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One Good Year: A Mother and Daughter's Educational Adventure – A Charming Homeschooling Memoir of a Year-Long Sabbatical from Homework Hell
After years of watching her eldest daughter, Julia, struggle in a highly regimented public school system, Laura Brodie was determined to teach her ten-year-old at home for a year. Although friends were skeptical and her husband predicted disaster, Brodie had visions of one ideal year of learning. But can one year of homeschooling make a difference? And what happens to the love between mother and daughter when fractions and spelling enter the relationship?
One Good Year is a funny and inspiring story of human foibles and human potential, in which love, anger, and hope mingle with reading, math, and American history.
One Good Year is a funny and inspiring story of human foibles and human potential, in which love, anger, and hope mingle with reading, math, and American history.
272 pages, Paperback
First published March 19, 2010
11 people are currently reading
473 people want to read
About the author
Laura Brodie
6 books37 followersI was born in Columbus, Ohio, with the name Laura Ann Fairchild. My earliest memories come from Seattle, Washington, where my family lived in the Magnolia neighborhood near the Puget Sound. I loved the deep, rainy colors of Seattle; one of my dreams is to buy a summer house on the Olympic peninsula.
At age eight, my family moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, where I stayed through high school, spending most of my time writing poetry, playing tennis, and earning money as an amateur violinist. After graduating from Broughton High School in 1982, I went to college at Harvard, and lived in Cabot House with a group of eight talented and diverse women who inspire me to this day. Hello to all my roommates!
My favorite class was a poetry workshop with Seamus Heaney, and I graduated with a degree in English in 1986. While at Harvard, I played violin with the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, touring in Russia, Europe and Asia. On an orchestra tour I met my future husband, trumpeter John Brodie. We married after my graduation, and lived in Washington, DC, where I worked on campaign finance reform for Common Cause.
In 1988 we moved to Lexington, VA, so that John could take a job as band director at the Virginia Military Institute. I commuted to Charlottesville to work on a PhD at the University of Virginia, and with the help of a dissertation fellowship from the American Association of University Women and a Woodrow Wilson Women’s Studies Grant, I wrote a dissertation focused on widows in English literature. Since that time, all of my writing has been tied to women’s studies. My favorite chapter from that dissertation was on husbands who fake their deaths in order to spy on their wives, and that inspired my recent novel, The Widow’s Season.
My eldest daughter, Julia, was born just as I was finishing graduate school. From there, I began part-time teaching at various local colleges, and I started my first book, Breaking Out: VMI and the Coming of Women. The book covered the transition to coeducation at America’s last all-male military college. I served on VMI’s executive committee for coeducation, and taught a few courses for VMI’s English department while researching the book, which gave me an insider’s view of the Institute’s unique culture. The book was published by Pantheon (2000) and Vintage (2001) and was featured on NPR’s The Diane Rehm Show.
During the three years while the book was in progress, I welcomed two more daughters into the world, Rachel and Kathryn, and I began teaching steadily at Washington and Lee University. My next book, The Widow’s Season, won the Pirate’s Alley/Faulkner Society’s 2005 prize for Best Novel-in-Progress. On June 2, 2009, that novel will be published by Berkley Books, a Penguin imprint.
My latest project is a memoir of one year that I spent homeschooling my oldest daughter, Julia, when she was ten. I wrote about the ups and downs of our year in the cover article for the March 2007 issue of Brain,Child magazine. That article led to my third book, Love in a Time of Homeschooling: A Mother and Daughter’s Uncommon Year. Look for it from Harper in April, 2010.
At age eight, my family moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, where I stayed through high school, spending most of my time writing poetry, playing tennis, and earning money as an amateur violinist. After graduating from Broughton High School in 1982, I went to college at Harvard, and lived in Cabot House with a group of eight talented and diverse women who inspire me to this day. Hello to all my roommates!
My favorite class was a poetry workshop with Seamus Heaney, and I graduated with a degree in English in 1986. While at Harvard, I played violin with the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, touring in Russia, Europe and Asia. On an orchestra tour I met my future husband, trumpeter John Brodie. We married after my graduation, and lived in Washington, DC, where I worked on campaign finance reform for Common Cause.
In 1988 we moved to Lexington, VA, so that John could take a job as band director at the Virginia Military Institute. I commuted to Charlottesville to work on a PhD at the University of Virginia, and with the help of a dissertation fellowship from the American Association of University Women and a Woodrow Wilson Women’s Studies Grant, I wrote a dissertation focused on widows in English literature. Since that time, all of my writing has been tied to women’s studies. My favorite chapter from that dissertation was on husbands who fake their deaths in order to spy on their wives, and that inspired my recent novel, The Widow’s Season.
My eldest daughter, Julia, was born just as I was finishing graduate school. From there, I began part-time teaching at various local colleges, and I started my first book, Breaking Out: VMI and the Coming of Women. The book covered the transition to coeducation at America’s last all-male military college. I served on VMI’s executive committee for coeducation, and taught a few courses for VMI’s English department while researching the book, which gave me an insider’s view of the Institute’s unique culture. The book was published by Pantheon (2000) and Vintage (2001) and was featured on NPR’s The Diane Rehm Show.
During the three years while the book was in progress, I welcomed two more daughters into the world, Rachel and Kathryn, and I began teaching steadily at Washington and Lee University. My next book, The Widow’s Season, won the Pirate’s Alley/Faulkner Society’s 2005 prize for Best Novel-in-Progress. On June 2, 2009, that novel will be published by Berkley Books, a Penguin imprint.
My latest project is a memoir of one year that I spent homeschooling my oldest daughter, Julia, when she was ten. I wrote about the ups and downs of our year in the cover article for the March 2007 issue of Brain,Child magazine. That article led to my third book, Love in a Time of Homeschooling: A Mother and Daughter’s Uncommon Year. Look for it from Harper in April, 2010.
