Legendary Learning

Legendary Learning: The Famous Homeschoolers' Guide to Self-Directed Excellence by Jamie McMillin.

Why I read it:


I spotted this at my local library, and naturally would have to read it based on the topic!

What it's about:


McMillin, a homeschooling parent, worries about doing the right thing with her kids, as we all do at times.  All the conflicting advice and different methods of homeschooling leaves her more confused and worried, so she gets the idea to examine the lives of famous people (because they are easier to research, as she explains) who were successful and somewhat homeschooled or self-taught.  By looking at their lives, and at how they were schooled, she started to see patterns of what education prepared these people for their future selves.

What I thought of it:


McMillin was engaged with her story, and so that was engaging to read.  However, a lot of this ground seemed familiar to me, and although she doesn't credit it as so, the conclusions she reaches are very much like the Thomas Jefferson Method.  But the book is well-written and interesting, so overall another good read on the subject of self-directed learning.

The Take-Away:


For me, this was just another reminder that there is a middle ground where you aim for some instruction in the "basics" and also leave plenty of room for self-directed learning.  It also reminded me that the most important thing to learn is how to learn, and that the most important role of the parent-teacher is to model life-long learning habits.