HOMESCHOOLING AND EDUCATION
If your plan is for a year, plant rice.
If your plan is for a decade, plant trees.
If your plan is for a lifetime, educate children. — Confucius
Don’t be dismayed at the lack of regulation textbooks in this book on our website. You won’t find many of them. Our kids never liked them. We never liked them. They reminded us of commercial baby food — they fill a need but on the lowest possible level. At best, some make reasonable reference books. You will find books you and your children will enjoy that will transform your learning into a creative adventure.
It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey
that matters, in the end. — Ursula K. Le Guin
Learning to Think Long-Term
Be forewarned: You may have young children now, but they won’t always be at home and your full-time concern. We are discussing learning resources for “kids,” but the more I hear from the growing number of parents whose homeschooled kids are adults now, the more I realize that many parents are moving on to higher education for themselves, following dreams that have been dormant or have sprung anew through the homeschooling process. Don’t hesitate to dream for yourself too — and plan — or start or restart your own journey. You can and will inspire your children by your actions.
My Favorites That You Might Not Consider
You may think the first few entries here should go in a section about parenting or family living. I don’t, and you’re free to disagree with me. I’m putting them here because how we raise our children is, or should be, so integrated into how we homeschool that we need to be clear about our parenting philosophy before adding the role of educator. These are challenging times politically, ecologically, and socially. Weapons of mass destruction are realities that we live with and are part of the inheritance we hand to our children. We, as a people, as nations, cannot continue indefinitely destroying our world and others who live in it. Just as I believe we are changing the face of education one family at a time, I believe that to give our children more than despair we must change what we can, starting within our homes and our hearts in the hope that they will do better.
Humane: having what are considered the best qualities of human beings. The following two books delve deeply into the most desirable qualities we seek for ourselves, our children, and the future well-being of our world.
ABOVE ALL, BE KIND: Raising a Humane Child in Challenging Times, by Zoe Weil.
Weil could have called this book Your Life Is Your Message. She says, “More than anything you will ever say to your children, your life — the choices you make and the values you embody — will be their biggest teacher.” How do you do this? Weil uses a four-step process to help make evaluations and decisions.
I got this book thinking it was about family living. I am so glad I was wrong. The scope of this book encompasses families, communities, and all the people whose lives we touch through the ripples of our actions. Did you know that it would require four earths for everyone on the planet to live the lifestyle of North Americans? This book offers facts like this that will alarm you, and you will find information to help you research the subject so you can make your own evaluations and make a change for the better.
Weil has written chapters to cover the early, middle, and high school years with thoughts and suggestions for what values each age can assimilate, the problems encountered, parenting challenges, and best of all some solutions you can use. Here is an excerpt from the chapter about the middle years:
“Our children are growing up in a culture that often glorifies disrespect. They
watch cartoons with rude heroes and hear insulting talk show hosts on the radio.
They are growing up in a society in which corporate theft is becoming the
norm. They are living in a nation in which politicians are assumed to lie. Children
need to learn why such behaviors are not humane. They must understand
the harm that is caused by deceit. Even when your own children are honest
and respectful, they will still need your help to maintain their convictions and
their virtues in today’s world.”
The book ends with stories of young adults who learned how to make a difference in their world and consequently the world at large. There is a questionnaire you can use to help you think about your life and the changes you would like to make, and a place to write about what you will do about it. There is also a long list of organizations you can go to for information and concrete ways you can make a difference. This book is a thought-provoking tool. $17.95. Also available as an audio book from Amazon.
HOMESCHOOLING AND EDUCATION
THE NATURAL CHILD: Parenting From the Heart, by Jan Hunt. Hunt clearly puts forth the premises of this book in the first chapter. Here are a few of her points: “We understand that all children are doing the very best they can at every given moment. We trust that though children may be small in size, they deserve to have their needs taken seriously. We know that it is unrealistic to expect a child to behave perfectly at all times. We recognize that ‘bad behavior’ is the child’s attempt to communicate an important need in the best way she can. We learn to look beneath the child’s outward behavior to understand what he is thinking and feeling. We see that in a very beautiful way, our child teaches us what love is.” If you are having trouble accepting these concepts, this book will help you find your way to a peaceful and rewarding acceptance, or make you decide not to read it.
Another reason this book is here is that I believe that part of our duty as parents is to educate our children for the future, and we want a peaceful future for them. How we raise them, the unspoken values they learn even before we can communicate with words, is important. In the foreword, Peggy O’Mara of Mothering magazine writes: “Margaret Mead … said, ‘The most violent tribes were those that withheld touch in infancy.’ To me, it is very simple. The propensity to act aggressively is related to unmet needs. When we objectify our babies and manipulate their legitimate needs to meet our own comfort level or prescription for living, we may unknowingly put them at risk. We can instead choose to surrender to the mystery of our baby’s needs and the surprises he or she brings just as we would surrender and adapt to the surprises brought by a new love.”
