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Legendary Learning: The Famous Homeschoolers' Guide to Self-Directed Excellence
Transform ordinary ho-hum homeschooling into legendary success with the same techniques used by Thomas Edison, Teddy Roosevelt, Agatha Christie, Louis Armstrong, and other famous homeschoolers. Parents will be inspired to break free of conventions, unleash their child's unique creative genius, cultivate determination, and create an authentic atmosphere of learning.
254 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2011
15 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Jamie McMillin
1 book2 followersJamie McMillin graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1989 and spent the next five years working with buoys, daybeacons and LORAN stations in Texas and Alaska. She then graduated to full-time motherhood, and homeschooling her three kids from Kindergarten through high school. In all that time, she pursued her passion for research and learning how to do things better.
Her own experience, and interest in how successful people learned without school, led to her recent book: Legendary Learning: The Famous Homeschoolers’ Guide to Self-Directed Excellence, published in 2012. Her latest project is OLLY, the Organized Life and Learning Yearbook, a Mac and iOS based record-keeping/planning application for homeschooling families and micro schools.
Her own experience, and interest in how successful people learned without school, led to her recent book: Legendary Learning: The Famous Homeschoolers’ Guide to Self-Directed Excellence, published in 2012. Her latest project is OLLY, the Organized Life and Learning Yearbook, a Mac and iOS based record-keeping/planning application for homeschooling families and micro schools.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 7, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. It was an inspirational look at the lives and education of several famous homeschoolers such as C.S. Lewis, Beatrix Potter, Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt, Louis Armstrong, and many others. The author looked at different educational aspects that each of these famous "homeschoolers" had in common and showed examples of each. Each chapter gave me new ideas on ways to inspire my children to find and achieve their unique missions in life.
Some of the detractors of the book said they didn't like it because it preached an "un-schooling" methodology. I didn't feel this was the case. I think the author stressed the idea that all of these great people owned their own education and found their "greatness" through the freedom they were given to pursue their own passions, but she also mentions that every one of them was required to attain at least some basic level of knowledge of the 3 R's. I think it is something we have to balance; helping our children gain the basic skills they need to seek and gain knowledge for themselves, and allowing them plenty of time and freedom to pursue there own interests. I felt that the author did a great job of showing ways to do both.
One of my favorite things about the book were the numerous quotes about education and success. Here are a few of my favorites:
"The sheep-like tendency of human society soon makes inroads on a child's unsophistications, and then popular education completes the dastardly work with its systematic formulas, and away goes the individual, hurtling through space into that hateful oblivion of mediocrity. We are pruned into stumps, one resembling another, without character or grace." (N. C. Wyeth)
"If you have anything really valuable to contribute to the world it will come through the expression of your own personality, that single spark of divinity that sets you off and makes you different from every other living creature." -Bruce Barton
"It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mostly in need of freedom; without this it goes to wreck and ruin without fail. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty." -Albert Einstein
"Remember always that you have not only the right to be an individual; you have an obligation to be one. You cannot make any useful contribution in life unless you do this." - Eleanor Roosevelt
"The greatest service we can do to education today is to teach fewer subjects. No one has the time to do more than a few things well before he is twenty, and when we force a boy to be a mediocrity in a dozen subjects we destroy his standards, perhaps for life." - C.S. Lewis
"I think we owe it to children to let them dig their knowledge, of whatever subject, for themselves out of the fit book; and this for two reasons; What a child digs for is his own possession; what is poured into his ear, like the idle song of a pleasant singer, floats out as lightly as it came in, and is rarely assimilated." -Charlotte Mason
There are so many more, but I'll let you read the book and discover them for yourself.
Some of the detractors of the book said they didn't like it because it preached an "un-schooling" methodology. I didn't feel this was the case. I think the author stressed the idea that all of these great people owned their own education and found their "greatness" through the freedom they were given to pursue their own passions, but she also mentions that every one of them was required to attain at least some basic level of knowledge of the 3 R's. I think it is something we have to balance; helping our children gain the basic skills they need to seek and gain knowledge for themselves, and allowing them plenty of time and freedom to pursue there own interests. I felt that the author did a great job of showing ways to do both.
