Homeschooling Our Children, Unschooling Ourselves

By Alison McKee

A compelling story about one family's journey into the unknown territory of homeschooling, told with skill by Alison McKee, a gifted teacher with a wide experience in traditional education and a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0965780627
• ISBN13: 9780965780629
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Mary's Stories
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Recommed for any homeschooler to read

This is an awesome book to read if you are thinking about homeschooling or even if you already are homeschooling. It was written by a teacher that unschools. She tells of how she decided to homeschool her children because of things she was observing. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are struggling with whether you will be able to teach your children all they need to know.

Vignettes of Experiences Applaud Unschooling

This is the book that verbalizes what so many of us do but have a hard time explaining to questioning relatives, friends, and just the people in the world that wonder why our four children are out and about town in the middle of the school day. As a former teacher for 7 years in public and private schools, I can relate to the agonizing experiences of having to encourage frustrated students to struggle through concepts for testing, while having to limit time children spend on activities that are meaningful to them. I have facilitated an unschooling environment for 5 years now at home. This is the first written material I have read that successfully enlightens nonhomeschooling families as to what life learning can be. By drawing on her own traditional school experience, both as a student and a teacher, Alison McKee is able to engage the skeptic and appeal to his/her own realm of learning experiences. For the families that are unschoolers already, the book refreshes our spirit, guides us to be confident in our beliefs, and informs us that there is a beginning movement of Life Learning within the homeschooling community. I have recommended this book to other homeschooling families and have purchased a mini stockpile to give to relatives that critique our evolution as natural learners. This book has also guided us from being an unschooling family to one that is passionate about the life learning movement. It is an easy read cover to cover and a valuable resource.

A great read for any unschooling family!

I found this book inspiring -- a great story of an unschooling family's journey through their children's development!Having been through the controversial practice of unschooling (and now with two grown, successful children to show for it) the author has much wisdom and insight to share. I couldn't put this book down and read the entire thing in one weekend (no small feat with 3 small children!). I borrowed this book from a friend to read initially, but promptly bought my own copy. I'm happy to have it as a resource -- I've already re-read sections and am sure I will re-read much more as I embark on our own unschooling journey.

Very Instructive

The most convincing evangelist is a reformed sinner, and Alison McKee, herself a practicing teacher, comes across as a most credible proponent of homeschooling in this consistently insightful book. No vapid cheerleading here. Like many another anxious parent, McKee and her husband suffer from uncertainties while seeking that elusive balance between structure and free exploration as their two children progress through the elementary and high school years. Readers of this book will come to understand how great a gulf lies between the initial decision to school ones children at home - which for many parents simply replaces one set of rigidities with another - and the real leap off the precipice to unschooling. Whether or not one is prepared to go all the way, as McKee ultimately does (with successful results), the book will undoubtedly bring the reader face to face with one of the most fundamental, and generally unasked, questions of education: what (if anything) does what children learn have to do with what they become? This is a great pick-me-up for home-schooling parents, and a thought-provoking explanation for those who seek to understand homeschooling. But anybody who is interested in learning will find grist for her or his own mental mill here.

Superb book!

This is a wonderful inspirational story of one family's journey through unschooling beginning at their decision to homeschool. This book is not really about the hows of homeschooling, but more about the whys. Reading this book completely reaffirmed our decision to homeschool. It helped us see that a traditional mode of education isn't necessary to help our children become happy well-rounded educated people. This would be a great book to give to others who wonder why we homeschool.