At first I wasn’t sure why Hunt begins her book with the topic of child abuse and the cycle of violence it tends to perpetuate, but perhaps it is to clear the way so that even those with a history of abuse can find their way through the book and find peace in their own lives as parents.
This book can help you find the balance between discipline and spoiling, much in the same spirit as A.S. Neill draws the line between freedom and license in his book Freedom, Not License. You will find examples of how to deal constructively with misbehavior and difficult situations. The book progresses from infancy into adulthood, offering examples of problems and possible solutions. There is an emphasis on forgiveness — forgiving your child during trying times and forgiving yourself too, with the understanding that we are human and imperfect. It’s likely that you will not find the perfect example of your own problems, but you will learn the attitudes to develop so that you can cope and find your own constructive solutions. You will find advice about coping with your own preconceived and unconscious conditioning from your upbringing and how to make the changes you would like. Hunt has a lot to say about the inherent problem of rewards and finding an alternative to spanking, and there are very sane suggestions for coping with our seemingly hurried lives and making time for our children to just be children.
Although Hunt is an unschooling parent and there is much about parenting in general, you will quickly realize that her attitudes and suggestions are applicable to all styles of parenting, and so contribute to all styles of homeschooling. Her parenting ideas are what we used years ago, although we didn’t find that unschooling worked for us all the time. I like to think that unschooling in Hunt’s style would work for everyone, but I can’t convince myself that it would. Maybe someday it will be possible. I hope so. Hunt’s book is one to keep handy. Read it once to set yourself on the right track. Pick it up again any time you’re feeling stressed or need reinforcement. $16.95.
The Unschooling Unmanual, edited by Jan and Jason Hunt, with contributions from Nanda Van Gestel, Daniel Quinn, Rue Kream, Earl Stevens, Kim Houssenloge, John Holt, and Mary Van Doren.
I loved Jan Hunt’s The Natural Child. I did not love this book, and that makes it harder to write about it. My first thought is that there is too much reliance on John Holt and his work. Holt wrote a great deal about unschooling and pretty much defined it a long time ago. I found myself thinking that I’d be better off reading Holt’s books. I don’t think there is anything in this book that can’t be found in Holt’s work or that of others – but this one is cheaper than many of those.
My next thoughts went like this: Oh! Daniel Quinn. Good. As a social and cultural critic he is superb, and I admire his work and enjoy reading his books. A speech he gave to a group of unschoolers in Houston in 2000 is included here, in which he asks interesting and penetrating questions by giving examples. This was worth my time to read — he makes me look at the culture around me differently, and that’s a good thing for all of us to do. An Earl Stevens piece from 1994 work is also included, but the book doesn’t say if it was a talk or from written work. Being a Mainer, Stevens was to the point and clear in his ideas about favoring unschooling and why it works.
I read the chapters by the other contributors and found myself disappointed. They were good but typical unschooling stories that didn’t fire me up and get me excited. Donn and I sometimes unschooled and sometimes didn’t, so I understand both sides of the homeschooling coin. On further reflection I found myself thinking that Mary Griffith’s Unschooling Handbook is a lot more exciting to read and offers a lot more in the way of support and practical ideas for homeschooling and unschooling parents and kids.
The Unschooling Unmanual is available from The Natural Child Project (which I think is great; ) for $16. You’ll also find information about attachment parenting and some other interesting things there. You can also order by calling 877-593-1547.
THE QUESTION IS COLLEGE, by Herbert Kohl. It’s fair to wonder why I’m putting college before kindergarten in this next review when the only thing you may be concerned with right now is clean diapers. I am doing it because whether we actually discuss our philosophy of living and goals in relation to our children’s education or not, our everyday actions have a direct effect on our children’s future. This first book will help you form an overview of living and education that will help guide you through the years.
Before considering specific resources it’s important to think about where you want your homeschool journey to take you and your children. You need some idea of your long-term goals or you’ll waste time and effort and encounter more obstacles than necessary. The Question Is College will stimulate and help clarify your thinking. Kohl is more concerned with the attitudes toward living you would like your child to end up with than about academic skills and college attendance.
This book is not against college, but questions whether there is a genuine need for it. It was written primarily for high school students, not parents, but in a homeschooling family, the concerns of one affect the other. This book isn’t intended for parents of young children, but reading it while your children are young will help you create a philosophy about learning and living that will be of enormous benefit. The preface to Kohl’s new edition begins:
What do I want to do when I grow up? For many people that childhood
question persists throughout life. At 5 it can lead to wild fantasies and lifelong
dreams. … And in middle age, it has the sadness of an incomplete life. Yet the
question persists as long as the imagination is alive. What, of all the possible
things that people do, would I love to do?