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April 23, 2010
Months ago, I wrote that my word for the year 2010 was change. I chose this word knowing that big changes loomed ahead for our family, amongst them, a shift from three children in public school to homeschooling our daughter who starts 5th grade in August. Little did I know that 2010 would also bring a change to my reading habits. I love to read, but I love to read fiction. Non-fiction? Not so much. Too reminiscent of college days spent slogging through books I never would have chosen for myself. But Love in a Time of Homeschooling is a non-fiction book that I can wholeheartedly recommend.
My husband bought this book for me because it sounded so much like our circumstances. Like me, Laure Brodie has three daughters and chose to homeschool just her eldest daughter for just one year. My reasons for homeschooling my daughter Anna next year differs from Brodie's because our daughters are different people. But I found this book enlightening, encouraging and eye-opening. Here's why I think you should read it, even if you think you'll never, ever want to homeschool your child(ren).
Love of Learning: Perhaps better than any other book I've read, Brodie captures a concept I've always believed. Namely, that you don't have to homeschool your children to do fun, educational things with them. I love to learn (which is one reason I am excited to tackle fifth grade with Anna) and I want my daughters to know, understand and experience learning in all of the various facets of their lives. When we go to a local park that has a huge map of Tennessee near the fountains we play in, we play a geography game where we walk west to Mississippi or north to Kentucky in a matter of minutes. Are they learning? Yes. Are they playing? Yes. The two are not mutually exclusive.
The Realities of Parenting: Brodie does a great job of being transparent about some of the hard things about homeschooling her daughter. But let's be honest here - parenting is hard. I lose my temper with my daughters now on bad days and it's not likely that homeschooling with make our home such an idyll that my frustrations evaporate. Quite the contrary. But I don't think we do ourselves and other parents a disservice to paint parenting or homeschooling as an easy job. It's always a hard job because it's so important. Reading Brodie's missteps was encouraging because I know I will fail Anna - and myself - during the coming year. I already fail her, so why would I morph into super-mom, super-teacher? But that's OK. Frankly, one of the things my perfectionist firstborn daughter needs to see and believe is that failure is an OK, everyday part of life.
Readability: I've already said that I'm not a fan of non-fiction, but I finished this book in two days. Brodie's writing style made me want to carry on - I loved hearing why she decided to go on this homeschooling journey, but that only made me want to keep reading to see how the whole year went. You won't feel like you're reading a textbook when you pick up Love in a Time of Homeschooling.
Resources: Which is why I appreciate all of the resources I walked away with after reading this book. I've read the Well Trained Mind. (OK, I've read part of the Well Trained Mind - it's almost 900 pages long! I did read the part about fifth graders.) It was great, but overwhelming. This book pointed me to other resources and gave me new ideas for activities I want to incorporate into our schedule for next year.
Planning: I liked hearing about how Brodie surveyed many teachers at her daughters' elementary school. One thing this book convinced me of is that my daughters are very blessed to attend the school they do. My third and fourth grader write all the time - fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays. Brodie laments the loss of writing in her own elementary school, and makes writing a focus of her daughter Julia's fifth grade year. Writing will be a focus for us as well, but I frankly hope to just continue a lot of what Anna is already doing in her day to day writing. Given this, why would I not query the great teachers my daughters have had and ask them what they think we should read and do next year? I've already sent out a series of e-mails asking for brief conferences, thanks to this book.
Encouraging: Even if you are completely satisfied with your school options and choices, this book reminds you of the joy we can all take in helping our children pursue their passions. This can be done during the school day, after school, on the weekends or on holidays. This book left me thinking: Do what works for my family, but make sure I do something to capitalize on what my children love! I think you'll feel the same way after reading this book.
My husband bought this book for me because it sounded so much like our circumstances. Like me, Laure Brodie has three daughters and chose to homeschool just her eldest daughter for just one year. My reasons for homeschooling my daughter Anna next year differs from Brodie's because our daughters are different people. But I found this book enlightening, encouraging and eye-opening. Here's why I think you should read it, even if you think you'll never, ever want to homeschool your child(ren).
Love of Learning: Perhaps better than any other book I've read, Brodie captures a concept I've always believed. Namely, that you don't have to homeschool your children to do fun, educational things with them. I love to learn (which is one reason I am excited to tackle fifth grade with Anna) and I want my daughters to know, understand and experience learning in all of the various facets of their lives. When we go to a local park that has a huge map of Tennessee near the fountains we play in, we play a geography game where we walk west to Mississippi or north to Kentucky in a matter of minutes. Are they learning? Yes. Are they playing? Yes. The two are not mutually exclusive.
The Realities of Parenting: Brodie does a great job of being transparent about some of the hard things about homeschooling her daughter. But let's be honest here - parenting is hard. I lose my temper with my daughters now on bad days and it's not likely that homeschooling with make our home such an idyll that my frustrations evaporate. Quite the contrary. But I don't think we do ourselves and other parents a disservice to paint parenting or homeschooling as an easy job. It's always a hard job because it's so important. Reading Brodie's missteps was encouraging because I know I will fail Anna - and myself - during the coming year. I already fail her, so why would I morph into super-mom, super-teacher? But that's OK. Frankly, one of the things my perfectionist firstborn daughter needs to see and believe is that failure is an OK, everyday part of life.
Readability: I've already said that I'm not a fan of non-fiction, but I finished this book in two days. Brodie's writing style made me want to carry on - I loved hearing why she decided to go on this homeschooling journey, but that only made me want to keep reading to see how the whole year went. You won't feel like you're reading a textbook when you pick up Love in a Time of Homeschooling.
Resources: Which is why I appreciate all of the resources I walked away with after reading this book. I've read the Well Trained Mind. (OK, I've read part of the Well Trained Mind - it's almost 900 pages long! I did read the part about fifth graders.) It was great, but overwhelming. This book pointed me to other resources and gave me new ideas for activities I want to incorporate into our schedule for next year.
