So You're Thinking About Homeschooling: Fifteen Families Show How You Can Do It

by Lisa Whelchel

Discover the Diversity of Homeschooling

Confused and intimidated by the complexities of homeschooling, many parents assume it could never work for them. Now an updated edition of So You’re Thinking About Home Schooling by Lisa Whelchel—herself a homeschooling mother of three—introduces to readers fifteen composite portraits of homeschooling families who show how every family can successfully face the unique challenges of its situation. The story-based approach deals with common questions of time management, teaching weaknesses, and outside responsibilities, as well as children’s age variations, social and sports involvement, learning disabilities, and boredom. Seeing a wide variety of homeschooling families in action gives parents the information and confidence they need to make their own decisions about home-based education. Includes a new chapter from Lisa and an all-new resource guide with recommendations from real-life homeschooling families!

[Banner across upper left corner of back cover]:

New, Updated Edition!

“I’m Thinking About Homeschooling”

You’re also probably thinking, But can I really teach my children? Where do I start? What if I need to work outside the home? Must I have twelve children, raise goats, and bake my own bread? And what about socialization?

I could tell you the answers to these questions, but I would rather show you. Beginning with my own, I want to introduce you to fifteen families in fifteen unique situations who have all chosen to homeschool for different reasons, using a variety of learning methods. So… let’s rap lightly on the homeschool door and peek inside before we decide if we are ready to move in!

—Lisa

“Deciding if homeschooling is right for your family just got easier with this warm, entertaining, information-packed portrayal of its flexibility, diversity, triumphs, and challenges. Grab a cup of tea and enjoy!”

—Linda Dobson, author of The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child

Story Behind the Book

“My hope is that by the end of the book, and a stroll through the neighborhood, you will feel more confident as you identify a family situation and teaching method that resonates with your personality and philosophy of education. From there, you can simply look to the end of each chapter to find a sample schedule for the homsechool day and list of curriculum suggestions for that particular teaching method.”

Genres: Nonfiction, Education, Parenting, Family, Christian

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Lisa Diane Whelchel is an American actress, singer, songwriter, author, and life coach. She is known for her appearances as a Mouseketeer on The New Mickey Mouse Club and her nine-year role as the preppy and wealthy Blair Warner on The Facts of Life. In 1984, she was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance for her contemporary Christian album All Because of You. In 2012, Whelchel participated as a contestant on the CBS competitive reality series Survivor: Philippines and tied for second place. She was also voted fan favorite and was awarded $100,000.

Reviews

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very long time ago. I was a teenager. Dinosaurs walked the earth. There was a show on the TV targeted to young adults called "The Facts of Life"..a group of girls at boarding school..blah blah blah...
The queen bee of the group was a character played by Lisa Whelchel.


Once the show went off the air, Whelchel married and had a passel of younguns. She decided to homeschool them. Now why do I give two snots about that?

I took the leap and started homeschooling my boy child just this week. I'm scared to death. Will I socially stump him forever? Will he end up not being able to hold down a job and stay in my house forever? These are some of the questions that are keeping me up at night right now.

The thing is..he is a shy, quiet natured child who has started getting bullied. So this is the path we have decided to take.
Because mom would go to jail if she handled it....


Whelchel even admits that it's a common reason for children to be homeschooled. In one of the families stories in this book it features predominately.
Why didn't the school call me? Mrs. W had tried her best to help Jamie, but that only made him more of a target. She explained that her hands are tied because nothing the bullies had done warranted expulsion. The school board's answer to this kind of thing was "That's just life in junior high."
Bullying happens sometimes though. That's not my only reason for pulling him from public school. He is too shy to ask for help if he is struggling.
Is this going to be a permanent solution? I don't know.
I may end up looking like this and babbling when I talk.

So if I become scarce you guys know I'm taken over by a child and have completely started crying and screaming and I'm sitting in the corner. (I bet some of the folks around GR would love that shit)

So enough with the personal bullshit that I like to throw in.

