it's built for the whole family - from preschool to teens and beyond. This brings the family together more often and helps you make the most of your time. Third, it uses reliable resources. Many of the materials I recommend and bring together are church-produced. The others are well-known and reputable and wholesome. Fourth, it's very flexible, so you can adapt it to your each of your children with ease. Despite the flexibility, it requires little preparation time.

Are these only for homeschoolers? No. And I should have thought of that before I titled the first one. I have many customers who use the guides for Family Home Evening or family devotionals, so please feel free to share the news with your non-homeschooling friends and family.

These can really be used with all ages? Yes! For example, the Book of Mormon guide includes an optional reading schedule from the Book of Mormon readers. This is great for early readers or even pre-readers if used with the CDs. My two-year old daughter loved to listen to this and look at the pictures, and she was learning (or re-learning) the same material we were covering when we read directly from the Book of Mormon in our morning devotionals. At the other end of the spectrum, if you have teens, this follows almost exactly the reading schedule they follow in seminary.

You have reading and writing suggestions for "younger" children and "older" children. How do I know what my child should be reading? This will vary greatly based on your child's reading and writing levels, their maturity and their personality. The writing suggestions and notebook ideas are easily adapted to any age - including adults. Many of my customers use these writing and notebook suggestions to encourage family discussion as much as for actual writing assignments. For the reading, as a GENERAL guideline, I suggest making the switch at about 12 years old. Of course, if you are doing all of the literature as read-alouds, you can easily stretch the ³older² literature down to very young ages to incorporate more children at once. The literature list gives a short synopsis of each book, which will help guide your decisions. It will also alert you to any sensitive material or material which is only appropriate for more mature readers.

How did you select the books for your literature list? Lucky for you - and for me! - I am a bookworm. I obtained copies of many reading lists and literature guides and then dug through the library system to read over 1000 books while preparing this guide. I selected the best of the best, fit them in on a timeline, and included them for your reading pleasure. I was surprised to find that many of the greatest treasures were not on any other literature list I was able to find. Some chapters of history, such as the Revolutionary War, had a far greater selection of books than others. When I had difficulty finding just what I wanted, I simply used what was available, or reverted to thematic books. This is more common with the younger readers than with older readers. For example, when older readers are studying William Tyndale in The Hawk that Dare Not Hunt by Day, younger readers may review a recommended brief online biography and then read literature I've suggested on the theme of COURAGE.

How exactly does the History tie in with religion studies? Several ways. Each week there is a scripture focus. In some cases, this is a scripture specifically prophesying future events, such as 1 Nephi 13:12 telling of Columbus. At other times, the scripture will illustrate a similar circumstance or relate in some way to the reading. When studying slavery, the scripture for the week is Mosiah 21:3 "...but they would smite them on their cheeks, and exercise authority over them, and began to put heavy burdens upon their backs and drive them as they would a dumb ass" The memorization exercises will include quotes from the prophets, church songs, and scriptures related to their studies. In addition, some of the books I've chosen are LDS literature - the Work and the Glory, Tennis Shoes among the Nephites, and Walk of Hope: In the Time of Joseph Smith are some which I included. I also wanted to encourage children to start seeing connections on their own, so in the Notebook or Creative Writing Ideas section, I have included some questions to encourage this. Some examples are as follows: From Week 4: Compare two or more sea journeys you've read about - Nephi's journey to the Promised Land, Lief Erikson's journey to Vinland, Columbus' journey to the new world, or one from your literature reading. How were they alike? How were they different? From Week 11: What similarities are there between Martin Luther, William Tyndale and Joseph Smith? From Week 24 - Compare Moroni's Title of Liberty to the opening paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence. From Week 27 - Write about something you have learned from Ezra Taft Benson about the Constitution.

