A Little Way of Homeschooling Paperback – February 21, 2011

Generally, when I get a good book in my paws, I inhale it like a greedy 2-year-old with a big cookie.So when I read a book slowly, it's to savour it. To digest it as I go. To pray it, ruminate on it as I take it into my mind. And if a book is good enough for me to read slowly, really tasting every bite, then it's a truly special book, and they don't come often.I just finished a book which I read veeeeery slowly. It took me 7 days to read a volume I could have read in about 4 hours. Because I didn't want it to end. Because it was like having a cup of tea after a rough day with just the person who had just the right things to say. The book left me at peace, deeply at peace with myself. My only regret is that I didn't read this book before placing my book orders this summer.Suzie Andres has done it again. With humility, simplicity, and the sharpness of a fine sword, she cuts through every fear in my mother's heart, even the ones I didn't know were there. Her first book (Homeschooling with Gentleness) was revolutionary. Utterly revolutionary.But the critics were there, in the wings, ready: O sure, for a highly educated and well-read family that might work. O sure, if you only have 2 kids, spaced 10 years apart that's a nice idea. O sure, if....But here is a collection of writings from over a dozen women who let natural learning happen in their homes. Homes with a child or two; homes with a dozen or so! Homes where very different types of children have grown up to become intelligent, peaceful individuals with happy, productive lives.Plus, in the spirit of Suzie and her husband's academic work, there is more information on the reassuring philosophical underpinnings of a relaxed home education (that her first book was so full of)- why it works, why it makes sense, why it is in keeping with the laws of nature and the laws of the human soul.If I were considering whether homeschooling was for me, I would read this book.If I were feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, and was fighting with my children due in part (or in whole) to the way I was homeschooling, I would read this book.If I thought unschooling was a four-letter word, I would read this book.If I wanted to know more about what several very holy saints had to say about education, I'd read this book.If I had to rescue books from a fire and I could only take 3 homeschooling reference books (or what I call Mother-books) with me, this would be one of them, along with John Holt's Growing without Schooling and Mary Hood's The Relaxed Homeschooler.Mother Teresa said, "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." Why does that quotation capture the essence of this book for me? Because in this modern, fast-paced world, I look at families, with children learning at home or in schools, and I see the lack of peace. For me, this book illuminates a way to bring peace into my home and keep it there, like a well-tended fire.God bless you, and may you find the cup of tea you really need today.(Excerpted from a review at[...] by the author of said review.)

I LOVE this book! The most wonderful thing about it for me is how applicable it is to all families. It's not just about unschooling, or schooling in general, but also about family life and creating a nurturing home for your children. I'll admit that my impression of unschooling has been a vague idea that "unschooling" is a label for lazy parenting, and that it's a way of life for naive parents who think that their kids don't actually need education. But this book opened my eyes to the legitimate educational philosophy that inspires these families to joyfully pursue a full, happy and true family life, and that REAL education is a huge part of that picture. The stories in this book give us a look at education that is not driven by grades, tests, fear and drudgery, but by joy and genuine interest in all the good and beautiful things in this world and in Heaven.This book is a hugely inspiring testament to the fact that the wonderful thing about homeschooling is the opportunity it gives a family to really live together and have the freedom to live a full life. Unschooling is not about creating a conventional classroom at your kitchen table, nor about being a "free" mom who lets her kids just play video games all day, but about providing an environment and a wealth of relationships in which your children can actually be educated in a real, lasting and truly beneficial way.As someone who likes to keep all options open, be flexible, and take opportunities as they come, this book was great for me because it gave me confidence and excitement in looking ahead. Truly in the spirit of St. Therese, this is a book about confidence and love! My oldest child is three, and I have stopped stressing about what the next 18 years will be like for him. I am no longer dreading the inevitable time when I have to trap myself into a decision about school. Rather, I am looking forward to continually striving to provide a nurturing home and a full life for my family, and having confidence that we will happily and intelligently cross every bridge when the good Lord brings us to it!PLUS: Every great resource is a door to other great resources, right? This book has some great appendices with other books, websites, and practical thoughts on homeschooling, unschooling, reading, and raising happy families!This book is a pleasure to read and I recommend it to every parent!

An absolutely fabulous book. THE book to read to set you heart and mind at peace in the sometimes overwhelming work of home educating your children.

Just what I needed to read! Beautiful, encouraging, enlightening! Would recommend every catholic homeschooler read this!! Wisdom galore from experienced homescholing mothers.