This book. Well it's kinda outdated for me. It does have some decent points though. There is a ton of the Jesus talk though, so if that's not your cuppa be warned. (It does seem like a ton of the homeschooling programs are religion based)
The book admits that Whelchel is not "preaching" against the public school system. She is just "pro-homeschool" This book at times made me really want to punch Lisa Whelchel though. There is the intro to each "chapter" or person's story that they go all cheese with introducing themselves in a stupid cutesy way.

I picked up this book when I panicked and ran to the library thinking I was going to scar my child for life. Since then and since beginning this book I have taken a few deep breaths. There is probably more updated and pertinent info available online than this book provides. But if you are type A like I am and will research a subject to death..feel free to pick it up. It's not the worst thing ever and it makes you realize you are not alone.
And for the love of man. If anyone does know of a better book talking about homeschooling please tell me.



Now for the fun part! No one on my friends list had reviewed this one. So I'm picking this review here because I agree with her and it's an awesome review. (Don't get your panties in a wad..sometimes I pick people I don't agree with here too)

[Stacey Miner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't going to buy this book because I noticed on the cover that it's a publication of the Focus On the Family Foundation. That's one of those groups out there, in case you don't know, that's adamant about denying gays equal rights regarding marriage and such. So I'm glad I didn't have to buy this book. Instead I got to borrow it from a friend who herself bought it for a super discounted price. Hah!

Anyway. For all its faults, the book lives up to its name. If you're thinking about homeschooling, you really should read this book. Personally I had to skim over about 25% of the material because of the "blah blah blah praise Jesus" content. There were one or two chapters I could fully relate to in which my eyes did not glaze over certain paragraphs. One chapter in particular made me want to find the woman and punch her in the face for being so dense, but...

I did manage to look beyond all that and see the value of this book. These are accounts of real people who have had many of the same doubts and concerns about the public school system that I have since my first daughter was born. It's pretty much helped me fortify a decision to homeschool that I hope I can maintain by the time my daughter is ready for some form of curriculum. I'm pretty sure I can skip registering her at a preschool, and likely even kindergarten, at the very least. I remember being very angry with my niece's kindergarten teacher when I found out they were teaching her to read through memorization and not phonics. I also remember teaching my nephew to read before he went into first grade because he couldn't in kindergarten. I just don't feel the schools today really have our children's best interests in mind. They don't see our children as individuals with different methods of learning. I feel the best person qualified to really teach my children anything, not just how to ace a test to make the school look good, is me.

After reading this book, I'm more willing to sacrifice my own personal time for the rest of my life in an effort to give my children the very best: me.

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever considered homeschooling for your children? Do you think it means you must have twelve children, raise goats, and grind your own wheat? Former actress turned author and homeschooling mom, Lisa Whelchel, provides fifteen different scenarios to help anyone thinking about homeschooling make an informed decision.

This is not a book telling how to homeschool. Instead So You're Thinking About Homeschooling supplies wisdom from people who have been there. Each chapter is written in a conversational tone, giving the reader the feeling of sitting in a person's home talking about their homeschool experiences. We learn how each person researched and made their decision to homeschool, and what it's like for their family.

A variety of family situations are covered: stay-at-home moms and dads, working parents, work-at-home parents, single parents, even homeschooling grandparents. Methods discussed include the principle approach, traditional textbooks, the classical method, video/computer schooling, apprenticeship, unschooling, unit studies, the Charlotte Mason method, self teaching, and combinations of the above. It's an excellent survey, that is both encouraging and comprehensive without being overwhelming. An appendix provides a wealth of information - including addresses, phone numbers, and websites - that allows the reader to explore further any methods and companies they find intriguing.

I personally learned a great deal from So You're Thinking About Homeschooling. It makes clear that while homeschooling is not necessarily the best option for everyone, it can be worked into any lifestyle or family situation. There are methods to suit anyone who makes the choice to homeschool. This book is not high pressure, and it doesn't attack traditional public or private schooling.

If you're looking to dip your toe in the water and see what homeschooling is all about, this is the book for you. Pour a cup of coffee, sit back for a chat with the parents and grandparents who have gone through the decision-making process, and let them help you make the best decision for your own family.

