So - WHY Do You Homeschool? (Paperback)

by Mimi Davis (Author) "It's been a challenge to find a way to categorize questions and answers, but this is what I settled on: the rest of this book..." (more)
Key Phrases: home educated students, many home educators, home educating parents, United States, Department of Education, Home School Legal Defense Association (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Is Homeschooling the Best Option for Your Kids? New book explores why home education is on the rise

LONGWOOD, FL—On November 2, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (California) ruled that parents do not have the right to preview or object to sexual or psychological material presented in school. In this particular case, elementary school children (ages 7 to 10) were given a questionnaire to rate themselves based on their emotions and feelings about activities of a sexual nature. This, yet another of that court’s controversial decisions, is just one of the reasons parents are pulling children from school systems in record numbers. School shootings (most recently, in Tennessee, November 9) and other school crimes are more negative factors contributing to the positive growth in home education. Parents of children with special needs are routinely blamed for their children’s problems but are given no options to solve those problems "in the system." Public Education is always in the news with some scandal or another, while homeschoolers are often in the news for exceptional achievement. Homeschoolers are matriculating into college in record numbers, and people want to know how they do there and in the rest of life. Hurricane Katrina has forced many parents to homeschool who would never have considered it otherwise. Is this really the best option for their kids? So - WHY Do You Homeschool? answers questions posed by the millions of friends, relatives, and neighbors of homeschoolers in the United States.

Why has homeschooling experienced exponential growth in the last ten years and now between 2.2 and 4.2 percent of all children in the United States are homeschooled? That is the question many parents and public school advocates are asking, and it is the fundamental question answered in So – WHY Do You Homeschool? Answering Questions People Ask About Home Education (November, $12.99, 1-59781-572-1) by Mimi Davis. Over 70 other questions such as "What about being 'Salt and Light' to the public schools?" and "When did homeschooling begin?" are answered in ways that provoke deeper contemplation from both homeschooling veterans and public school advocates. So - WHY Do You Homeschool? has a broad appeal for inquisitive minds from all backgrounds. This is a perfect introduction to homeschooling for those considering home education for their own families. It was also written to refresh average homeschoolers in their homeschooling mission. Put the facts about homeschooling at your fingertips with this research-packed, easy-to-read resource.

So - WHY Do You Homeschool? will help homeschoolers clarify in their minds why they homeschool and prepare them to answer the myriad of questions they get from skeptics. Author Mimi Davis gives experienced homeschoolers the chance to see some new and updated research. She helps readers recognize the high calling experienced by homeschooling families. They will feel less nervous about the process. Davis encourages new and young homeschoolers in their daily relationship walk with their families. She states, "I hope they will begin to feel the sense of community that exists among homeschoolers."

Mimi Davis is the busy homeschooling mother of four children. As a certified special education teacher, she can offer a different perspective on the home education process. Although she began teaching her own children nine years ago, she started tutoring home-educated students in a homeschool tutorial twelve years ago and tested home-educated children for a homeschool umbrella program before that. She has attended and taught at public and private schools, and has homeschooled before, during, and after sending a child to school. Her desire is to put tools into the hands of parents to help them become better, more confident, and more knowledgeable mentors and teachers of their children.

Xulon Press is the world’s largest Christian publisher, with more than 2,500 titles published to date.

Product Details

• Paperback: 172 pages
• Publisher: Xulon Press (November 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597815721
• ISBN-13: 978-1597815727
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #126,252 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bring this along for the big announcement, January 1, 2007

By	Heather Josten (Franklin, TN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Hello. When my husband and I decided to homeschool our 4 children (2 were of school age at the time) we received less than enthusiastic reactions. Most of the family opened with "I don't approve of that." or "I think that's just wrong." That was in Spring of 2005.

Recently, I found this fabulous book. How I wish I'd had it back when I made the announcement! Since reading the book myself, I have purchased the book for 4 family members. Our community is one of the best for homeschoolers, so there's more social opportunities than they had in public school. I've found that many of the questions in this book are things that people want to ask, but don't think of or know how to ask.

Today, most of the family still thinks we are wrong for our choice, but 1 has come around, my mom. However, occassionally I still get asked, "honey, wouldn't it be easier to send them to school?" The answer is "yes, but as parents it's our job to do what's right, not what's easy."

Buy this book, read it, share it. There are things you don't know, even if you've been homeschooling for a while. This isn't a heavy book, but a realistic collection of the most common questions about this amazing journey.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You know someone who should read this book. You're probably going to have Christmas dinner with some of them. , November 29, 2005

By	Kay Brooks (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've just finished reading Mimi's very excellent resource for parents and family members who wonder about this education option.

It's a quick read and easily scanned to find just the answer you're looking for. Mimi's special education credentials and teacher certification means that she can answer the questions of and provide the citations for professionals and her writing style and humor make the information very approachable for normal folks. Mimi understands the diversity of the homeschooling community in regards to religions, politics, and ethnicity as well as learning and teaching styles. She has answers and recommendations for all those lifestyle flavors.

This is a fresh and up-to-date resource for homeschoolers at the front of the 21st century. We've come a long way in the last several decades and Mimi does a really good job of bringing people up to speed on what homeschooling is like in the here and now. You won't have wasted your money on this book.

Kay Brooks
Founder, TnHomeEd.com Tennessee's Homeschool Information Site.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for anyone interested in children's education - homeschooler or now, January 5, 2006

By	Melanie Ritz (Brentwood, TN) - See all my reviews

"So-Why Do You Homeschool?" answers questions I didn't even know I had about homeschooling! Each section made me more and more interested in homeschooling, something I orginally had given little thought to. I read the book cover to cover - well written and easy to read. It can also be used as a reference for specific issues, looking up individual questions and topics.

"So-Why Do You Homeschool?" is a must-have for homeschoolers, but also a must-have for all parents, grandparents, educators, and anyone interested in children's education. This book is full of information about homeschooling everyone needs to know.