Testimonials

"You are wonderful, Laurie. Thank you for all you do for the homeschooling community. I followed the formats you suggested on your website when I homeschooled my daughter last year for 8th grade, and it made my IHIP and Quarterly reports get accepted through the DOE without a hitch. You made our year of homeschooling stress-free. Your knowledge and generosity helped me and my daughter so much, and this list will also help us tremendously. Thank you!!"

"Laurie Spigel goes over and beyond to help homeschool parents and their children succeed. Homeschooling is clearly her gift and her mission.

During the final weeks of my daughter's homeschooling journey, I ran into a few snags dealing with bureaucratic red tape. I needed assistance, guided restraint and experience within the gray areas that homeschool life guarantees. Laurie was quick to step up and offer support and I was able to quickly bring the situation to a close. She is a true professional and has years of time in alleviating stress overload to the unknowledgeable, homeschooling parent. Grateful for all her help.

THANK YOU Laurie!"

"Dear Laurie,

I want to thank you for all that you have brought to our children over the past few months. For a number of years (until I had Paul and resigned from my tenured senior faculty position at CUNY), I evaluated teachers professionally and also taught them how to teach. I have observed every session of the class and I have never seen anyone bring more intelligence, passion, sensitivity, and joy to a class. I actually think it would be hard for anyone to maintain "full-time" the the energy level you have. As homeschoolers, we are blessed to have you.

I would also like to tell any of the parents reading this who haven't yet read your book, Education Uncensored: Please Do! I finished reading it a few weeks ago but haven't been able to put it away in my library, nor have I been willing to lend it out. For those of you haven't read it yet, it is part memoir, part education book, part homeschooling primer, all wonderful.

Thank you again"

"Laurie almost literally took us by the hand and gently led us to the life we now adore.

In the spring of 2013 I began researching the possibilities I'd have at hand to home school my two teens in NYC. While I was born and raised there, I had not lived in the US for over 25 years. My children barely knew that Manhattan was built on the grid system. Laurie and her website were, without a doubt, the most helpful resources in every way - educational, social and emotional.

We had a few consultations over the spring and summer and I put my children's schedules together as best I could. Laurie's classes were the backbone for both of them.

Laurie also introduced my daughter to a pen pal with whom she corresponded for 3 months before our arrival. After our first week in the city, the kids could barely find Broadway but they had a group of friends and a teacher they loved.

I found myself overwhelmed by the diversity of options available to us and even more so by that of my own children's needs, which came to surface as soon as there was space for them to express their own areas of interest. Laurie helped me to prioritize for each child and this has proven invaluable. Reorienting their days to fit their physical and emotional needs opened both kids up to more real learning and maturing than I could have dreamed possible: My son needs to be on the move and Laurie's encouragement helped me to literally allow him to learn on his feet - physics through games, from batting cages to ping pong, and science classes in Central Park and history in museums plus sports every day has allowed his energy to be well channeled and his learning to seep in organically.

My daughter was nervous, excited and intimidated by the chance to learn how to write a play. She has hopes of becoming a writer herself. I admit to some worry after seeing her first draft. Through infinite improvisation games, writing exercises and just plain old encouragement, Laurie found a way to pull depth, context, detail and emotion out of her and have her wind up exhausted, but with a complete project of which all of us involved could be proud (and maybe only Laurie knew was possible).

In short, our NYC home schooling experience was a dream. Laurie's seemingly unlimited support of her students' well-being is almost daunting for a mother to live up to. It has been an honor and a privilege to see my children burst wide open and enable them to embrace and integrate the wonders of NYC and of Laurie. Next year we'll be back for more of both!"

"Just a quick email to show my appreciation for your tireless dedication and passion for alternative methods of nurturing and educating the young. You inspire parents to take a creative approach and encourage individualism and independent, critical thinking. So needed in these times!

Bravo!!!! "

"My daughter Rebecca returned to Laurie Spigel's literature class for a second year. She also joined Laurie's improv class after not having previous interest in doing improv. We drive over an hour to get to Laurie and willingly do this for Rebecca's eager enthusiasm. This response to time with Laurie and the other students tells me Laurie is a great educator. Thank you Laurie for another great year. "

"Thank you for all your work, which literally changed our children's lives. The art history, the improv, the playwrighting, the short stories... We all see how much Adina grew over these past two years in both creativity and maturity, and we truly believe your classes played a big role in that. And for Eugene, you have just opened a new word of creativity and communication. His ability to express himself and his self-confidence improved from all but nonexistent to quite impressive. We are so glad we met you and our children lucked out to be able to learn from you – through both your lessons and your unique personality"

"Why was Laurie’s Lit Club So Important? I'll tell you…

"One of the best decisions I’ve ever made as a homeschooling parent was to allow my son to be a part of Laurie Block Spigel’s lit club. Under Laurie’s direction, my son embarked on a rewarding intellectual adventure. The books covered in the club were among the most challenging and engaging literary works you could think of; and the corresponding discussions that followed were always characterized by great depth and nuance. In fact, with each title, I watched as my son’s confidence with new literary works (as well as new narratives) grew exponentially. This was due to in large part to the fact that Laurie’s unbridled enthusiasm for literature cultivates a love for reading, literary discussion, and intellectual exercise. Furthermore, as my son has told me (and as I’ve witnessed up-close), his growth in Laurie’s lit club was also the result of the “tone and atmosphere” that Laurie established for the club. Indeed, Laurie made everyone in the club feel safe to share their ideas and opinions with honesty. Thus, in short, my son and I have found Laurie’s literary club to be absolutely one of the most rewarding and amazing experiences of his educational career."

1. Lynette always comes home with something wonderful to show for the work she did in Laurie's class (a boardgame, a handmade book of poetry).
2. Laurie inspires the children to write prolifically, which I myself find a very difficult task.
3. The result of No. 2 is that the children feel great because they see their creation and know they can do it.
4. Laurie uses the group setting in very positive ways, for example: as a place for the children to show their work and be proud of themselves, to create a positive (not competitive) atmosphere in which the children work together, help each other and have fun, and she understands the importance of social interaction in the learning experience.
5. Laurie inspires me to replicate the kind of learning experience she demonstrates in her classes. As a result, I feel our homeschooling experience has been enriched by learning from her example.