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welchel's style is annoyingly "perky" in this otherwise helpful introduction to home schooling (her 'Facts of Life' character shines through. If you liked that, you won't have a problem. If you found it vaguely annoying, it will be a slight obstacle).

Although the families presented are fictional (NOT real), after surveying 1,000 families and interviewing over 100, Whelchel's perspective is informed.

I found this work a helpful introduction to home school terminology (now I understand the classical education approach!), methods, resources, costs, flexibility, challenges and benefits. After reading it, I am more inclined to believe that we can come up with a home school plan that works for our family.

Struggling with education for an exceptional or twice exceptional child? See
Making the Choice, Goodwin with Gustavson and Wilson, 2011
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

For a new publication on this topic, see... I'm reading it now and will add to GoodReads and post a review when complete.
https://www.sensiblehomeschool.com/th...

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I got past the cheesiness of the book's approach (each subject family welcoming the reader into his/her home), I found it to be a helpful confidence builder in my early research into homeschooling. The fifteen homeschooling families profiled give evidence to the fact that homeschooling can take many, many shapes and forms--it is ok, even great, to think outside of the box when it comes to school and what its purpose is and what it should look like. Not only does homeschooling not have to look like "school," but it has built in flexibility and resilience. I recommend this to anyone ready to look at homeschooling with an open mind; it helped me finalize my choice to homeschool.

[Anna Catherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started flipping through this book in hopes of finding some useful information for a research paper I'm writing, and got surprisingly hooked! Definitely a recommended book for anyone even slightly considering homeschooling, it paints a lot of different pictures of how homeschooling works for different families in a very low-pressure way.

[Rebecca van den Ham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa really crams so many scenarios for homeschooling into this book. Where there's a will, there's a way, and this book will help you figure out the way.

[Adelas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am about 2/3 of the way through this book, but at this point I feel confident in writing the review (before I forget!)

This is a very encouraging book for someone who is 75% convinced I want to homeschool.

The book is set up with an introductory chapter, and then each subsequent chapter is written as though you are sitting down to chat with a family. The individual families are composites made up of situations, stories, and methods used by real families that Lisa Whelchel knew or interviewed.

Each "family" in the book has a different reason for homeschooling, a different way of actually getting it done, and introduces a different type of curriculum. That was the part of it that was encouraging for me - helping me think through my decision from several perspectives that sort of mirror mine.

Of course, because of the nature of the book, all of the "families" in the book are succeeding at their hypothetical homeschooling

. It does get quite cheesy, and even though the author specifically points out (correctly) that the schooling and curriculum information is usable by people of any religion or non-religion... she is still the one writing, so all of the families are written in her voice. If you are so anti-Christian that you can't stomach hearing "thank the Lord"s or reading about kids having Bible lessons as one of their areas of study, then you won't be able to handle this book. But her statement was accurate - even when she's cheesy, she has good insights and is able to clearly sum up the important points of each type of teaching style, curriculum, and many good reasons for homeschooling.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book of Lisa Whelchel's while she was in our area speaking, great speaker by the way, if she comes to your area, go see her!

Basically, this book is for those of us who are brand spanking new to homeschooling and feeling a little overwhelmed and intimidated by the whole thing. If you're asking yourself the following questions: Can I do this? Do I want to do this? Where do I even start? Then this is the book for you.

Lisa takes 14 fictionalized families, based on real life people, plus her own family and tells their homeschooling tales. You are introduced to every sort of family situation there is - stay at home moms, working moms, single parents, grandparents, stay at home dads, farm families, city families, even an RV family, people with 1 child, people with a bus load of children, and people with special needs children and these children range in age from preschool to high-school. So you really get a feeling that no matter what your lifestyle, you can find a way to homeschool that works for you.

You are introduced to the variety of homeschooling curriculum and methods as well. Plus at the end of the book is an index with websites on where to go for more information plus real-life homeschooler comments on what specific curriculum/methods they like.

