WeEbooks at The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

The Old Schoolhouse has introduced a new product and they describe it best....from their website -

The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC is proud to introduce the latest mini-digital package—the WeE-book™.

Packaging concise nuggets of wisdom from your favorite homeschool authors, covering a variety of topics of interest to homeschoolers, these bite-sized E-books are designed with today’s busy, homeschool mom in mind. WeE-book™ offer quick, affordable content that educates, inspires and encourages. WeE-book™ may be small in name, size, and price, but they are big in value.
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Three in particular caught my eye, but I encourage you to check out their other titles for encouragment and information to help you on your homeschooling journey.


This year marks the 200th birthday of two men who largely influenced how our nation views human life, one for the better, and the other…not so much. One was born to a poor, hard-working frontier family, and the other to a wealthy, affluent family.

Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were both born on February 12, 1809, and Deborah Wuehler of The Old Schoolhouse has written a very interesting WeEbook about these two men.

I have to admit I was initially drawn to this WeEbook because we’ve just completed a Civil War study and my wildly brilliant K-1 students memorized large portions of the Gettysburg address. Deborah states that her hope in writing this is to “spark an investigative study” because “a comparison of the lives and legacies of these two key historical figures reveals some fascinating implications about our society.”

I don’t know much about Charles Darwin or his philosophy…other than a very basic knowledge of his theory of evolution so this little book did spark an interest in me to better understand Mr. Darwin’s ideas. She asks some excellent discussion questions for you and your children to consider as well as providing Bible verses for you to read as you consider the implications on society of the beliefs of these men.

As an added bonus there are six pages of copywork of famous Lincoln quotes. Three are in print and the same three are then in script. There are also lists of resources for anyone considering homeschooling. All in all a very well spent $2. Thank you Mrs. Wuehler, for providing an excellent springboard from which to launch a meaningful discussion with my students.

I am very impatient and a bit of a perfectionist. In my mind, my way is almost always more efficient. The wise and discerning reader is mentally reciting any number of Bible verses related to patience and the sovereignty of God; feel free to send them my way since I can always use more encouragement to be patient!

Donna Rees, General Editor of TOS has written a WeEbook entitled “Don’t Rush God!” In it she recounts a time when her family rushed God’s plan. Their particular situation was not life-threatening and everything ended well, but that isn’t always the case. Learning to wait on the Lord- patiently, with no grumbling or manipulating - is an important life lesson best learned early (not that I know anything about that…).

This little book provides some excellent tools for you to use as you seek to teach your kids the importance of waiting on God’s timing. The story she shares is an event that practically every homeschool family experiences at least once. There is a list of questions and a Scripture reference to discuss with your kids giving them specific points to consider regarding Sovereign timing and our response. She also includes six Bible verses for print copy work to further cement the lesson in their minds.

You and children will enjoy this little gem and find it to be a handy tool in learning to trust God while waiting on Him.


I didn’t expect to read the words ‘Simple’ and ‘Classical Education' in the same sentence, but Andrea Newitt, Assistant to the Senior Editor of TOS, has outlined some excellent ideas for how to bring a classical education to your children without hours and hours of preparation on your part.

When I began homeschooling my oldest son nearly seven years ago, I wanted very much to teach him how to think. I learned during my years of working as an administrator surrounded by scientists that ‘book smarts’ didn’t necessarily equate to being able to *think* and solve actual problems – like what to do if the copier runs out of paper.

I had never heard of a ‘classical education’ so I muddled through our first year reinventing the wheel time and again. I eventually found my way and have settled on a couple of classical curriculums that fit our family, but it would have been nice to start with the resources Andrea has listed.

She didn’t just list a bunch of curriculums or websites and send you on your way though. She also describes *how* she simplifies some of the more daunting aspects of a classical education. Great books are not always easy books, and she gives you some outstanding tips on how to not only make it through them but to enjoy them as well.

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t study Latin, Logic or Rhetoric when I was in school. But again, this article is chock-full of solid, yet digestible, curriculum choices and resources.

As for the ‘why’ of a classical education, Andrea explains ‘why’ for her family without preaching or being arrogant. If you want a classical education for your children but are overwhelmed by where to begin or how to actually incorporate into your homeschool, you will find this article to be an invaluable resource. An enthusiastic 2 thumbs up.