The Four- Hour School Day is for anyone who wants insight on the lifelong advantages of home education. I would encourage you to take the leap of faith into homeschooling and allow Durenda Wilson to be your guide! KIRK CAMERON, actor and producer When you’re choosing the joy, wonder, and challenge of teaching your kids at home, this is the book you need. Durenda’s encour- agement and wisdom inspire and will keep you going, even on the rough days. SARAH MAckENZIE, author of The Read- Aloud Family and Teaching from Rest and creator of the Read- Aloud Revival podcast Durenda Wilson has written a groundbreaking masterpiece that is sure to revolutionize the way parents approach educating their children. The Four- Hour School Day is the most insightful, compel- ling, and profound book I’ve ever read on homeschooling. GINGER HUBBARD, author of Don’t Make Me Count to Three! and I Can’t Believe You Just Said That! and cohost of the podcast Parenting with Ginger Hubbard Durenda Wilson’s experience in raising and educating her chil- dren comes through clearly in this book. It will make you realize you already have what you need to succeed, strengthening your resolve and refreshing your heart. Whether you are a first- time homeschooler or a veteran in need of encouragement, I highly recommend this resource for all homeschool families who want to learn from parents like Durenda who have walked this road with wisdom and courage. ASHLEY WIggERS, publisher and co- executive editor, Homeschooling Today magazine In an age of micromanaged childhoods, Durenda Wilson brings calm into the chaos of the homeschool day by encouraging mothers to do less so their kids can learn more. With over three 9780310362050_4HourSchoolDay_int.indd 1 4/15/21 3:56 PM decades of mothering and homeschooling experience, Durenda’s wisdom has been hard won, and she’s compiled it all here for the next generation. The Four- Hour School Day is part memoir and part mantra dedicated to guiding newbies and veterans alike to a simpler way. JAMIE ERIcksON, author of Homeschool Bravely and cohost of the Mom to Mom Podcast If you want your children to have a strong work ethic and be lifelong learners who are curious and resourceful, know how to handle boredom, pursue their interests, serve others, work together as a family, and independently draw true conclusions, read this book. Durenda describes how and why homeschooling can be and should be more than just a sit- at- the- table- and- read- this- paragraph educational experience. You’re schooling for life and not for school. Read this book, and you’ll agree! KATHY KOCH, PhD, founder of Celebrate Kids, Inc. and author of 8 Great Smarts, Start with the Heart, Screens and Teens, and Five to Thrive. 9780310362050_4HourSchoolDay_int.indd 2 4/15/21 3:56 PM Also by Durenda Wilson The Unhurried Homeschooler Unhurried Grace for a Mom’s Heart 9780310362050_4HourSchoolDay_int.indd 4 4/15/21 3:56 PM ZONDERVAN BOOKS The Four- Hour School Day Copyright © 2021 by Durenda Wilson Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 Zondervan titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email [email protected]. ISBN 978-0-310-36207-4 (audio) Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Names: Wilson, Durenda, 1967- author. Title: The four- hour school day : how you and your kids can thrive in the homeschool life / Durenda Wilson. Description: Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 2021. | Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: "For parents who are concerned about the quality, safety, and care offered in traditional school systems, trusted homeschool expert Durenda Wilson equips you with the resources you need to give your child a great education and a healthy, successful future- - and in less time than you think— in The Four- Hour School Day"— Provided by publisher. Identifiers: LCCN 2021005221 (print) | LCCN 2021005222 (ebook) | ISBN 9780310362050 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9780310362067 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Home schooling. | Home schooling— United States. Classification: LCC LC40 .W5656 2021 (print) | LCC LC40 (ebook) | DDC 371.04/2— dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021005221 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021005222 All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.® Any internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other— except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Published in association with William K. Jensen Literary Agency, 119 Bampton Court, Eugene, Oregon 97404. This book is for informational purposes only. Every state has its own laws, rules, and regulations concerning homeschooling, and the author and publisher make no representation that the suggestions herein will be in compliance in every state. Cover design: Micah Kandros Cover illustrations: kalongart official / iStock; Sky Designs / Shutterstock Interior design: Denise Froehlich Printed in the United States of America 21 22 23 24 25 /LSC/ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 9780310362050_4HourSchoolDay_int.indd 6 4/15/21 3:56 PM This book is dedicated to you, courageous parents. The fact that you are considering this book speaks volumes about the kind of parents you are: caring, concerned, and willing to consider taking a leap of faith for the sake of your children. May you find inspiration that will embolden you to embark on the adventure of a lifetime! 9780310362050_4HourSchoolDay_int.indd 7 4/15/21 3:56 PM Contents 1. Education. 1 A New Frontier 2. This Is Us ......................................... 15 A Family Snapshot 3. The Sacred Cow ...................................27 4. Teaching through Your Child’s Passion. 39 5. Who’s Driving the Bus? .............................53 Nurturing Independent Learners 6. Educating for Life, Not Just Graduation ...............65 7. Feeling Stuck ......................................77 Overcoming Obstacles 8. Reverse Engineering Your Kids’ Education .............89 9. In the Beginning .................................. 101 Babies and Toddlers 10. Nurturing Seedlings ................................113 The Early School Years 11. Growing Confidence ..............................125 The Middle Years 12. The Sky’s the Limit ................................143 The Final School Years 9780310362050_4HourSchoolDay_int.indd 8 4/15/21 3:56 PM 13. The Nature of Things ..............................155 14. Your Reality ......................................167 Educating from Where You Live 15. Community Is Crucial ............................. 177 Finding Your Tribe 16. The Finality of Faith ...............................187 Why Passing On Our Faith to Our Kids Matters 17. The Challenge ....................................197 What Is There to Lose? Acknowledgments ....................................... 204 Notes ................................................. 210 9780310362050_4HourSchoolDay_int.indd 9 4/15/21 3:56 PM CHAPTER 1 Education A New Frontier I had just picked up Luke, our sixteen- year- old, from a drama rehearsal at the local high school. He’d been invited to be part of the technical team and was eager to learn all he could. And it wasn’t just this class he was excited about. He was owning every bit of his education and goal setting— and I could feel his enthusiasm. He was a bright and social kid, but there was one thing about the other students in the drama class that puzzled him. “I just don’t get why other kids my age aren’t excited about all there is to accomplish in high school,” Luke said. “They don’t seem to care about learning. They don’t even want to be in class.” “I’m sure there is more than one reason,” I said, “but I think some kids have had so much bookwork piled on them at an early age that they’re burned out by the time they get to high school.” It made no sense to Luke because his experience had been so different. His experience as a result of being Education 1 9780310362050_4HourSchoolDay_int.indd 1 4/15/21 3:56 PM homeschooled was that learning was an adventure and typi- cally involved more fun than drudgery. Like his siblings’, Luke’s early school years were filled with lots of playtime. There was bookwork required each day, but for shorter amounts of time than those required of his peers in public school. He had been allowed to follow his interests, which only increased his desire to learn. He had also discovered that the daily reading, writing, and math were simply tools he could use to help him pursue his interests more easily. As Luke’s love of learning grew and his body and mind developed, he realized he’d only begun to discover all that there was to learn. It created a fire in him that was largely absent in other kids his age. Boundless Possibilities Most kids have a subject or two that aren’t their favorite, but the disconnect so many kids experience between their lives and their learning has become increasingly common, not to mention troubling. Is twelve years of drudgery really the best we can hope for when it comes to educating our kids? I’m guessing this may be a question you’ve asked your- self.