"When Ben Hewitt and his wife bought a sprawling acreage of field and forest in northern Vermont, the landscape easily allowed them to envision the self-sustaining family farm they were eager to start. But over the years, the land became so much more than a building site; it became the birthplace of their two sons, the main source of family income and food, and ultimately, both classroom and home for their children. Having opted out of formal education,...

The inspiring, funny, and information-packed underground classic is back-in a completely revised and updated thirtieth anniversary edition! The Teenage Liberation Handbook is (still) the only complete guide to unschooling written for youth. It tackles everything~ • why to consider self-directed education • communicating with reluctant parents • "getting a social life without proms" • designing a "tailor-made intellectual extravaganza" and...

"I'm not ready for college yet... " Those words need not cause panic and fear for parents. Taking time off before or during college is no longer the road less traveled for many students in the United States. A gap year offers students the opportunity to gain focus and discipline, learn to set realistic goals, get real-world experience, and ultimately get the most out of a college education. A complete resource, “The Gap-Year Advantage” provides...

Humans are born to explore and engage with the world. So why are we so determined to get in our children's way? When we leave the traditional education system behind we can choose to create a loving and supportive atmosphere that allows unschooling to take root and blossom in our home. That means strong and connected relationships where trust and respect run deep-both ways. With more than a dozen years of unschooling experience, Pam Laricchia explains...

"In Rethinking College, award-winning journalist Karin Klein sets out a new path for our country’s students and their families. Klein examines why the traditional college-for-all model is growing less relevant, then shares practical advice and real-world examples of exactly how others have succeeded without a four-year degree. Discover an abundance of alternative paths, including white-collar apprenticeships, certificate programs, entrepreneurship,...

Sandra Dodd lives and breathes unschooling. Her family's unschooling story began in 1991 when her eldest turned five and didn't go to school. In the end, all three of their children were always unschooled and, along the way, Sandra generously shared their experience. Over the years, she's spoken at more than sixty homeschooling conferences and events spanning eight countries and is still adding to her website, the most extensive and helpful unschooling...