Have you ever considered home education, but have a multitude of unanswered questions? I’m here to introduce a new book which I hope will be a useful resource. “Another Way to Learn? -Discovering the Beauty of Home Education” aims to equip and empower families in the daily rhythms and choices of home education. With a foreword from Steve Beegoo, an afterword by
Randall and Mary Hardy, and chapters in between packed with practical advice and encouragement, it is indeed a book for this time. It is written by a collaboration of home educating parents with a wide range of experience and expertise and aims to inspire those who are curious about this pathway, as well as encourage those already on the journey.
Home education has arguably come of age in the UK, with a small number of second generation home educators, and an increasing number of home ed graduates in our universities and work
places. We are developing our own body of research and our homegrown resource base is blossoming, with curricula, podcasts, courses and conferences. When we decided to take our oldest son out of school, the few books I delved into were classicsfrom the States. That was seventeen years ago, and to be honest I did remarkably little research. It was before the time of easy phone internet access and Facebook groups. Living in the countryside, we did not have any home ed groups nearby so I prayed, trusted my instincts, and set about enjoying each day with our then five and three year old sons. We had a ball! Although the mists of time can add a rosy glow to our memories, old journals confirm the fun we had as we deepened our relationships and delighted in our learning. It was only when we entered the teen years, with exams looming on the horizon and we had added two younger daughters into the mix, that I started to seek out more information. I devoured books, blogs and podcasts. With a few notable exceptions, these all originated from the States and I remain deeply grateful for the encouragement
and confirmation they gave me to continue through the teen years.
It was during this time that I conceived the concept of a multi authored book for UK home educators. It’s interesting to trace the influences which lead to the birth of projects such as this. One of the significant books I read was Lynda Rose’s “What are they teaching the Children?”(Wilberforce, 2016). We were already home educating when I read it, and the carefully researched
chapters and general trajectory which it portrayed were very influential in keeping me going during
the tough times. And yes, we have plenty of those as home educators! These are when my utter
conviction that we are doing the best thing for our children keeps me going, one day at a time.
Home education is not an easy option, but it does enable us to explore, create and investigate with
our children. It leads us down meandering paths where we can become immersed in the beauty of
the world around us, in good books, and in soulful conversations. Our children have the freedom to
develop questioning minds and critical thinking skills. Home education may not be the right option
for every family, but if you are curious to know more, I hope that this book will answer some of your
questions. It can be ordered from any bookseller or requested from your library. Do take a look at
our website https://www.anotherwaytolearn.co.uk/, which is a fantastic resource in itself, with the
stories of all the contributors, a page of useful resources, and a brief summary of each chapter.
Happy exploring! Molly x
