The Homeschooling Book of Answers: The 101 Most Important Questions Answered by Homeschooling's Most Respected Voices (Prima Home Learning Library) [Paperback]

Linda Dobson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 26, 2002 | Series: Prima Home Learning Library

Up-to-date answers to all your homeschooling questions!
More and more families today are turning to homeschooling to teach their children. But where do they go to find honest, practical answers to questions such as: Can I afford it? Or, how will my child make friends without going to school? Look no further. This invaluable guidebook—completely updated to include the 101 most important homeschooling concerns—answers all those questions and more. Inside, you'll learn:
·Methods of motivating, teaching, and testing homeschooled children
·The latest on the growing use of distance-learning tools
·Ways to homeschool your special-needs child
·The differences between homeschooling younger children and teenagers
Drawing from the collective wisdom and experience of homeschooling's most respected voices, The Homeschooling Book of Answers is your essential guide to this widely popular—and flexible—educational approach.
"I can't imagine a more helpful book on homeschooling—a happy marriage of the realistic with the idealistic, the passionate with the practical."
—George Leonard, author, Education and Ecstasy

"Of the many books on home education that have come across my desk, this is the most usable for the beginning homeschooler."
—Jerry Mintz, Director, Alternative Education Resource Organization

"Provides useful information that demystifies and makes accessible the homeschooling experience."
—Marty Layne, author of Learning at Home: A Mother's Guide to Homeschooling

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I can't imagine a more helpful book on homeschooling—a happy marriage of the realistic with the idealistic, the passionate with the practical."
—George Leonard, author, Education and Ecstasy

"Of the many books on home education that have come across my desk, this is the most usable for the beginning homeschooler."
—Jerry Mintz, Director, Alternative Education Resource Organization

"Provides useful information that demystifies and makes accessible the homeschooling experience."
—Marty Layne, author of Learning at Home: A Mother's guide to Homeschooling

From the Inside Flap

Up-to-date answers to all your homeschooling questions!
More and more families today are turning to homeschooling to teach their children. But where do they go to find honest, practical answers to questions such as: Can I afford it? Or, how will my child make friends without going to school? Look no further. This invaluable guidebook?completely updated to include the 101 most important homeschooling concerns?answers all those questions and more. Inside, you'll learn:
·Methods of motivating, teaching, and testing homeschooled children
·The latest on the growing use of distance-learning tools
·Ways to homeschool your special-needs child
·The differences between homeschooling younger children and teenagers
Drawing from the collective wisdom and experience of homeschooling's most respected voices, The Homeschooling Book of Answers is your essential guide to this widely popular?and flexible?educational approach.
"I can't imagine a more helpful book on homeschooling?a happy marriage of the realistic with the idealistic, the passionate with the practical."
?George Leonard, author, Education and Ecstasy

"Of the many books on home education that have come across my desk, this is the most usable for the beginning homeschooler."
?Jerry Mintz, Director, Alternative Education Resource Organization

"Provides useful information that demystifies and makes accessible the homeschooling experience."
?Marty Layne, author of Learning at Home: A Mother's Guide to Homeschooling

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; Revised edition (February 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761535705
• ISBN-13: 978-0761535706
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.8 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #602,732 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Linda Dobson and family began their homeschooling journey in 1985. They were having so much fun together that she wanted to share news of this educational approach with as many other families as possible. She co-founded a local homeschooling support group that now offers support and learning activities to a growing membership. She helped found and for the first two years served as coordinator of the New York (State) Home Educators' Network. Upon creation of the National Home Education Network (NHEN) in 1999 she served as its first public relations advisor as a media contact providing reporters, journalists, and researchers with background information and interviews. She was also Homeschool.com's early years' advisor.
Linda's articles have appeared in dozens of magazines, including Good Housekeeping, but her favorite stint was as Home Education Magazine news reporter and analyst for almost a decade. She still regularly contributes a commentary column, "Notes from the Road Less Traveled," and is acting columns editor. She has authored eight books, and contributed essays and forewords to many more. She has enjoyed diversity in writing, from a children's column for an Atlanta-based alternative newspaper to mail order copy, as well as consulting and market studies for companies such as Barnes&Noble.com and Grolier's. Linda is experienced with the media having provided scores of interviews for radio talk shows, feature stories, including German Public Radio, and publications including The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Reader's Digest, Better Homes & Gardens, and "Live Online" for the Washington Post.
As she became home education's most prolific author and vocal spokesperson, Linda emerged as a nationally respected conference keynote speaker. She has traveled the country, staying in touch with parental concerns and educational approaches across the U.S. and Canada. Formerly a short-term academic tutor for children, she also counseled parents of traditionally schooled children, as she believes that parental involvement is essential to educational success and can occur no matter where a child learns. She was also an online course instructor for Barnes & Noble University.
Believing that modern homeschooling's rich history lives within those who have completed the journey, Linda began the Homeschool Crones Café at ning.com and invited all her old friends to hang out there.
Life isn't all work, fortunately! She moved to be close to Florida's Gulf coast and has started a non-profit volunteer program and a non-profit economic revitalization corporation. Now, she has left all that behind to return to her passion - helping families enjoy and thrive through the homeschooling lifestyle.
To this end, Linda produces Parent at the Helm.com, where parents concerned about their children's education can find information, news, resources, guest commentators, homeschooling start-up information, and monthly book giveaways to help their children succeed.
She's grandmother of three beautiful girls, including a set of twins. She is also engaged to the most wonderful man in the world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My first read on this subject, December 28, 2002

