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The Best Homeschooling Books for Parents Ready to Research
Are you new to homeschooling or wanting to learn more? At Homeschool Mastery Academy we’re committed to helping equip you with tips and resources for your unique homeschool. To help you begin, we’ve collected a list of the best homeschooling books to start with.
You’ve decided to homeschool. Great! But then the overwhelm begins with questions popping in your head like popcorn in the microwave. Where do I start? What resources do I need? How will I make sure I teach my kids without leaving huge gaps in their education?
It’s time to take a deep breath. You’ve got this!
A Homeschool Teacher Education
Public school teachers spend at least four years in college, so we think it’s more than okay to stop and take some time to give yourself a “homeschool teacher’s education” before getting started. And if you’re already homeschooling, you can think of this as your teacher in-service hours.
Decide What You Believe About Education
Many people call this a philosophy of education. We like to think about it this way: your beliefs about education that form the foundation of your homeschool. Ask yourself questions like:
- How do my kids learn best?
- What does research say about how kids learn?
- What do I want our homeschooling days to look like?
- What subjects do I want my children to study?
- What are our educational goals?
Dig Into How Kids Learn
There’s no one size fits all when it comes to the question “How do kids learn?” However, by understanding a little bit about learning styles and multiple intelligences, you’ll be more equipped to understand your kids. The most important thing to remember is to be a student of your student.
Pay attention to how they respond to the different types of teaching methods. Watch for what delights them versus what makes their eyes glaze over. Notice what helps them retain information. Then use what you learn as you choose resources and curriculum for your homeschool.
Learning Styles
Children’s learning styles are the ways they receive and remember information best. The three most common are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (experienced-based). All children benefit from a multi-sensory approach, so you don’t want to only teach to a particular style. But understanding how your child learns best will give you a key to unlock their full learning potential.
You can find a variety of learning style assessments at LovetoKnow!
Multiple Intelligences
There are eight different types of “intelligences” according to Dr. Howard Gardner. Later, a former colleague renamed them a bit for the layperson. These intelligences or smarts include word smart, logic smart, picture smart, music smart, body smart, nature smart, people smart, and self-smart.
Identifying how your children are smart is a positive way to nurture their minds and hearts.
Discover Different Homeschooling Philosophies & Methods
There are a lot of methods out there. Which one is best? The one that works for both you and your kids! That’s why we at Homeschool Mastery Academy offer resources for the eclectic homeschooler—we understand and value the fact that
- Every mom and every kid is unique
- Each family has different needs
- Different seasons of life might require different approaches
- We all have limited budgets—some more than others
- Our goals for education vary
The Best Homeschooling Books to Start Researching With
Websites and blogs are a great place to start, but reading some of the best homeschooling books will help you dig more deeply into the topic of homeschooling. Homeschooling books will help you form your personal philosophy of education, guide you in deciding both what to teach and how to teach, and give you the encouragement you need.
When you lay a strong foundation, you’ll be able to build on it with confidence. And you’ll be more committed to finishing what you start.
Note: You don’t have to read all of these books! Pick and choose those you are most interested in and that appeal to you. But we do recommend you read a variety.
Best Homeschooling Books: How Kids Learn
8 Great Smarts: Discover and Nurture Your Child’s Intelligences by Kathy Koch, PhD
How Children Learn by John Holt
The Way They Learn by Cynthia Ulrich
Best Homeschooling Books: General
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Education by John Taylor Gatto
If you’re still trying to figure out what to actually use for each subject, our guide on how to choose homeschool curriculum walks you through the process, and “Home Learning Year by Year” below is great once you’re ready to map out your home education year by year.
TEACH: Creating Independently Responsible Learners by Dennis DiNoia
The Unhurried Homeschooler by Durenda Wilson
Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie
The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life by Julie Bogart
Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay Clarkson (with Sally Clarkson)
Best Homeschooling Books: Exploring Philosophies and Methods
Classical
Teaching the Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style by Harvey & Laurie Bluedorn
The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer & Jessie Wise
Charlotte Mason
A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on The Gentle Art of Learning by Karen Andreola
For the Children’s Sake: Foundation for Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
Unschooling
Unschooling To University: Relationships matter most in a world crammed with content by Judy Arnall
Relaxed/Natural Approach
You Can Teach Your Child Successfully (Grades 4–8) by Dr. Ruth Beechick
The Three R’s (Grades K–3) by Dr. Ruth Beechick
The Call of the Wild and Free: Reclaiming Wonder in Your Child’s Education
Waldorf
Understanding Waldorf Education: Teaching from the Inside Out by Jack Petrash
Montessori
Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Pre-school Years by Elizabeth G. Hainstock
Montessori: A Modern Approach: The Classic Introduction to Montessori for Parents and Teachers
Best Homeschooling Books for Middle School and High School
Most book lists like this one stop at elementary, but middle school and high school bring a different set of questions, especially around transcripts, credits, and getting ready for college. These two are worth adding to your shelf once you get there.
Homeschooling: The Middle Years by Shari Henry — a complete guide to homeschooling the 8 to 12 age range, covering how to bring history and science to life with community resources and how to hand your child more independent projects as they’re ready for them.
Setting the Records Straight by Lee Binz — once you’re homeschooling high school and the word “transcript” starts to feel intimidating, this is the book to reach for. Lee Binz, known as The HomeScholar, walks you step by step through building homeschool transcripts and course descriptions that colleges and scholarship committees want to see, even if you’ve never given a formal test in your homeschool.
Best Books About Reading Aloud
Reading aloud doesn’t stop mattering once your kids can read on their own. If you want to build a rich home education around books at every age, these two are worth having on hand.
The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie — since we already recommend Sarah’s work above, this one’s a natural next pick. She hosts the Read-Aloud Revival podcast and homeschools her own six kids. This book covers why reading aloud matters well past the toddler years, all the way through the teenage years, plus age-appropriate book lists to get you started.
Jim Trelease’s Read-Aloud Handbook — a classic for a reason. This is the book that first made the case, decades ago, for reading aloud to kids of every age, revised and updated for a new generation with over a thousand book recommendations included.
We hope that this will help you find the best homeschooling books for you to research and begin your homeschooling journey! Don’t forget to snag our Quick Start Guide FREE if you are new to homeschooling.
What a great list of books that we as homeschool moms can learn from! I’ve read the Unhurried Homeschooler by Durenda Wilson. It was fabulous. I particularly want to look at the ones on how children learn. That is fascinating to me and pretty important to picking curriculum that works! Thank you!
Thank you! Yes, so important to find out how they learn isn’t it? So glad you stopped by!