Rating: 
Summary: Good list of resources
Review: This book was inspiring, if very one-sided. It would be more convincing if the downside of homeschooling were addressed instead of swept under the carpet. Nonetheless, the author offers some useful information as well as an outstanding list of resources including books, state organizations and web pages. It's worth taking a look at.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Jumping Off Point
Review: This book was the first book I picked up on homeschooling and was an excellent place to start. It has a variety of information on the specifics of homeschooling including some applied ideas. However, it also is chock full of resources and destinations to help guide your journey. It's a great choice for someone who is trying to make the decision about homeschooling. It offers tips on how to boost your own confidence as a homeschooling parent, and even what to do in an "emergency" when you have suddenly withdrawn your child from a school setting. It's light on philosophy which I found refreshing. In other words it doesn't emphasize religious OR secular based learning. It even offers tips on convincing your parents or in-laws that homeschooling is a good choice for you. I highly recommend it!
Rating: 
Summary: Good General Overview - Lacks Substance Though
Review: This book would be a good overview for parents of young children who are considering homeschooling. The first few chapters of the book are dedicated to "convincing" the reader of how great homeschooling is. This is fine if you are just beginning to investigate the possibility, but, having already decided to homeschool, I found those chapters a little annoying and redundant. In my opinion, the author spends too much time on general "homeschooling is GREAT! Rah! Rah!" and not enough time on the issues of substance [like, how exactly DO you homeschool an "early years" child?]. I would like to have seen more meaningful information shared - like evaluations of curriculums, more of what did and didn't work for other homeschoolers, and more practical advice. [The author goes into some of this to a very superficial degree, but does not delve deeply into any of these issues]. The advice on teaching subjects was also very general, though it was still helpful. The section on using computers and the community as resources were very good. The "statistical" chapter that was included that places all the survey respondents on a continuum based on their homeschool style in several areas was particularly bad. The statistics are given but no discussion of why different families chose these styles or what they like or don't like about them. The chapter was also somewhat confusing - not helpful at all to me. [And I usually find that kind of stuff fascinating]. Like an earlier evaluator, I also felt that this book was unrealistically positive about Homeschooling - I agree that Homeschooling IS a great choice and overwhelmingly better than the public school alternative. However, there ARE some down sides [mother burn out for one!] and I would have appreciated a more honest discussion of these issues. The reader can't make a good decision without ALL the information - including the negatives. So, for someone just beginning to investigate homeschooling, this would probably be a great book. If you've already investigated it and have been convinced to homeschool, you may want to skip this book - you may not get that much out of it.
Rating:
Summary: Good General Overview - Lacks Substance Though
Review: This book would be a good overview for parents of young children who are considering homeschooling. The first few chapters of the book are dedicated to "convincing" the reader of how great homeschooling is. This is fine if you are just beginning to investigate the possibility, but, having already decided to homeschool, I found those chapters a little annoying and redundant. In my opinion, the author spends too much time on general "homeschooling is GREAT! Rah! Rah!" and not enough time on the issues of substance [like, how exactly DO you homeschool an "early years" child?]. I would like to have seen more meaningful information shared - like evaluations of curriculums, more of what did and didn't work for other homeschoolers, and more practical advice. [The author goes into some of this to a very superficial degree, but does not delve deeply into any of these issues]. The advice on teaching subjects was also very general, though it was still helpful. The section on using computers and the community as resources were very good. The "statistical" chapter that was included that places all the survey respondents on a continuum based on their homeschool style in several areas was particularly bad. The statistics are given but no discussion of why different families chose these styles or what they like or don't like about them. The chapter was also somewhat confusing - not helpful at all to me. [And I usually find that kind of stuff fascinating]. Like an earlier evaluator, I also felt that this book was unrealistically positive about Homeschooling - I agree that Homeschooling IS a great choice and overwhelmingly better than the public school alternative. However, there ARE some down sides [mother burn out for one!] and I would have appreciated a more honest discussion of these issues. The reader can't make a good decision without ALL the information - including the negatives. So, for someone just beginning to investigate homeschooling, this would probably be a great book. If you've already investigated it and have been convinced to homeschool, you may want to skip this book - you may not get that much out of it.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book about homeschooling !
