The 5-Hour School Week: An Inspirational Guide to Leaving the Classroom to Embrace Learning in a Way You Never Imagined

by Kaleena Amuchastegui, Aaron Amuchastegui

Up early for class and up late for homework. Outdated, overcrowded schools are taking up our children’s time and taking away from valuable life experiences. There’s a better way to learn—and The 5-Hour School Week is how we hacked homeschool so we could enjoy our life and our kids!When Aaron and Kaleena Amuchastegui took their kids out of school to travel the globe and educate them through experiences, their children became more engaged, self-aware, curious, and passionate about learning. Now, they share their inspiring successes and practical advice to give you the tools you need to create your own unconventional education plan, no matter what your budget, walking you through topics like:Teaching kids to love learningProviding a social educationIncorporating travel into lessonsEmphasizing practical skillsAnd moreThis isn’t your mom’s homeschooling. This is an innovative, eclectic approach to education that will revolutionize your family’s life.

264 pages, Paperback

Published October 26, 2018

Reviews

[TifFany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really not feasible for most families, and didn't offer much for typical homeschool families. If you have the money to do all the things the author suggests (constant trips to aquariums, zoos, science centers, national parks, etc.), You're probably already found everything this book suggests.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I agree with much of what the authors state, these people are extemely hard to relate to.

[Sara Lattimore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational! Through story and authentic honesty these authors give the reader insight on how they made their decisions and inspire the reader to consider taking their own journey.

[Megan R · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite homeschool self development books. Really hit on how I want to educate my kids.

[Maicie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by a mother and father who love to travel and take business risks. Their book is inspired "The 4-Hour Work Week."

There was a fair amount of public school bashing, which I don't think is totally necessary. We all school our kids differently, whether public, private, or homeschool. That being said, as a homeschooler myself, the complaints were valid and just reinforced the reason I homeschooled my kids and am happy that my daughter is homeschooling my grandsons.

Traveling is backbone of Amuchstegui's "curriculum." Not everyone has the means to travel extensively but there are great suggestions as how to incorporate that into the child's education.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great encouragement for families thinking about homeschooling. You’ve got to know your vision or reasons WHY you’re opting out of the system, one that often does not teach life skills and adds so much unnecessary stress to your child’s life. I’m already loving homeschooling, so not much was hugely novel to me in this book, but I loved reading about another family’s way of learning and how fulfilling it’s been for them. Education is certainly not one size fits all!

[Rehab Dynasty Amy Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only give it 4 stars because so much was redundant ... maybe because I’m already bought into homeschooling & didn’t need the validation. Great book! Wish I’d read this book before all others when we started this journey! I’ve been mixture so long, this is going to help me find our stride :) Every homeschoolers must read!!

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A refreshing take on homeschooling! I liked a lot of the ideas presented by the author but think many of them can't be implemented by the average homeschooling family. While the author's adventures were fun to read, they became really repetitive by the end of the book. The book could've been about half as long and still covered everything. In all though, worth reading as a mid-year pick-me-up.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ok book. Somewhat inspirational for homeschoolers. I agree with her overarching philosophy of homeschooling, but the way they push their kids to work, work, work is crazy to me. Kids need to play, not learn how to be entrepreneurs. They need to contribute to the family home, not learn how to run an open house.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

More "Inspirational" than "Guide"—very repetitive and not much practical how-to, though good reminders of the importance of real-world skills (business/entrepreneurship focus) and interesting reflections from the authors' family's learning journey and travel experiences.

[Dori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this so much! We started implementing the ideas before even finishing the book. I can honestly say it's working and my daughter is learning so much!!

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat repetitive and mostly anecdotes from the author(s)’ travels, but still a good inspirational read that helps reaffirm my choice in homeschooling.