Homeschooled Teens Book

75 Young People Speak About Their Lives Without School


If you’re worried about unschooling through the teen years, listen to 75 young people describe how they lived their teen lives without school.


They’ve answered all the questions that parents (and other teens!) want to know about what a life like this is like!
You’ll love their candor.
And humor.


Homeschooled Teens will give you the reassurance you need!


Digital Format Amazon

When you contemplate homeschooling through the teen years, are you worried about your children getting into college, making friends, or having a full, rich life?


Do questions like these pop up?

  • Would they miss the various activities associated with adolescence?
  • Will this choice to homeschool close doors for my teen?
  • Will I be warping them somehow?
  • Will they hate me later down the road?


Through Homeschooled Teens, Sue Patterson shares own insights from raising three now-grown unschoolers. She’ll share what she discovered when she asked 75 teens and young adults about being homeschooled through adolescence.


Find out about:

  • What can “unique learning paths” actually look like?
  • What was their social life like?
  • How were their family relationships?
  • What advantages did they find?
  • Did they go to college?
  • What kinds of careers did they choose?
  • What words of advice do they have for parents?
  • What are they doing now?
  • And much more!


Whether you’ve homeschooled/unschooled through younger years and doubt your ability to continue through adolescence or your teen is still withering away in school and you’re contemplating options, this book allows you to hear from those who’ve been there!



Book Endorsements

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    “If you want to know what it’s like to be a homeschooled teenager, the best way to find out is to ask them. Sue Patterson asked 75 teens and young adults who were homeschooling or had graduated from homeschooling to describe their experiences, with the help of a 30-item questionnaire. This book is the result. It’s a well-organized compilation of the respondents’ answers to questions about their ways of learning, social lives, family relationships, hobbies, college experiences, careers, and more. I recommend it highly to anyone who is homeschooling, considering homeschooling, or curious about it.”


    - Peter Gray, Psychology Today

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    “If you have doubts –this is the reassurance you need!

    A fascinating look at the lives of homeschooled teens. I found reading the candid observations and insights shared by these 75 teens and young adults a rather mesmerizing experience. Answers are at times blunt, expressive, and introspective—in other words, they are as full of life as their writers”


    -Pam Laricchia, Living Joyfully

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    ”This is a great book to help you determine how you and your teenager can flourish and blossom with homeschooling.”


    -Patrick Farenga, John Holt, GWS

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    “I loved the range of perspectives, especially hearing the reflections from the people further along their life path. With a clear, compassionate voice Sue provides a window into the variety of ways that teens can learn and thrive without school from the perspective that homeschooling clearly is the best choice for teens.”


    -Lisa A. Nalbone, Joyful Learning Blog

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    “Sue Patterson’s book is a gem; it is superb in many ways. Her extensive experience, careful observations, and wise perspective provide a framework for the poignant and perceptive comments of 75 people who are or were homeschooled. These comments have to do with a wide range of topics, ranging from academics and college admission to dating and sibling relationships. I know of no better book providing a convincing case that young people who are homeschooled through middle and high school engage in learning in deep and meaningful ways and go on to live productive and fulfilling adult lives. Read this book if you’re contemplating or anticipating homeschooling your kids through high school, are already doing it, or simply want to appreciate hearing from (and seeing in engaging photos) young people who are living full and rich lives.”


    – Wes Beach, directs Beach High School, is the Teen Adviser for both the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum (GHF) and the HomeSchool Association of California (HSC). He speaks at homeschooling conferences, was a columnist for The Homeschooler Post, and author of Forging Paths: Beyond Traditional Schooling and his newest work, Self-Directed Learning: Documentation and Life Stories. www.beachhigh.education

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    “Reading Sue Patterson’s Homeschooled Teens was like reading the sequel I never wrote to my own books. I’ve always said that anyone who wants to know whether homeschooling–especially unschooling–works should look at the kids, but Sue’s approach is even better: she asks the kids. And as we homeschooling parents know well, our kids have plenty to tell us.”


