What makes for success and what makes for failure? I don't claim to have all the answers, nor do I intend to force my beliefs down anyone else's throat. But, after more than a decade of teaching our own children, I believe I have gained some practical knowledge on the subject. We've dealt with bad attitudes, lazy habits, learning disabilities, poor organization, parental burnout, and false concepts. Yet, in spite of it all, we've managed to learn a great deal and, more importantly, have developed a closeness that I don't feel we could have achieved had my children remained in the public school system.

How each family sets up their daily schedule is going to depend to a great extent on their values and lifestyle. What works for one family isn't necessarily going to work for another. As a matter of fact, what works for one child might not work for his brother or sister. That is why home schooling can be so rewarding and at the same time so frustrating.

My own children are a case in point. Our oldest picks up facts easily and prefers, for the most part, to work on her own. Our second daughter is very bright, but has had a struggle with dyslexia that, in the early years, made reading an unpopular past time. Our third daughter is bright enough, but needs structure to work from. It's hard to keep one step ahead of our son, who has great potential but needs to be directed toward worthwhile pursuits. Our youngest is just beginning to show an interest in studies, but is far advanced in art, surpassing many children years older than herself. (She also has a vivid imagination and loves to make up stories to go with her pictures) If I were to force any of these children into a mold that wasn't made for them they would be miserable and so would I.

I do not advocate letting children grow up free from work and responsibility. But neither do I advocate forcing them to be what they are not interested in becoming. A child who loves art should be encouraged to be an artist. A child who loves numbers should be encouraged to develop that talent and ability. Keeping in mind, of course, that a well rounded individual knows something about many things but a lot about one thing in particular.

In the public school system children are lumped into a group and all taught the same things. If one falls behind, or wishes to charge ahead the teacher is going to be hard pressed to find the time and resources necessary to deal with that particular situation. In home education it doesn't happen that way. You can stay with a subject until it is mastered, or you can move rapidly ahead to a higher level of understanding.

Sounds simple when put that way, doesn't it? Yet, there are draw backs. A person who schools at home has battles to fight, as my book explains. No one should venture into home instruction without weighting the cost. It has been my experience that children do not automatically absorb knowledge, at least not the uplifting kind. When given the choice between watching television and reading a book, most will choose the television. Children, therefore, need a solid ground floor of support and structure to work from.

Three main 'fields of battle' are addressed in the book. They are:

Planning
Perseverance
Patience

Breaking these battles down into individual skirmishes gives us a lot of material to cover.

Home Instruction is not for the weak of heart. But it can, if battle plans are laid and followed, be one of the most rewarding experiences of a person's life.

It is my hope that "Battle on the Home-Front" will give those who are interested in training up their child the help and encouragement they need in meeting and winning the many battles they will, without doubt, face. And to have a good time doing it!