Planning: I liked hearing about how Brodie surveyed many teachers at her daughters' elementary school. One thing this book convinced me of is that my daughters are very blessed to attend the school they do. My third and fourth grader write all the time - fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays. Brodie laments the loss of writing in her own elementary school, and makes writing a focus of her daughter Julia's fifth grade year. Writing will be a focus for us as well, but I frankly hope to just continue a lot of what Anna is already doing in her day to day writing. Given this, why would I not query the great teachers my daughters have had and ask them what they think we should read and do next year? I've already sent out a series of e-mails asking for brief conferences, thanks to this book.
Encouraging: Even if you are completely satisfied with your school options and choices, this book reminds you of the joy we can all take in helping our children pursue their passions. This can be done during the school day, after school, on the weekends or on holidays. This book left me thinking: Do what works for my family, but make sure I do something to capitalize on what my children love! I think you'll feel the same way after reading this book.
November 17, 2017
Kudos to Laura Brodie for covering the dark side of homeschooling so honestly. The battles between mother and daughter and the anger and self-questioning were helpful for any of us who have ever wondered if we should be doing this. I appreciated Brodie's creative attempts at education and a reminder to us all of the limitations of traditional school and the chance to break that mold with homeschooling.
March 11, 2017
Laura Brodie decided to homeschool her oldest daughter just for 5th grade, to give her a "sabbatical" from a school system she's always struggled with (emotionally, not academically), before sending her off to middle school. She recognizes that her daughter is different, probably on the autism spectrum, but has never had her evaluated because she doesn't want her labeled. This was one aspect of Brodie's life and philosophy that I find difficult to understand. Having my own child who has always marched to his own drummer, I saw "labeling" him as hfASD as a way to understand and help him.
Overall, her visualization of a year in which her daughter would not only continue to practice the violin and learn to play the flute and to speak French, along with the standard 5th grade curriculum, seemed much too ambitious to me. (The flute and French, which she designated as her husband's responsibility, did not happen.) She admits herself that her primary mistake was trying to teach her daughter like she was a miniature college student, instead of a ten-year-old child.
Overall, I enjoyed this very honest memoir of their experience. Along with a lot of what not to do, I did find some ideas that I want to use, such as Brodie's focus on literature and writing across the curriculum, especially as it changed through the year to focus more on what her daughter wanted to write. I've also already checked out one book, Peter Ackroyd's The Beginning, and placed another on hold, The History of Counting, that she recommends.
Overall, her visualization of a year in which her daughter would not only continue to practice the violin and learn to play the flute and to speak French, along with the standard 5th grade curriculum, seemed much too ambitious to me. (The flute and French, which she designated as her husband's responsibility, did not happen.) She admits herself that her primary mistake was trying to teach her daughter like she was a miniature college student, instead of a ten-year-old child.
Overall, I enjoyed this very honest memoir of their experience. Along with a lot of what not to do, I did find some ideas that I want to use, such as Brodie's focus on literature and writing across the curriculum, especially as it changed through the year to focus more on what her daughter wanted to write. I've also already checked out one book, Peter Ackroyd's The Beginning, and placed another on hold, The History of Counting, that she recommends.
June 28, 2010
As a homeschooling mom, I'm always interested in other people's homeschooling experiences. So when I discovered this new homeschooling memoir, I picked it up and read it quickly. Laura Brodie knew she had to do something when she realized that her daughter would rather hide in the closet for over an hour rather than face ten to fifteen minutes of homework on one particular night. Increasingly, Brodie struggled with her daughter Julia's resistance to school work. In 4th grade, Julia was already burdened by mountains of worksheets and busy work that Brodie even recognized as dull and time-consuming.
Brodie knew her daughter was a dreamer. She was at her best when left alone long stretches of time to read and write on her own. She didn't easily adapt to new situations and didn't change gears quickly--two things that were expected of her in her Virginia public school. So, Brodie thought she'd give her daughter a break from public school for one year. She would take on homeschooling Julia for 5th grade and after that one year, she would return to public school to begin middle school.
Although Brodie determined her daughter needed a drastic change, she comes to homeschooling with a lot of stereotypes. She says on more than one occasion that homeschooling was essentially for Christian fundamentalists and those living bohemian lifestyles. It's obvious that she doesn't want to be lumped into those categories at all. Over the year, she realizes that homeschoolers are as unique as each family, but there are times when she seems embarassed that she's even homeschooling at all. While she sees herself as only a short-term homeschooler, she has plenty of criticism for public school as well.
Laura Brodie interviewed several public school teachers to ask
them what they would like to teach if they didn't spend most of their time readying students for standardized testing (in this case Standards of Learning or SOL in Virginia). Brodie was dismayed by the stacks of uninteresting fill-in-the blank and multiple-choice worksheets brought home by her daughter. As a part-time English professor, she hoped that her daughter's school would spend more time on writing composition as well.
She goes on to plan a year for Julia involving lots of writing
across the curriculum. She gave her more time to read uninterrupted and
took her on many field trips all over Virginia. Most of the time, Brodie worries that her daughter may not learn enough to do well in 6th grade (as a homeschooling mom, I know this anxiety well.) Homeschooling for one year was non-negotiable. Julia would return to public school.
In the end, Homeschooling was a good choice for Julia. It suited her well even is she still didn't want to do everything her mom planned.
Every child is going to complain and whine a little! When she returned to public school the following year, it wasn't long before she was bringing home the dull worksheets again. In the end, I believe Brodie was conflicted about sending Julia back to public school. She learned
that a rich environment for unique and joyful learning could be found at home.
Brodie knew her daughter was a dreamer. She was at her best when left alone long stretches of time to read and write on her own. She didn't easily adapt to new situations and didn't change gears quickly--two things that were expected of her in her Virginia public school. So, Brodie thought she'd give her daughter a break from public school for one year. She would take on homeschooling Julia for 5th grade and after that one year, she would return to public school to begin middle school.
Although Brodie determined her daughter needed a drastic change, she comes to homeschooling with a lot of stereotypes. She says on more than one occasion that homeschooling was essentially for Christian fundamentalists and those living bohemian lifestyles. It's obvious that she doesn't want to be lumped into those categories at all. Over the year, she realizes that homeschoolers are as unique as each family, but there are times when she seems embarassed that she's even homeschooling at all. While she sees herself as only a short-term homeschooler, she has plenty of criticism for public school as well.