    – Mary Griffith, author of The Homeschooling Handbook and The Unschooling Handbook

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    “If you want to know what it’s like to be a homeschooled teenager, the best way to find out is to ask them. Sue Patterson asked 75 teens and young adults who were homeschooling or had graduated from homeschooling to describe their experiences, with the help of a 30-item questionnaire. This book is the result. It’s a well-organized compilation of the respondents’ answers to questions about their ways of learning, social lives, family relationships, hobbies, college experiences, careers, and more. I recommend it highly to anyone who is homeschooling, considering homeschooling, or curious about it.”


    – Peter Gray, Research Professor of Psychology at Boston College and author of Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life.

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    “Let’s hear it from the kids! There is finally a big enough generation of grown-up homeschooled kids that it is possible to see patterns and grasp the diversity in their experiences. And who better to tell us about all that than the kids themselves! So, Sue asked and they responded! And responded. And responded. Sue has done a fabulous job of sifting through and organizing a LOT of material so that we, the readers, can really learn and enjoy what these fascinating young people have to say about what it was like growing up without school. Read straight through or skip around to topics that especially interest you. Either way, you’ll find these young voices are fascinating and absorbing as they open a window for you to get a look into their unconventional lives. A great read. You’ll find it hard to put down.”


    – Pam Sorooshian, is an economics professor at Cypress College in California, and homeschooling conference speaker

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    “Homeschooled Teens is an extraordinary resource. Parents make decisions about their children’s education and then the children live those decisions. In this book, Sue Patterson gives voice to 75 homeschoolers between the ages of 15-29+ about the effects of homeschooling in their lives, compiling the information from conversations and surveys.

    What struck me again and again as I read this book was the author’s ability to relate to young people and accept their point of view; her skill in presenting all of this information in such a readable, organized, and helpful format; her warmth; and her respect for each of the teens and young adults she interviewed. A reassuring, helpful, and fantastic resource for anyone involved in homeschooling or interested in this way of educating children.”


    – Marty Layne, mother of four and grandmother of two, has been leading workshops and running programs for parents, babies, toddlers, and children for about 30 years in Victoria and elsewhere in North America. Her book Learning At Home: A Mother’s Guide to Homeschooling, now in its third edition, has been cited as “one of the best books on parenting.” She continues to be fascinated by the ways that people of all ages learn and make sense of the world. www.martylayne.com

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    “Young people who have learned without school are wonderfully unique individuals, usually with a strong sense of self. They are also pretty “normal,” as well as being really interesting, engaged, and passionate people who have had a variety of awesome experiences because they weren’t held back by the constraints of school. This thoughtful book, full of their opinions, experiences, and honest comments about home-based learning, is proof. You will be reassured, then inspired. And they will provide you with some really great advice…so pay attention!”


    – Wendy Preisnitz, a homeschooling/unschooling pioneer, helped her two now-adult daughters learn without school in the 1970s and ’80s. She has been a writer and journalist for forty years, is the author of twelve books, a former broadcaster, a social entrepreneur, and a lifelong change-maker. She is also the editor of Life Learning Magazine, which she founded in 2002 after the demise of John Holt’s Growing Without Schooling magazine. You can learn more about her and read more of her writing on her website atwww.WendyPriesnitz.com and at www.LifeLearningMagazine.com.

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    “Sue Patterson has brought together a priceless collection of observations and insights from 75 Homeschooled Teens and young adults. With a wide range of experiences, interests, and goals, they candidly share details about their lives without school. From learning, to their social and family lives, to the question of college, it’s a fascinating look at homeschooling during the teen years.

    I really loved how beautifully she framed the sections with your insights into their answers as well.”


    – Pam Laricchia, author of the book, Free to Learn and her website livingjoyfully.ca.

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    “A vivid and honest survey about the joys, opportunities, and challenges of homeschooling teenagers. It describes how homeschooling impacts dating, socialization, sports, the high school prom, parent–child relationships, and other milestones of teenage development. The book contains many real-life examples that cover a variety of experiences with homeschooling, often told in the teens’ own words. Read this book to learn how you can customize homeschooling to any teenager’s advantage.”


    – Patrick Farenga, co-author Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book of Homeschooling; www.johnholtgws.com

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