The Catholic Homeschool Companion
Maureen Wittmann & Rachel Mackson
I read this book because I am considering homeschooling my 3 boys. We are practicing Catholics and I wanted a book that approached it from a Catholic perspective. This book was excellent!
This book is nearly 500 pages and has 50 different short essays that were written by various men and women who have successfully home-schooled their children. I liked the essay format in that it allowed me to pick and chose topics that were most appealing and then go back and read the other essays. There were also a few essays written by home-schooled children who are now in college and included their opinions of why homeschooling was/is a good option. It alleviated any fears I had about false “stereotypes” of home-schooled children.
The various essays addressed many different topics such as: teaching core and enrichment (art, music, etc) subjects, homeschooling in high school, homeschooling styles and strategies, children with special needs, homeschooling in unique circumstances, the father’s perspective, finding inspiration, homeschooling community support and so much more. The book is packed full of wonderful strategies and directs the readers to various places for additional resources.
The book will guide any homeschooling parents to find an appropriate curriculum, how to teach foreign languages and how to seek out other like-minded parents for support. This book opened my eyes to the many joys and struggles of homeschooling. What impressed me the most is that all of these parents had chose homeschooling in the hopes of providing their children with a Catholic environment that would ultimately lead them closer to our Lord. In doing so, as parents we are helping our children to seek salvation and as a result, our children are bringing us closer to Jesus and the Blessed Mother. The whole family unites and finds their strength in Christ. These children are being raised with a rich experience of their faith and this book offers support, encouragement and ideas to fulfill this mission. I recommend this book to any and all mothers who are homeschooling or considering homeschooling. This is such a valuable resource!!!! Thank you to Sophia Institute Press and Amazon.com for selling such a rich book.
