Learning in the Absence of Education

Essays on Homeschooling

© Beverley Paine

Reasons, Characteristics and Outcomes of Home Education
(continued)

The following list of characteristics are drawn from research seeking to find a descriptive profile of parents and children engaged in learning at home in order to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of home education.

practice of home education follows closely from the reasons for choosing it and from lifestyle choices;

parents are highly interested in children’s personal, social and spiritual development;

both parents are actively involved in home educating their children with the mother as the ‘teacher’ most of the time;

most, though not all, parents have attended or graduated from tertiary education;

learning programs tend to move from formal structured activities to generally more informal, spontaneously generated learning activities with time and experience;

learning programs tend to be flexible and highly individualised with use of home made and purchased curriculum materials;

home educated students study a wide range of subjects, including conventional school ones;

many families are also interested and involved in home birth, breast feeding, and healthy lifestyle choices;

a variety of religious beliefs are represented among home educating families.

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More than 60 essays covering a wide range of home schooling concerns and issues, such as late readers, value of play, socialisation, learning maths, part time school, and thoughts on testing. Learning in the Absence of Education is an intimate and honest look at day-to-day homeschooling life spanning several years. Includes articles on learning maths, reading and writing, spelling, socialisation, part time schooling, fathers and homeschooling, value of play, grading and testing, coping with stress and illness, and much more.

"These essays are the real life experiences of a long term home educator and activist and make inspiring reading... a valuable resource for all those interested in home education.... What I particularly appreciate are the personal day-to-day stories that are so specific in the incident or outcome These are essays written over time that reflect natural learning (read life) as it really happens.

I really enjoy Beverley's writing style in this book. It is very direct, sometimes even challenging the reader. She tries to be scrupulously honest always so we read of advantages and disadvantages of whatever topic she is discussing. She will also point out the ideal situation and how she thinks she falls short. Sometimes she is self-deprecating; sometimes she glows with enthusiasm for their successful lifestyle. There are touches of humour and sometimes wry cynicism.

Hopefully this book will answer many people's questions and fears about natural learning. It is all in here: how right it feels when natural learning is working well, what happens when we have insecurities ourselves, and the results so far. By presenting the natural learning case in this essay style, Beverley has been able to reflect the different moods, the ups and downs, that make the book a valuable resource for all those interested in home education, whatever their current style."
Janine Banks, home educator, Qld

ISBN 1876651016, 128 pages... $22.95

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