The Homeschooling Book of Answers: The 88 Most Important Questions Answered by Homeschooling's Most Respected Voices
By Linda Dobson
After making the decision to homeschool long before ever having children, and then proceeding to do so for their entire lives, I've already read several books about homeschooling, and thousands of email and bulletin board posts about the subject by now. If, however, I had had to come to the homeschooling decision by another route, this book would have proved an invaluable resource for me. The Homeschooling Book of Answers by Linda Dobson is a unique book that gathers information from some of the wisest, most experienced people at the forefront of the homeschool movement, and puts it all into an easily accessible and usable format, answering pretty much all of the major questions that someone might have about homeschooling when they aren't too sure about it.
More than 50 people contributed to this mammoth project, and if you've done much research into homeschooling, you'll recognize some of the names: John Gatto, David and Micki Colfax, Raymond and Dorothy Moore, Mary Griffith and more. Between all of them, they represent about 500 collective years of homeschooling experience. Mrs. Dobson presented them all with a series of most frequently asked questions about homeschooling, then culled out around 3-5 responses for each question from the various answers. These questions and their answers form the bulk of the book.
In 12 chapters, Mrs. Dobson takes you through the homeschooling journey, bit by bit. Of course, the first questions anyone asks when they begin contemplating homeschooling are, "Can we really do this? What about the fact that I don't have training as a teacher? Is it legal where I live? What do I have to teach?" Then parents begin to worry about the cost — can the family survive on one income, how much does it cost to homeschool, and so on. After that, the most common questions tend to be in regards to children's needs — socialization, behavior, learning disabilities and other special needs. All of these questions and more are ably answered by the contributors.
After calming the nerves of the reader about whether or not homeschooling is a good idea, the book gets down to brass tacks and helps you begin homeschooling without becoming a wreck in the process. Nobody wants to be a burnout and a failure at anything, especially when it comes to their children, so the contributors do their best to help you understand that you don't have to do it all, don't have to know it all, and you don't have to expect Mensa memberships for your kids by the end of the first year. After a fairly brief chapter on a few of the basic types of homeschooling, be prepared to dig into ideas about how to get started, what to expect, how to assess your child's educational growth and development, and how to handle the teen years. And lest you think that only adults have things to say about homeschooling, there is even a chapter of 10 questions given to homeschooled students and graduates of all ages.
The book rounds out with a final three chapters about more personal issues; keeping the home, nosy neighbors and relatives, dealing with burnout, whether or not TV has a place in a homeschooling home, and finally, personal stories titled Lifeboats to help you feel better about your decision to homeschool, and to encourage you on the days that you are feeling stressed out or discouraged.
In addition to the 88 questions that are presented, Mrs. Dobson's book also includes 2 appendices with a plethora of resource ideas and contact information; support groups, books, magazines, websites, games, catalogs, and even contact information for homeschoolers with special needs. Appendix B contains a simple, state-by-state breakdown of the laws for all 50 American states in regards to homeschooling. Keep in mind that the original copyright on this book is 1998; some states may have changed some laws since then, and the resources (especially the websites) may be woefully out of date unless there is an updated version available.
Overall, I highly recommend The Homeschooling Book of Answers. With a multitude of answers to each question, you can feel more assured of a well-balanced look at the many questions that you may have about homeschooling, and you can rest assured that you're not getting the viewpoint of just one person's personal agenda, whatever that may be. Having many responses to the questions also greatly increases the chances that your specific question is going to be answered just as you need it to be. If you're just getting into homeschooling, or even just thinking about it, definitely look this one up and see what it says. It's an invaluable resource, and you will definitely get a lot from it.
Note: This is the 88 question version of Mrs. Dobson's book, which you may be able to find at the library (as I did), a resource center or a used bookstore. The new version of Mrs. Dobson's book is titled The 101 Most Important Questions Answered by Homeschooling's Most Respected Voices.