Donn and I have always felt the journey from childhood through adulthood should be enjoyed in and of itself, progressing into a satisfying way of life and personally meaningful work. Unfortunately, when parents first think of homeschooling they are all too often thinking of the skills they’ve been conditioned by upbringing and society to accept as needed to succeed in life. The skills we teach our children are, all too often, a reflection of what we think we needed to succeed in life. We should remember that our children’s needs will be different. To fulfill their dreams we should strive to give them the most versatile tools possible along with the confidence to know they can learn whatever is necessary along the way. Our culture equates a college degree with success. Kohl’s book will give you good reasons to look beyond the common equation: college = success = money = happiness. He does not accept the premise that your life’s work need be dull. Therefore, in homeschooling, we should seek out the greatest opportunities for exploration and discovery possible. I think a copy of this book should magically appear with the birth of every first child. Available only on Amazon $4.39.
WHAT REALLY MATTERS, by David Albert and Joyce Reed (no relation to me). Guiding your children through the standard academics is usually the first hurdle you contemplate when you are homeschooling or considering the idea. Take it from this longtime homeschooler and David and Joyce: What really matters is far beyond the three R’s.
This written conversation between two unschooling parents, each with grown children, delves into the unwritten curriculum of humane education. Joyce and David discuss the educational, emotional, psychological, spiritual, and cultural aspects of what we desire for our children’s future as contributing members of a community and society. Joyce and David converse in depth so you will see the advantages of allowing your child to grow in his own way — no, not just allowing, but also mentoring that growth to its potential.
Joyce and David were avid in their pursuit of mentors for their children, sometimes because they didn’t have the expertise needed and sometimes because finding a community member who shared their child’s passion moved their kids, and their families, into a wider sphere of learning. David bemoans the segregation by age enforced by the school system and points out that all living outside of school is cross-generational. Both authors found that cross-generational learning benefits not only the individuals but also the family and the community.
David and Joyce share personal stories about how each of their children learned to read in a different way and at a different age. They agree that mostly you don’t “teach” children to read; what you do is read to them a lot and let them see you reading for information and for pleasure.
David speaks about more than the beauty found in the traditional arts. He speaks about the beauty of scientific inquiry and the difference between wrong answers and failure. Schools want the “right” answer all the time. In school, all else is failure. Public schools promote conformity, not thinkers. The beauty of homeschooling is that it allows for continuing inquiry. What our children are learning now should be for the future — and since we can’t know what skills they will need, the need for creative thinking is essential.
If you are concerned about your child being admitted to college, Joyce and David make it clear that admission is much easier now. Both say that most colleges are eager to have self-motivated homeschoolers. Joyce offers a wonderful international counseling service () for homeschoolers considering college. She suggests starting this counseling in early high school, and her service supports both the student and the parents in planning their studies, financing, admissions, and beyond.
If you are new to homeschooling, this book will open your eyes to the vast opportunities waiting to be explored by you and your children. For those already homeschooling, this book will inspire you to reach further into the awesome possibilities that abound around you whether you unschool or follow a more traditional path.
This book renewed my awareness that the courage to learn is fragile and needs to be nourished and cherished. It’s what homeschoolers can do best when we give our kids the freedom to explore their inner and outer worlds with confidence. This book will guide you. As of February 12, 2010, this book is not yet published. As soon as I have a price it will be added here. You might want to bookmark this page.
HOME EDUCATION MAGAZINE, P.O. Box 1083, Tonasket, WA 98855. Publisher since 1983 of the national bimonthly Home Education Magazine. I don’t know how they do it month after month and year after year, but this magazine has managed to stay fresh and interesting even to this old-timer. Kudos to you, Mark and Helen Hegener! If I had to choose only one homeschool magazine to read, this would be it. The content is representative of the diversity within the homeschool movement, with a top-notch staff of regular columnists, plus articles by parents with information and ideas to share. You can find many other online and offline services at www.homeedmag.com; their e-mail address is info@homeedmag.com. HEM’s free “Pocket Field Guide to Homeschooling” answers most major questions about homeschooling; write to request single copies or enough for your group, or download it from their website. You’ll find up-to-date networking and message boards where you can find support and new resources and ask questions about most of your homeschooling concerns. Fun to read and full of ideas to think about. Go to their web site for subscription prices.
THE AMERICAN HOMESCHOOL ASSOCIATION (AHA), www.americanhomeschoolassociation.org, is a service organization created in 1995 to network homeschoolers on a national level and to provide news and information about homeschooling. Current AHA services include an online discussion list providing news, information, networking, and resources; a free e-mail newsletter; and a website providing categorized links to the most helpful and informative pages of homeschooling information on the Internet (including a collection of columns from Home Education Magazine by Larry and Susan Kaseman, authors of Taking Charge Through Homeschooling: Personal and Political Empowerment, addressing issues such as working for homeschooling freedoms, curfews, “homeschooling” programs in the public schools, user-friendly homeschooling records, tax credits and homeschooling, homeschoolers playing public school sports, the question of credentials, the school-to-work program, homeschooling legislation, doing the minimum to comply with homeschooling laws, and much more). It is a showcase of the best writing on a wide variety of topics, from sources all across the Internet.
