You must have downloaded tons of apps in your iPad, just to ensure that your child is getting the best of their pre-learning stages. Well, that’s a really good idea! They must also be going to the best school in town, but their nourishment is incomplete without your involvement in it.
Do you maintain a personal library in your house? If so, it’s incomplete without some of the best homeschool books for your child.
So, we have come up with some of the best all-time favorite homeschooling books that every parent must own. In fact, these are some of the best homeschooling books in our opinion. Many parents out there have already bought them as they provide a clear, logical, and widely applicable knowledge in its field.
Furthermore, they are highly recommended by homeschoolers.
Table of Contents
Beg, borrow, or buy, these Homeschooling books are gems!
You may bypass this book as the image on the cover, and the text looks as if it’s an art book for elementary homeschoolers. However, as the quotation goes never judge a book by its cover, it totally applies in this case.
This is a seriously intelligent manual for those who are approaching a non-traditional homeschool method. The thirteen chapters are scheduled in a way that will give you a sense of how schooling works. Plus, the testimonials come with complete instructions on how to apply knowledge in an unschooling setting.
It includes helpful lists of magazines, a weekly log of a third-grader’s activities and online mailing lists and catalogs, which are quite useful as you proceed through to the next level.
The author explains that it’s a free-form lifestyle of learning, whereby, it aims to protect and care for the child’s natural enjoyment in learning. Fundamentally, the author aimed to keep the child’s love of learning alive.
Children are natural-born learners until classroom learning beat it out of them. So, for this reason, we would highly recommend using this book as a natural appetite for their early learning.
The Unschooling Handbook: How to Use the Whole World as Your Child’s Classroom is a reliable entry into the collection of homeschooling literature. Using the book’s guidance and counseling, you as the parent can realistically begin your child’s schooling adventure.
Overall, the book is an excellent launching pad with complete educational theory, practical instructions, and an in-depth explanation of things that you may find as to be key challenges. Nonetheless, this book lines up to be a great supplement for homeschoolers.
Pros:
Convincing guide to the reader on the benefits of unschooling
Very clear and easy to understand
Does not propose any particular set of rules
Cons:
Not suitable for those who are looking for advanced level unschooling books.
If you take a careful look at the book cover, you notice there’s a subtitle saying “Your Complete Guide to Successful Homeschooling the 3-to-8-year-old Child”. And that subtitle says it all. Ladies and gentlemen, hold your horses as we introduce you to this marvelous book by Linda Dobson. It imparts the basics and instills a sense of confidence and enthusiasm about the homeschooling adventure that you’re about to begin!
The author began writing the book by surveying about 66 homeschooling parents and thus provides meaning information about eight variables; financial expenditures, the motivation for homeschooling, level of structuredness, use of technology, assessment technique, physical space, outside assistance and parental involvement
Reporting such interesting topics, this book begins in a very promising way.
Speaking of the chapters, it includes information regarding curriculum options, teaching reading, teaching writing, tailoring, teaching arithmetic, computers and so on, while you enjoy your experience of homeschooling. Each of these chapters ends with a summary of the major points and a list of other resources like books, magazines, etc.
All in all, this book is a cheerleader. The author has carefully spent a lot of time telling you about the importance of homeschooling for your child(ren). Considering the amount of grief, you might get from your acquaintances, and there needs to be someone to cheer you up on how it’s not a bad thing! This book plays the role.
Truly inspirational, Homeschooling: The Early Years is all you need to realize that homeschooling isn’t as complicated as you thought it would be. In fact, it’s quite fun!
Pros:
The book is based on complete research on homeschooling parents
Instills a life-long love for learning from an early age
The teaching of arithmetic becomes fun, without any fear
Cons:
Lean and comfortable towards homeschooling for which many parents it may not be suitable for some parent’s teaching technique.
Sometimes even the bright, passionate and creative young person may lose the will of teaching or learning just because of a distorted and over-burdened system, or even worse, fall in between the cracks of learning differences, in spite of having amazing minds.
Surprisingly, many parents have asserted The Well-Trained Mind as rigid and obsessive. Well, it’s not all about rigidity, it’s also about fostering excellence that takes time and effort.
To all the parents who are homeschooling their child, remember one thing, rigidity and obsession is not always a right approach. Give hundreds of resources to your child and help them choose what they are interested in. Only then you and your child, both of you will receive success.
Science, history, math, and literature is not scary at all. Instead, confront them with excitement, and you’ll feel that there’s so much your child is missing out on. If you want your child to learn something potentially, try something challenging. Moreover, what’s a better way of doing that than by modeling it ourselves?
Many parents have reported thrown this book out of their window (not literally, just saying), just because they thought it’s a bit too demanding for children. We’d say that’s precise because they are intimidated because of the spoon-feeding approach they want to make use of for their child.
Many teachers and homeschoolers have marked this book as a truly superior educational material for their children. Plus, the fourth edition is a much more revised version of the book, linking an entire set of online resources and new materials that will help you shape your child’s mind.
Since you are the idol for your child, become a lifelong learner, and inevitably, your child will be too!