One of my favorite things about the book were the numerous quotes about education and success. Here are a few of my favorites:
"The sheep-like tendency of human society soon makes inroads on a child's unsophistications, and then popular education completes the dastardly work with its systematic formulas, and away goes the individual, hurtling through space into that hateful oblivion of mediocrity. We are pruned into stumps, one resembling another, without character or grace." (N. C. Wyeth)
"If you have anything really valuable to contribute to the world it will come through the expression of your own personality, that single spark of divinity that sets you off and makes you different from every other living creature." -Bruce Barton
"It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mostly in need of freedom; without this it goes to wreck and ruin without fail. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty." -Albert Einstein
"Remember always that you have not only the right to be an individual; you have an obligation to be one. You cannot make any useful contribution in life unless you do this." - Eleanor Roosevelt
"The greatest service we can do to education today is to teach fewer subjects. No one has the time to do more than a few things well before he is twenty, and when we force a boy to be a mediocrity in a dozen subjects we destroy his standards, perhaps for life." - C.S. Lewis
"I think we owe it to children to let them dig their knowledge, of whatever subject, for themselves out of the fit book; and this for two reasons; What a child digs for is his own possession; what is poured into his ear, like the idle song of a pleasant singer, floats out as lightly as it came in, and is rarely assimilated." -Charlotte Mason
There are so many more, but I'll let you read the book and discover them for yourself.
July 30, 2012
Several things annoyed me about this book:
There was no information about the writer.... which normally wouldn't bother me, if for instance, this was a work of fiction. However the author makes a lot of assumptions and makes many statements that the readers are supposed to take as factual. So this lack of information about the writer's credentials was bothersome.
Secondly, as is the case with many books on unschooling, I came away with the idea that a child's education has to be ENTIRELY child-directed. I don't prescribe to this idea. I think that it is very possible to combine an unschooling, self-directed approach WITH a more classical education. And yet, it seems that I have yet to find a book that promotes this idea....
But there were some wonderful aspects to this book:
This book DID have some fascinating insights into some famous homeschoolers such as Robert Frost, Agatha Christie, Thomas Edison, Andrew Carnegie, etc...
And I ADORED the section on creating an authentic atmosphere of learning.
Overall, a quick read on homeschooling that might be valuable to someone new to the idea of a self-directed education...
There was no information about the writer.... which normally wouldn't bother me, if for instance, this was a work of fiction. However the author makes a lot of assumptions and makes many statements that the readers are supposed to take as factual. So this lack of information about the writer's credentials was bothersome.
Secondly, as is the case with many books on unschooling, I came away with the idea that a child's education has to be ENTIRELY child-directed. I don't prescribe to this idea. I think that it is very possible to combine an unschooling, self-directed approach WITH a more classical education. And yet, it seems that I have yet to find a book that promotes this idea....
But there were some wonderful aspects to this book:
This book DID have some fascinating insights into some famous homeschoolers such as Robert Frost, Agatha Christie, Thomas Edison, Andrew Carnegie, etc...
And I ADORED the section on creating an authentic atmosphere of learning.
Overall, a quick read on homeschooling that might be valuable to someone new to the idea of a self-directed education...
June 29, 2012
This book was well-organized and interesting, focusing on several topics that might concern homeschoolers (or educators in general). There were several stories about famously homeschooled (or unschooled) people such as Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt, Agatha Christie, Louis Armstrong, and Frederick Douglass.
The premise of Legendary Learning was very similar to that of a currently popular book called Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World. I far prefer this book for its clear examples of the importance of passion and play in the life of a learner.
It was hard to decide between four and five stars. By the end of the book, I felt like I was reading a Charlotte Mason primer and hearing about a lot of educational styles I was already familiar with. I give it five stars for the excellent research, amusing anecdotes, good writing, and great organization. This was an easy book to finish reading, and only solidified some of the ways I choose to teach my children.
The premise of Legendary Learning was very similar to that of a currently popular book called Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World. I far prefer this book for its clear examples of the importance of passion and play in the life of a learner.