Laura Brodie interviewed several public school teachers to ask
them what they would like to teach if they didn't spend most of their time readying students for standardized testing (in this case Standards of Learning or SOL in Virginia). Brodie was dismayed by the stacks of uninteresting fill-in-the blank and multiple-choice worksheets brought home by her daughter. As a part-time English professor, she hoped that her daughter's school would spend more time on writing composition as well.
She goes on to plan a year for Julia involving lots of writing
across the curriculum. She gave her more time to read uninterrupted and
took her on many field trips all over Virginia. Most of the time, Brodie worries that her daughter may not learn enough to do well in 6th grade (as a homeschooling mom, I know this anxiety well.) Homeschooling for one year was non-negotiable. Julia would return to public school.
In the end, Homeschooling was a good choice for Julia. It suited her well even is she still didn't want to do everything her mom planned.
Every child is going to complain and whine a little! When she returned to public school the following year, it wasn't long before she was bringing home the dull worksheets again. In the end, I believe Brodie was conflicted about sending Julia back to public school. She learned
that a rich environment for unique and joyful learning could be found at home.
November 25, 2011
An excellent read about one woman's year of homeschooling her fifth-grade daughter. Well-written, brutally honest and thoroughly absorbing. As a fifth-grade teacher myself I read this with particular care and interest. I was impressed with the tenacity and creativity Brodie employed and I wholeheartedly endorse the homeschooling concept. I believe there is no "one size fits all" approach to education. For certain students, Bodie's daughter Julia included, such an approach is highly warranted. I would recommended this to any parent or teacher whether or not homeschooling is in their radar.
February 6, 2017
This is a year in the life of one fifth grader's hiatus from public schools. A reality based narrative with some helpful tips. Heartfelt successes are scattered throughout as well as some failures. A good read for those entering homeschooling.
January 5, 2025
This book was painful to read. I kept reading, hoping the mother would wake up to the fact that her daughter had a brain imbalance and was most likely on the spectrum, and therefore needed a specialized learning environment. But, no. She kept forcing her to do public school at home with extra field trips. As a mother of children with brain imbalances, my heart broke for this child. She was showing all the signs of distress, and no one was listening because of their preconceived notions of homeschooling and indoctrination of the public school system. This child would have thrived unschooling or even eclectic style of learning. I wish these parents would have researched more to see what they could have really done for their child.
May 16, 2010
This is not a book about secular vs. religous schooling. Nor is it a book about a hippy family living off the grid. It's not even a book about homeschooling vs. unschooling. These are topics commonly found in books about 'domestic learning.' Instead, Laura Brodie shares honestly and realistically the year she brought her eldest daughter, Julia, home for her fifth grade education.
Public school never agreed with Julia. She was prone to wandering during the day - physically and mentally. And she was frequently in tears at the end of the day. At home, fights over unfinished homework were commonplace.
Calling Julia away from play to do homework, mom discovers her daughter is missing. For one horrible, fear-filled hour Laura experiences every parent's worst nightmare. She's finally found hiding in the back of a closet in an attempt to avoid homework. Brodie writes: "Every child has a misery quotient, the line at which mere whining turns into real unhappiness." On this day both mother and daughter crossed that line. Brodie hopes one year of hsing will give her daughter a chance to recoup, regroup and prepare her to return to the ranks of public school.
The year is not without troubles. Brodie candidly exposes the question hs advocates fail to address openly - "What if I can't stand to be with my kid(s) all day?" Thank you for that, Mrs. Brodie.
A hsing mother like myself will also appreciate the doubts and uncertainties that the author interjects throughout the book. There are vast books written on child education. One such book revealed uncovered areas that Brodie had failed to teach her daughter. She writes, "But now I was stricken with petty fears - exactly the reaction these books try to elicit, since parents' anxieties and competive impulses are a powerful trigger for consumer spending."
The author's intent all along was to get her daughter back into the public arena. Her other daughters remained in gov't run schools during the year their sister was homeschooled. Brodie never portrays an anti-public attitude. Quite the opposite. Even so, I found this book to be an encouraging testament to long term hsing.
I will recommend this book to my own homeschooled daughter and my son-in-law, who have already decided to school at home when they become parents. Love in a Time of Homeschooling is a frank, fair and sincere look at the working of hsing and parenting.
Public school never agreed with Julia. She was prone to wandering during the day - physically and mentally. And she was frequently in tears at the end of the day. At home, fights over unfinished homework were commonplace.
Calling Julia away from play to do homework, mom discovers her daughter is missing. For one horrible, fear-filled hour Laura experiences every parent's worst nightmare. She's finally found hiding in the back of a closet in an attempt to avoid homework. Brodie writes: "Every child has a misery quotient, the line at which mere whining turns into real unhappiness." On this day both mother and daughter crossed that line. Brodie hopes one year of hsing will give her daughter a chance to recoup, regroup and prepare her to return to the ranks of public school.
The year is not without troubles. Brodie candidly exposes the question hs advocates fail to address openly - "What if I can't stand to be with my kid(s) all day?" Thank you for that, Mrs. Brodie.
A hsing mother like myself will also appreciate the doubts and uncertainties that the author interjects throughout the book. There are vast books written on child education. One such book revealed uncovered areas that Brodie had failed to teach her daughter. She writes, "But now I was stricken with petty fears - exactly the reaction these books try to elicit, since parents' anxieties and competive impulses are a powerful trigger for consumer spending."
The author's intent all along was to get her daughter back into the public arena. Her other daughters remained in gov't run schools during the year their sister was homeschooled. Brodie never portrays an anti-public attitude. Quite the opposite. Even so, I found this book to be an encouraging testament to long term hsing.
I will recommend this book to my own homeschooled daughter and my son-in-law, who have already decided to school at home when they become parents. Love in a Time of Homeschooling is a frank, fair and sincere look at the working of hsing and parenting.
