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14 reviews for:
So You're Thinking About Homeschooling: Fifteen Families Show How You Can Do It
Lisa Whelchel
3.38 AVERAGE
14 reviews for:
So You're Thinking About Homeschooling: Fifteen Families Show How You Can Do It
Lisa Whelchel
3.38 AVERAGE
informative
medium-paced
I liked the overall premise of the book, and the many different kinds of homeschooling methods and families presented, but there were bits of it that I just didn’t quite like or felt a little odd to me.
I gobbled this right up; it was exactly what I was looking for. This book briefly looks at 15 families, all in very different situations, and discusses the methods they used. It was a great introduction to the different types o my methods, gave me a better feel for what homeschooling is like and full of resources of what to read next. This book does not go into lots of details about each method, so if that's what you are looking for, move on. This is for that step before; when you ate just touching the water with your toes to decide of you are going to wade in.
I wasn't going to buy this book because I noticed on the cover that it's a publication of the Focus On the Family Foundation. That's one of those groups out there, in case you don't know, that's adamant about denying gays equal rights regarding marriage and such. So I'm glad I didn't have to buy this book. Instead I got to borrow it from a friend who herself bought it for a super discounted price. Hah!
Anyway. For all its faults, the book lives up to its name. If you're thinking about homeschooling, you really should read this book. Personally I had to skim over about 25% of the material because of the "blah blah blah praise Jesus" content. There were one or two chapters I could fully relate to in which my eyes did not glaze over certain paragraphs. One chapter in particular made me want to find the woman and punch her in the face for being so dense, but...
I did manage to look beyond all that and see the value of this book. These are accounts of real people who have had many of the same doubts and concerns about the public school system that I have since my first daughter was born. It's pretty much helped me fortify a decision to homeschool that I hope I can maintain by the time my daughter is ready for some form of curriculum. I'm pretty sure I can skip registering her at a preschool, and likely even kindergarten, at the very least. I remember being very angry with my niece's kindergarten teacher when I found out they were teaching her to read through memorization and not phonics. I also remember teaching my nephew to read before he went into first grade because he couldn't in kindergarten. I just don't feel the schools today really have our children's best interests in mind. They don't see our children as individuals with different methods of learning. I feel the best person qualified to really teach my children anything, not just how to ace a test to make the school look good, is me.
After reading this book, I'm more willing to sacrifice my own personal time for the rest of my life in an effort to give my children the very best: me.
Anyway. For all its faults, the book lives up to its name. If you're thinking about homeschooling, you really should read this book. Personally I had to skim over about 25% of the material because of the "blah blah blah praise Jesus" content. There were one or two chapters I could fully relate to in which my eyes did not glaze over certain paragraphs. One chapter in particular made me want to find the woman and punch her in the face for being so dense, but...
I did manage to look beyond all that and see the value of this book. These are accounts of real people who have had many of the same doubts and concerns about the public school system that I have since my first daughter was born. It's pretty much helped me fortify a decision to homeschool that I hope I can maintain by the time my daughter is ready for some form of curriculum. I'm pretty sure I can skip registering her at a preschool, and likely even kindergarten, at the very least. I remember being very angry with my niece's kindergarten teacher when I found out they were teaching her to read through memorization and not phonics. I also remember teaching my nephew to read before he went into first grade because he couldn't in kindergarten. I just don't feel the schools today really have our children's best interests in mind. They don't see our children as individuals with different methods of learning. I feel the best person qualified to really teach my children anything, not just how to ace a test to make the school look good, is me.
After reading this book, I'm more willing to sacrifice my own personal time for the rest of my life in an effort to give my children the very best: me.
I've been thinking about homeschooling our kids for several years now, but have never really felt the push until recently. This book is a great "starter" book if you're considering homeschooling at all. It is a bit cheesy in format, but content wise it is very informational. It provides a good background into all (or at least very many) types of homeschooling, and gave me the confidence to just say, "Yes, I can actually do this too." This was a quick read, which was helpful since I had several books on homeschooling that I was trying to get through. I would highly recommend this one if you are even slightly considering homeschooling. It's a great intro.
I thought this book was a nice overview of many different ways of homeschooling. I had not realized that there were so many styles, curriculum, and theories to homeschooling. I also enjoyed the fact that there was no "Homeschooling is the only way. Public schooling is horrible..." chest thumping going on in this book. Different people discussed the different reasons they had decided to go with homeschooling.
This book was easy to read and registered fairly low on the "cheesy" scale for me. It kept my attention throughout. Who ever knew Blair from "The Facts of Life" was really a Christian, homeschooling, mommy?
This book was easy to read and registered fairly low on the "cheesy" scale for me. It kept my attention throughout. Who ever knew Blair from "The Facts of Life" was really a Christian, homeschooling, mommy?
Eh. Plenty of different situations and styles for homeschooling presented here, which can be both useful and encouraging, but the style gets pretty old after the first few chapters, some of the content is a bit dated, and the tone bordered on condescending at times. And a number of the glowing "families" felt fake. (Which, they were all made up, so it makes sense, but the "homeschooling is just so amazing and wonderful!" bit got old - and I'm a happy homeschooler!)
