SCM Discussion Forum

1. 

   waynesweakervessel
   Member

   Anyone willing to share their opinion of Usborne books and if anyone is a consultant and can share even more info please feel free to do so :-)

   Thanks, Brenda

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
2. 

   missceegee
   Member

   My 6 yo son enjoys looking at the pictures, but I loathe reading them and none of the kids really enjoy them either. They do not fit the definition of a living book, IMO, but are more tidbits of factual information.

   ~ Christie

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
3. 

   Anna Christine
   Member

   So glad to hear someones opinion on this...I was contemplating on whether or not to order some of them or not. I have heard several different opinions. Most people who like them lean more towards traditional schooling methods as opposed to CM or living books it seems. Thanks Christie.

   Christie!

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
4. 

   Nina
   Member

   We feel the same as Christie... the kids enjoy looking at them but greatly dislike reading them (atleast together).

   They give little, choppy info and go from one thing to another.  I asked about them before... whether they were a "living book".  I didn't think they were but it was nice to see someone agree. lol  

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
5. 

   houseofchaos
   Member

   Not our favorite either, for the same reasons already mentioned.

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
6. 

   RobinP
   Member

   I have a few in my lending library, but only if it contains something I have no better resource for. 

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
7. 

   esoloj
   Member

   I agree with missceegee.  My children enjoy the pictures but the information is very choppy.  ~Erika

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
8. 

   pollysoup
   Member

   Nope. Don't like them!  It's like reading in ADD mode to me.  Not pleasant.  

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
9. 

   art
   Member

   I was a consultant probably 15 years ago, so I have a lot of them in my home. I thought I would use them when I started to homeschool, but no. I agree with everyone else, and I don't like the way they freely put drawings of people whose bodies aren't as covered as I need them to be. It may sound silly, but they are just pictures of Egyptians or something and aren't always dressed. Whether they went around that way or not, I don't need it in a book.

   That said, occasionally, we want something to whet our appetite for learning more about something, so I haven't gotten rid of them.

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
10. 

    SweetMarie
    Member

    I like Usborne for reasons that some of you don't...lol...

    I think the encylopedias do have short tidbits of information, but the photgraphs/illustrations are beautiful and captivating to go with it.  I like this because I have a child that gets OVERWHELMED with too much text, even if I am reading it. 

    So Usborne works well for this, the small amount of information is there, the illustrations draw my child in...we end up having great narrations and then proceed to use the quicklinks they provide to get more information.  As well as move into other books that may fall better under the catagory of "living books"

    I think they work well to introduce young children to the non-fiction books, and aids in helping them use encycopedia type reference books with out it being intimidating.  Older children 10 + may require more, but may still also enjoy looking something up in an Usborne encylopedia to 'light the fire'.  I use it that way too, if there is an independent study I'd like the older one to do.  They flip through that and it gives us a jumping off point for a topic and then off to the library we go.

    I also have a child who at 5 years old would not mind thumbing through something like "Handbook of Nature Study".  That child is not intimidated by text or large books.  As for my other child, I think because of a few Usborne books and encyclopedia, he is now really appreciating where books can take him.

    So they are working for us and leading into great living books.  My children are still young though, and I can appreciate what others have found too.  It is just nice to see my child who previously did not like to read, wanting to get more and more from the library now!

    

     

    Posted 1 year ago # Report Post

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