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Title: Homeschooling: The Early Years: Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 3- to 8- Year-Old Child by Linda Dobson ISBN: 0-7615-2028-7 Publisher: Prima Lifestyles Pub. Date: 11 August, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.25 (12 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: a great early resource for beginning homeschoolers
Comment: This book is subtitled "Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 3- to 8-Year-Old Child". It is a little less than that, since it does not contain information about specific knowledge your youngster "needs" to acquire (for that information, see The Core Knowledge series by E.D. Hirsch), but it is a marvelous book to impart the basics and instill in you a sense of confidence and enthusiasm regarding the adventure you are about to begin!
Dobson begins with a survey of 66 homeschooling parents and presents continuum information about eight variables: motivation for homeschooling, financial expenditures, level of structuredness, assessment technique, technology use, physical space, parental involvement and outside assistance. I found this interesting just to see what others were doing and, though not reported in great detail, I thought it was a promising way to begin the book.
Chapters include information on getting ready to homeschool, curriculum options, teaching reading, teaching writing, teaching arithmetic, teaching other subjects, tailoring your approach to your family, resources, computers, accommodating younger learners, running a household (and sustaining a marriage) while you homeschool, part-time homeschooling, dealing with naysayers and enjoying the experience. Each chapter ends with an outline of the major points and a list of resources, which may include books, programs, magazines, catalogues, web sites or organizations. Chapters include practical advice as well as a series of personal anecdotes from the survey respondents called "How We Did It" with specific ideas that might be helpful.
It would be simplistic to say that much of the book is cheerleading, as the author spends a lot of time telling you why this is a good idea, the benefits of your choice, and the positive effects this decision will have on your child(ren). But considering how much grief you will probably get from relatives and acquaintances, someone to cheer you on isn't such a bad thing. You won't rely on this volume for specifics, but it is inspirational and contains a lot of information about where to find more specifics. I found this book very helpful.
Rating: 4
Summary: Good General Overview - Lacks Substance Though
Comment: This book would be a good overview for parents of young children who are considering homeschooling. The first few chapters of the book are dedicated to "convincing" the reader of how great homeschooling is. This is fine if you are just beginning to investigate the possibility, but, having already decided to homeschool, I found those chapters a little annoying and redundant.
In my opinion, the author spends too much time on general "homeschooling is GREAT! Rah! Rah!" and not enough time on the issues of substance [like, how exactly DO you homeschool an "early years" child?]. I would like to have seen more meaningful information shared - like evaluations of curriculums, more of what did and didn't work for other homeschoolers, and more practical advice. [The author goes into some of this to a very superficial degree, but does not delve deeply into any of these issues]. The advice on teaching subjects was also very general, though it was still helpful. The section on using computers and the community as resources were very good.
The "statistical" chapter that was included that places all the survey respondents on a continuum based on their homeschool style in several areas was particularly bad. The statistics are given but no discussion of why different families chose these styles or what they like or don't like about them. The chapter was also somewhat confusing - not helpful at all to me. [And I usually find that kind of stuff fascinating].
Like an earlier evaluator, I also felt that this book was unrealistically positive about Homeschooling - I agree that Homeschooling IS a great choice and overwhelmingly better than the public school alternative. However, there ARE some down sides [mother burn out for one!] and I would have appreciated a more honest discussion of these issues. The reader can't make a good decision without ALL the information - including the negatives.
So, for someone just beginning to investigate homeschooling, this would probably be a great book. If you've already investigated it and have been convinced to homeschool, you may want to skip this book - you may not get that much out of it.
Rating: 5
Summary: A Fantastic Resource and A Great Inspiration!
Comment: This is not yet another mere "your child should 'x' at 'y' age" handbook focusing on academics, but a traveler's guide to creating a family's own itinerary for the homeschooling journey. It offers an expansive view of the home education landscape, with mountains of ideas and personal experiences contributed by fellow explorers, wellsprings of inspiration, and stockpiles of resources.
Like Linda Dobson's other books, "Homeschooling: The Early Years" takes parents outside the box of "school at home" thinking, encouraging families to use their whole world as a "classroom" and to recognize that learning happens all the time-even when not regimented according to grade level or chopped into subject areas. In addition, the book instills confidence in parents of children who don't "measure up" to grade level marks by providing lively pictures of children who developed at their own pace and turned out ok anyway. These facets can help parents find an individualized homeschooling style that is relaxed and enjoyable for the whole family. What could be better than that?
The author invites readers to leaf through homeschooling's goodie basket, to taste the benefits that lie beyond academic measures. These include the luxury of spending "extra" time exploring areas of interest, homeschooling's power to strengthen the family bond and instill positive socialization and its flexibility in meeting the needs of any schedule or lifestyle, and the joy and pleasure of homeschooling while cuddling together in your jammies.
"Early Years" maps a remarkably wide territory for one modest book. It covers how to tune into your child's unique learning needs, incorporating learning with young children's natural tendencies, and overcoming fears and doubts. Included in this volume are money-saving ideas, including discovering educational materials you already have at home; homeschoolers' favorite software, helping you make good choices from among the tremendous number of materials available; in-depth information on the 3 R's; information on a variety of homeschooling methods; resources, such as periodicals, other books, Web sites and more; help for parents of special needs children, single parents, ways to include younger siblings; organizing; and even "part-time homeschooling" as a supplement to school.
Having homeschooled my now 13 year-old and 10 year-old children their whole lives, I believe "Homeschooling: The Early Years" is a fantastic resource, an inspiration, and even a quiet revolution. This book helps parents learn to trust themselves and their own perceptions, rather than always looking to "experts," because nobody knows a child better than does the parent-and that may be the most important homeschooling idea of all.
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