Description:
Like any good underground manifesto, this book fits easily into a large pocket. It also quickly delivers step-by-step instructions for ditching traditional schools and self-teaching your children at home. But, as the author points out, homeschooling is now legal in every state. In fact, in one of the many helpful lists included in this guide, Rebecca Rupp summarizes state laws on home education from Alabama to Wyoming. Rupp--who homeschools three teenage sons, writes a monthly column for Home Education Magazine, and hosts a homeschool television program from her hometown in Vermont--lends her expertise to this how-to manual, delivering advice and current resources with an authoritative, assuring tone. Among the more delightful aspects of her book are the snapshots of homeschool life from her journals, "bulging, cardboard-covered notebooks" that illustrate the spontaneity of homeschooling, with its highs and lows unflinchingly portrayed. Rupp covers the basics for anyone considering a home school: how to set one up legally, how to operate on a limited budget, what "tools" are mandatory (a copy machine and rolls of plain brown paper for timelines, maps, and murals are among the suggestions), and what to do with a teenager considering college. An invaluable list of books, groups, and curriculum materials closes each chapter. And for inspiration, Rupp sprinkles quotes and poems about parenting and learning. This pocket guide serves to educate first-timers and refresh long-timers alike. --Jodi Mailander Farrell
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