Nothing beats seeking the voice of experience if you want to join the estimated 1 to 3 million parents who teach their children at home. Here's a guide that comes direct from the experts: a mother of two homeschooled, now-grown children and 83 homeschooling families she surveyed. Their stories make reading this starter kit on teaching ages 3 to 7 worthwhile. For those ready to take on what author Linda Dobson calls "a natural extension of being a good parent," the manual provides at-a-glance boxes of insightful anecdotes called "How We Did It," as well as lists at the end of each chapter of helpful books, magazines, Web sites, software, and computer message boards that connect homeschooling households. The straightforward writing covers the basics on reading, writing, and math; different teaching approaches; organizing a curriculum; even how to deal with skeptical relatives and spouses. There are no specifics on each states' homeschooling requirements, which vary widely. But as a primer for parents starting out, the book serves as a confidence builder and an inspiring how-to guide. --Jodi Mailander Farrell


Review
Discover the Rewards of Homeschooling Your Young Child


Review
Discover the Rewards of Homeschooling Your Young Child


From the Inside Flap
Discover the Rewards of Homeschooling Your Young Child
Young children are full of curiosity, imagination, and a sense of wonder. They're willing to try new things and possess a natural joy of discovery. Yet in a traditional school, these natural behavior traits are too often squelched. That's why more and more parents just like you are choosing to teach their children at home during these critical years—the years that lay the foundation for developing learning skills that last a lifetime. Inside, respected homeschooling author Linda Dobson shows you how homeschooling can work for you and your young child. You'll discover how to:
·Tailor homeschooling to fit your family's unique needs
·Know when your child is ready to learn to read
·Teach your child arithmetic without fear—even if you're math-challenged
·Give your child unlimited learning on a limited budget
·And much more!
"Brings dazzling clarity to the otherwise nerve-wracking confusion of early learning—and the adventure of becoming fully human. Highly recommended."—John Taylor Gatto,former New York State Teacher of the Year and author of Dumbing Us Down
"Provides a much-needed introduction to living and learning with young children. Open the book to any page and you'll find inspiring anecdotes and approaches to learning that leave the reader thinking, 'That just makes so much sense!' Highly recommended for anyone who lives, works, or plays with young children."—Helen Hegener, managing editor of Home Education Magazine
"An information-packed delight; I only wish it had been around when our three boys were three to eight years old."—Rebecca Rupp, author of The Complete Home Learning Sourcebook
"This book brings together the experience and wisdom of a great variety of homeschooling families—tied together with warm encouragement and wonderful simplification of processes that can seem so mysterious and daunting to the beginner. A very solid resource!"—Lillian Jones, homeschooling activist, writer, and reviewer


From the Back Cover
Discover the Rewards of Homeschooling Your Young Child


About the Author
Linda Dobson, author of Homeschooling: The Early Years, The Homeschooling Book of Answers, and The Art of Education, is the news editor and columnist for Home Education Magazine. She is also a member of the National Home Education Network. The mother of three homeschooled children, she lives in Rainbow Lake, New York.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Young children are full of curiosity, imagination, and a sense of wonder. They're willing to try new things and possess a natural joy of discovery. Yet in a traditional school, these natural behavior traits are too often squelched. That's why more and more parents just like you are choosing to teach their children at home during these critical years—the years that lay the foundation for developing learning skills that last a lifetime. Inside, respected homeschooling author Linda Dobson shows you how homeschooling can work for you and your young child. You'll discover how to:

Tailor homeschooling to fit your family's unique needs
Know when your child is ready to learn to read
Teach your child arithmetic without fear—even if you're math-challenged
Give your child unlimited learning on a limited budget
And much more!


"Brings dazzling clarity to the otherwise nerve-wracking confusion of early learning—and the adventure of becoming fully human. Highly recommended."—John Taylor Gatto,former New York State Teacher of the Year and author of Dumbing Us Down

"Provides a much-needed introduction to living and learning with young children. Open the book to any page and you'll find inspiring anecdotes and approaches to learning that leave the reader thinking, 'That just makes so much sense!' Highly recommended for anyone who lives, works, or plays with young children."—Helen Hegener, managing editor of Home Education Magazine

"An information-packed delight; I only wish it had been around when our three boys were three to eight years old."—Rebecca Rupp, author of TheComplete Home Learning Sourcebook

"This book brings together the experience and wisdom of a great variety of homeschooling families—tied together with warm encouragement and wonderful simplification of processes that can seem so mysterious and daunting to the beginner. A very solid resource!"—Lillian Jones, homeschooling activist, writer, and reviewer