It was hard to decide between four and five stars. By the end of the book, I felt like I was reading a Charlotte Mason primer and hearing about a lot of educational styles I was already familiar with. I give it five stars for the excellent research, amusing anecdotes, good writing, and great organization. This was an easy book to finish reading, and only solidified some of the ways I choose to teach my children.
December 18, 2020
McMillin writes of the necessary ingredients for a successful upbringing: passion, determination, and atmosphere. I appreciated their approach to child-led learning. The most challenging concept for me was derived from Charlotte Mason -- to spend 4-6 hours a day outside and not just send your children, but join them. I agree some amount spent outside is important. But I can't imagine spending that much time outside on a regular basis. (Except in the fall when the weather is good.) Another troubling aspect of the lives they have profiled is that everyone had major obstacles to overcome such as illness or poverty. Theodore Roosevelt is quoted as saying, "Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering." While that may be true, no parent in their right mind would intentionally create crises for their children to overcome. And are crises essential for making a successful person or merely the exceptional famous ones? (This is the problem with profiling only famous people, which they said they did for pragmatic reasons rather than that being the best approach.)
July 7, 2019
Some interesting points to reflect on how we learned centuries ago to today's learners. Never underestimate the valuable lessons able to be learned by exploring the outdoors.
September 12, 2012
Really loved this! I checked it out from the library, but plan to now purchase it.
It's a book that looks at famous people who were homeschooled for at least a couple of years, exploring what made them excel in life. Really inspiring with their stories and tips for our own children. This philosophy can truly be applied to most teaching approaches: give children enough freedom, enough experiences, to uncover their passion, then help them cultivate that passion.
Written in a clear, approachable way; organized; well researched. The chapters are: The Divine Spark; Wild Intelligence; Go Ahead - Be a Rebel; The Barest of Basics; Cherry Goop; Passion Into Possibility; Attitude is Everything; Clear Grit; Get Out of the Way; Molting Time; Keep it Real; Habit Power; Nature's Gymnasium; The Dreaded Screen Conundrum; Putting it All Together, plus Helpful Resources. Each chapter also has a very clear summary at the end.
Quotes:
"There must be the structure of a loving family and / or community. There also must be the vitality of real, authentic life in all its messy glory."
"Parents should help their kids with the basics and support their interests, but without taking over. Future luminaries need plenty of space - they need the time and freedom to study what they will."
"Most of the people I researched grew up in households where there were rules, boundaries, and expectation that the children would help with chores, or work to provide income for the family. The children were taught their parents' standards of morality, manners, and values. Many were purposely taught the life skills they would need as adults, including reading, writing, and arithmetic. But beyond that, most of these children were free to pursue their own learning. They chose their own books, devised their own experiments, drew whatever interested them, and built their own inventions."
Quote from Steve Jobs: "You can't connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever - because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path, and that will make all the difference.
Quote from Ursula Leguin: "Those summers of solitude and silence, a teenager wandering the hills on my own, no company, 'nothing to do', were very important to me. I think I started making my soul then."
(Reference for myself: p. 21, 44, 53, 61, 73, 79, 85, 137, 138, 200)
It's a book that looks at famous people who were homeschooled for at least a couple of years, exploring what made them excel in life. Really inspiring with their stories and tips for our own children. This philosophy can truly be applied to most teaching approaches: give children enough freedom, enough experiences, to uncover their passion, then help them cultivate that passion.
Written in a clear, approachable way; organized; well researched. The chapters are: The Divine Spark; Wild Intelligence; Go Ahead - Be a Rebel; The Barest of Basics; Cherry Goop; Passion Into Possibility; Attitude is Everything; Clear Grit; Get Out of the Way; Molting Time; Keep it Real; Habit Power; Nature's Gymnasium; The Dreaded Screen Conundrum; Putting it All Together, plus Helpful Resources. Each chapter also has a very clear summary at the end.
Quotes:
"There must be the structure of a loving family and / or community. There also must be the vitality of real, authentic life in all its messy glory."
"Parents should help their kids with the basics and support their interests, but without taking over. Future luminaries need plenty of space - they need the time and freedom to study what they will."
