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The Dan Riley School for a Girl: An Adventure in Home Schooling
The Dan Riley School for a Girl An Adventure in Home Schooling Author:Dan Riley Dismayed at his 14-year-old daughter's poor academic progress in a Southern California public school, freelance writer Riley, a one-time teacher, decided to teach Gillian at home. For her eighth grade year, 1991-92, he devised an idiosyncratic curriculum, and it is apparent--from Gillian's diaries, included here, and Riley's account, spiced with... more » self-deprecating humor--that both student and teacher were educated. Their daily schedule encompassed free-ranging newspaper perusal, video viewing and reading of the classics. Frequent field trips tempered the loss of Gillian's socializing with classmates and smoothed bumps in the relationship between parent/teacher and daughter/student. Riley School had a successful graduate, well prepared for high school and with a strong sense of self-worth. In this entertaining chronicle, Riley offers his experience less as a solution to an educational crisis but as a way of getting closer to one's children.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
For the more than 300,000 Americans now educating their children at home, Riley's book will serve as an inspirational guide. Disappointed by his daughter Gillian's underachiever status in school, her bad grades, and her growing estrangement from him and his wife, Riley decided to educate her at home for one academic year. While they had to study the usual eighth-grade subjects--math, science, social studies, and English grammar--the home schooling environment gave them latitude to work with the schedule in different ways. As part of the curriculum, they watched films, read newspapers, and discussed current events, listened to music, prepared food, and went on field trips. The year was not an easy one and much resistance was brought about by Gillian. However, the end of the school year found her a much more serious, reflective student. Riley's engaging chronicle of this year, together with excerpts from Gillian's journal, provide a thought-provoking look at their relationship. While this book can serve as advice for the parent interested in home schooling, it will also be of interest to parents seeking guidance navigating the troubled waters of adolescent/parent relationships. Kathleen Hughes« less