April 27, 2014
I found this to be an interesting story, but also frustrating. The author's daughter is quite unhappy in school, and the author takes her out for one year of homeschooling, to give her a break from the institution of school. But instead of really enjoying the freedom they have, the mom tries to be the teacher and control her daughter's learning. I understand why she did this, as she felt the pressure that comes from knowing that her daughter would be going back into the system in one year.
I see the book as sort of a guide to the pitfalls of trying to do "school at home," and of trying to do it for only one year. Towards the end of the book (and the year), the author seems to start to realize that her daughter learns best when she is given more freedom and autonomy. It seemed to me that they might have evolved and found a much happier and relaxed way of homeschooling if they'd had another year (or several) in which the mom took a back seat and let her child show her how capable she could be at learning the things she wanted to learn, in ways that suited her best.
I do admire the author for going out of her comfort zone to give her child the option of learning outside of school. I just really wish they could have met some more relaxed homeschoolers and unschoolers who could have shown them a better, happier way of learning...
I see the book as sort of a guide to the pitfalls of trying to do "school at home," and of trying to do it for only one year. Towards the end of the book (and the year), the author seems to start to realize that her daughter learns best when she is given more freedom and autonomy. It seemed to me that they might have evolved and found a much happier and relaxed way of homeschooling if they'd had another year (or several) in which the mom took a back seat and let her child show her how capable she could be at learning the things she wanted to learn, in ways that suited her best.
I do admire the author for going out of her comfort zone to give her child the option of learning outside of school. I just really wish they could have met some more relaxed homeschoolers and unschoolers who could have shown them a better, happier way of learning...
October 29, 2010
After watching the documentary "Jesus Camp," I swore I would never consider homeschooling for my kids because it made homeschoolers look like religious nuts who don't believe in global warming. Plus I only have 3 kids and not a litterful. We also shop at stores. But this book seems more like a mother-daughter story of love and struggle so I was intrigued.
It's pretty much what you expect. Author Laura Brodie has a daughter Julia who is autistic. High functioning of course, but definitely autistic. And the author seems to declare that smart professorial types are just naturally autistic. So the author never gets any special ed help for her daughter, but figures that homeschooling is a way to give Julia a break and let her enjoy learning again.
They clash mother-and-daughter-wise and always will. The break seemed frustrating and not terrible beneficial for either.
The writing was heartfelt and sincere but naive.
Okay book. It would have made a better short story or blog piece.
It's pretty much what you expect. Author Laura Brodie has a daughter Julia who is autistic. High functioning of course, but definitely autistic. And the author seems to declare that smart professorial types are just naturally autistic. So the author never gets any special ed help for her daughter, but figures that homeschooling is a way to give Julia a break and let her enjoy learning again.
They clash mother-and-daughter-wise and always will. The break seemed frustrating and not terrible beneficial for either.
The writing was heartfelt and sincere but naive.
Okay book. It would have made a better short story or blog piece.
May 1, 2010
I signed up and won this book in the goodreads giveaway. This book flows like a novel (the author is a professor of english) and I really enjoyed and appreciated an honest and thoughtful real life homeschool experience. I am a homeschool mom who, for financial reasons, had to enroll my child in public school after first three years of homeschooling and am trying to arrange our lives to again homeschool for many of the same reasons Mrs. Brodie chose to. Homeschooling a child is quite a sacrifice for some families but certainly a worthwhile effort. If you are thinking of homeschooling and want to read an honest experience you will most likely appreciate this book though it is not a "how-to" and does not necessarily reflect what your own homeschool experience will be like. I personally learned a few things from the author's insights and was also glad to find out that my own frustrations and joys in homeschooling a child were not so uncommon.
November 6, 2013
I could have used more psychological distance from this one -- her daughter is very similar to one of my kids who is the same age, and the only child I am partially homeschooling this year. I did not appreciate her snarky comments about Mormons but really liked her discussion about how not just homeschooling, but public schools affect parent/child relationships. I especially enjoyed her analysis of how to best help the kind of child for whom school is torture. Let them unschool and embrace their many talents? Force them to go to school anyway? For what issues and under what circumstances is your relationship more important than education when homeschooling? Amen to that confusion and constant self-criticism.
March 7, 2011
This book hit home for me. I gulped it up like I was thirsty because in it I found great validation. Like this author, I too had a short-term homeschooling experience filled with mother-daughter clashes and a lot of frustration, along with some joyful moments that are wistful memories. I appreciated the honest portrayal. In between the description of their homeschooling experience were discussions of other parental issues that resonated with me, such as whether to push your child to play a musical instrument, whether or not to use bribery as a motivator, how dismal the month of February is, and in general, the uncertainty of how to handle a child who marches to a different drummer.
February 24, 2011
Author wanted to write a book showing some of the difficulties of homeschooling. A laudable goal, because a lot of the books about homeschooling tout the benefits and ease without discussing problems you might encounter in any real depth. I read the book and saw only how little she really understood her daughter, how little she was paying attention to the cues her daughter was giving her, and how much she was thinking about herself. Also how repressive and conformist she is. I felt bad for her. And I don't recommend the book.
November 12, 2012
I loved this book. I loved how honest she was about her homeschooling experience. Half the time I felt like I was reading an excerpt from my own life in this book. I truly believe that there are kids who do not learn well in the public school system and I think I have one of those kids. I have always had homeschooling in the back of my head, it's constantly in my thoughts. This book really makes me want to do homeschooling with both my kids.
May 31, 2011
I don't agree with taking your child out for just a year to homeschool and "experiment". Just my humble opinion. And then putting her back in to the wolves of 6th grade middle school after the fact is just plain scary.
The author's opinion of mothers needing to have separation from their children is both sad and selfish. Glad I didn't shell out the money for this.
The author's opinion of mothers needing to have separation from their children is both sad and selfish. Glad I didn't shell out the money for this.
