My Go-To Books for Homeschooling

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Have you ever found an amazing shirt and you love it SO much that you have to buy it in every single color? You know that it is the perfect shirt for you and you must have all of them? Well, I am about to share a series of books that I feel the very same way about. What started as one book has spiraled into a complete obsession. Not just a little obsession…a full-on-book-hoarding-till-you-need-another-bookcase-obsession!

I was first introduced to Sleeping Bear Press Alphabet Books when I was planning our homeschool unit on Florida. While researching books to buy I stumbled across a book called S is for Sunshine. It looked beautiful and the price was right…so I ordered it! Not to be dramatic…but I may have heard an angel or two singing when I opened the pages! I was completely blown away! The book was better than I had hoped for AND was the perfect addition to our unit.

WHY Alphabet Books Rock

We are extremely eclectic homeschoolers. I pick and choose and create all different types of curriculum. One thing I do a lot of is Unit Studies. I love unit studies because it gives us a chance to really dig into a topic that the kids are interested in.

One of the first things I do when creating a unit study is to select books. This is always my first step because frankly I have a book addiction and can’t help but fill our shelves with awesome books. Without fail,I will always look to see if there is an Alphabet Book available to go with the topic we are studying. Sleeping Bear Press has an amazing website with a ginormous booklist. The vast array of topics is impressive. I originally thought that the Alphabet Books were only related to U.S. States…but I quickly learned that they have books covering a multitude of subject areas. Whether you are planning a unit on Dinosaurs, Poetry, or the Ocean…they have you covered!

So, why do I love them so much! Well, here are just a few reasons! I will go into greater detail on each one later in the post!

1. Amazing for unit planning
2. Great for readers of all ages
3. Gorgeous illustrations
4. FREE Teacher Guides/Activities

Amazing for Unit Planning

Sleeping Bear Press Alphabet Books walk you through the alphabet from A to Z. Each letter represents an area related to the topic of the book. This is such an amazing resource for planning a unit. Planning a homeschool unit can be so overwhelming…there are so many ideas to cover that it is hard to narrow your focus. I take each letter of the alphabet almost like a bullet point. It helps me to visually see the areas that I want to cover! For example, when we were learning about our home state of Florida I selected S is for Sunshine as one of our main “spines” for the unit. I planned nearly everything from this one book. Throughout the book, you will find pages such as A is for Alligator…we learned that our state reptile is an alligator and learned some neat facts about alligators. E is for Everglades, we learned about the Florida Everglades and some of the inhabitants including our state animal the panther. J is for Juan Ponce de Leon…we learned all about him and how he discovered Florida for Spain.

Perfect for Numerous Age Groups

Second, they are wonderful for readers of all ages. The Alphabet books are a combination of verse/poetry and also non-fiction factual information. If you have a younger child who is just learning to read or doesn’t have a long attention span to be read to you can stick to just the smaller verses. The often rhyming text is appealing to even the youngest of kiddos…and their book-loving Mama! If you have an older child you can also have them read the information included on each side-bar. You will find so much educational information in these books!

Gorgeous Illustrations

Third, the illustrations are stunning. Every single book I have read is so beautifully illustrated. The pictures are such a wonderful complement to the stories. I am a sucker for a beautiful picture book and these definitely deliver! My kiddos love to include art projects with each of our units and they love to use our Alphabet books as inspiration!

FREE Teacher Guides/Activities

Lastly, and you might want to brace yourself for this, Sleeping Bear Press’s website has an entire section of Teacher Guides/Activities. Click on the book you are using, say, for example, B is for Battle Cry: A Civil War Alphabet, and you are taken to an amazing guide! I have used these guides on more than one occasion and they are such a time saver for a busy Mama! They would be fantastic for a school teacher as well! You will find recipes, fill in the blanks, crossword puzzles, letter writing, and so much more included in the guides. Such an amazing resource…I wish I had discovered them sooner!

To take a peek at some of the Teacher Guides click here.

For a catalog of books available from Sleeping Bear Press head on over to their online catalog here.

This is not a sponsored post at all…just a mama sharing some of her favorite books! They have been such an amazing addition to our homeschool and I think you will love them too!