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Catalogue
Michele Hastings ISBN 1 876651 31 8 Sorry, this book is temporarily out of stock. Faced with an uncertain financial future, Michele Hasting, a Christian unschooling mother of seven years experience, begins to doubt her ability to continue teaching her children at home. Her insecurities lead her to begin to question her faith and her ability to provide an adequate education for her two boys. The Homeschooling Trail is an intimate and detailed account of how the children in one family learn at home using an eclectic mix of methods and resources, finely tuned into the passing seasons of school work, community participation, and family life. Share Michele’s quest for faith in this revealing ‘warts and all, fly on the wall’ account of daily homeschooling life. Michele's insights into the developing character of her sons and their strengths and limitations allow us to see more clearly how learning unfolds in the homeschool environment. One of the most valuable aspects of Michele’s account of daily homeschooling life is the constant name dropping of books and resources… In her quest to provide the best education possible for Asher and Tymon, Michele never tires of seeking out new and relevant advice, tips and activities from those more experienced on the path…
What readers think... “We don't adhere to any particular curriculum or scope and sequence – our homeschooling recipe is an eclectic blend of styles and theories. Mary Griffith, author of “The Homeschooling Handbook” refers to eclectics as ‘balancing exploration with basics.' As much as possible, we allow our boys to follow their interests, as we consider any interest of educational benefit.” And thus author and homeschooling mother, Michele Hasting, describes her homeschool. After reading her journey, a description of one year in their “unschooled” life, I feel it is an apt description. It also probably describes the homeschooling journey of many others – and is precisely why the book is a satisfying read. We see ourselves, our doubts, our experiences in Hastings ' description of her homeschool. Hastings is a Christian homeschooling mother of two sons. Both Hastings and her husband are drawn to the unschooling end of the homeschooling spectrum. They believe that children, growing up in a loving and responsive home, will reach their full potential as adults. This is, however, not another book about picture perfect homeschoolers. Instead, the author invites us to “be a fly on our wall for a realistic day-by-day glimpse of homeschooling life”, including sports, video games, chores and some angst over covering academic basics. Michele Hastings reminds us that ordinary people, living ordinary lives, can homeschool. Indeed, can provide a learning atmosphere for children surrounded by ideas and learning and growth, even in the midst of financial and other concerns. The intimate details of Hastings life are strangely reassuring – we see that others have “good" days and “could be better” days; we see the importance of free time and exploration in the growth of children; we see the individual differences between siblings and how unschooling can address these differences. Most of all, the book is about trust. Trusting children to learn. Trusting ourselves as parents and as mothers – our intuition and our personalities are important in our homeschooling adventure. And, for Hastings , the importance of trust in God – she quotes Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Hastings discusses her research into homeschooling and the resultant belief that it important to pay attention to not only a child's individual learning style but to his/her timetable for growth. She incorporates activities into a daily “table-time”, where she and the boys work on reading, writing, and mathematics. The children are fee to choose the aspect of these skills that they may wish to tackle that day, and to accomplish such work in ways that make sense to them, and at their individual pace. In addition to table-time, the family works together on chores and then the bulk of the day is free – typically her children choose to attend homeschool activities, to play sport, to play with friends, watch television, play computer games…. Doesn't this describe the homeschool day of many families? Even in our differences there are similarities and this theme of familiar companionship along the journey of homeschooling/unschooling makes the book an easy and enjoyable read. I left it in the book box by my bed and read a bit here and there – the book is easy to pick up, read and digest; it made me smile in parts, grimace in others and wryly commiserate at some points. Upon finishing the book, I felt sadness at parting with Hastings and her family – the sharing of their life throughout a year of homeschooling made them seem like friends. I also felt renewed and refreshed as I continue my own homeschooling trail. This book is a good companion for the trail." "What I sometimes find in the home schooling community is a false projection of perfection that makes me discouraged. I love the way Michele tells it like it is—walking me through her days and sharing with me her passion for home schooling. Her delight-centered learning approach offers me freedom to do home school in a more laid-back, child-centered way."
What's in this book? Contents...
Michele's first published piece was an essay along with a few quotes in Christian Unschooling: Growing Your Children in the Freedom of Christ by Teri Brown and Elissa Wahl. She then began a column on a website called Themestream, followed by regular items in the Christ Centered Unschoolers forum.
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April Jermey took over the reins of Always Learning Books from hr mother, Beverley Paine, in 2011. A stay-at-home part-time working mum of two young children, April experienced a mix of education, including homeschooling, unschooling, part-time attendance at school, completing her high school certificate at school. She supports the right of families to choose the education that best meets the needs of their children.
Beverley Paine home educated her three children, now all adults, between 1985 and 2004. An active volunteer supporting and promoting education choice for families she continues to be an advocate for homeschooling and unschooling in Australia, participating in conferences and camps and contributing to newsletters and magazines. She also edits and publishes the quarterly journal Homeschool~Unschool~Australia!
About Home Education Home education is a legal alternative to school education
in Australia. State and territory governments are responsible
for regulating home education and have different registration
requirements, however homeschooling families are able, and
encouraged, to develop curriculum and learning programs to suit
the educational and developmental needs of their individual children. For more information visit Have a question about home education? Please join one of Beverley's online support groups:
Beverley's manual on how to write your own homeschool curriculum! The ultimate DIY guide. Still only $25...
"Beverley's patience, experience, and understanding of both the
questions and the answers make her a wonderfully helpful guide to
the adventure of helping children learn without school." "Beverley's lengthy experience in the homeschooling community is legend. Thankfully for all involved she continues to share her deep thinking and acquired wisdom..." Linda Dobson, Parent at the Helm A refreshing practical approach to unschooling based on the needs
of the child and family which demystifies and simplifies the philosophy
and practice of this style of home education. |