THE FIRST YEAR OF HOMESCHOOLING YOUR CHILD: Your Complete Guide to Getting Off to the Right Start, by Linda Dobson. This book starts off acknowledging all the doubts, fears, and questions you may have about beginning homeschooling. Then it goes on to make you feel comfortable and competent to deal with these uncertainties whether your child has been in school before or you are beginning this journey before your child has attended public school.
Those of us who have homeschooled our children over a long period of time know how important it is to develop a philosophy about learning at home. We understand how important it is to be flexible and recognize each child’s learning style. Linda offers some clear guidelines and sound recommendations to help beginners. There is a very clear overview of a variety of approaches and very practical suggestions for using them.
In this book you will see that it is possible to homeschool children under a variety of circumstances. You’ll find examples of two-income families juggling time and needs, those who choose to homeschool because of medical or other special needs of parents or children. You’ll find stories of families who homeschool for academic reasons or just because they want to spend more time together.
Along with learning from Linda’s years of experience, you’ll learn from many others who contributed their insights into the question “What do I wish someone had told me during my first year of homeschooling?” $16.95.
THE HOMESCHOOLING BOOK OF ANSWERS, by Linda Dobson. Amazing! A book with more answers than questions. How can that be? Read on! Drawing from years of experience homeschooling her own family, time spent helping other homeschoolers through workshops, and her extensive body of written work about homeschooling, Linda has posed more than 80 of the most important, most frequently asked questions about homeschooling and asked more than 35 of homeschooling’s most respected voices to contribute answers. Issues of structure, expense, socialization, dealing with officials, resources, and many more are answered here. Reading this book is like attending a homeschooling forum and hearing the most experienced people in the field express their ideas and opinions. Best of all, each question is answered by at least two people so you can consider differing points of view and form your own conclusions. I found it interesting to see where contributors agreed (without any consultation) and where they differed. The greatest value of this book lies not in the number of questions that are answered, but in the rich diversity of answers. You will come away from this book knowing that there are as many ways to homeschool as there are homeschooling families. These “expert” answers come from a combined total of more than 500 years of personal experience, experimentation, observation, and the courage to pursue personal dreams and values. This is a book for all homeschoolers. Reading it will empower you as you experiment and find the best learning style for you and your family. $17.95.
LEARNING AT HOME: A Mother’s Guide to Homeschooling, by Marty Layne (and recently updated) mother of four homeschooled young adults. Learning at Home is a personal book. Marty’s insights about interacting with her children should be used by all parents and teachers even though it was written primarily for homeschooling parents. What makes this book exceptional are Marty’s observations about the interaction between parents and children. She has an acute awareness of how children learn best and how to help them. Marty shares her insight into how to see and work through the conditioned responses we all subconsciously carry from society, our own upbringing, and our schooling in order to create a harmonious homeschool environment. The book begins by taking a close look at the answer to the very common question “Can I do this — teach my child at home?” You’ll find Marty has the unique capacity to help you sort out your inner thoughts and motivations and recognize your fears (and learn how to deal with them), and to impart confidence. You’ll find numerous comments and suggestions for creating a learning environment to suit yourself and your children, and the emphasis is always on how to relate and respond to your children, and how to best meet their needs and your own. Yes, Mom and Dad, you have to take care of your needs too; that’s a strong part of Marty’s message. Being a good mate and parent presents many challenges. Add teaching (working with, guiding, whatever you want to call it), and you’ve added to those challenges exponentially. Unless you’re superwoman or superman you’re going to find your life, at times, more stressful than is reasonable. Marty’s chapter on burnout — how to recognize it, what to do about it, and (most constructive of all) how to prevent it — is the best I’ve seen. This is a book designed for real people. She recognizes that parents as well as kids have times when they are grumpy, that there are times when the kids get bored or are unhappy, and she offers some interesting observations about why these times happen and some ideas for improving the situation.
Along with all this sagacious writing about critical issues, you’ll find chapters about helping your child learn to read, write, and do arithmetic; the importance of including the arts (music, art, dance, and drama); and using all of life as a curriculum. Many of us have read about homeschoolers becoming accomplished musicians at a young age, going to prestigious colleges, or doing other remarkable things. Marty makes the important point that homeschooling can “allow time to pursue an interest and reveal talent but can’t create it.” Thankfully, Marty recognizes that not all children develop remarkable talents or abiding interests, and points out that there are important talents our society does not recognize: “We tend to recognize only outstanding gifts that fall in recognized categories like art, music, drama, or sports. We are not willing to recognize talent for something like happiness, listening to others, being a warm person, taking delight in a rainy day.” I particularly value this observation because more important than any talent or recognition, living well with ourselves and those around us is one of life’s true goals and rewards. There is so much depth to this book that it’s worth reading and rereading.
