A Different Perspective on Home Schooling
353318
I'm pretty much totally opposed to the idea of home schooling, but came away with the understanding that it is a reasonable choice for SOME people.  Quinn's engaging way of relating her own experience makes for a fun read and her unassuming, un-preachy style makes a good case for why people choose this route.  Really, I think this writer could take almost subject and make it palatable with her hilarious outlook.
3594897
A great perspective of education!  It is a paradigm shift for those who have attended or taught public school. However, the author brings many well founded points to the table in how to better equip our children to be successful.
54668
I absolutely love this book.  It's important to understand that this book is very different than many other homeschool how-to books out there.  While there are many books that focus on academics, and some books that focus on discipleship, this book weaves both academics and discipleship together in a very user friendly and understandable format.  They do encourage avoiding textbooks and workbooks, but I came away from the book feeling like I could still implement their methods and even most of their resources.  This is because this isn't a curriculum manual or guide.  It's a guide on how to disciple your child for Jesus Christ, within the framework and atmosphere of the home and family.  Then, once they establish how to disciple your child, they must outline some homeschool resources, books, and ways to organize your home and your life, becuase they correctly identify that all of these things are so closely intertwined.  They encourage you to have a room set aside for homeschooling alone, and we are unable to do this.  At first I felt frustrated that their entire plan of education seems to hang on this, but I realized that I can simply turn my living room into a home education center, with blocks on the floor in a basket, a game shelf, children's book shelves, maps on the kitchen cabinets, etc.  They also encourage using GeoSafari, computer applications, puzzles, games, and of course tons of living books.  They encourage a lot of individualized learning and goals specific to each child for each year.  But to read any review is going to leave you without the most important aspect of this book, which is that the Clarksons' outline a simple framework for home discipleship that anyone can implement.  I love some Charlotte Mason methods, and I do use some workbooks and curricula, but I still love this book, and it's tied with Charlotte Mason Companion for my favorite homeschool how-to book.
4272015
Although this book contains some fluff, it makes an outstanding point.  Anyone who thinks that the children who attend public schools are better educated than those who attend private or home school need to do some serious research.  The public school system is a complete FAILURE and it just keeps getting worse.  My children have experienced home, public, and private schools.  After one year of public school, they were never allowed to go back.  The format of this book may not be for everyone but it is worth every parents time to investigate what is going on in the public school systems of America.
4126847
This book reveals the incredible wisdom and philosophy of education formed by Charlotte Mason, a teacher in England around the turn of the 20th century.  Susan gives you a good grasp of Mason's principles that I have followed in homeschooling for 25 years, but these same principles can (and should!) apply to private and public education.  Education is about lighting that fire, not filling the bucket.  If you want your child to be full of information, this is not the educational philosophy for you.  To quote Charlotte Mason, "It doesn't matter how much they know, but how much they care."  CM viewed children as real persons, and her educational system reflects that.  This is not un-schooling, though there are some commonalities, such as delight in learning.  This is not classical education, though there are some commonalities, such as reading great books.  But CM's philosophy of education, in my opinion, far surpasses un-schooling and classical education.  It offers a balance of structure and freedom, and you will never find your children mechanically memorizing anything without understanding (which I consider inhumane).  Rather than just select curriculum and homeschool, why not develop a solid philosophy of education that will be a rudder to your ship through the years, and will help you make all your curriculum choices?  I can't recommend this book enough.
1473616
Rhonda Cratty's self-published Learning at home (the author opted not to capitalize all words in titles) is chock-full of educational ideas and activities for parents (and other adults) to do with their children.

In the acknowledgement, we gather that Cratty is or was an educator, though she didn't include her credentials or experience. Even so, it's apparent this book was written by a person with a formal education in and practical experience with childhood learning.

The 93-page eBook (126-page paperback) is organized into four chapters for each month. Chapter titles, while descriptive, aren't particularly imaginative or inviting, as in "Encouraging Critical Thinking with reading and conversations" and "Home Activities to encourage a positive attitude toward mathematics." Topics often tie into events and holidays, such as Poetry Month (April), Hobby Month (January), Columbus Day and so on. Had I been exposed to the concept of circumference when shopping for pumpkins, I would have a sunnier view of math today, I bet.

The author cautions against using "drill and kill" methods most of us experienced at some point in our educations. "If something is fun, children will turn to it even if it is difficult at first. Think of it like riding a bike." Cratty's book helps parents turn that statement from being yet another bromide into reality. With the book as a coach, parents can make adding and subtracting, and following directions (to cite two examples) fun for their children.

