This document consists of a collection of the first 14 issues of the "Home School Researcher," an interacative newsletter dedicated solely to Home Centered Learning Research. Purposes of the newsletter are to: (1) profile researchers of home schooling; (2) provide information on resources for research activities; (3) discuss problematic…

Traces the development of John Holt's educational philosophy. His initial realization that forcing children to learn stifled their initiative and creativity led to efforts at school reform that were not welcomed by the school establishment. The idea that education is a community function rather than an institutional function moved him to…

This book challenges common assumptions about the nature of education and the need for formal schooling and provides an overview of promising alternatives to compulsory education. Following a foreword by Ivan Illich, four sections cover the philosophical roots of opposition to compulsory public education, current analyses of the public school…

The four issues of "SKOLE" published in 1996 include articles about alternatives to public education, the value of free schools and home-schooling, and children's learning experiences. Feature articles include profiles of alternative schools and educational programs; descriptions of learning experiences and teaching practices; a study of full…

For 11 years, a private school operated out of a rented house has offered homeschoolers, charter- and public-school students, families, preschoolers, community activists, college students, apprentices, and educators programs that reflect the homeschooling lifestyle and incorporate feminine-based education. Describes the school's structure,…

Public education focuses on the lowest common denominator; cannot meet individual student needs; teaches competition; teaches children to learn for praise, not for the sake of learning; and has a 40 percent failure rate. These factors lead many to choose home schooling, but approaches to home schooling are so varied that a common definition of…

Common elements among unschooled families include an environment conducive to exploration and experimentation, adult models and facilitators of learning, and underlying trust that children will learn. Public education limits its expectations of children to narrow standards of behavior and academic achievement, whereas unschooling allows children…

A mother and daughter describe their family's educational experiences with a K-12 noncoercive free school, Upattinas School and Resource Center (Pennsylvania), and with home schooling and public school. They have learned that people learn best when placed in a supportive environment. Forced learning, as in public school, tends to turn off the…

A description of a day in a 10-student community home school in British Columbia gives insights into the author/teacher's educational philosophy, his views on the role and function of public schools, the role of community and family in education, teacher-student relationships, and how knowledge and information are secondary to instilling an…

Grace Llewellyn, author of "The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How To Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education," discusses how her educational experiences as both student and teacher influenced her support of teens liberating themselves from school and "rising out." Llewellyn also discusses innovative learning practices, a camp for teenage…

A mother (Linda) and daughter (Katie) tried a cooperative "unschool," public school, home schooling, private school, and returned to unschooling. Linda feels that public school compromises creativity and freedom too much, but she had trouble letting go of the structure. Katie says unschooling let her enjoy her relationship with her mother, focus…

A husband and wife team of Montessori-trained teachers started a private school in Brewster (New York) that also serves as a home school resource center. Their practices include mixed-age grouping, learner-centered instruction, optional standardized tests, parents in the classrooms, and frequent field trips. They endured 3 years of dealing with…

Overviews the development of a California homeschooling support group into a successful charter homeschooling program. Currently, the HomeBased Partnership has 72 enrolled children ages 5-14 and 3 staff members. The program encompasses 2 "open days," each 5 hours long, in which children of all ages meet with friends, use classroom…

Discusses the status of home schooling in Canada, pointing out the rapid expansion of the movement and the unresolved points of difference between schooling and the research findings used in its support. Urges full cooperation between schools and home schoolers. (JHZ)

The two issues of the journal SKOLE for 1993 contain original articles and reprints about small alternative schools, home schooling, school as community and community as school, racial and class inequalities in public schooling, and various educational philosophies and innovations. Major articles include: (1) "School As Community:…