Pros:
Clear understanding
Logical with new learning challenges
Cons:
Some parents have reportedly complained about this book to be a classical and traditional way of learning; nothing new.
If you may have read some of Hewitt’s blogs, you would probably already know what to expect from his book. Wonderfully inspiring and excellently written, the book will surely surpass your expectations.
Settling out of formal education, the author opted for homeschooling for his sons through different experiments in the woods. This approach had led his sons to build strong confidence, creativity, and resourcefulness. They had the opportunity to learn, play, read, and test their boundaries.
The boys challenged themselves, failed, and recovered. And guess what? These opportunities allowed their natural inborn personalities to flourish and look for further exploration.
That’s what the Home Grown is all about. The book teaches you curiosity, connectivity, and a passion for day-to-day life occurring. The beautifully compiled book tells us that learning is a lifelong process and that it shouldn’t just be confined at a classroom.
Furthermore, the essays on parenting, nature and education will show you that the significant change from many different small changes is possible while building a life that your child would love. It’s like a glimpse into what would lie ahead in the future.
We want to highlight the final essay in which the author had pondered about his family’s future along with some gentle suggestions on how to embrace life. Obviously, you have your own story, and the author also makes it clear that his family’s choices are not applicable to everyone.
Reading this book, you’d feel that you’re having a conversation with a trustworthy friend, who by the way, happens to be a great storyteller too. Therefore, its highly recommended for those who are interested in homeschooling their child(ren), crafting for a life full of harmony and creating a beautiful world around them.
Pros:
The book is written from own life experiences of the author, which makes it precise
Fun to read and very inspiring
Cons:
Not applicable to those who are looking for something like “how to homeschool.”
Another one of those family inspired books that we’d highly talk about for homeschooling. In fact, it’s an autobiography that’s a perfect combination of learning as well as to gather inspiration.
If you’re wondering how an autobiography would help in homeschooling, here’s the deal. Today, you would be surprised to know that an autobiography could do wonders for your child’s upbringing. While traditional schools and parents are forcing their children to become responsible adults, this book is entirely different.
The author, Gerald Durrell’s childhood will give you the perfect example of how a relaxed upbringing and unschooling can be so helpful in achieving in many ways. During his childhood days, he studied animals and spent time with interesting people, which led to him learning so much more than anyone could probably learn from a classroom.
However, when his family forced him to learn math and French, thinking that he might be running wild, that’s when the climax begins.
You may have already heard of him as the world-famous zoo collector, now you’ll know about his story. This book is a perfect example of how and where inspiration may come from and what it could lead to. My Family and Other Animals teach you the real meaning of the word ‘passion’.
Once you read this book, there’s no turning back! You will slowly realize what could have happened if the Durrell, the fantastic human being had gone for formal education and better discipline rather than such an exciting childhood. Thank God he didn’t!
The fanciful story of their life on the enchanted island will take you along with the fun ride that Durrell had gone through.
Pros:
Entertaining and endearing for learning some different morals in life
Highly informative and promising a fun read
Cons:
For those who are looking for a subject-oriented homeschooling book, they might find it in a silly way.
Everyday Math Practice for Grades 6 – 8 by Brian Hunter Prep
Have you ever dreamt of your child to be a perfect mathematician when they grow up? Well, for that to happen, go another extra mile and get this “Everyday Math Practice for Grades 6 – 8” book, and you will see potential results.
First things first, this is an award-winning math practice workbook, logically designed for children up to grades 8. Widely used by teachers, this workbook comes with comprehensive practice questions. Plus, it covers an array of topics that your child will encounter in middle school, so it will help them encompass easily in school.
The format of the book seems good enough for a homeschooling curriculum. It will reduce the stress in your household with regards to the math homework that you might need to get done for your child. The book works as an excellent supplement for children who need a little extra help to enhance their math skills.
Starting from arithmetic, algebra, geometry, probability and statics, this book has it all. The book comes with an aligned material for both students and teachers, so there’s no need to worry about whether you or your child will be able to cope up with the book.
Each of the topics in the book is organized accordingly. Moreover, you will love how its level of difficulty has differentiated it. This will help you to choose an assignment that suits your child for the moment. And let’s not forget to mention the answers at the back of the book that clearly explains everything.
Pros:
Very well-structured
Easy to use and understand
Comprehensive, practical questions
Cons:
This book has not been reported with any negative reviews from readers.
As a parent, the most important thing for you to do is deeply connect with your child. No matter how difficult it may seem in your busy life. A technology-driven app cannot always replace the sacraments that you can pass on. Hence, let us introduce you to The Read Aloud.
It’s a book by Sarah Mackenzie, who has six kids of her own and she has found that reading aloud to children deepens the relationship in a very powerful way. Fortify their inner strength and inspire their compassion and your kids will guarantee your academic success.
We’ll break The Read-Aloud into three parts. Part 1 is precisely about the advantages that you and your child would gain from reading aloud. Perhaps, it’s the best use of your kid’s time. You’ll notice how much your child has progressed once you start reading to them.