August 3, 2010
I learned a lot about the experience of schools, from the perspectives of a caring, intelligent mother and a creative, sensitive daughter with her own way of learning and interacting. Great reading for any teacher who cares about the needs of children who are different and strives to make their school experience fun and meaningful.
January 7, 2021
I loved this book, one of my favorite homeschooling memoirs.
August 2, 2012
Could have been written in 1/4 the number of pages.
October 8, 2018
I started reading this after picking it up on an whim at the library where it was displayed on a back to school shelf. It took me about a month to read it because it isn't practically gripping.
Laura Brodie is intelligent but comes of intensity pretentious at times. However her honesty regarding her own faults and short comings as well as her geniune drive to provide the best education for her daughter possible offset my distaste for her. The biggest thing I learned is that every homeschoolers' reasoning, methods and long term plan are different. Brodie clearly did her reseach and recommends sources for those interested. The book does an excellent job communicating the pros and cons of homeschooling in Brodie's opinion and will give any parent a lot to chew on.
Laura Brodie is intelligent but comes of intensity pretentious at times. However her honesty regarding her own faults and short comings as well as her geniune drive to provide the best education for her daughter possible offset my distaste for her. The biggest thing I learned is that every homeschoolers' reasoning, methods and long term plan are different. Brodie clearly did her reseach and recommends sources for those interested. The book does an excellent job communicating the pros and cons of homeschooling in Brodie's opinion and will give any parent a lot to chew on.
July 31, 2017
Nice narrative about homeschooling. I like that the author addresses many of the pitfalls that new homeschooling parents fall into - all the while, having their child's best interest at heart. Based solely on the authors socioeconomic status, some of the solutions she comes up with may not apply to others. Overall though, a good read about homeschooling.
March 26, 2020
I really enjoyed this book!
- written by a local author, so I recognized many of the places she described
- written by an English professor - many overlapping values and ways of seeing the world
- I could identify with the ups and downs of her relationship with her daughter during their year of homeschooling. I appreciated her honesty.
- written by a local author, so I recognized many of the places she described
- written by an English professor - many overlapping values and ways of seeing the world
- I could identify with the ups and downs of her relationship with her daughter during their year of homeschooling. I appreciated her honesty.
June 18, 2021
I feel like there’s a lot to say, but for now I’ll say this: I really feel for Julia. She even says homeschooling is better for her than public school, but it sounds like her mom has different plans and goals for success, and so that’s never explored at a high school level, as mentioned in the afterword.
July 28, 2023
I appreciate the courage it would take to decide to homeschool your child and think Laura Brodie did an amazing job giving the downside and the upside of her decision. When my kids were young a friend, who homeschooled, told me that every parent homeschools. She meant to take every opportunity to encourage your children to learn and be inquisitive.
February 28, 2019
A very honest, even handed critique of what it takes to homeschool.
May 25, 2010
As someone who has recently dove into into the homeschooling world, I thought reading “Love in A Time of homeschooling – A Mother and Daughter’s Uncommon Year” by Laura Brodie might be an interesting read. She choose to homeschool her daughter when she entered fifth grade because she figured her daughter needed a sabbatical from school life. She talks about her year of trail and error with her daughter, as well as what she learned from it all.
To start off with, I was a little surprised that Laura only choose to homeschool one of her children seeing that she has three daughters. She admitted that her other daughters were jealous of the one on one time her eldest received during this time. As a mother of four, I can’t really imagine doing that to my own children — On the other hand, I think it is a great idea to learn more about your children individually by spending that sort of time with them if it’s possible.
This isn’t a Christian take on homeschooling. Laura gives a very flagrant look at her attempt of short-term homeschooling. It really is a memoir more than a “how to” book (which I was expecting). She only planned to do it for one year and not continue on. I struggled a lot with this concept because from conversations I’ve had with experienced homeschoolers, everyone says that the first year is hard and you have to expect issues regardless of the curriculum you use. I was very unsure how Laura could give a good analysis of homeschooling efforts with barely scratching the surface of it.
However I was pleasantly surprised half way through the book when she started to come to some conclusions and realizations that I think most of us newbies have. It was nice to read them and see someone else struggling in areas that I’ve struggled through. I appreciated some of the facts she included such as in North Dakota you need a B.A. or you can contest the teachers exam, while other places you need only a high school diploma. These are questions and legalities I think a lot of us worry about and play through our head while we consider this option.
I like that she says that “part of the challenge lay in the matter of de-schooling…“ My own children, who first were part of the school system, have expected homeschooling to be the same way — and the longer they’ve been in, the harder the challenge for them to overcome or rather deprogramming them from the school system takes. I found it also interesting that she discussed a bit about the Suzuki method which has been something that piqued my interest when I heard Andrew Pudewa speak on it in February this year.
Would I recommend this book?
Yes, I would. I think it’s important for us to see all sides of the story and experiences that others have so we can really understand what we’re getting into, as well as to see some of the issues that we might come up against.
Overall, I found I could relate a lot to what Laura said. For myself I feel similar to Laura’s attitude that “I knew that I could handle the academic… at stake was nothing less than a mother and daughters love.” Which for myself, one of the reasons (among the many) I want to homeschool is to strengthen relationships and keep my children involved in my own family– The educational part really isn’t so much of the issue as I feel fairly comfortable being able to instruct and teach at the elementary level.
In the end I will say that I really don’t understand why she admits that the monotonous of school systems leave our children into sheer boredom yet returns here daughter(s) to it. I understand the struggle of the “strong willed” child (having a few of those myself) and know homeschooling is definitely a learning curve for all of us who attempt it — we are constantly changed and morphed into someone new as our self is challenged with time constraints and how to understand what we are able and not able to do ourselves. She admits that nine months was not long enough to make homeschooling effective and for admitting that I give her kudos. She really presents a raw look at the start up of homeschooling; she neither advocates it or condemns it one way or the other and for that I think it is an “non-guilty” read for which ever way you choose to educate your child. As someone who has had their children on both sides of the fence I appreciate this impartial look.