Review: This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in homeschooling their young child. In an easy - to - read and follow format, it discusses most every issue of concern to homeschooling parents. It not only discusses facts about homeschooling (such as find out the laws in your state) but then brings together the experiences of many parents who are homeschooling to demonstrate that there is no one right way to HS your child. This book is enough to give me the confidence to begin on a homeschooling journey!
Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic Resource and A Great Inspiration!
Review: This is not yet another mere "your child should 'x' at 'y' age" handbook focusing on academics, but a traveler's guide to creating a family's own itinerary for the homeschooling journey. It offers an expansive view of the home education landscape, with mountains of ideas and personal experiences contributed by fellow explorers, wellsprings of inspiration, and stockpiles of resources. Like Linda Dobson's other books, "Homeschooling: The Early Years" takes parents outside the box of "school at home" thinking, encouraging families to use their whole world as a "classroom" and to recognize that learning happens all the time-even when not regimented according to grade level or chopped into subject areas. In addition, the book instills confidence in parents of children who don't "measure up" to grade level marks by providing lively pictures of children who developed at their own pace and turned out ok anyway. These facets can help parents find an individualized homeschooling style that is relaxed and enjoyable for the whole family. What could be better than that? The author invites readers to leaf through homeschooling's goodie basket, to taste the benefits that lie beyond academic measures. These include the luxury of spending "extra" time exploring areas of interest, homeschooling's power to strengthen the family bond and instill positive socialization and its flexibility in meeting the needs of any schedule or lifestyle, and the joy and pleasure of homeschooling while cuddling together in your jammies. "Early Years" maps a remarkably wide territory for one modest book. It covers how to tune into your child's unique learning needs, incorporating learning with young children's natural tendencies, and overcoming fears and doubts. Included in this volume are money-saving ideas, including discovering educational materials you already have at home; homeschoolers' favorite software, helping you make good choices from among the tremendous number of materials available; in-depth information on the 3 R's; information on a variety of homeschooling methods; resources, such as periodicals, other books, Web sites and more; help for parents of special needs children, single parents, ways to include younger siblings; organizing; and even "part-time homeschooling" as a supplement to school. Having homeschooled my now 13 year-old and 10 year-old children their whole lives, I believe "Homeschooling: The Early Years" is a fantastic resource, an inspiration, and even a quiet revolution. This book helps parents learn to trust themselves and their own perceptions, rather than always looking to "experts," because nobody knows a child better than does the parent-and that may be the most important homeschooling idea of all.
Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic Resource and A Great Inspiration!
Review: This is not yet another mere "your child should 'x' at 'y' age" handbook focusing on academics, but a traveler's guide to creating a family's own itinerary for the homeschooling journey. It offers an expansive view of the home education landscape, with mountains of ideas and personal experiences contributed by fellow explorers, wellsprings of inspiration, and stockpiles of resources. Like Linda Dobson's other books, "Homeschooling: The Early Years" takes parents outside the box of "school at home" thinking, encouraging families to use their whole world as a "classroom" and to recognize that learning happens all the time-even when not regimented according to grade level or chopped into subject areas. In addition, the book instills confidence in parents of children who don't "measure up" to grade level marks by providing lively pictures of children who developed at their own pace and turned out ok anyway. These facets can help parents find an individualized homeschooling style that is relaxed and enjoyable for the whole family. What could be better than that? The author invites readers to leaf through homeschooling's goodie basket, to taste the benefits that lie beyond academic measures. These include the luxury of spending "extra" time exploring areas of interest, homeschooling's power to strengthen the family bond and instill positive socialization and its flexibility in meeting the needs of any schedule or lifestyle, and the joy and pleasure of homeschooling while cuddling together in your jammies. "Early Years" maps a remarkably wide territory for one modest book. It covers how to tune into your child's unique learning needs, incorporating learning with young children's natural tendencies, and overcoming fears and doubts. Included in this volume are money-saving ideas, including discovering educational materials you already have at home; homeschoolers' favorite software, helping you make good choices from among the tremendous number of materials available; in-depth information on the 3 R's; information on a variety of homeschooling methods; resources, such as periodicals, other books, Web sites and more; help for parents of special needs children, single parents, ways to include younger siblings; organizing; and even "part-time homeschooling" as a supplement to school. Having homeschooled my now 13 year-old and 10 year-old children their whole lives, I believe "Homeschooling: The Early Years" is a fantastic resource, an inspiration, and even a quiet revolution. This book helps parents learn to trust themselves and their own perceptions, rather than always looking to "experts," because nobody knows a child better than does the parent-and that may be the most important homeschooling idea of all.
Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic Resource and A Great Inspiration!
Review: This is not yet another mere "your child should `x' at `y' age" handbook focusing on academics, but a traveler's guide to creating a family's own itinerary for the homeschooling journey. It offers an expansive view of the home education landscape, with mountains of ideas and personal experiences contributed by fellow explorers, wellsprings of inspiration, and stockpiles of resources. Like Linda Dobson's other books, "Homeschooling: The Early Years" takes parents outside the box of "school at home" thinking, encouraging families to use their whole world as a "classroom" and to recognize that learning happens all the time-even when not regimented according to grade level or chopped into subject areas. In addition, the book instills confidence in parents of children who don't "measure up" to grade level marks by providing lively pictures of children who developed at their own pace and turned out ok anyway. These facets can help parents find an individualized homeschooling style that is relaxed and enjoyable for the whole family. What could be better than that? The author invites readers to leaf through homeschooling's goodie basket, to taste the benefits that lie beyond academic measures. These include the luxury of spending "extra" time exploring areas of interest, homeschooling's power to strengthen the family bond and instill positive socialization and its flexibility in meeting the needs of any schedule or lifestyle, and the joy and pleasure of homeschooling while cuddling together in your jammies. "Early Years" maps a remarkably wide territory for one modest book. It covers how to tune into your child's unique learning needs, incorporating learning with young children's natural tendencies, and overcoming fears and doubts. Included in this volume are money-saving ideas, including discovering educational materials you already have at home; homeschoolers' favorite software, helping you make good choices from among the tremendous number of materials available; in-depth information on the 3 R's; information on a variety of homeschooling methods; resources, such as periodicals, other books, Web sites and more; help for parents of special needs children, single parents, ways to include younger siblings; organizing; and even "part-time homeschooling" as a supplement to school. Having homeschooled my now 13 year-old and 10 year-old children their whole lives, I believe "Homeschooling: The Early Years" is a fantastic resource, an inspiration, and even a quiet revolution. This book helps parents learn to trust themselves and their own perceptions, rather than always looking to "experts," because nobody knows a child better than does the parent-and that may be the most important homeschooling idea of all.
Rating:
Summary: Homeschooling: The *REALLY* Early Years!
Review: This was a decent read, but not as helpful as I had hoped. We made the decision to homeschool when our son was five. And although this book was specifically geared for the early years (ages 3-8), I felt it was written more for parents who had been thinking about homeschooling since their children were still in diapers. I can't imagine it being at all helpful to the families of 6, 7 or 8 year olds who had already attended public school. I found some useful information, but no more than I could have found for free on the internet. My recommendation: if you have a child who is already of school age, borrow this book from the library!
Rating:
Summary: Homeschooling: The *REALLY* Early Years!
Review: This was a decent read, but not as helpful as I had hoped. We made the decision to homeschool when our son was five. And although this book was specifically geared for the early years (ages 3-8), I felt it was written more for parents who had been thinking about homeschooling since their children were still in diapers. I can't imagine it being at all helpful to the families of 6, 7 or 8 year olds who had already attended public school. I found some useful information, but no more than I could have found for free on the internet. My recommendation: if you have a child who is already of school age, borrow this book from the library!
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