TEACH by Denis DiNoia Book Review: Should You Buy It?

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One of the questions that is often asked of homeschooling parents is how they are going to prepare their children for the “real world”. Let’s ignore the fact that the traditional classroom does a less-than-adequate job of it, for a moment and just hone in on the idea of how we can be preparing our children to do well into adulthood.

Thankfully, homeschooled children do, in fact, live and participate in the real world on a daily basis. However, something that I believe we all should want for our children is for them to be self-motivated, independent learners.

As homeschool parents, we don’t want to still be holding their hands for every little thing right up until they leave home.

That would be doing them a great disservice.

Self-directed learning not only greatly impacts their academics but also their world at large. When our children grow older, they will be required to problem solve and learn new skills in all aspects of life.

Job interviews, budgeting, cooking, home maintenance…the list is endless. We don’t stop needing to learn new things upon graduation from high school.

With all that said, while we may know how important it is for our children to become independent learners, we may not always know the right way about implementing the strategies needed to teach that skill.

Thankfully, Denis DiDoia has written a book on just that subject TEACH: Creating Independently Responsible Learners

TEACH: Creating Independently Responsible Learners | Book Review

This book, written by Denis DiNoia is a gem for the homeschool parent looking for practical solutions to encourage the lifelong skill of independent learning in their child.

The author gives both background and context to the issues he sees in the traditional school system. He also gives advice on how to overcome them when we’re teaching our own children.

I’m not someone who appreciates a lot of abstract thought if it isn’t serving the purpose of reaching a practical solution.

This book is both thoughtful and practical.

Who is Denis DiNoia?

So, who is Denis DiNoia and why does he have any credibility when it comes to this subject?

Well, I first knew about him from his increasingly popular math curriculum, Mr. D Math. Many homeschool families have chosen to use his online math curriculum and loudly declare their love of it.

Denis DiNoia has been in the education sector for over 30 years both as a mathematics tutor and a homeschool parent.

He has an M.A in Education and practical experience that gives him all the credibility you might be looking for.

Most importantly, he has an obvious passion for equipping children with the tools they need to not only excel in their academics but in life in general.

Things You Should Know About TEACH: Creating Independently Responsible Learners by Denis DiNoia

There are a few things that I think you’ll appreciate knowing about this book. As someone with limited time, I don’t like wasting precious resources. I always like to have a heads up about whether things are the right fit or not.

It’s a quick read

As much as I love to read, I have limited time to do so. If a book is as thick as a wall then I can guarantee I’m not going to get through it before I’ve forgotten how it began.

If you’re looking for something that will give you practical tools in a short amount of time then, TEACH: Creating Independently Responsible Learners, is a really great choice and will provide that for you.

It’s available in multiple formats

While hard copy will always be my favorite kind of book, I really appreciate having different options. This is especially true for me because I live outside of the United States.

Having the option of an ebook is a blessing. It saves so much on shipping and makes books so much more available.

So, you’ll be able to purchase this book in hardcopy, kindle, and audiobook versions.

I actually listened to it via audiobook and then went and read the hard copy. This was a great way of getting the overall concept and then being able to go back and really solidify the concepts and ideas.

This book is easy to read

While there is a time to challenge your mind with new vocabulary and more complex sentence structure, it is also a blessing when things are easier.

I found this book to be well written and in more of a casual conversationalist style. It felt as though Denis could have been sitting in a room with me explaining everything.

The chapters are fairly short. This makes it easy to get through one and mull on it for a little while before continuing.

It is written by someone with both academic qualifications and life experience

I always appreciate it when those giving advice don’t just have theoretical knowledge of what they’re teaching, but actual life experience as well.

Mr. DiNoia definitely has both. He is able to convey his thoughts in layman’s terms so that it’s not abstract or overwhelming.

Conclusion

As a second-generation homeschooler, I loved the whole concept of this book. I really appreciated how homeschooling set me up to be a very independent and self-motivated learner. It helped me not only through my tertiary studies but also in mothering, marriage, business, and more!

The world becomes your oyster when you know how to go forth and learn!

I would seriously recommend this book to every homeschool parent. However, I especially recommend it to those very new to homeschooling and the homeschool world.

Homeschooling does lend itself to creating independently responsible learners, but reading this book will probably encourage you to be just that bit more intentional about it.

Check out TEACH: Creating Independently Responsible Learners by Denis DiNoia on Amazon.