The author's authentic care comes through..."Perfectionism gets in the way," "Honor your child's writing," "Avoid yelling directions from another room." In fact, being authentic is something Cratty mentions more than once.
Readers who aren't distracted by incorrect antecedent/pronoun pairings and fragments posing as sentences will be rewarded with a treasure trove of wise advice, practical tips, useful lists, engaging educational activities, pedagogic facts and even a few recipes.

One wonders why the author didn't insert  illustrations in spaces left unused due to the way the lists are formatted - and there are many lists.

Learning at home is a book that can be used by caring parents more than four times a month. Homeschoolers, teachers, grandparents and other adults of all socio-economic levels, who know that education is a priceless key to future contentment, will want to investigate the book's offerings.

This resource will likely be passed from generation to generation by parents who cherish memories of their parents taking time to love them, take an interest in them, engage with them and encourage them while Learning at home.
836853
Since the 1960s, public education has begun to focus on matters other than basic, or classical education.  The focus of public education has switched to downplay the content and manner of the classroom, and more on social agendas, be they liberal or conservative.  This book reminds the reader of what has been lost in this movement.  Not only is the substance of the well educated mind defined, a useful discussion of the dominant style of learning among three basic age groups is delineated. This book provides a helpful reminder of what education can - and should - be.  This book is recommended for the parent of a school-aged child who can benefit from the challenge put forth by the classical academy.
333623
I read this book after it was suggested to me by some unschoolers in my homeschooling group.  It didn't convert me to an unschooling philosophy, but I still found it to be a quality book about homeschooling.

The author had worked in the public school system before she homeschooled her own children, and she gives a lot of insights on the way schools so often discourage children and stifle their natural love of learning.  I had no doubt as I read her story that her children were happy, successful, and well-adjusted individuals because of the freedom they were given all of their lives to learn in their own way, unhindered.

However, I still am left with some doubts about whether or not this would work for everyone. Were her children more self-motivated than the average child? This also took place in the eighties, before the internet, hi-tech computer games, etc. Would it be as easy today to create such a home environment conducive to learning, or would you have to have an "unplugged" household with no cable TV, no internet, and no complex computer games in order for the children to not get distracted from real learning? I notice that television is never mentioned in this book, so I wonder if this family even had one.

She definitely does not try to "whitewash" unschooling, however. At one point, her 14-year-old son tells her he's bored, and that she's responsible for his education.  She gives him the choice of enrolling in public school, following a boxed cirriculum, or finding something on his own.  Given that choice, he does manage to find something to study that he absolutely loves and gets back on track.

