I’ve found that with a living books approach, a collection of reference books is vital.
If we used textbooks, everything we “needed” to know would probably be right there. But since we use living books, we often come up with questions and need more information. I love going off on those types of tangents, those “teachable moments.”
Also, using reference books is a very important skill for becoming an independent learner. So far, I’m always the one suggesting we pull down the encyclopedia, but I hope that soon Sprite will do so on her own initiative.
Sometimes I do find that a reference book is missing from the shelf. When I ask Sprite about it, she retrieves it from her bedroom and says she needed it for looking up something. So even though she may not go the extra mile during our homeschool hours, she is using reference books to satisfy her own curiosity.
So we are slowly building our reference library as I find out what we need and get the books shipped over. Besides our dictionary (which these days is always the Oxford American Dictionary on the Kindle), here are the books we have now:
MATH
Everything You Need to Know About Math Homework
I bought this at a Scholastic book display when we went to the education conference. It’s been a great reference to complement our living math approach. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. I wish I had bought this long ago. It really could be used as a base for finding math topics to study. It includes all of those special math terms and plenty of diagrams.
SCIENCE
Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia
We got this one used via Better World Books. I love having it on hand. We turn to it often as an all purpose science reference.
This was a thrift store find — just $5. A steal. There are loads of full color diagrams to help you understand how various machines operate.
LANGUAGE ARTS
This is our primary writing, literature, grammar, and mechanics resource.
GEOGRAPHY
Obviously geography is important, but since Sprite is such a visual learner, maps are truly essential to understanding a lot of the history we study. We use the atlas several times each week.
This one is part of our Beautiful Feet Ancients study.
GENERAL
Almanacs have so much information! I frequently find myself looking up statistics when a local friend asks me something like “How many Americans have dogs?”
Please feel free to share your favorite reference books here. I’d also love to hear tips for encouraging their use during the homeschool day or otherwise.
More Posts Like This One:
Hi, I'm Jimmie, and this is my online collage -- a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but mostly homeschooling with a loosely Charlotte Mason style. You're welcome to poke around and leave a comment if you desire. 
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Indeed, they are so well made and (visually) interesting, they often are used to ‘just read a bit’.
Any reasons why you didn’t cover history? These we have for history: Time Traveler, The Usborne. The Usborne Book of World History. The LIving World of Knowledge in Color, Collins (an old book, ISBN 000.100101.9) and The Living World of History in Color, Collins, (an old book ISBN 000.100103.5.). Not ‘living’ books, but good for reference.
The ‘problem’ with reference books is where to put them. Somehow they easily retreat to the background. Therefore I frequently put them on our desk. Only then we read ‘just a bit’.
I also consider my children’s spontaneous running off to look something up a huge homeschooling victory!
We seem to use our nature reference books the most; birds, snakes, flowers and tree reference books are within easy reach.
Nadene´s last [type] ..Something With Words On It Sketch Tuesday
Jimmie,
I shared my list of favorite reference books in an article I wrote for The Homeschool Classroom in April, here is the link:
http://www.hsclassroom.net/2010/04/a-well-stocked-reference-shelf/
I have also found the “Everything You Need to Know…” books helpful.
Samantha
Samantha´s last [type] ..Week in Review – The Molecules and The Microscope Week 2
You’ve reminded me to put the reference books within reach of the kidlets. Thanks!
I was sooo suprised to see your picture of Write Source 2000! When I was in 6th grade our English teacher campaigned for all the parents of her students to buy this book. It was not cheap at over $20.00 back then and our school being in a small farming community. Most parents did not buy this book for their children, my mother however thought it was important and bought it for me. I used this book all throughout my school career and even some in college! I now still have the very worn and dog eared Write Source 2000 of my youth and have started using it with my children as well. It is a fabulous book that I wished more people knew about.
I have used my rhyming dictionary for years. It’s fun to see that someone else in the world uses it too!
MarshaMarshaMarsha´s last [type] ..Sweet Shot- birthday bonanza
Hi Jimmie, I’m new to blogger so I’m looking for some friends. I was on home school blogger, but transfered. I like your blog so I am going to add you to my friend’s list. Drop by sometimes, Traci
Traci’s Teaching Times´s last [type] ..Needing Charlotte Mason Advice
One thing that we refer to a lot is our Oxford Atlas of World History. I love having maps of how the world used to be at my fingertips.
I really need this list! Thank you, I will be pulling from it to add to our references. I would really like a set of encyclopedias (to which my husband says-space???), but haven’t researched which set I would like. Anyone have an actual set of encyclopedias??