Book Review: The Everything Guide to Homeschooling

The Everything Guide to HomeschoolingThe Everything Guide To Homeschooling: All You Need to Create the Best Curriculum and Learning Environment for Your Child (Everything Series)

by Sherri Linsenbach
Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media, 2015

Are you thinking about homeschooling and searching for some direction? Are you a veteran homeschooler looking for some new ideas to incorporate into your home education plan? If you fall in either of these categories, you are sure to find some helpful information in “The Everything Guide to Homeschooling: All you need to create the best curriculum and learning environment for your child.”

Author Sherri Linsenbach is a homeschool parent and the owner of EverythingHomeschooling.com. As many homeschoolers do, she began teaching her children with a very structured plan and over the years has relaxed considerably, moving into a more unschooling approach. While she does have that relaxed homeschool bias, she still speaks authoritatively on the other methods of homeschooling and offers practical suggestions on how to make homeschooling work in your home and in your life. She does emphasize that homeschooling is not school at home. Rather, “it relies on the parents’ natural ability to nurture and raise their children and to instill a love of learning within them.”

Linsenbach touches on many important homeschooling topics, including learning styles and teaching methods, a general overview of legal requirements and approaches to homeschooling, socialization opportunities, tips for choosing a curriculum, developing a schedule, keeping records, organizing your homeschool, and preparing for college or life after homeschooling. She also includes ideas for fun learning activities involving math, language arts, science and history.

Even as a veteran homeschooler, I found much useful information in these pages and took notes on topics and website links to pursue further. While no book can cover every aspect of homeschooling, “The Everything Guide to Homeschooling” provides a great overview. It is recommended for anyone interested in knowing more about homeschooling.

Author: Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur, editor of "Today's Catholic Homeschooling", is the mother of two biological sons and one adopted daughter. She is in her seventeenth year of homeschooling. She has a B.A. in History and Fine Art and a Master's Degree in Applied Theology. She is the author of "The Crash Course Guide to Catholic Homeschooling" and "The Fruits of the Mysteries of the Rosary". She blogs at spiritualwomanthoughts.blogspot.com