Why did you create the Latter-day Prophets guide rather than a Doctrine & Covenants guide? When I was a student at BYU, I had a fabulous religion professor, Brent Top, who taught Teachings of the Living Prophets. It had more impact on me than any class I've had before or since. We studied the lives and the teachings of the prophets. He had this huge 3-ring binder with quotes from all the prophets. When a student would ask a question, his response was "Let's see what the prophets have said" as he opened his binder and turned quickly to an appropriate quote. One of my greatest desires as a mother has been to impact my own children in that same way. I want them to know and love and trust the prophets, particularly the living prophets. So when I put this guide together, that's what I had in mind. It is my favorite, if that is fair to say. One of the fascinating things about creating this guide was studying the highlights of each Presidency of the church in conjunction with the individual history of each prophet. For example, a look at the life of Heber J. Grant makes it obvious why the Lord chose him and how He prepared him to lead the church through two world wars and the Great Depression. But just after the end of WWII, President Grant passed away and George Albert Smith stepped into his shoes. President Smith was a philanthropist, he loved everyone from the time he was a child in a way that was unique and special. He was a unifier and a peacemaker. Who better to lead the church just following the war when so many hearts needed to be healed? He was the one who sent Ezra Taft Benson and his companion into war-torn Europe to seek out the saints and start the process of rebirth. Another interesting aspect of putting this guide together was finding common threads in the teachings of the prophets. I poured through the New Era, the Friend and countless conference talks trying to find teachings and quotes that would have special appeal to the youth (and their parents). In doing so, I not only found some really powerful lessons and some beautiful teachings, but some interesting tidbits I would not have otherwise noticed. For instance, three different prophets specifically counseled us to teach boys to sing.

What is the difference between the hardcopy and the CD? Very little. The hardcopy appeals to those who like to work from a notebook or want the guide to be portable. Most people put the pages in sheet protectors for long term use. The few pages which you will want multiple copies of are easily reproduced. The CD is for those who work from their computer. The only difference is that the Book of Mormon guide in CD format allows you to print the scripture mastery verses in color or on legal paper. We now offer a download for two reasons: first, we can offer it to you at a better price; second, you can have it RIGHT NOW.

What is your homeschool philosophy? Do you TJEd? Are you a Charlotte Mason follower? Do you use a classical approach? What most people want to know when they ask this is "Will it work with what I'm doing?" YES! I have looked into many homeschool philosophies and adopted a path which incorporates elements of several. I have friends of all persuasions that use the Real Mom Guides. To give you a better idea of what guides our homeschooling, I will share a few of my basic viewpoints. #1 - The Spirit teaches EVERYTHING better than I can. From gospel to history to math to housekeeping. A very wise mother once told me that she wished to be a conduit between the heavens and her children and to so purify herself that nothing in her got in the way of that channel. I agree. It is a steep challenge indeed, but it is what we aim for. #2 - Reading RULES! We read and read and read. Our home is filled with books. Our library card is full. If my children love to read, they can teach themselves anything. #3 - Math cannot be avoided. We hit it head-on. This is the one subject we do a lot like a school classroom. At your desk, book and pencil in hand. That said, we incorporate lots of real life math whenever we can - my kids double recipes, balance the checkbook and grocery shop with coupons. #4 - We put extra emphasis on American History - because America is a promised land, because our government was God-inspired, because this is where most of the events of the restoration took place, and because America has a special place in the events of the Second Coming.

How long have you homeschooled? What led you to do it? I have homeschooled from the beginning and my oldest is nearing 12. There are many answers to the question "Why?" The first reason I homeschooled was because I couldn't bear the thought of my five year old standing on a dark street corner loaded down with a bookbag waiting for the bus. The most fundamental reason I homeschool is that I felt inspired to do so. The long list includes all sorts of objections to the public school system and all sorts of thoughts about why I can do it better and all sorts of perks like vacationing off season and having a free daytime babysitter when needed. The biggest reason I homeschool? Because I love it.

What is your next project? I began work on the second half of American History last year. Having a baby last June - a demanding baby, I should add - has slowed my progress, but it is now well underway and I anticipate it being ready by September.

This was briefly interrupted by a project I felt inspired to do - a memoir on my Father. I have not yet determined what to do with this project, but many of my friends have encouraged me to offer it to an audience beyond my family. If you are interested in information on My Father Taught Me, please review the sample pages below and/or contact me for more information.