All in all a GREAT book that I would recommend to anyone and one that really calmed the butterflies in my stomach and gave me a sense of what would work for me and what avenue I wanted to direct my research to.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another time I wish we could give 1/2 star reviews. If you've read my other reviews, this book does not compare to my other 4 star ratings. It is really more like a 3. However, if you are thinking about homeschooling, this book is great! (It could very well be given 5 stars in the very small "I'm considering homeschooling" genre.) I appreciated that it didn't bash public schooling. In fact there was little to no "bashing", period. It was very up beat and positive. Of course it sang the praises of homeschooling, but if after reading this book, you chose not to home school, you would not feel guilty for making that decision. The author is non-judgmental, just encouraging. However, the constant "conversational" tone did tend to get a bit annoying. I loved that it showed real people in their own home school environment that they love and is working for them. It really showed how flexible homeschooling can be and how there is no one right way. It is a great introduction to many different methods. I would also venture as far as saying that even if you have NEVER given homeschooling a second thought, this book is just interesting to see how so many real people do it. I honestly loved it! So there.

[Carrie Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book for the first few chapters. Lisa Whelchel has a very positive approach to the topic of homeschooling, without bashing public schools or people who make choices different than her own. The whole tone of her book is very friendly and conversational. She covers a lot of topics in a non-intimidating way by telling the stories of fictional homeschooling families.

Unfortunately, the folksy style of the book really started to get to me about halfway through. Whelchel writes from the perspective of different fictional people, but they all sound like her, and it became irritating. She started every chapter with the new family saying things like, "Can I offer you some lemonade?" which started to seem really silly after a while. Each family presented different homeschooling styles, but they all sounded like the same family because, of course, the different chapters were all actually written by the same person.

I still liked this book because of the great information presented. And someone who's turned off by the drier textbook-like styles of some other books might really prefer this. But for me this book was like eating dessert. It was nice and sweet at first, but before I got through it all I was tired of the sweetness.

[Beth N]

I really enjoyed this book because it gave you a view of homeschooling from those actually doing it. Ms. Whelchel included her own view as well as composite stories of thousands of interviewed homeschooling families. I also like the explanations of the learning styles.

I understand that homeschooling generally has a Christian start but I really wish she included some stories of homeschooling from those that weren't Christian. I think that would have been invaluable for the Christian and un-Christian families out there reading this book and may foster a higher understanding between the two groups. As a person who does not follow the Christian faith, I still found this view to incredibly interesting.

I also would have liked more stories from people who were of a lower income bracket. I liked how she included a small rural farm and a renting city goer, but what about the family who wants to home school and can't do without a second income. She answers this by starting your own business but what if you aren't business savvy.

So as far as I am concerned if you are in fact considering homeschooling this is a good place to start.

[Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been considering homeschool since before my son could walk...never comfortable with the thought of public school, at least not at first. As the years have gone on he's gone to a Christian preschool that I adore, but as kindergarten approaches I've had to keep re-evaluating what we're going to do. A good friend gave me this book to read, and I'm so glad I did! it gave me the real perspectives I needed to make a decision to homeschool! It isn't a book that bashes public school, just tells real stories from real families from all different walks of life, who use all different kinds of curriculum. The timing for me to read this was perfect, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants more information about homeschool in a book that's easy and fun to read.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa Whelchel presents many different ways to homeschool: while running a family farm or a family business, touring the country, joining homeschool groups, traditional schooling at home or in at the workplace, at grandparents', etc. There is now even online public school options. All require dedication, creativity and reasons to leave the public school system. Resources are given at the end. I liked the book on discovering your child's learning style in "The Way They Learn" by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias. There is a reminder to check state laws. Ms. Whelchel's website also has resources at www.lisawhelchel.com. At the end of the book, Ms. Whelchel states that after reading this book, people will either run away from homeschooling or run toward it! You decide.

[Katina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been thinking about homeschooling our kids for several years now, but have never really felt the push until recently. This book is a great "starter" book if you're considering homeschooling at all. It is a bit cheesy in format, but content wise it is very informational. It provides a good background into all (or at least very many) types of homeschooling, and gave me the confidence to just say, "Yes, I can actually do this too." This was a quick read, which was helpful since I had several books on homeschooling that I was trying to get through. I would highly recommend this one if you are even slightly considering homeschooling. It's a great intro.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides fact-based stories about 15 families who homeschool their children. Each family’s situation is different, and so the approach is different in each case. It is helpful to see the variety that is possible, that there isn’t one right way or one best curriculum. Some stories resonate more than others, and it’s important to understand that as well as suiting the children’s, homeschooling needs to be enjoyable and manageable for the parents.