If you are considering homeschooling it will help you decide if this is really what you want to do and how to do it successfully. This book also has great value to those who have been homeschooling for a while, because Marty has given so much thought to issues that frequently cause problems in daily homeschooling, and clearly states ways to help you deal with them.
The end of the book contains several very useful appendices, with a list of read-a-loud books, a bibliography, help in setting goals, and addresses for U.S. and Canadian support. $18.95.
AND THE SKYLARK SINGS WITH ME: Adventures in Homeschooling and Community-Based Education, by David H. Albert. David’s astute observations and comments about modern educational methods used in the public schools are important, but they aren’t what impressed me most. The Alberts, more than the families in any other homeschooling accounts I’ve read, integrated their freestyle homeschooling with other people and resources in their surrounding community. This called for a change in lifestyle, and David calls that “hard work.” Their striving to connect their children with people who were passionate about what they were doing, and who were willing to share and foster the interest of young children, demanded that they expand their network of friends and acquaintances and explore options through newspapers and by calling strangers. This wasn’t always easy, but the results were immensely rewarding. The children’s interests were respected and their horizons expanded. Their intellectual growth flourished, and because this learning took place within the family and expanded into the community at large, the children formed relationships with people of all ages based on common interests and needs, as opposed to the public school standard of peers based solely on age. Many books emphasize “values,” but mostly within the family. David and his wife talk about imparting the values of community interaction — not just for social contact with people outside the family, but because this interaction makes activities outside the family more than just isolated incidents: They become a foundation and model for the future.
While David is cognizant of the precocity of his own children (and you will be well aware of this too), you will quickly see that the most important aspect of his story is how he and his wife labored to observe, respect, encourage, and only occasionally direct their children. The observations, ideas, and suggestions given for encouraging personal and intellectual growth are worthy models for all of us.
You’ll find insightful comments about how children learn throughout the book. I heartily endorse his suggestion that you read James Loewen’s Lies My Teacher Told Me and Howard Zinn’s People’s History of the United States so that you can incorporate varied perspectives about history and its depiction into your own presentation of the subject. I agree with David’s idea of repeatedly making math relevant to young children, thereby enabling them to discover its usefulness in making sense of their world. I particularly liked his statements about encouraging early reading and the use of phonics: “Having kids read at ever-younger ages may be high on the agenda of parents with heady images of escorting their sons and daughters off to Harvard, but given the content of most young children’s reading material, learning to read is small potatoes compared with the fascination of an anthill.” He goes on to point out that the choice of whether to use a whole-language or phonics approach to reading should be determined by each child’s need at the time — and that this may change over time. He points out that his daughter Meera was not interested in having a word sounded out phonetically, but wanted the word said and explained (if necessary). She would then memorize it if it was useful. “What I am cautiously suggesting is that heavy emphasis on phonics might get some children to read earlier, but not necessarily better, provided ‘late’ readers are not stigmatized and their self-confidence damaged for not reading on someone else’s time schedule. The problem with either phonics or whole language approaches to reading is that they are each all too often tied to both a timetable and a content not of the child’s own devising.”
David disagrees with using E.D. Hirsch’s cultural literacy and Core Knowledge books as standards for yearly content, and while I feel strongly that a common cultural knowledge is important, I agree that these books can become simply another set of artificial standards with emphasized data unrelated to a child’s life, which makes the content just something to be regurgitated, not an integrated relevant set of useful knowledge.
At the end of the book he concludes that “to educate a child well is to enable her to find her destiny as well as our own. This can only be accomplished successfully, I am persuaded, by allowing her to find the freedom to listen to and be exhilarated by the harmony of her own inner voices and those of the world around her so that, like Blake’s schoolboy, she comes to know that ‘the skylark sings with me.’”
This is a book to inspire you throughout your homeschooling journey. An added bonus is a list, at the end of each chapter, of resources the Alberts found most useful. $16.95
HAVE FUN. LEARN STUFF. GROW. is also by David Albert. When I first picked up this book I thought it was another homeschooling book when I read the title. Well it is, and then again it isn’t, and then again, it is. It begins with a glass-half-full–half-empty metaphor. This should make you stop and think right there. We all develop, consciously or not, an outlook on life and relationships, and the fact that this challenge is right up front is appropriate. Those with the (half) empty outlook will either think more about it or retreat.
This book is a delightful mix of philosophy, metaphor, storytelling, and how to homeschool in freedom, and it’s not just about freedom for the kids.
The chapters about math and spelling should be mandatory for all parents and teachers. As a self-confessed math phobic I dearly wish someone had figured out the “best” way to not teach math when I was “doing time” in the public school system. I’m going to have to try the unspelling myself. If it will work with me it will work with anyone. I have always learned best from my failures.
David sorted out for me the roots of the “video” obsession some kids have. It’s bothered me for some time but I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around it. Control is the issue. It makes sense. I am grateful that he put it all in perspective too. Who wants their kids playing violent games, even if they are “only” games? It’s an oxymoron, but I am fiercely opposed to teaching or supporting violence (should we add intolerance here too?) in any way.
