Rethinking School: How to Take Charge of Your Child’s Education

If you only read one book on educating children, this should be the book. (But seriously, read more than just one book. Just be sure to include this one.)

Rethinking School: How to Take Charge of Your Child’s Education by Susan Wise Bauer is one of the best guidebooks available for navigating the murky waters of the K-12 experience. In its approachable sections, Bauer explains how education has reached its current point, giving an honest assessment of its origins, failings, and advantages. She also explains how children are often mismatched with schools as well as how to rethink the system and take control of the education your child receives.

With a warm, informative voice, Bauer gives you the knowledge that will help you flex the educational model to meet the needs of your child. While a proponent of homeschool, and from a homeschool background herself, she offers a balanced view of handling education. Instead of a single “right” system, she promotes that parents be involved and learn to use the system to their child’s best advantage. From the spectrum of learning disorders to the double-edged sword of giftedness, from opting out of standardized testing to opting out of public school all together, Bauer is the guide you want on this odyssey of education. Take it from a homeschooled student, now a homeschooling mom, this resource is the one I wish we had available when we began.