The book contains a useful guide to resources.

[Iris van Meer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read to make myself more comfortable with the terminology used in homeschooling. The writing style is very easy, reads more like a novel than an informative book. That's the downside too: it doesnt really provide you with any handson, practical information, but hey, it didn't promise it would. Read within 24 hours cover-to-cover. I like the fact that the writer still sees the choice to homeschool or not as something completely open: she's not 'forcing' you, as the reader, in one or the other direction.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bunch of different essays (or more like personal accounts) about how different families homeschool and their reasons for doing so, from the family with a special-needs kid, a military family, a quiverful family, a family that lives in an RV, and a family whose children were victims of school violence. Instead of actual anecdotes they're sort of mashup amalgamated families.

Also discusses the different types of homeschooling, and there's an extensive appendix at the end of resources (though certainly outdated since the book was written in 2005).

[Alexia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! I bought this as a recommendation for parents considering homeschooling about a year ago and it sat on my shelf. Don't let the cheesy cover dissuade you. I was reading it every extra moment I had and that's a big deal since it isn't a Romantic fiction or parenting book that I am in desperate need of ie. Babywise. Every family situation in this book is so different and I learned so much. I knew I was definitely going to homeschool even before this book but this really put a fire under me.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great look at many different ways to homeschool, different reasons, different family structures, and different teaching philosophies. This is not a 'how to' book, but more a look at various styles of homeschooling. It's encouraging for anyone who thinks they can't homeschool, as they will probably find SOME connection to one of the example families and hopefully be encouraged that maybe they can do it after all.

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

With all of the books about Homeschooling out there, most of them being big and textbook-like, I thought this was a light and easy way to introduce ways to Homeschool. I did not feel overwhelmed after reading this. I felt like there were many different paths to achieve my goal and I could do whichever one worked best for my family. This is a great introduction to anyone thinking about Homeschooling.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely could have done without the cheesy intros to each family, but that didn't affect my overall feelings about t88i88iokkgu2he book. I'm on the fence between a 3 or 4 star rating. This was not the best homeschool book I've read, but it's definitely of value to those who are still trying to decide which homeschooling method7u777üo use because, it gives the reader a glimpse into 15 different families

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great, non-intimidating intro to the many methods of homeschooling. I enjoyed learning by example about a huge array of family types, homeschooling methods, and advice to new homeschoolers. From the books I looked into for an intro to homeschooling, this one was great because it was easy to read and helped me not panic so much about how to begin this huge endeavor.

[Samara · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the best books I have found on the many different types of families who homeschool their children. It is short but does a beautiful job of illustrating how people from all walks of life find ways to homeschool their children and why they do it. I am a single parent about to homeschool my daughter and it helped give me a better understanding of how I can make that work for us.

[Eva North · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was more of a “this is how we did it" homeschooling book. somewhat informational but only if you had already gone through six months-year of homeschooling and were wondering how others got through it.

[Ruth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Instead of being about 15 families that homeschool, this book took 100 interviews and mashed everyone's details into 15 fake families. I got through the first chapter/"family" and realized the style would not impart any useful knowledge to me.

[Mary Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are thinking about home schooling, or have even been home schooling for a while, this is the first book you need to read. I never knew there were so many different ways to home school! Every time I am asked by someone thinking about home schooling, this book is top on the list I give them.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lisa Whelchel wrote this book in a very down-to-earth conversational way. I like it. It's not intimidating. The examples in this book have reassured me that I need to continue homeschooling my mentally ill son while my two other children go to private school.

[C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My children are grown and too old for homeschooling, but I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a lot of fun to read and had a lot of good information. If I were thinking about homeschooling I would start with this book.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes homeschooling seem more achievable. It is strongly Christian based, but there are also families who are not using Christian based content. Also a big range of parent involvement, resources and ages. Very useful starting point.