In summary, this is an excellent book for anyone interested in unschooling, and also helpful for anyone who believes that homeschooling in general is a better option than traditional schooling.
3033625
Though this is part of a homeschool highschool book, I found the information very valuable. I recommend this book for all home schoolers.
3393699
Great book with useful strategies for helping all non-typical learners in a school or therapy setting. Good ideas for home based learning also.
1806536
The book and seller are good.  The book thoughtfully explains the logic behind Amish education ideas.  I am not impressed with the public education the rest of us get.  I went to a one-room school in first grade, and it was the best experience of my school years.
I think we would be better served if we just got back to the basics, and recognize each child learns at a different rate. I don't need no stinkin' basketball court to learn to read and function in the world. One-room schools have a different learning strategy.  Older kids teach younger ones, and the teacher is a lesson guider. I think this is a better way to develop life long learners.
2467395
What a treasure this book is for the parent or educator that wants to join home and family for the benefit of children and the adults in their lives! The book is theoretically based. The author reviews research and theory that support her premises. She then takes one, caring as a paradigm, and integrates it throughout the book. She views adults as people who can and should be learning and the school as a place that should provide opportunities for growing and developing for not only the students but also the parents and teachers. She demonstrates how this approach can be adapted to culturally diverse populations. Her anecdotes not only demonstrate different points of her arguments, they also function as illustrations of how to implement her ideas. In addition there is a set of appendixes available on the internet with illustrations of teaching tools and suggestions of more activities. A good practical book that needs to be read from beginning to end to comprehend her argument but also can be used as a reference  when implementing the author's ideas.
3856116
I ordered this book after reading the article in the WSJ and like the author, we are, homeschooling our two children for non-religious reasons. I had wrongly assumed by the article that the author was sharing what she states in the subtitle - her adventures in homeschooling. If you are interested in homeschooling and wanting to learn what it would be like this book is not for you.
This book is much less about her own adventure in homeschooling and much more about her countless hours trolling blogs, running internet searches, and flying all across the country to fulfill her need to find out about other homeschool communities. Most of these communities I should mention are so far right they have fallen off the plank.
She does not address or research her own community - non-religious need homeschoolers, nor does she research the thousands of families doing private home study through an accredited program as we do, military homeschoolers or COOPS. There is no mention of their scheduling, lesson plans, materials, and curriculum but there is mention and credit to the tutors who helped teach her daughter through the first year while the author was writing this book.
While she and her husband should be commended for pulling their daughter out of a system that seemed to be failing the child, her homeschool efforts seem to stop there. What is offered is strange religious followings, a great deal of humor, and one lesson that we all should take away. That lesson is worth five stars all on it's own. At the end of the book (spoiler alert) the author is trying to assess with the child's father whether they should homeschool another year. One of the factors that they note about their daughter in this decision is that she is truly happy. What a novel idea for all of us as parents to take note! Is our child happy? Do they like themselves and are they proud of their accomplishments and are they learning to learn on their own and become a life long learner and not just take a standardized test? And for this the author should get a great round of appluase. She may not have wrote a book really about her own personal homeschool but she did hit the nail on the head for what we parents should be seeking in an education for our children, happiness being at the top of the list.
3573682
In today's world when education is at the forefront of so many heated battles (ie, what is best for our children and how do we implement change), Amber Chandler charges forward with a concept that can meet the needs of students in a relatively easy way. The Flexible Classroom approach that Amber presents takes what teachers already do and makes it possible to successfully reach all or most students. This concept, too, focuses on the real goal of educators: that children LEARN. It isn't about statistics or common core or a teacher's personal agenda, it simply focuses on helping every kid in the room be successful with whatever skill set they bring to the table. Every educator should read this. Maybe the entire concept doesn't fit every teacher, but every teacher can certainly gain at least one valuable career-changing strategy from Amber's books.
4660800
The author tells her experience of how she managed the death of her husband and the task of teaching five kids at home. Life as a single parent is hard and if you consider home schooling your children it becomes even harder. Valerie will walk you through it and you won't feel alone any more.
Home is Where the Heart Is for High School is a great source of information and ideas on how to easily transition your kids into or out of regular school. You will find all the information you need to make a educated decision between regular school or home school and what would be best for your child's education or your youngster's needs for college.
In Home is Where the Heart Is for High School, you will find insights like: Home Schooling When A Single Parent, Take Time Off From Participating in School, Use a Support Group, Consider Other Options, Take Leisure Time. In other words don't burn out, have fun, and be flexible.
Valerie, did a great job with this self-help book.
1313407
When I read the title of this book, I knew immediately that I wanted to review it. As a first-year homeschooling mom, I know the challenges that are faced through the process. Many new homeschooling families throw in the towel thinking they don't fit the normal family. While families like the famous t.v. ones, such as the Duggars, seem to have it all together, realistically it's not all easy.

I remember receiving many catalogs in the mail and then the challenge of picking the right curriculum. Then, halfway through the year, I commonly decided to make changes and spend even more money. Not only the issue of curriculum, but also from the appearance of other families, it seems like some families go through their day with ease. It's easy to compare one's family to another.

This book is great for beginners or even those with experience in the homeschooling lifestyle. It covers topics such as socialization, routines/schedules and nurturing the child's heart. I also love the chapter on living in a messy household. I constantly feel like our home looks like a tornado went through it. But the author points out that it makes sense that the home can not look perfectly clean 100% of the day. We are there all day, not to mention the fact that homeschooling supplies are being used throughout the day.

I felt like this book was very uplifting and can be quite useful for those moms who are feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. This comes from an experienced mom who herself says that perfection is not in her home. To the looks of others, her home may seem perfect but she openly admits that she makes mistakes too. And it's okay to make mistakes. This book is a winner and belongs on every homeschooling family's bookshelf!

*** I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers to review.
3835655
While Gatto can admittedly sound like a bit of a radical at times, I think this small book can still be very useful to the millions of parents out there who feel that public school will do, but can afford to do otherwise. You don't have to go completely to the opposite side of the spectrum with "unschooling" or homeschooling and such, but it will at least get you to start investigating perhaps Montessori, or other forms of more individual-focused education.