Homeschooling; A Family's Journey

I got this book out of the library a couple days ago. I went searching for something inspirational, as summer draws to a close, that would help me get in the mood for switching gears into our fall routine. So I pulled a couple of books off the shelf and brought them home. One of them was this book which I don't believe I had ever heard of before. It is by Gregory and Martine Millman. They are homeschoolers who've been at it since the mid 90's. They are both writers and editors with Mr. Millman working as a financial journalist and who has also written several books in that field. They have six children. The oldest 3 are girls who as of the publication of this book, 2007, were all in colleges. They still had three younger sons homeschooing at home at the high school and elementary levels. They are Catholic! That was a nice surprise for me.

I found this book really intelligently written and insightful. The Millmans chronicle their journey into homeschooling and how their philosophy of homeschooling and, well, life(!), developed. They talk about all aspects of it, the richness of learning, how learning at home must needs be different from learning in an institutional setting. This is mixed in with very practical advice. I especially liked the whole section they had on their experience getting their children into college. I felt Mr. Millman's voice most strongly in the telling. He writes like a reporter, interviewing various people, citing resources, studies, polls. He draws on his knowledge of business in analyzing the phenomenon of homeschooling. This aspect of the book presented the subject matter in a fresh light which I found thought provoking.

There's a lot of wisdom in this book! I think it would speak to any style of homeschooler from unschoolers (which the Millmans seem to identify strongly with) to those who are more conventional in how they educate their children. And even though the Millmans are Catholic and that very evidently influences their choices, the book is not a Catholic Homeschooling book. I think it would appeal to homeschoolers of all stripes.

Anyway, thank you to the Millmans for writing this book! It was just the ticket I needed. I keep going back and rereading sections. There's food for thought here that can guide me in our learning lifestyle this year. May God continue to bless them!