Better Than School

I absolutely loved this book! It gave me so much to think about and made me realize that my children were still learning even if it didn't look like it compared to usual standards. I realized that I too need to deschool and quit thinking "school" in order to help my children more. This book is witty, intelligent, thoughtful, and written by a woman who obviously loves her family very much. I also appreciated that it was secular and I didn't have to skip over any religious parts.

Nancy Wallace and her family were unschooing before unschooling became a buzz-word. There are delightful moments in this, the first book on homeschooling I ever read. I especially enjoyed Wallace's discussions of music in her home. Her children's example led me to Suzuki music. Music now fills my home in a very special way, just as it filled the Wallace home. Her dealings with school districts, expectations and general schooling issues are so interesting, as are her stories of visits from unschooing proponent John Holt.

This book is a sort of dictation of the way the Wallaces spent their days (and ultimately, their lives) with their children, Ishmael and Vita. It tells of the reasons behind their homeschooling, the struggles with legislation and school boards they had to face, and the day-to-day activities of the children. As a portrayal of homeschooling it is of course very accurate in that it is real: however you cannot expect to draw many generalisations from it as all homeschooling families are quite different. Nancy Wallace really explores *music* and learning music more in depth than some other fields, yet her comments and observations are often very helpful to a new homeschooling parent or to anyone intersted in the parent's role. This book is quite 'old', seeing as it was written when John Holt was alive. I am currently looking for Ishmael Wallace; if anyone has any information regarding how to get in touch with him please let me know.