Home-schooling All the Way Through High School Book Review by ChristineMM

Title: Home-schooling All the Way Through High School
Author: Renee Mason
Publication: Tyndale, 1999

My Star Rating: 2 Star Rating = It's Okay

Summary Statement: Christian Memoir -- Too Short -- Too Scattered -- Not About Homeschooling High School





This is perhaps the most sentimental and soft homeschooling memoir I've ever read. If ever a book was written with the viewpoint of looking at life through rose colored glasses this is it.

As stated on the back cover this genre is "Christian Life". "My intent in writing this book is to acknowledge God and share how he has lef this family in our homeschool." (pg 107) sums this up accurately.

The book includes written excerpts from the children ranging from a fourth grader to a college student which makes the reading more interesting and adds validity to the author's portrayal of their family's life.

I was in error and somehow had the idea by the title that this was about homschooling high school. Actually some people have told me to read this and it would help with homeschooling high school so perhaps I should blame other readers not the author's choice for a title. It about the general decision to homeschool and it is actually about homeschooling with joy through all the ages and grades. It does have a "they do turn out alright and fantastic in the end" message, so maybe that's why people recommend this for homeschoolers who worry they cannot homeschool high school. This is not a book about just how to homeschool the high school years: know that.

The chapter "Into High School and Letting Go" starts off with a discussion of a faith based program for father and daughter whereby the teenaged girl vows chastity until marriage. The chapter goes on to discuss dating only with an eye toward marriage (courtship) and about sexual purity in the teen years. It then jumps to stating they study for years to prep for the GED as a high school academic plan.  The oldest, a girl, graduated homeschool high school at age 16, didn't bother to take the SAT and began community college for an Associates then went on to a Christian college for a bachelor's degree. I had hoped the high school homeschool discussion would be more than one chapter and I was let down by the seemingly low academic goals set for that oldest child.

At 129 pages the book is short. I prefer memoirs that are written after more than just the oldest child has grown up (or in the case of The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother I'd rather have seen the book published after both have finished college). This author has eight children and perhaps waiting a few years until more than one have finished homeschooling would have added more substance to the book and would have shown more proof that her methods and goals worked well.

I also felt the layout of this book's topics was a bit scattered as it went all over the place which I found off-putting. The stories meander here and there and I just lacked patience for reading that type of writing when I sat down and read the book last night. This is a fast easy read.

The book was published in 1999 and the options for homeschool methods have changed over the years and the college admissions process has gotten more competitive. The standardized testing requirements have gotten more strict and in my area testing is required for community college admissions too. More testing and other new kinds of testing are mandated now that prevent homeschoolers with a goal toward college admissions from having such a relaxed homeschool experience in the high school years  as this book portrays (in the 1990s). The homeschoolers who are doing high school at home in 2011 with an eye toward college need more practical advice on academics early on or their kids will be locked out of pursuing all the options.

This is a loving story of a very close family living the homeschool lifstyle and to me that is the best part of this memoir. The family is Christian and the book is very religious, so whether that appeals to you or does not is something you should know and consider while book shopping. If you are Christian and are looking for general affirmation that following the plan God has for you which includes homeschooling then you will probably appreciate this book.

My rating of 2 stars is based on the multiple reasons given in this review and has nothing to do with the religous nature of the book, just to be clear. I find the religious viewpoint to be either a plus or minus only in the mind of each reader based on what they personally prefer and want.

Disclosure: I bought this book. For my blog's full disclosure statement see the link near the top of my blog's sidebar.