Homepreschool and Beyond

To all those asking if they should homeschool their preschoolers, Susan Lemons answers with a resounding, "Yes!" Is there anyone who shouldn't try to homeschool? Not according to Lemons, since God created children to learn at home from their parents, and not at institutions from "experts."

This is the age of the expert, Lemons points out, and what has it got us? Children with more developmental, emotional, and learning challenges than ever before. What's the solution? Teach them at home, where they belong. Homepreschool and Beyond is, as the subtitle puts it, "A Comprehensive Guide to Early Home Education," so you don't have to flounder in the dark.

Like most homeschool guide books, this one has the recognizable sections: tackling the basics, reading lots of good books, subject-based skills, curriculum and methods, and extensive appendices for resources, making the decision to homeschool, and an essay by the late Christopher Klicka called, "The Battle for Our Children's Minds."

Unlike other books in the genre, Homepreschool and Beyond includes an entire section on games and play, which both promotes the use of toys and games and demonstrates how they're vital to the overall development of children. Of course, she also offers many suggestions for games to play with your kids.

Lemons also tackles an often ignored topic: discipline. Since you'll be educating (or rather, prepping for education) very young children, disciplining them will be at least as big a part of your day as actually instructing them. Lemons urges parents to approach this often difficult subject in light of God's Word, avoiding extremes and keeping the spiritual well-being of the child foremost.

This is a Christian book, so many of Lemons's ideas and suggestions revolve around instilling a biblical worldview in your kids. She doesn't keep things theoretical, however, instead illustrating and fleshing out concepts at every turn with plenty of practical advice, examples, and lists of resources.

Both veteran homeschoolers and newbies will get a lot out of Homepreschool and Beyond, though one of its primary benefits has nothing to do with education directly—this isn't just a how-to manual, but a defense of homeschooling preschoolers and why you don't need to be afraid to do so. Lemons affirms she's no expert, but she is an experienced mother and proves to be an able guide through the often alien landscape of homeschool preschool.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.