Whether hip-deep in the trenches of homeschooling, or struggling with your local public school, Israel Wayne has well-thought answers for your questions about how to homeschool. He walks the talk, having been home-educated back when it was illegal, and now he partners with his wife to educate their nine children. He was written many books, including Education: Does God Have an Opinion? and he is a conference speaker as well.
In his book, Answers for Homeschooling – Top 25 Questions Critics Ask, I found myself encouraged, challenged, and confronted. Loaded with suggestions, the book covers a lot of territory, so I will give just a few examples.
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Encouraged
Even with a teaching certificate and a master’s degree in education, I was unaware of the history of homeschooling in America. Wayne was there for the struggles first hand and now I appreciate the freedom we have much more and feel compelled to ensure my kids have the same freedom when faced with schooling their own. We can also celebrate the achievements of homeschoolers and the wonderful reputation they created for the rest of us.
Challenged
Soon my kids will be joining the ranks of homeschool graduates, but before they do, I have a few precious years left. Wayne reminds us of the priorities of child-raising and our God-given responsibilities. Today we are laying the foundation for a lifelong relationship that God uses to mold us to His image. I am excited to take some of his suggestions for whole-child development and implement them, and I am quite certain my family will reap the rewards.
Confronted
Each day I learn something new. Wayne confronts me with the idea that using the public school system, for even something as benign as music class which we do, is to perpetuate a broken system that costs everyone and entraps the majority of us. His underlying assumption is either that the system, our government, can be fixed, or we should not participate in public schooling on principle alone. I will be considering this for many months, and will have to make a decision before the beginning of the next school year. Throughout the book, he has his Biblically-based, logically-constructed opinions, and still he is consistently respectful. How refreshing!
In conclusion, his book, Answers for Homeschooling – Top 25 Questions Critics Ask, will now take its place on my bookshelf, between The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook by Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore, and The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home, by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise. He dexterously combines the whole-child approach developed by the Moores with the rigor of the classical approach championed by Susan and Jesse. These are my companions in our homeschool journey along with the Bible and the counsel of my family. I highly recommend this book to new and experienced homeschoolers alike.
