The Educating Parent (merging Beverley Paine's Homeschool Australia and Unschool Australia)

Why Do You Want to Homeschool?
The Essential Australian Guide

by Rochelle Sutherland

House of Hadrian Press , 2006 ISBN 0977502813
available from the publisher, 42 Bayly St Gulgong NSW 2852

Reviewed by Beverley Paine, 2007

Families beginning the homeschooling adventure are usually hungry for information. It's easy to source excellent 'how to' books on homeschooling by American authors: a quick Google search will bring up hundreds of books! Not so for Australian titles, which is why I was excited to receive Rochelle Sutherland's Why do you want to Homeschool? The Essential Australian Guide in the mail.

Rochelle begins by offering a brief examination of what is going wrong with schools, followed by a quick reference to the history of the development of schooling in Australia . Although NSW-centric the information echoes that by John Taylor Gatto in his Dumbing Us Down and Underground History of American Education . Understanding the real purpose of schooling helps to boost our confidence that home education is a wise and valid choice for our families.

The real meat in Rochelle's book begins after her concise definition of homeschooling - "education taken primarily in the child's home" and a quick review of the different approaches and methods used by homeschoolers. Some approaches are examined in more detail than others, which will satisfy some readers and annoy others, but taken together demonstrate that home education isn't simply replicating 'school at home'.

Beginning homeschooling is a huge subject: the more one dips into it the bigger it gets! Rochelle's brevity is a blessing as it allows her to cover many aspects and questions that always arise for newcomers without bogging the reader down in detail. Drawn from personal experience, the advice and information have a homely, 'real' feel without being preachy. The book includes a comprehensive sample learning program readers can use as a guide to developing their own curriculum. Readers will also appreciate the detail in the chapter on Relevant State by State Legislation.

A good book always leaves the reader hungry for more... Rochelle's book is a great opener on the subject of home education for any family interested in taking personal responsibility for their children's education.

available from House of Hadrian Press

back to Book Reviews

Was this article helpful? Was it worth $1.00 to you? Your gift of $1 or more helps to keep this site operating offering encouragement and reassurance to families wanting better outcomes for their children.

Beverley Paine with her children, and their home educated children, relaxing at home.

Together with the support of my family, my aim is to help parents educate their children in stress-free, nurturing environments. In addition to building and maintaing this website, I continue to create and manage local and national home educating networks, help to organise conferences and camps, as well as write for, edit and produce newsletters, resource directories and magazines. I am an active supporter of national, state, regional and local home education groups.