Very helpful for people thinking about homeschooling. Lots of different ways to do it. From lots of different view points: dads, working moms, etc.
I enjoyed the style/presentation and learned so many more reasons for homeschooling.
This is my most recommended book to moms that ask me about homeschooling!
A very long time ago. I was a teenager. Dinosaurs walked the earth. There was a show on the TV targeted to young adults called "The Facts of Life"..a group of girls at boarding school..blah blah blah...
The queen bee of the group was a character played by Lisa Whelchel.
Once the show went off the air, Whelchel married and had a passel of younguns. She decided to homeschool them. Now why do I give two snots about that?
I took the leap and started homeschooling my boy child just this week. I'm scared to death. Will I socially stump him forever? Will he end up not being able to hold down a job and stay in my house forever? These are some of the questions that are keeping me up at night right now.
The thing is..he is a shy, quiet natured child who has started getting bullied. So this is the path we have decided to take.
Because mom would go to jail if she handled it....
Whelchel even admits that it's a common reason for children to be homeschooled. In one of the families stories in this book it features predominately.
Why didn't the school call me? Mrs. W had tried her best to help Jamie, but that only made him more of a target. She explained that her hands are tied because nothing the bullies had done warranted expulsion. The school board's answer to this kind of thing was "That's just life in junior high."
Bullying happens sometimes though. That's not my only reason for pulling him from public school. He is too shy to ask for help if he is struggling.
Is this going to be a permanent solution? I don't know.
I may end up looking like this and babbling when I talk.
So if I become scarce you guys know I'm taken over by a child and have completely started crying and screaming and I'm sitting in the corner. (I bet some of the folks around GR would love that shit)
So enough with the personal bullshit that I like to throw in.
This book. Well it's kinda outdated for me. It does have some decent points though. There is a ton of the Jesus talk though, so if that's not your cuppa be warned. (It does seem like a ton of the homeschooling programs are religion based)
The book admits that Whelchel is not "preaching" against the public school system. She is just "pro-homeschool" This book at times made me really want to punch Lisa Whelchel though. There is the intro to each "chapter" or person's story that they go all cheese with introducing themselves in a stupid cutesy way.
I picked up this book when I panicked and ran to the library thinking I was going to scar my child for life. Since then and since beginning this book I have taken a few deep breaths. There is probably more updated and pertinent info available online than this book provides. But if you are type A like I am and will research a subject to death..feel free to pick it up. It's not the worst thing ever and it makes you realize you are not alone.
And for the love of man. If anyone does know of a better book talking about homeschooling please tell me.
Now for the fun part! No one on my friends list had reviewed this one. So I'm picking this review here because I agree with her and it's an awesome review. (Don't get your panties in a wad..sometimes I pick people I don't agree with here too)
The queen bee of the group was a character played by Lisa Whelchel.
Once the show went off the air, Whelchel married and had a passel of younguns. She decided to homeschool them. Now why do I give two snots about that?
I took the leap and started homeschooling my boy child just this week. I'm scared to death. Will I socially stump him forever? Will he end up not being able to hold down a job and stay in my house forever? These are some of the questions that are keeping me up at night right now.
The thing is..he is a shy, quiet natured child who has started getting bullied. So this is the path we have decided to take.
Because mom would go to jail if she handled it....
Whelchel even admits that it's a common reason for children to be homeschooled. In one of the families stories in this book it features predominately.
Why didn't the school call me? Mrs. W had tried her best to help Jamie, but that only made him more of a target. She explained that her hands are tied because nothing the bullies had done warranted expulsion. The school board's answer to this kind of thing was "That's just life in junior high."
Bullying happens sometimes though. That's not my only reason for pulling him from public school. He is too shy to ask for help if he is struggling.
Is this going to be a permanent solution? I don't know.
I may end up looking like this and babbling when I talk.
So if I become scarce you guys know I'm taken over by a child and have completely started crying and screaming and I'm sitting in the corner. (I bet some of the folks around GR would love that shit)
So enough with the personal bullshit that I like to throw in.
This book. Well it's kinda outdated for me. It does have some decent points though. There is a ton of the Jesus talk though, so if that's not your cuppa be warned. (It does seem like a ton of the homeschooling programs are religion based)
The book admits that Whelchel is not "preaching" against the public school system. She is just "pro-homeschool" This book at times made me really want to punch Lisa Whelchel though. There is the intro to each "chapter" or person's story that they go all cheese with introducing themselves in a stupid cutesy way.
I picked up this book when I panicked and ran to the library thinking I was going to scar my child for life. Since then and since beginning this book I have taken a few deep breaths. There is probably more updated and pertinent info available online than this book provides. But if you are type A like I am and will research a subject to death..feel free to pick it up. It's not the worst thing ever and it makes you realize you are not alone.
And for the love of man. If anyone does know of a better book talking about homeschooling please tell me.
Now for the fun part! No one on my friends list had reviewed this one. So I'm picking this review here because I agree with her and it's an awesome review. (Don't get your panties in a wad..sometimes I pick people I don't agree with here too)