For those of us in our 30s or older, I’m sure you’ll remember the popular 1980s TV series called “The Facts of Life.” Do the names of Blair Warner, Jo, Tudy, Natalie and Mrs. Garrett ring a bell? Lisa Whelchel, also known as Blair when we were younger, is the author of this book. She and her husband Steve, a pastor, now live in Los Angeles, CA, and are homeschooling parents to three boys named Tucker, Haven, and Clancy. What Lisa does in her book is introduce you to fifteen families in fifteen unique situations who have chosen homeschooling for different reasons, using a variety of learning methods.
So what does an “average” or “typical” homeschooling family look like? That is a very difficult question to answer. You may find some similar features, but like a fingerprint, no two are the same. There are as many different philosophies, curriculum options, and teaching styles as there are reasons for homeschooling. A family may be passionate about the principles approach, the Charlotte Mason method, online academics, deschooling, traditional texts, classical education, eclectic homeschooling, video education, curriculum with a budget, the Sonlight or Robertson curriculum, and many, many more. . As Lisa says, “The bottom line is that you have to find what works for your family. To do that, you need to find out what’s out there.”
In this book, you will have the opportunity to meet a homeschooling family on the go, a homeschooling parent, a family that has a child struggling with ADHD, a military family often dealing with PCS (permanent change). of Station orders), a homeschooling single mother of two, homeschooling in a big city, an out-of-school family, and even an entire family with 10 children, just to name a few.
In his foreword, Michael Farris, president of Patrick Henry College and founder and president of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, says: “Lisa tells you the truth about homeschooling. You’ve heard the joys and tribulations of over a thousand homeschooling families, and by taking you into the lives of several composite families, it paints an accurate picture of the struggles you can expect and the sacrifices that may be required.But most importantly, Lisa is telling you the truth when he says that whatever the struggle, the rewards make it all worthwhile.”