Real-Life Homeschooling: The Stories of 21 Families Who Teach Their Children at Home

by Rhonda Barfield

Book Overview

The book that shows homeschooling in action What does it really mean when parents say they homeschool their child or children? For Rhonda Barfield -- a homeschooler for the past 10 years -- the definition is as diverse as the 21 families she studies in this eye-opening book. Real-Life Homeschooling From the city to the country, apartments to split-levels, you'll enter each household and see education in action. Discover the challenges and rewards...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743442296
• ISBN13: 9780743442299
• Release Date: April 2002
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Not a MUST buy, but still a good read ...

I really enjoyed reading about other families from different backgrounds and how they make homeschooling work for them. While the families did not give a lot of information on the curriculum they used, they did share information on why they homeschool and how they feel about structure and socialization. This is a book I would share with someone considering homeschool but were worried about making it work into their lifestyle. Though not a book I would reach to continually for advice, I did learn some tips and tricks while reading that I have implented into our own homeschool routine. If you see it at the library and you have time to fit in an extra read, I would recommend this book.

A Good Cross-section of Homeschool Families

I enjoyed reading about the different families represented. One of the best aspects of the book is the inclusion of each family's recommended reference books, as well as their favorite and least-favorite advice they'd received. Regarding the reference books: Whenever I felt a connection with one of the families I'd then look to see if I'd read their book recommendations. It was a great way to explore where each family was going with their thoughts. I agree with one of the other reviewers, though, in that there is sort of a detached approach to each family's chapter. Some families I found interesting and a few I did not. But rather than the dry, Here They Are presentation, I would have liked to have been taken further into the families' emotional attachments...how they arrived at the decisions emotionally. One does not buck such a strong system on a whim. Overall, though, a very good read. For anyone considering homeschooling, or for newbies looking for other ideas, this is a very good reference book. I'll be keeping this one!

Excellent Homeschool Resource

I highly recommend this book for anyone considering homeschooling. It is filled with refreshing and inspiring stories of other homeschooling families that are all from different faiths and backgrounds. I applaud their courage to homeschool when it is the acceptable thing to stick your kids in school and thank them for their inspiration. Their stories reinforce my decision to homeschool my daughter. Most of all, I thank Rhonda Barfield for bringing their stories to everyone. This is an excellent and necessary read for anyone considering homeschooling!

Hard to Put Down

Although I don't have children, my sister homeschools and so I have an interest in the subject. This is a fascinating book. The author looks at 21 families from all walks of life, representing a good cross-section of the country. I appreciated her details on the Jewish families since their customs are not as familiar to me, along with some of the other situations. In addition to being informative and helpful for homeschooling families, this is just a fascinating book and one you will have trouble putting down. A terrific, five-star book. I hope we hear more from the author.

A Spectrum of Homeschoolers

Even though I'm an experienced homeschooler, I found this book informative and enjoyable. Barfield worked hard to find a wide spectrum of homeschoolers - they vary in family size, religion, race/ethnicity, reason for homeschooling, location, and homeschooling philosophy. This book is a good introduction for people who want to learn more about homeschooling but are afraid that they aren't "the homeschooling type", because it shows that there is no one homeschooling type.