In reading this book I came away feeling that as a parent, homeschooling or otherwise, one of the best teaching/learning tools available is how to learn within the context of your own life. $14.95.
HOMESCHOOLING AND THE VOYAGE OF SELF-DISCOVERY: A Journey of Original Seeking, by David H. Albert. A unique, wise, witty, literate, useful, philosophical, and thought-provoking journey for homeschooling parents and thoughtful educators. There isn’t a comparable work available for those seeking to enrich and expand their homeschooling horizons into a life-altering experience for themselves and their children.
David asks the most magnificent questions that will provoke you into turning ideas on their heads, but he doesn’t always give you the answers. Instead, you are invited and challenged to find your own. He has the unique ability to find the kernel of truth in a quagmire and let it shine for us. I consider reading this book a major step forward in my own continuing education. $17.95.
THE UNSCHOOLING HANDBOOK: How to Use the Whole World as Your Child’s Classroom, by Mary Griffith. This book kept me awake even at a very late hour. I enjoyed and learned from the creative ideas presented by her many contributors about how they expanded their children’s knowledge and enjoyment in their learning activities. I liked her broad definition of a classroom. This book begins with suggestions and thoughts about unschooling that can help you decide if it’s something you want to do — and can do. It continues on to cover all the subjects expected by schools and interesting unschooling approaches used by her contributors. The variety of approaches adds depth and interest and offers good suggestions. At the end of each chapter is an example of how that chapter’s subject would be covered throughout an unschooling day, along with a list of very good resource books. $16.95.
THE TEENAGE LIBERATION HANDBOOK: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education, by Grace Llewellyn. Probably the best, most accurate review of this book was in Bloomsbury Review: “This is a very dangerous book. It contradicts all the conventional wisdom about dropouts and the importance of a formal education. It is funny and inspiring. Do not, under any circumstances, share this book with a bright, frustrated high-schooler being ground into mind-fudge by the school system. The writer cannot be responsible for the happiness and sense of personal responsibility that might come from reading this book.” Grace Llewellyn has compiled a fantastic array of ideas and resources for a very comprehensive unschooling education, in all the standard subjects and scores of non-standard ones — science, math, social sciences, English, languages, the arts, sports and athletics, outdoor jobs and activities, travel — through books, personal contacts, jobs, apprenticeships and internships, volunteering, social and political activism, and more. She offers very encouraging advice throughout the book, and illustrates her arguments with dozens of real-life stories (many borrowed from Growing Without Schooling) of kids who have done it. Even a homeschool with more structure than Grace advocates will find the numerous ideas and resources invaluable; for the truly unschooled teenager who is serious about doing more than watching TV, it will be an invaluable guidebook.
I have one major reservation, and a few minor ones. Like many unschoolers, Grace seems to think that any and all resources (people, places, etc.) are good — except the child’s own parents. The first thing to do after making the decision to quit school, Grace advises the teenaged reader, is “celebrate your audacity with deep chocolate ice cream” and then, step two, “consult your parents.” Some parents might feel they should have something to say about such a momentous decision, but Grace doesn’t seem to have much sympathy for them. “You might get this over with after dinner tonight,” she says, “or you might acclimate them slowly to the idea.” At least she realizes that some old fogies may be a little slow. “Fortunately,” she adds, “with a little care and planning, you will probably be able to help them see the light.” Ah, yes, we remember it well — our kids, at the age of 13 or 14, suddenly wise and mature, trying to help us see the light — and we, stubborn and over-protective, always in the way of their freedom and happiness, trying to keep them from frying their brains or wrapping themselves around a tree. Our own “fortunately” is that they soon saw the light and grew out of this phase almost as quickly as they had grown into it, and we continued our lives together as friends and family. Overprotective or not, we still think that most kids of 13 or 14, and even some of 16 or 17, are not ready to take on the entire world on their own terms alone, with no consideration for their parents’ opinions, guidance — and yes, even a few rules now and then. There are exceptions, of course, but even for them there is seldom any excuse for presenting parents with ultimatums and sudden declarations of independence.
My minor reservations about the book have to do with some of Grace’s recommended reading for the newly liberated teenager. We happen to agree with most of her choices, but a few of them seem to encourage a “liberation” with which we cannot agree. Poe, Gibran, Thoreau, the Bible, Blake, Shakespeare — excellent choices. But Grace also recommends Rubyfruit Jungle, by Rita Mae Brown, with the parenthetical note that it’s “sexually explicit, offends a lot of people,” which is putting it very mildly. She recommends The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, without mentioning that it’s largely about incestuous rape, sexual promiscuity, and infidelity. She does admit that Tom Robbins’ Even Cowgirls Get the Blues is “rated R — some sex, some drugs,” but her idea of some is a long way from the book’s nearly total preoccupation with random promiscuity and constant drug use. Grace’s list of “poetry” looks okay, except “poetry by Sappho,” which is of course explicitly lesbian. In what she calls “a short list especially tailored for searching teenagers,” I think she could have made better choices than these.