By 

Gabby (Clagary Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Homeschooling Book of Answers: The 101 Most Important Questions Answered by Homeschooling's Most Respected Voices (Prima Home Learning Library) (Paperback)

This was the first book I picked up at the library on the subject of homeschooling and it was powerful enough in its message to sell me on the idea. I was quite sure that this was how I would educate my son but I needed to have some of my big questions answered - and they were. The only thing that I didn't like about the book was the heavy negative tone that is taken when discussing "the institution of shool". I don't want to be a homeschooling parent who puts down the choice of other parents, I think it makes us homeshoolers look bad and besides more people will join us if they don't feel bullied. Anyways the book got me started on the right track and I am now excitedly reading many more books on the subject.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but better for people inclined to unschooling styles, July 25, 2006

By 

WeeBeaks (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Homeschooling Book of Answers: The 101 Most Important Questions Answered by Homeschooling's Most Respected Voices (Prima Home Learning Library) (Paperback)

I always enjoy the homeschooling books when I'm getting down or need inspiraton. This one I was looking forward to as it was highly recommended by several people. While overall I did enjoy it, there were several things that did not sit well with me. First, I'm going to focus on the positive: This book is written in question and answer format with the answers supplied by a panel of homeschoolers, homeschooling experts and even homeschooled students. It is a very nice style, and often a particular question will have an answer by 2 or 3 different panelists. This gives several experiences and viewpoints. Often the answers share personal antecdotes and experiences, making this read like sitting down to a chat with a few friends about homeschooling. I also have to stay that this particular book appears to a wide range of audiences, covering questions from "Is it legal?" and the question of socialization, curriculum choice (generalized, not specifics), family dynamics in homeschooling and more all the way up to how homeschoolers can and should be involved in political activism to continue to ensure homeschooling remains an educational alternative in the United States. Few if any other books I have read on homeschooling covered such a breadth of topics so well, while at the same time not being cumbersome and too fact-filled to be read easily. I really give high praise to the layout, writing and scope of this book. It is appropriate for newcomers to homeschooling while at the same time sharing many things relevant and interesting to veterans as well.

What I did not enjoy about the book is it is overtly pro-unschooling in methodology. If you use a boxed curriculum, school at home or other more structured styles, this book may not be for you. It is also decidedly against charters for various reasons, going so far as to question whether using a charter is actually homeschooling (see question #89), "But is it homeschooling? You decide. Homeschooling, by its very definition, implies that parents do it all and pay for it all." I do not utilize a charter, but I do know parents who do and feel this is a bit insulting to them, especially as charters continue to change and some allow great flexibility while offering benefits many parents enjoy.

So overall I do recommend this book as a wonderfully researched and interesting book. However, I do caution those of you who utilize charters or are towards more structured forms of homeschooling that some of what you read may feel a bit critical, especially if you used boxed curriculum, do formalized testing or "school at home" styles.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly a book of answers, January 23, 2004

By 

Krista Barry (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Homeschooling Book of Answers: The 101 Most Important Questions Answered by Homeschooling's Most Respected Voices (Prima Home Learning Library) (Paperback)

Homeschooling can be an intimidating undertaking, but I think this book helps to ease many fears and also gives you lots of research data and professional opinions to really encourage you in this endeavor. Homeschooling; I can't think of a better way to raise your children.