Successful Homeschooling

J. Richard Fugate's chief concern is that Christian homeschool families maintain the right ideological foundation throughout their children's education. He presents his version of that foundation in Successful Homeschooling, less a practical guide than a manifesto for Christian-based home instruction. While the last chapter (written by David J. Korecki and not Fugate) deals with selecting curriculum, the bulk of this short book is about the whyrather than the howof homeschooling, and even in Korecki's chapter the focus is on finding a Bible-based curriculum that evidences a Christian worldview.

The subtitle Essential Issues for Beginners & Veteransis slightly misleading. While his arguments are mostly biblical and reasonable, and while veteran homeschool families could certainly use a boost of morale from time to time, Successful Homeschoolingis definitely oriented to new homeschool families or those still contemplating the option. It would also serve well as a booklet for handing out to friends and family critical of your decision to educate your children at home, offering solid arguments rooted in the immorality of the government schools and the need to raise godly Christians.

There are plenty of books available offering Bible-based arguments in favor of homeschooling. The benefit of Fugate's is its brevity—at 70 pages (not including appendixes which are simply resources lists), Successful Homeschoolingcan easily be read in one sitting. If you're looking for a book explaining educational philosophies and curriculum approaches, this isn't the one you want. But for a concise presentation of the spiritual, moral and academic reasons many Christian families homeschool, this is a good choice, even if it is only an introduction to the topic.