Trail Guide to Learning: Paths of Settlement Set

Wouldn't you love to guide your students in learning How to think rather than simply What to think?

Imagine working with real books, reading and writing for a reason, and using activities that don't just fill time and paper but bring points home. Imagine needing little teacher preparation because all lessons are clearly laid out. Imagine your students creating personal notebooks that double as portfolios to show what they have learned.

The Trail Guide to Learning series does all these things. Now you can teach multiple levels together with tremendous flexibility, all while producing one remarkable result encouraged students!

The Trail Guide to Learning is based on proven educational principles, and fully utilizes methods developed by noted author and educator, Dr. Ruth Beechick.

It will help you:

-Set in motion the thinking skills that lead to comprehension and writing ability.
-Increase science, history, literature and geography knowledge while establishing tool skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking).
-Use real books to provide key connections and motivate listening and reading.
-Utilize Charlotte Mason's philosophy of developing thinking skills naturally through observation and narration, while connecting subjects in a thought-provoking way.

Paths of Settlement is the second step on the Trail Guide to Learning. Key events studied include the Colonial Period, the Revolutionary War, the war of 1812, the Civil War, and Westward Expansion. Learn about the accomplishments of great Americans such as George Washington and Patrick Henry who built upon the trial blazed by brave explorers. Their actions teach us the principles of freedom and citizenship - founding and expanding our country, strengthening us in times of war and binding us together in times of struggle. This full one-year course is targeted for grades 4-6, but the lessons can be easily adapted for 3rd and 7th grades as well.

Debbie Strayer received her bachelor's and master's degrees in education and has many years of experience as an educator, consultant, and student evaluator. She is the former editor and co-founder of Homeschooling Today magazine, the author of Gaining Confidence to Teach, the editor of The Homeschool Answer Book by her mentor, Dr. Ruth Beechick, and co-author of Learning Language Arts Through Literature series.

Debbie feels her most important accomplishments are that she has been the wife of Greg Strayer for over 30 years, and a homeschooling parent for 16 years. She speaks and writes about homeschooling topics with humor, honesty, and encouragement.

Linda Fowler received a BA degree in Visual Communications from the University of South Florida, where she also met her husband, Colclough. She subsequently spent 17 years homeschooling their four children, from 1st through 12th grades, and developing an unshakeable appreciation for the power of encouragement. The Fowlers reside in Tampa, Florida.