These reservations are concerned with a tiny part of the book, and shouldn’t keep you from buying it and using it, but keep in mind that the author has her own orientation and opinions, and you may not always agree with her.
P.S. A reader recently pointed out that Grace has no children of her own. Our reader wondered if Grace would be as liberal with her own children at the expense of parental judgment. Me too. $20.
FUNDAMENTALS OF HOMESCHOOLING: Notes on Successful Family Living, by Ann Lahrson-Fisher. Ann continues her legacy of practical approaches to homeschooling in this book, which follows her first, Homeschooling in Oregon (still available from Ann at ann@nettlepatch.net), in which she basically says “relax.” Ann stresses (is that the right word to use after telling you to relax?) the importance of play — children playing and parents playing with their children. Her advice about talking together and listening to each other is a theme that runs throughout the book. She explores family issues and good ways to cope with them at various ages. All her main points show you how to connect within your family and with the community around you. You will also find good resources listed that you won’t find anyplace else and practical ways to use them. Reading this book will add new depth to your homeschooling experience.
I was reading the other day about some kids whose mom had decided not to engage them in the rat race. No after-school activities, no music lessons, no playdates, and only one hour of TV a day. After an initial period of the “I don’t know what to do’s” her kids learned to play — really play. They invented their own games and read and told stories, rode their bikes, played ball, and just hung out — happily. I wouldn’t go so far as to drop time with friends or the music lessons if the kids enjoy them, but I agree that the time to just play or do nothing is valuable. It’s part of childhood, or should be. I can remember days when time seemed elastic and the afternoons would stretch out seemingly forever, and not in a bad way. I don’t seem to have that sort of time as an adult. This is going to sound oxymoronic, but perhaps even now, as an adult, I should schedule in some time to do nothing or just lie outside and watch the clouds. $19.95.
So far I haven’t made mention of John Taylor Gatto’s large body of work. He was voted teacher of the year and then left the school system because he felt it failed too many students. If you have a chance to read his work he will give you extensive reasons for leaving the public school system — and he’s fun to read.
HOME LEARNING YEAR BY YEAR, by Rebecca Rupp, is good guide for creating your own curriculum for grades pre-K through high school. This book follows the public model but will allow you to tailor your homeschool to your child’s needs. I think it will allow you to create a compromise between recreating a “public school” atmosphere at home and the unstructured “unschooling” approach. Becky includes a useful listing of resources to support her suggestions. $14.95.
LIVING IS LEARNING curriculum guides are designed to be useful to all homeschoolers. These guides have all the basic information about what is usually taught for a particular age group. What makes them different from the World Book guides (free and listed below) is that Nancy Plent has included many good resources for finding the information you want to teach and special suggestions for unschooled learning, such as how to do it, how to keep useful records (for yourself and for school or state), and much more. Nancy offers a multitude of other good materials as well, so ask about her other pre-K through high school resources. From Nancy Plent, Unschoolers Network, 2 Smith St., Farmingdale, NJ 07727.
THE COMPLETE HOME LEARNING SOURCE BOOK: The Essential Resource Guide for Homeschoolers, Parents, and Educators Covering Every Subject From Arithmetic to Zoology, by Rebecca Rupp. Rebecca has spent years finding resources and sharing them through her column for Home Education Magazine and in her earlier books. This is a mind-boggling collection of the good learning tools. As Donn said in the last Home School Source Book, “It’s a little difficult for the author of a resource guide to review someone else’s resource guide, unless there are major disagreements in subject matter or philosophy. … I don’t think I disagree with any of her choices, although only a small number of them appear in this book. That means you can consult both books with little chance of duplicated reviews.” $29.95.
TYPICAL COURSE OF STUDY. Available for the U.S. and Canada. This small booklet is not a step-by-step guide. It will provide general guidelines compiled from an analysis of many educational programs. Each grade level has a listing of general goals for social studies, science, language arts, health and safety, and mathematics. If you want more specifics see the Core Knowledge Series. This is free from World Book International, Educational Products Dept., 14333 Ash Ave., Flushing, NY 11355-2110, or World Book Educational Products of Canada, Georgetown Warehouse, 34 Armstrong Avenue, Georgetown, ON L7G 4R9. Online at www.worldbook.com/wb/Students?curriculum.
TAKING CHARGE THROUGH HOME SCHOOLING: Pesonal and Political Empowerment, by Larry and Susan Kaseman. “Empowerment,” say the authors, “includes identifying options and realizing that we can make choices and act on them, that we can take charge.” Taking charge begins with making one’s own choices about education (or anything else), which in itself is a political action, but the freedom to choose can be regained and held only by being politically active; i.e., by being aware of laws and lawmaking trends that affect homeschooling, and by taking an active part in influencing those laws. This is a very clear, comprehensive explanation of the many ways in which laws are made and how they can be influenced, and should certainly be read by anyone faced with legal or social opposition to homeschooling. Although the greater part of this book is concerned with political involvement, I think the Kasemans’ suggestions regarding the everyday experience of home-schooling are just as important and useful, and make this a very valuable book even for those who don’t feel ready to become politically active, or for whom just the decision to teach at home is sufficient challenge.
