The basic steps to start a successful homeschool.

This exceptional guide for the one million-plus homeschoolers who make up America's most rapidly growing educational movement tells what children must learn, and when. Includes subject-by-subject guidelines.

“If you read only one book on educating children, this should be the book.… With a warm, informative voice, Bauer gives you the knowledge that will help you flex the educational model to meet the needs of your child.” —San Francisco Book Review Our K–12 school system isn’t a good fit for all—or even most—students. It prioritizes a single way of understanding the world over all others, pushes children into a rigid set of grades with little regard for individual maturity, and slaps “disability” labels on differences in learning style. Caught in this system, far too many young learners end up discouraged. This informed, compassionate, and practical guidebook will show you how to take control of your child’s K–12 experience and negotiate the school system in a way that nurtures your child’s mind, emotions, and spirit. Understand why we have twelve grades, and why we match them to ages. Evaluate your child’s maturity, and determine how to use that knowledge to your advantage. Find out what subject areas we study in school, why they exist—and how to tinker with them. Discover what learning disabilities and intellectual giftedness are, how they can overlap, how to recognize them, and how those labels can help (or hinder) you. Work effectively with your child’s teachers, tutors, and coaches. Learn to teach important subjects yourself. Challenge accepted ideas about homework and standardized testing. Help your child develop a vision for the future. Reclaim your families’ priorities (including time for eating together, playing, imagining, traveling, and, yes, sleeping!). Plan for college—or apprenticeships. Consider out-of-the-box alternatives.

Up-to-date answers to all your homeschooling questions! More and more families today are turning to homeschooling to teach their children. But where do they go to find honest, practical answers to questions such as: Can I afford it? Or, how will my child make friends without going to school? Look no further. This invaluable guidebook—completely updated to include the 101 most important homeschooling concerns—answers all those questions and more. Inside, you'll learn: ·Methods of motivating, teaching, and testing homeschooled children ·The latest on the growing use of distance-learning tools ·Ways to homeschool your special-needs child ·The differences between homeschooling younger children and teenagers Drawing from the collective wisdom and experience of homeschooling's most respected voices, The Homeschooling Book of Answers is your essential guide to this widely popular—and flexible—educational approach. "I can't imagine a more helpful book on homeschooling—a happy marriage of the realistic with the idealistic, the passionate with the practical." —George Leonard, author, Education and Ecstasy "Of the many books on home education that have come across my desk, this is the most usable for the beginning homeschooler." —Jerry Mintz, Director, Alternative Education Resource Organization "Provides useful information that demystifies and makes accessible the homeschooling experience." —Marty Layne, author of Learning at Home: A Mother's Guide to Homeschooling

Provides an introduction to homeschooling, including legal implications, planning an age-specific curriculum, socialization, testing, and burnout.

THINK HOMESCHOOL is for parents who think there might be more to life for their family. Homeschooling provides opportunities that every family should consider. THINK HOMESCHOOL will help you understand what homeschooling is all about. We'll answer your questions and help you envision how homeschooling might be right for your family.