"Most of the people I researched grew up in households where there were rules, boundaries, and expectation that the children would help with chores, or work to provide income for the family. The children were taught their parents' standards of morality, manners, and values. Many were purposely taught the life skills they would need as adults, including reading, writing, and arithmetic. But beyond that, most of these children were free to pursue their own learning. They chose their own books, devised their own experiments, drew whatever interested them, and built their own inventions."
Quote from Steve Jobs: "You can't connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever - because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path, and that will make all the difference.
Quote from Ursula Leguin: "Those summers of solitude and silence, a teenager wandering the hills on my own, no company, 'nothing to do', were very important to me. I think I started making my soul then."
(Reference for myself: p. 21, 44, 53, 61, 73, 79, 85, 137, 138, 200)
January 27, 2013
I enjoyed this book about self-directed learning for homeschoolers. Jamie McMillin studied the educational paths of various people that were homeschooled for at least part of their education. It all boils down to passion and determination. Jamie argues that you can't find your passion without having the freedom to explore and you can't do something with that passion unless you have determination and willpower. I thought the book was well-organized and I enjoyed reading about the different people, such as Thomas Edison, Teddy Roosevelt, Beatrix Potter, and many more. It's more of a theory book than a hands-on book, but that should really be expected with a book on self-directed education, shouldn't it? I especially loved the inset quotes by a wide variety of people. The recommended reading list at the back of the book is very good also. Overall, this is a great book, especially if you are intrigued by self-directed learning.
November 26, 2014
Super inspiring to read about famous home-schoolers, but definitely not unschooling. And honestly, many of the people the author spoke of had tutors or parents who did teach them the basics. I thought at first this was a pro-charlotte mason book so the ending surprised me. Anyway, instead of making me a unschooling advocate, it made me decide to pursue Charlotte Mason's method. So, that's funny.
May 5, 2015
This was a good look at famous homeschooled people (Albert Einstein, Teddy Roosevelt, Agatha Christie, Alexander Graham Bell and many others) and what homeschooling helped them achieve by having more hands on learning and more freedom and time to pursue their dreams/passions. Also gives useful book and resource lists and ideas to help your own homeschool environment thrive.
June 5, 2012
This won't be in my top five must read homeschooling books, but it is interesting to see the similarities in the homeschooling lives of some of America's greatest thinkers. I think this is a book you would read every 4-5 years as your kids hit different stages in their educational development.
October 3, 2012
Some good stuff about home-/unschooling. Too much biographical info on famous homeschoolers. Probably should have expected that. I did really like the chapters on screen time & media and the importance of time spent outdoors, in nature.
November 25, 2013
This book was an easy inspiring read. It has lots of great tips for parents and teachers. I would recommend it to anyone on the home learning path or a teacher who is interested in helping children pursue their passions.
October 9, 2014
Loved this book! Definitely more about lifelong learning than about just homeschooling. So many good points, great true stories, and excellent perspectives. Definitely on a learning high right now, and I'm hoping that it lasts for the rest of the semester...
February 6, 2016
Best homeschooling book I've read so far. if you are looking for a how-to books this is NOT the book for you. If, however, you are looking for inspiration and something to think about, this is the book for you.
April 30, 2012
Loved it!!! I wish it had been written earlier so I could have read it when my children were younger. I still highly recommend no matter hat ages your children are.
April 16, 2012
Stories about famous homeschoolers were interesting, but I disagree whole heartedly with the "child led" learning the author is so fond of.
July 17, 2012
This book was so freeing to me!!! Yes! It felt so good to see what I felt in my heart to be true, but too chicken to stick to it! I would highly recommend this book to all homeschoolers!
August 21, 2018
Good primer for the subject, and although I expect to find better, it fulfilled my aim to brainstorm strategies for supplementing my children's public education.
April 7, 2013
This is a book that examines the lives of various figures who spent time outside of school during their childhoods. It recommends an unschooling approach.
June 15, 2013
The ideas and insights in this book were very interesting. The only thing it lacked is ideas on how to implement this in your own homeschool.
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June 25, 2014not interesting enough to finish.
September 20, 2018
Perhaps because I'm a veteran homeschooled there wasn't really any new information in here. And I'm constantly irked by the assumption that because something worked for one child, especially one raised a long time ago, then it must be a good idea for all children in the twenty-first century.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews