I frequently see pins by people claiming to homeschool in only a few hours a day. Personally, I’ve never been able to pull that off. However, if anyone knows how to do it, it’s got to be Durenda Wilson.
She’s a homeschooling mom of eight who has homeschooled for twenty-five years. Twenty-five years, people! So, hoping to finally discover the secret, I was pretty excited to discover this new book, The Four Hour School Day.
How To Homeschool In Just Four Hours
Unfortunately, I’m going to burst your bubble right now and let you know she doesn’t exactly tell you how to homeschool in four hours a day. There is no magic formula.
Her approach to homeschooling, however, is to keep things simple, unhurried, and driven by your children’s passions and interests. Homeschool doesn’t have to look like public school education to be successful.
By paring things down to the basics and schooling a little differently, she suggests you will open up space in their day. This space provides time to pursue their own learning. Less time doing “school” and more time for learning tailored to your individual child.
Yes!
This is something that is cultivated and nurtured over the years with your children. By the time they are in high school much, if not most, of their learning is self-initiated and self-driven by individual interests. Our kids will have learned how to learn on their own.
This, in turn, empowers them to learn about what THEY value, including life skills and interests that will provide the foundation for future employment.
I love the idea of keeping education practical and simple. This allows time for my children to pursue interests of their own. It’s one of the key beauties of homeschooling, and we should take full advantage of it!
While this is not a how-to, Durenda does offer numerous practical tips and advice for creating this culture of learning in your homeschool. She walks the reader through what homeschooling looks like for each age group, from preschool/kindergarten through high school.
I dog-eared plenty of pages to review again, especially the pages about how she homeschooled the high school years.
Wisdom I Gleaned From Reading The Four Hour School Day
While there was so much good stuff in this book, one little piece that really resonated with me in this life season: Look at the progress my kids are making as they learn to be more independent and responsible young people.
My middle schoolers aren’t adults! Yet, I often expect them to think or act as though they are. I don’t need to look for perfection in what they are doing.
Additionally, Durenda exhorts, “Don’t expect what you aren’t willing to inspect.” She goes on to explain that inspection is a time to find ways to praise our kids for what they have done well, especially when they take initiative and act responsibly.
Yes, I can coach them and correct them. Ultimately, however, I want them to view inspection time (whether it’s schoolwork or chores) with anticipation, not fear or dread.
The Bottom Line
This book is a super-quick read, full of encouragement and affirmation for homeschoolers or those just thinking about it. It is as much a book about parenting as it is homeschooling as well.
If you have a list like mine of homeschool books for moms, I suggest you add this one to your list. It’s The Four Hour School Day by Durenda Wilson.
I have no doubt you will find plenty of wisdom, encouragement and practical ideas that will breathe some fresh life into your homeschool.
If you want to check out more of Durenda’s wisdom, visit her website, her two other books, The Unhurried Homeschooler and Unhurried Grace for a Mama’s Heart, and The Durenda Wilson Podcast.
Happy reading!
