Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling: Facts & Stats on the Benefits of Homeschool [Paperback]

Brian D. Ray (Author)

Book Description

Series: Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling | Publication Date: June 1, 2005

Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling presents an analysis of the status of homeschooling worldwide, with a focus on the United States. Written for a broad audience, this book offers clearly distilled facts, statistics, general information, and personal profiles of homeschoolers. Parents who are considering the benefits of homeschooling will find discussion and information in this book to help them make that decision. Curious journalists and other media persons, policy makers, legislators, professional educators, and doubtful grandparents can use it to understand homeschoolers and the homeschool movement. Marketing strategists can use the information in the book to reach the growing homeschool community. Researchers and homeschool leaders may also use this edition to stay up-to-date on the international homeschool movement.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Brian D. Ray is the president of the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) and founding editor of the academic journal Home School Researcher. He has published numerous journal articles and books, been repeatedly interviewed by major media, served as an expert witness in court cases on homeschooling.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: B&H Books; 5th edition (June 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805426132
• ISBN-13: 978-0805426137
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #870,816 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Technical Overview, March 9, 2008

By 

Kathleen "Kat" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling: Facts & Stats on the Benefits of Homeschool (Paperback)

This book was eye-opening and a wonderful resource when we were contemplating homeschooling. Unlike other books, it was not "warm and fuzzy," but when you make the decision to homeschool it should not be one taken lightly. It brought the facts and stats clearly and was probably the best resource we utilized when making this decision.

From a male's point of view (in our household) it was helpful because a lot of the information is in histograms and graph form (right up his alley).

Even if you are already homeschooling it is a great encouragement to what your children have to look forward to and solidifies why you're doing what you're doing.

Anytime someone mentions they are considering homeschooling, i enthusiastically recommend this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Homeschooling information, April 23, 2009

By 

just a few words "few words" (phoenix) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling: Facts & Stats on the Benefits of Homeschool (Paperback)

Although I am not a scientist, I have been doing some research on homeschooling. Dr Ray's audience is obviously the Christian Community. However, his research does include non-Chritian homeschoolers. Read it and you'll be convinced that the current public school system needs to be re-thought, re-organized, and re-viewed. He has made a difference in how I will view my childrens education from now on.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Definitely not for me., January 29, 2010

By 

Nance (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling: Facts & Stats on the Benefits of Homeschool (Paperback)

I got a copy of this book because when I read the description, it sounded like an informative and useful book. And in some ways it was- having those facts and stats and charts at your fingertips to remind yourself and show others "See how beneficial homeschooling is?!" That's why I gave it a star, though I was sorely tempted to give it a big fat ZERO.

What I did not expect from the information provided about the book on the back cover was the very strong Christian slant.

I should have known as soon as I opened the front cover and saw Dr. Ray's dedication, which had a line about his wife that said she "is and does everything that the right kind of woman should be and do."

Wait, there is a right kind of woman? And there are certain things she should do? Okay. Whatever. From there, there were multiple Christian references and nearly every section entitled "A Profile" had to do with Christianity in some way, shape, or form.

This is all well and good if you are a Christian and/or are homeschooling for religious purposes, but what about those who aren't Christian or who are secular homeschoolers who expected a book about facts and stats pertaining to homeschooling and instead got a lot of religious references and even a blatant potential disregard for their beliefs (or lack of beliefs) in the form of lines like:

"everyone is, in a sense, religious"
"every person has a set of beliefs that informs his or her behavior and ways of dealing with the world and God"
"anyone of any religious -or supposedly nonreligious- persuasion can find plenty of materials to purchase or use."

In his "Conclusion" he advises stopping to pray and ask for God's guidance.

And personally I just was not looking for religion or advice about praying in a book that marketed itself as facts and stats on the benefits of homeschooling.

Still, I could almost have overlooked all of this and kept it on my bookshelf just for the "facts and stats on the benefits of homeschool" portions until I came upon the final straw that broke the camel's back:

Dr. Ray says, in his section about other recommended reading:

"Besides general books on home education, parents need to give special attention to child training if they want the whole enterprise to be successful. In this area, I recommend To Train Up A Child by Michael and Debbie Pearl."

To this, allow me to say:

W....T....F....?!?!?!

Did a Ph.D. seriously just recommend a couple of loony child abusers who advocate hitting babies if they crawl off their blankets?! SERIOUSLY?! Dr. Ray just loss any teeny ounce of respect or credibility he might have had by telling me that I should read a book about how to whip a child starting in babyhood to get it "trained" to always listen in order to make my homeschool "enterprise" be successful.

If that is Dr. Ray's idea of success, he can have it (I won't elaborate on what he can do with it). And if that's your idea of success, buy his books. Otherwise, don't waste your money, your time or your mental energy. This review is meant for the normal human beings who might be, like I was, simply shopping around for a book that would talk about how homeschooling has been proven to be beneficial and positive. It's not meant for anyone who is about to get up in arms about how Christianity is the only way and how there's nothing wrong with whipping your babies ;)

Needless to say, I will not be keeping this book in my home or ever reading another of this author's books again.