The Homeschooling Book of Answers : The 88 Most Important Questions Answered by Homeschooling's Most Respected Voices (Paperback)

~ (Author) "ONCE UPON A time, the most frequently asked question about home-schooling was, "Is that legal?..." (more)
Key Phrases: statute require standardized tests, disallow program, homeschooling freedoms, Growing Without Schooling, Home Education Magazine, Assessing Your Child's Growth (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This how-to guide offers the collective wisdom of six dozen homeschoolers, their children, and noted writers on the subject. Written in a question-and-answer format, it leaves no stone unturned, with chapters on everything from socialization ("But what about the prom?") to the tricky teen years ("How will my child learn the tough subjects, like algebra and chemistry, if I don't understand them?"). There's also practical advice on how to handle critical relatives and friends, how to succeed at the college admissions process, and how to correspond with the governmental agencies that may oversee homeschooling in your state. The writing is authoritative and often humorous, with anywhere from two to five responses to each question from different homes across the country. One chapter exclusively features responses from homeschooled children. A lengthy appendix of resources provides national and state support groups, books, magazines, sources for learning materials, Internet sites, mailing lists, and newsletters. And, unlike many books on this subject, a helpful list of state-by-state requirements for homeschoolers is provided.

Linda Dobson, the author who corralled these voices, is the news editor and columnist for Home Education Magazine, and a homeschooler since 1985. Primarily written for families considering homeschooling, the guide would also benefit educators, researchers, politicians, and writers. Despite its comprehensiveness, however, the book does gloss over the subject of minorities in homeschooling (only one parent of color is among the contributors), and traditional schools come in for quite a bit of abuse at homeschoolers' expense. But for someone looking for advice from those in the know, this is the book. --Jodi Mailander Farrell

Review

Complete Homeschooling Support at Your Fingertips! -- Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Prima Lifestyles; illustrated edition edition (June 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761513779
• ISBN-13: 978-0761513773
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,016,606 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put the book down!, August 26, 1999

By A Customer

I loved the book and how it was layed out in question form with answers from other homeshoolers and their parents. The questions raised were all ones I had concidered, but couldn't find answers to in such a open form. I loved reading others opinions and how things are going for them. I found that most of answers were enough to help me out although about HOW to do things were not answered explicitly enough for me. eg: HOW to get info. They say go to the internet, go to the library, but never specifically WHAT to look up which is something I would have appreciated as a new homeschooler, and HOW to find out about the laws in each state. They did say what the laws were for each state, but nowhere did I find specifically how to find them out for myself, and the addresses they gave did go to the libraries of the state, but from then I was lost on how to find specific laws etc. All around the content was what i was looking for and was very good and helped me develop and find my own answers to pertinent questions I had. I went through the book with a marker and underlined all the things I found really interesting, and I will refer back to these often as they are helpful reminders of what and why I am homeschooling. It will now be my reference Guide to homeschooling. Overall I loved the book and am thankful that I found it when I did. Another wonderful book is THE homeschooling handbook, by Mary Griffith

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book, Hands-Down, for New Homeschoolers, April 3, 1999

By A Customer

As a support group leader, e-mail list moderator and conference coordinator, Linda's book answers the questions I get asked daily. Her books helps new homeschoolers gain perspective in moving away from the school environment (students, recess, tests, homework) and back to the family environment children were meant to be raised in. Her collection of voices is remarkable and her ability to speak to the heart of the movement is powerful. I recommend this book to every new homeschooler I speak with on the phone, at support group meetings or on teh internet. I've even found it hard to put down after 9 years of homeschooling my own children. It felt so good to know I wasn't alone in my opinions and to find the words to explain some of the more difficult concepts. Linda was a speaker at a conference held here in Columbus, Ohio a couple years back. Her workshops were the best received and her warm and friendly attitude captured the hearts of many. Her book feels just the same.. like you have the pleasure of sitting down with Linda as your host to a whole slew of generous, caring folks who give of themselves so wonderfully. I can't imagine a better beginning resource.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly inspired response to the need for good information!, January 26, 1999

By A Customer

These are *excerpts* from my review published in Home Education Magazine

Linda Dobson explains that what she calls "The Bright Idea" came from a summer spent speaking and presenting workshops at homeschooling conferences. She thought it would be wonderful to be able to bring the collective energy and knowledge of "some of the most dedicated, practiced, knowledgeable, and commonsensical voices on homeschooling" to people who can't get to such conferences. Soon she had recruited 39 people to contribute responses to the 88 questions that seem to come up most frequently.

What you'll find in this book is helpful, warm, and thoughtful support, but certainly not an attempt to give expert answers. As a matter of fact, if you're looking for such answers to how it should be done, read this book, and you'll probably soon find yourself comfortably letting go of that need. One of the fun things about homeschooling is that the most commonly voiced inner personal experiences are startlingly similar, although almost unheard of in the broader educational world. Those experiences are generously shared in The Homeschooling Book of Answers - that is both the heart and the guts of why it works so well.

The key to the unique character of The Homeschooling Book of Answers is in the introduction, where Dobson says: "Looking at homeschooling as an odd educational choice, or even as a valid educational choice, for that matter, places it in a very narrow context. This narrow context is unfortunate because it abruptly ends just where homeschooling begins. Considering homeschooling this way is like looking at someone's finger as it points toward a beautiful sunset." This stunningly phrased essential truth is the heart of the matter, and ironically enough, the hardest thing to convey to people who are just starting to inquire about "homeschooling." Dobson continues, "Homeschooling is a grassroots educational alternative that originates with the seed of parental love and commitment and blossoms into a lush garden of personal empowerment for child and parent." It was surprising to me that Linda had managed to corral for this book so many diverse homeschoolers who clearly and strongly supported that core sentiment, but she has done just that.

A diverse group indeed, but the voices weave together in wonderful harmony around the essential issues, and heart, of homeschooling. No "school at home" advice here - just a wide variety of individuals offering reassuring advice and encouragement in both the practical and philosophical aspects of the homeschooling adventure.

The goal Linda Dobson set out with is accomplished even more effectively than one could have imagined. This is a book I've already begun recommending to everyone looking for information about homeschooling, as well as to friends who also get a lot of calls asking these questions.