** contains adult language.
**review copy provided
To start off with, I was a little surprised that Laura only choose to homeschool one of her children seeing that she has three daughters. She admitted that her other daughters were jealous of the one on one time her eldest received during this time. As a mother of four, I can’t really imagine doing that to my own children — On the other hand, I think it is a great idea to learn more about your children individually by spending that sort of time with them if it’s possible.
This isn’t a Christian take on homeschooling. Laura gives a very flagrant look at her attempt of short-term homeschooling. It really is a memoir more than a “how to” book (which I was expecting). She only planned to do it for one year and not continue on. I struggled a lot with this concept because from conversations I’ve had with experienced homeschoolers, everyone says that the first year is hard and you have to expect issues regardless of the curriculum you use. I was very unsure how Laura could give a good analysis of homeschooling efforts with barely scratching the surface of it.
However I was pleasantly surprised half way through the book when she started to come to some conclusions and realizations that I think most of us newbies have. It was nice to read them and see someone else struggling in areas that I’ve struggled through. I appreciated some of the facts she included such as in North Dakota you need a B.A. or you can contest the teachers exam, while other places you need only a high school diploma. These are questions and legalities I think a lot of us worry about and play through our head while we consider this option.
I like that she says that “part of the challenge lay in the matter of de-schooling…“ My own children, who first were part of the school system, have expected homeschooling to be the same way — and the longer they’ve been in, the harder the challenge for them to overcome or rather deprogramming them from the school system takes. I found it also interesting that she discussed a bit about the Suzuki method which has been something that piqued my interest when I heard Andrew Pudewa speak on it in February this year.
Would I recommend this book?
Yes, I would. I think it’s important for us to see all sides of the story and experiences that others have so we can really understand what we’re getting into, as well as to see some of the issues that we might come up against.
Overall, I found I could relate a lot to what Laura said. For myself I feel similar to Laura’s attitude that “I knew that I could handle the academic… at stake was nothing less than a mother and daughters love.” Which for myself, one of the reasons (among the many) I want to homeschool is to strengthen relationships and keep my children involved in my own family– The educational part really isn’t so much of the issue as I feel fairly comfortable being able to instruct and teach at the elementary level.
In the end I will say that I really don’t understand why she admits that the monotonous of school systems leave our children into sheer boredom yet returns here daughter(s) to it. I understand the struggle of the “strong willed” child (having a few of those myself) and know homeschooling is definitely a learning curve for all of us who attempt it — we are constantly changed and morphed into someone new as our self is challenged with time constraints and how to understand what we are able and not able to do ourselves. She admits that nine months was not long enough to make homeschooling effective and for admitting that I give her kudos. She really presents a raw look at the start up of homeschooling; she neither advocates it or condemns it one way or the other and for that I think it is an “non-guilty” read for which ever way you choose to educate your child. As someone who has had their children on both sides of the fence I appreciate this impartial look.
** contains adult language.
**review copy provided
October 1, 2010
What I Can tell You: Yes, it is all that. Reading Laura's story was like taking a page out of my own head on my feelings about school and my son hadn't even started yet. Then, when my son ended up in speech at 23 months old and then OT and PT at 3 years old; I saw how the school system wanted to mold him and all his "differences" into a cookie cutter mold of what a "normal" child should be. In many CPSE meetings I have stated that at any time I would be pulling him out to homeschool. I do not believe that all children need to have the structured education mandated by the Board of Education.
I love that Laura was passionate about her daughter's education and wanted to do the best thing for her. There are alternatives out there if people choose to take that route. My road started with holding my son back from Kindergarten an extra year. I felt that his speech delay contributed to a social delay and that the extra year would give him more time to be school ready. He, like Laura's daughter is very smart, HATES school (he is only 7 today and in Kindergarten) and struggles to be like everyone else.
Laura's writing is fun, witty, inspiring, real and feels like a chick chat with a good friend. Her candid view and how she advocates for her daughter is a beautiful tribute to the love of a mother. We knew our children better than anyone. Some moms don't even know they have options. Like cattle they just storm ahead like the masses, never knowing that the easiest change could make the difference in a child's views on education. Holding my son back from school was met with many views, some thought I was crazy, few felt I was having trouble letting go, other thought my son had bigger problems than I was letting on but there were some, who told me that they hadn't even thought about it. They didn't realize they had a say. The kid is 5 and I guess they start school now.
I love the idea of short-term homeschooling. I love that Laura is showing everyone what I have been telling my friends forever. Homeschoolers are not just fanatical religious types or hippies. Some of them take their kids to McDonalds, shop at Target, have coffee with their friends, let their kids watch TV. The stigma is slowly being lifted as more and more people understand homeschooling and thanks to Laura Brodie, I think more and more people will seek homeschooling as an option.
Thank you Laura for making me feel very, very normal.
I love that Laura was passionate about her daughter's education and wanted to do the best thing for her. There are alternatives out there if people choose to take that route. My road started with holding my son back from Kindergarten an extra year. I felt that his speech delay contributed to a social delay and that the extra year would give him more time to be school ready. He, like Laura's daughter is very smart, HATES school (he is only 7 today and in Kindergarten) and struggles to be like everyone else.
Laura's writing is fun, witty, inspiring, real and feels like a chick chat with a good friend. Her candid view and how she advocates for her daughter is a beautiful tribute to the love of a mother. We knew our children better than anyone. Some moms don't even know they have options. Like cattle they just storm ahead like the masses, never knowing that the easiest change could make the difference in a child's views on education. Holding my son back from school was met with many views, some thought I was crazy, few felt I was having trouble letting go, other thought my son had bigger problems than I was letting on but there were some, who told me that they hadn't even thought about it. They didn't realize they had a say. The kid is 5 and I guess they start school now.
I love the idea of short-term homeschooling. I love that Laura is showing everyone what I have been telling my friends forever. Homeschoolers are not just fanatical religious types or hippies. Some of them take their kids to McDonalds, shop at Target, have coffee with their friends, let their kids watch TV. The stigma is slowly being lifted as more and more people understand homeschooling and thanks to Laura Brodie, I think more and more people will seek homeschooling as an option.