I think this book is more important now than ever. Although homeschooling is now legal across North America and there are more homeschoolers than ever before, there is also a stronger movement to regulate and control it than ever before. If you don’t believe this or are just unaware of this move toward governmental regulation, read Home Education Magazine. Having won our freedom to teach at home, we now need to protect it. $12.95 plus $2 shipping and handling from Koshkonong Press, 2545 Koshkonong Rd., Stroughton, WI 53589.
Canadian Resources
THE WONDERTREE FOUNDATION acts as an umbrella school and will help you design a course of study for your child. You’ll find them online at www.wondertree.org, or write to Wondertree Foundation for Natural Learning, Box 38083, Vancouver, BC V0B 2C0 Canada; 604-224-3663.
CANADIAN INTERNET NEWSLINE: The Association of Canadian Home-Based Education is a national organization dedicated to helping all Canadians who wish to teach at home. There are no political or religious affiliations, no hidden agendas; just friendly help and support. You will find them at www.flora.org/homeschool-ca. It’s got it all: legal requirements for all provinces, helpful resources, and much more.
SCHOOL FREE: Home Based Education in Canada, by Wendy Priesnitz, one of Canada’s leading homeschooling advocates and pioneers. This book provides an overview and sampling of experiences of homeschoolers across Canada, plus basic legal information. 140 pages including index. To order this book go to: www.life.ca/hs.
HOMESCHOOL AND MORE is a very good catalog of Canadian resources. Gertrude DeBoer, 29 Donald Dr., Charlottetown, PEI C1E 1Z5.
*** IMPORTANT! ***
Homeschooling is legal in all states and provinces. Although the Department of Education is listed for each state, we strongly urge you to seek information and help with your questions about homeschooling from your local support group first. They will have up-to-date information about legalities. They will know the best way to deal with the formalities involved in meeting homeschooling requirements. Experience over the past years has shown (as Donn stated earlier in our book) that some professional educators and some people at the Department of Education do not thoroughly understand the regulations, and many people have been given incorrect information.
The last edition of The Home School Source Book had seventeen pages of contact information for support groups in the U.S., Canada, and worldwide. Experience has taught me that very few groups contact publications like ours to notify us of address or contact changes, so I have had come to the conclusion that it is impossible to keep this information up to date. I’m now referring you to www.nhen.org (see below) for local support groups so you will get the most recent and reliable information.
MILITARY HOMESCHOOLING FAMILIES
If you’re a military homeschooling family and would like to connect with other military homeschoolers around the world, several e-mail lists are available to you. The military section of the NHEN website lists them with brief descriptions: www.nhen.org/nhen/pov/military. NHEN now has a form at the website that enables people to become points of contact for their area: www.nhen.org/nhen/pov/military/form_military_ contact.asp. If you have only e-mail access to the web, contact: military@nhen.org to be listed as someone willing to help in your area. Also available to you is a super resource from Valerie Star Moon, a longtime military homeschooler with experience to share: www.groups.yahoo.com/group/Mil_homeschool_ book.
No self-respecting homeschooling book would be complete without including JOHN HOLT and his work. Pat Farenga has carried on John’s work and you can find both John’s and Pat’s work at www.holtgws.com.
Ann Zeise’s A TO Z HOME’S COOL: www.homeschooling.gomilpitas.com. This site can be viewed in Spanish (www.tinyurl.com/nmst) and French (www.tinyurl.com/nmsv).
Best of Homeschooling: www.besthomeschooling.org has a wealth of information on just about all areas of interest to homeschoolers and suggestions of where to go if you don’t find what you’re looking for. It’s noncommercial and low-key, and you’ll want to bring a cup of coffee or tea with you when you sit down to explore this site. I hope your drink doesn’t get cold while you’re fascinated with all you find here.
NEW AND USED BOOK BUYING COMPARISONS: Before going to Amazon.com for books that have been out a while, try www.DealOz.com, which tells you the many places you can find a book and a total price that includes shipping.
Sign up as a teacher with SCHOLASTIC to earn points towards free books. www.scholastic.com/teacher. You can also inquire about “educator” discounts at your local bookstore.
SHAY SEABORNE has some great essays on her website. “Confessions of a Homeschool Exclusionist” is a must-read: www.synergyfield.com/exclusionist.asp.
If you have enjoyed reading about the resources in this section of the web site and would like to learn more about our homeschooling experiences over a twenty-five year period then you want to get a copy of our latest book, The Lifetime Learning Companion. $19.95.