Book Review: Answers For Homeschooling - Top 25 Questions Critics Ask

When my wife (Colleen) and I obeyed the call of the Lord to home educate our children in 2012, it was not a decision that came easy. Both of us were educated through the government education system and we both thought we had positive experiences. So when the thought of homeschooling came to us, we were resistant. Primarily we were resistant due to our misconceptions about homeschooling based on our own limited personal experiences with those we knew were home schooled. We were definitely "those critics" of which which the book Answers for Homeschooling - Top 25 Questions Critics Ask, authored by Israel Wayne, mentions.


However as we grew in our new way of living (e.g., homeschooling), God strengthened our faith in Him to teach and train His heritage ("our" children). The misconceptions also began to fade and the Holy Spirit helped us see more clearly about the importance of a Christian education than ever before! The Holy Spirit actually used discussions surrounding the topics of this book to help us through our new decision in 2012 and He continues to help us today as we live the journey of homeschooling. That is why I believe the book, Answers for Homeschooling - Top 25 Questions Critics Ask, is an essential resource for families who are considering homeschooling, new to homeschooling, and even those who have been homeschooling for sometime.

The author of the book, Israel Wayne, is no stranger to homeschooling. As the book indicates, he has been associated with home education since 1978, when he and his sister were taken out of kindergarten to be homeschooled. Israel shares his personal experience as a homeschooled child all throughout the book and he also shares his own experience as a homeschool Father, along with his wife Brook Wayne (also a homeschool graduate). I think it is important to hear from both of them on this topic since they have lived the life of homeschooling for 30+ years, even when homeschooling was illegal.  They have been on the forefront of the revitalized homeschool movement, even though they themselves have learned and have been mentored by other homeschool "pioneers". So they have a perspective that many homeschoolers today do not have or can fully appreciate and their experiences can better equip homeschool families today with standing firm on the true foundations of why we home educate.

So why do I think this book is essential for the "thinking about homeschooling" and "currently homeschooling" families? It simply can better equip families to "always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you" (I Peter 3:15). I wish this book was around when Colleen and I first started home educating in 2012. We had many resources through our state's homeschool convention to help introduce us to homeschooling and to help us grow in our calling, however having one book that addressed topics like, "Socialization", "Being qualified", "Homeschooling high school", "Sheltering our children", "Extracurricular activities", and "Not enough patience", would have been great. Now would-be and current homeschool families have that one book that provides a quick reference to common questions. It not only helps provide a response to a question, but it can better affirm their decision to homeschool. This book coupled with Israel's other book, Education: Does God Have An Opinion? - A Biblical Apologetic For Christian Education And Homeschooling, of which I have provided a thorough summary here, certainly would help the reader understand education from a Biblical/Christian worldview and how better to defend it among critics (even Christian critics).

I honestly like all of the topics covered in this book. The book deals with the legality of homeschooling, to describing the difference between homeschooling and government school at home, to socialization and extracurricular activities, to parents ability to home educate, and even a recommended approach for responding to the critics. Answers for Homeschooling - Top 25 Questions Critics Ask actually exceeded my expectations when addressing each of the topics. I especially liked how each chapter of the book were "short" and to the point in addressing the topic but at the same time were "deep" and informational enough that I felt satisfied with the response to the chapter's question. Having the book laid out this way also made me feel I could move through the book faster and still feel I had more time spent covering the material.

As I stated above, any family considering homeschooling or are even currently homeschooling should have this book. It is a great resource to address the critic's questions about homeschooling, even if the critic is yourself. It will help foster a confidence in you that will help you better communicate the truth about homeschooling and ultimately, as a Christian homeschooler, represent the truth of God's Word on the topics at hand.