Thank you Laura for making me feel very, very normal.
August 12, 2016
An interesting story, well written and easy to read with a great deal of wit in the telling. I think it was the finite term and the single child involved in the homeschooling experiment or sabbatical that made the book possible. Those who spend year after year with multiple children don't have one clearly defined story with a beginning, middle, and end. Instead they have a complex way of life.
Many of the conflicts described would seem to be the result of poor planning choices. This starts with the idea of doing just a single year (fifth grade) of homeschooling after the daughter has already experienced public school and has developed a distaste for much of it. The other problem is that it's not a whole family experience and this affects decisions negatively. For example, the mother is committed to filling an entire 6-hour day with one-on-one instruction (simply because that's what her other two children are doing at public school) and there is friction? No wonder most homeschooling isn't done on such a timetable.
It could be that many of the author's ambitious ideas would have worked if they could have been implemented in a less forced way. If you don't have to squeeze things into one school year, maybe all those cool plans would have eventually fit in more naturally. The mother went in to homeschooling with a number of preconceptions and stereotypes, despite what much of the literature says about the variety of reasons for homeschooling. Perhaps this is again an example of her half-heartedness on the topic. She wants to like the public school system (though it clearly isn't right for this child at least) but has to work outside of it all the same. A man cannot serve two masters and all that (though her prejudice against anything somewhat religious might make her shut down if she read that maxim).
Many of the conflicts described would seem to be the result of poor planning choices. This starts with the idea of doing just a single year (fifth grade) of homeschooling after the daughter has already experienced public school and has developed a distaste for much of it. The other problem is that it's not a whole family experience and this affects decisions negatively. For example, the mother is committed to filling an entire 6-hour day with one-on-one instruction (simply because that's what her other two children are doing at public school) and there is friction? No wonder most homeschooling isn't done on such a timetable.
It could be that many of the author's ambitious ideas would have worked if they could have been implemented in a less forced way. If you don't have to squeeze things into one school year, maybe all those cool plans would have eventually fit in more naturally. The mother went in to homeschooling with a number of preconceptions and stereotypes, despite what much of the literature says about the variety of reasons for homeschooling. Perhaps this is again an example of her half-heartedness on the topic. She wants to like the public school system (though it clearly isn't right for this child at least) but has to work outside of it all the same. A man cannot serve two masters and all that (though her prejudice against anything somewhat religious might make her shut down if she read that maxim).
May 31, 2010
A Virginia mother and English professor at Washington and Lee University writes of her experience home schooling her eldest daughter for the fifth grade. Her headstrong and creative daughter hated the constant homework (the nightly battles were exhausting) and busy work in her public school and this mother hoped that a year’s sabbatical for her daughter would rekindle her love of learning. This mother read all the home schooling primers but felt that what was missing was any mention of the struggles of home schooling. How could there not be struggles?
This intelligent mother constructed a creative plan for a year of home study for her Julia with the blessing of the local school teacher and superintendent and jumped in. Coming from twenty plus years of home schooling myself, I found this book tremendously interesting. I read it in a weekend (unusual for me!) because it was down-to-earth honest and open. She gives an account of the ups and downs...the agonies and the ecstasies, the successes and failures of their year. Her daughter was not an easy student. Even years later at thirteen years of age and back in the public school, daughter Julia remarks, “Being in school feels like sitting in a chair and having someone with a power tool drill holes into your head. There is a space between being consciously present and being asleep, and in most classes I try to get my mind into that halfway zone. It helps to make the time go by faster, and that’s key, because school is a lot like sitting in an airport. The one thing I’ve learned is how to pass the time.”
It was just published in 2010, so look for it in the new books. Anyone who has ever home schooled or is contemplating the process will find it refreshingly candid and a lively read.
This intelligent mother constructed a creative plan for a year of home study for her Julia with the blessing of the local school teacher and superintendent and jumped in. Coming from twenty plus years of home schooling myself, I found this book tremendously interesting. I read it in a weekend (unusual for me!) because it was down-to-earth honest and open. She gives an account of the ups and downs...the agonies and the ecstasies, the successes and failures of their year. Her daughter was not an easy student. Even years later at thirteen years of age and back in the public school, daughter Julia remarks, “Being in school feels like sitting in a chair and having someone with a power tool drill holes into your head. There is a space between being consciously present and being asleep, and in most classes I try to get my mind into that halfway zone. It helps to make the time go by faster, and that’s key, because school is a lot like sitting in an airport. The one thing I’ve learned is how to pass the time.”
It was just published in 2010, so look for it in the new books. Anyone who has ever home schooled or is contemplating the process will find it refreshingly candid and a lively read.
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February 12, 2015By the end of fourth grade, Laura Brodie realized that her daughter, Julia, was burnt out. Her love of learning that she had previously had been squelched. So she decided to homeschool her for fifth grade. This is the tale of that year.\nLaura is a college professor but homeschooling was a new world for her. She sought the advice of others, had some successes, and made some mistakes. It wasn�t just that Julia was burnt out in the traditional classroom with worksheets and homework. I had the impression Julia didn�t really concede without a fight to do anything she didn�t want to (math) regardless of how creatively it was presented. Julia�s takeaway from different events wasn�t always what the �educational goal� was meant to be, but I believe she received an education regardless.\nPeople often ask me why I don�t homeschool the girls. My simple answer is: they don�t need it (although the more complicated answer would involved discussions of joint custody and permissions and personality conflicts). Yes, I am an educator by heart and by trade. And, yes, I do take issue with many things in our public schools. However, that doesn�t equal homeschooling for me. It does equal being very involved in the girls� education and overseeing it at home and connecting with their teachers when there are issues and correcting false information or information that doesn�t line up with our beliefs and morals. And, like Laura Brodie, if they come to a spot where they need homeschooling for whatever reason (educational, social, emotional, physical), I would do it.\n
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