It's been a while since I wrote to you all last and this is why! I have been busily at work on some exciting new developments here Under the Maple Tree. Take a look at the preface to the newly revised edition of Come Sit by Me:
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It was over ten years ago that I found myself, for the
first time, in the living room at Cyndy Regeling’s house for a “Newby Meeting”
as my hubby and I were just beginning to consider educational options for our
then three year old and soon to be newborn.
Mark and I really hadn’t considered homeschooling but I had a few
friends that were looking into it and so I decided to join them for a fun
evening out. I’m sure that if I had
known then what an incredible world homeschooling and Maple Tree would open to
my family and to me, I would not have believed it.
That evening we had a cozy visit with yummy treats, hot tea
and great conversation and it wasn’t until weeks later that I found out that I
had been in the home of a nationally loved and respected author and
educator. Cyndy is a humble woman but so
gifted to have produced resources that have become something of a household
name among Canadian homeschoolers.
I guess you can imagine that, in time, we did decide
that homeschooling was the right route for our family and when we finally make
that leap, Come Sit by Me was a natural first learning tool for our
little ones. After all, what child
doesn’t love a good picture book and this teacher-mama’s heart was certainly
pleased with the caliber of the books selected and absolutely delighted that they
were all products of “the True North strong and free”. We knew that, for our family, we didn’t just
want Christian content but we were looking for materials which were built on a
worldview that was foundationally biblical and Come Sit by Me also fit
the bill here. Add to these the fact
that we had just gone into full-time ministry, and therefore had severely
restricted our pocket book, the general availability of the books at our small
local library was impressive. I didn’t
have to make a large investment.
Smiles-per-dollar, Cyndy’s curriculum was a great deal compared to other
boxed curriculums which were likely also of spectacular quality but out of our
price range. What a treat to know that
home educating my children didn’t need to cost an arm and a leg but that armed
with a few good books we could learn so much together. Finally, feeling like a fish out of water, Come
Sit by Me was a gentle introduction to being both the teacher and the mama
at the same time. The curriculum was
thorough and yet very simple.
Well, over
the years, several young ladies at the exclusive all-girls’ school that we call
home have begun their learning with Come Sit by Me and, in the meantime,
I had the privilege of working alongside Cyndy here and there, doing a bit of
editing and chattering over writing ideas and outlines. So it seemed a natural transition, in 2008,
when Cyndy’s boys had finished their homeschooling journey and she had taken on
a teaching position in a local Christian school, for me to take over Maple Tree
Publications. Cyndy’s books remained
popular but she just couldn’t keep up with the demand. It was a perfect fit as I had books and
articles that were bubbling up, wanting to be printed, and had already begun to
be involved in speaking to groups of homeschoolers and to lead workshops. Maple Tree was a perfect fit for our little
family, allowing me to make a few pennies to cover the costs of piano lessons
and the occasional field trip while still being with my children fulltime.
I have
loved every aspect of being involved with Maple Tree as I have been able to
interact with customers, to deal with the printing and publishing end and to
travel across the country speaking at homeschool conferences and in local
support groups. In the wee hours of the night
I even have fun writing books, articles and blog posts. All in all, what I love the best is getting
to know people coast to coast and hearing your stories, why you’ve chosen the
educational route that you have, what makes your family unique and what you
love to do together.
Consistently,
over the years, the people I run into have shouted their praises for Cyndy’s
books and for Come Sit by Me in particular. So many of you feel the way that I do! It was with this in mind that I embarked on
the task of updating and improving this resource so that it can be enjoyed all
the more by the next generation of homeschoolers.
So What’s New?
You may be
saying, “I know the old Come Sit by Me.
It’s great! What needed
changing?” Well, not much, but
lots. Not much because the books that
were covered in the unit studies are no less great now than they were when they
were chosen years ago and the unit study format remains a fun, popular and
effective way to start out schooling your young ones. The general layout hasn’t changed but here is
what is new:
- 6 new book studies. It has
always been our goal at Maple Tree to make sure that the books that you
are looking for to do these unit studies are accessible. With the advent of the digital age and
so many websites that sell both new and used books, as well as the
widespread availability of interlibrary loan, even books that are out of
print are often quite close to your fingertips. Even so, we did replace a few books to
make sure that the books that are studied are the most available.
- Dozens of new activities. Besides the new activities that
accompany the new books studies, you will find lots of other updated,
freshened and added activities.
You’ll even find that a few books that weren’t previously available
and now are in print again have returned with new activities.
- Expended additional reading lists. Let’s face it, I could write a book of
good books alone so this is still a very limited list. I couldn’t resist, however, a few
additions – especially some scrumptious Canadian offerings.
- New photography and graphics. With all of this new material came the
need for a new look. Everyone likes
a new outfit every so often and Come Sit by Me wanted to celebrate
its new look with a new jacket and some bling on the inside too. Crystal Hounsome, at Crystal Xpressions
Photography (www.crystalxpressions.com) was the creative genius behind the
new look and style. She would love
to hear your kudos. Stop on by her
site and show her some love.
- Updated Bible verses. Come Sit by Me has always used
the New International Version for Bible verse quotations and now both the
NIV and Come Sit by Me have
been updated so we made sure that wording will match your newer copy of
the NIV Bible (copyright 2011). If
you find the wording of some verses slightly different than your NIV Bible
at home then the difference is probably due to a different copyright date. As always, you are welcome to use
whichever version of the Bible your family chooses to study.
- Updated charts and planners. You asked me to make them better and I’ve
taken your suggestions.
- Lots of little tweaks and fixes that you
suggested. Let’s face it, everyone makes mistakes
and some of you have graciously shared your time and energy in making
those fixes that will make Come Sit by Me even better. Thanks to many independent editors,
parents, friends and Maple Tree fans for proof reading over and over. I’m sure you will still find typos and
errors here and there and I appreciate your help in tracking them down. If you find an error in the text then please
send me a note and, as your prize, I will send you a list of the
corrections that we have accrued to date.
If you have a contribution to make to this prize please email me at
mapletreepublications@sympatico.ca. I am always glad to hear from you.
I certainly hope that you enjoy this new edition of
Canada’s classic homeschool curriculum for your younger children and more than
that, I hope that you enjoy the activities and adventures that it helps you
along with. I look forward to hearing about
some of your adventures.
Enjoy!
Cori
Our family enjoyed this resource several years ago! I have a 3 year old so will be bringing it out again in a year or so.
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