Heart of Home Schooling

Both an encouragement to those already homeschooling and an exhortation to those who aren't, The Heart of Home Schoolingdoesn't try to convince anyone home education is easy—simply that it's the most biblical choice. Christopher Klicka was long an active part of the homeschool community, in legal capacities, as an activist, and as a father, and here he discusses forthrightly the joys and trials of teaching your kids at home.

The first chapters are directed toward fathers. As heads of the home, they are required by God to look after their families' spiritual well-being, and Klicka argues the only sureway to do this is by taking the responsibility on themselves, not relegating it to a state-run institution. This is more difficult than it sounds, but as a veteran who's had to learn to balance career and family, he offers practical advice for achieving this goal. Mothers and teenagers are also addressed, and their relationship to the family's spiritual life explored.

So what is the heart of home schooling? For Klicka, home schooling is a conscious choice made by parents to influence their children positively for the Kingdom of God. While it does offer the opportunity for better academic instruction than is offered in government schools, that isn't the foundation; the central element of home education is the Christian guidance and influence parents can have without exposing their children to the world and its corrupting influence.

This doesn't mean Klicka was in favor of isolationism. On the contrary—because homeschool children can be raised in the fear and admonition of the Lord, homeschool families are much better equipped for evangelism and missions. Two chapters near the end of the book are devoted to this topic, both on a local and a global scale.

If you're already homeschooling, this book can help you avoid burnout and discouragement; if you haven't yet made the leap to teaching your kids on your own, it will offer compelling, Scriptural reasons to seriously consider doing so. Other resources for mothers and fathers are listed in the back, as well as a quiz for men to help gauge their commitment to raising a godly family. Convicting and encouraging, this book is excellent for parents on any stage of the homeschooling journey.