The homeschooling option How to decide when it's right for your family

Drawing on her own experience with homeschooling and interviews with hundreds of other homeschoolers as well as the homeschooled, Rivero shows the variety of reasons, resources, and stories behind this growing trend. She begins by detailing the history of homeschooling, from the only choice to its current status as a choice exercised by parents concerned about violence in schools, poor educational standards, lack of religious emphasis or discipline or cultural sensitivity, or the special needs of their children. She explores homeschooling myths (parents and children who are social misfits) and the lexicon, which includes deschooling, unschooling, self-directed learning, and e-learning. Rivero's commonsense advice is for parents to honestly assess their motivations, fashion an approach to address those concerns, have confidence in their abilities, and remain flexible in deciding everything from schedules to curricula to testing to socialization issues. Readers will particularly appreciate the great variety of experiences, the practical answers to hard questions, and the resources Rivero provides in this thoughtful look at the homeschooling option.--Bush, Vanessa Copyright 2007 Booklist