Moving on to part 2, the author describes the fantastic “book club culture” at home. The book entails all the right questions that influence deep thoughts and great conversation. You don’t really need to be an expert on literary analysis to have great conversation, all you need is to ask compelling questions and bring out logical reasoning.
Last but not the least, part 3 is the book list. The author broke the book list into four main age groups; 0 – 3 years, 4 – 7 years, 8 – 12 years and teen years. So, you must already be able to understand how easy reading becomes for your child. You don’t need to choose or find out what to read. Just turn to the age group, and surely you will be able to find out what exactly to read.
The author is very well aware of how reading can change a child’s life, for which she has named the book after it so that more parents realize the importance of reading aloud to their child. So, make your move in your home and bring about a change in your family ritual with The Read Aloud.
This book clearly deserves a five out of five! Do you ever feel that you are being pressured to be an amazing, flawless female in this social media-driven crazy world? Well then, this book is all you need.
While you’re going crazy to be the perfect person anyone could ever be, this book will tell you to be the person, the character that God has designed you to be. And of course, not to forget about the amazingly unique person that you already are compared to everyone out there.
This is particularly great for those who are raising girls. In fact, the book, Perfectly Unique is a solid foundation for parents of females to help them build them on their own. The author talks about the value of each part of the human body and how scripturally God has made us.
Reading this book will make you feel that it’s an answer to your prayers. However, bear it in mind about the maturity and character of your daughter before you go on reading this book to her. Be mindful of whether your daughter is ready to talk about a specific topic with you; otherwise, it may have an opposite reaction to what you’re trying to do.
Nonetheless, thanks to the author for feeling the burden and taking the effort to write down everything that a girl needs to hear while growing up. Who knows, even you as an adult might get a lot from the book too!
Pros:
Beautifully written from a Christian perspective
Very helpful for young girls as they grow up
Cons:
Not suitable for those who are looking for academic material.
If you have a 3 – 5-year-old at home and you’re willing to implement a Montessori curriculum at home, this book could come in very handy. It’s a concise book, but it’s filled with valuable information.
It starts off with an overview of the method and success. However, note that if you’re looking for detailed coverage on the Montessori approach, we’d suggest you look elsewhere. It’s more towards building a foundation of the Montessori method.
Many materials given in the book is no longer accessible, but you can always go lookup on the internet for what you’re looking for. While some of the activities are more like common sense, others are entirely new.
Being the bestseller on Amazon, Teaching Montessori in the Home has helped many parents to connect with their children by introducing them to the dynamics of it. The techniques and exercise presented in the book instill a sense of learning and awareness in your child, which bases the foundation for better future learning.
Teaching your child is not an issue at all as the book covers everything that your 2 – 5-year-old child needs to focus on; reading writing, sensory awareness, practical life skills and not forgetting mathematics, it has it all, revised, and updated!
This is an acclaimed guide that puts an entire range of Montessori system just inside your reach so that you can make the most out of your child’s important years.
The book is an excellent supplement as a beginning to the Montessori learning method. The materials are quickly mastered and let you decide whether you want more taste of Montessori learning.
Pros:
Excellent guide for those who are new to the Montessori learning method
An inspiring piece of work
Cons:
Not applicable for those who want an advanced knowledge to Montessori learning method
Before we jump into telling you more about the book, let us first tell you that the author, John Taylor Gatto is award-winning teaching with 30 years of experience in the classroom. Thus, this book is no joke!
So, without having a second thought, embark on your homeschooling journey successfully with this book.
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling provides an in-depth view of how the traditional public school works. The book is all about why our modern-day education system has been failing miserably. As per the author, it was meant to be this way!
The author, Gatto hypothesizes an extensive examination of public schooling in America. The research concludes that schools and education do not educate scientists and politicians. Instead, schools only teach children how to obey orders.
Instead, homeschooling is a healthier and independent approach for children to become self-sufficient adults. The author also mentions that schools cannot educate about nonmaterial values. It’s all about grades, certificates, and other trinkets, not the freedom that a person deserves.
If you’re still in doubt about self-teaching, the book gives you more reason as to why you should always proceed with this. With the deteriorating public schools, there are no other alternatives than homeschooling.
For what we have mentioned, this book is a must-read for almost everybody. It’s a gem in our list.
Pros:
This book contains the hidden curriculum of government schools
You already know what your third grader should learn. However, are you looking for ways to help him or her at home? If the answer is yes, then this book is the ultimate solution. Sharing knowledge over specific subjects across numerous parents and teachers, we don’t think you’ll find anything better than this.
The book comes with sixteen pages of colored illustrations with a format that’s easy to follow and of course, a thoroughly reviewed curriculum. The book has been specifically designed for teachers and parents to have a good time with children.
What Your Third Grader Needs to Know features a fresh introduction to today’s generation of third graders. The book entails how children can make progress at school and how they can establish the approach of learning, which is going to last them a lifetime.
You will discover that the book consists of literature, language, World and American history and geography, science, music, math and visual arts. All these topics have been discussed in such a way that it will fascinate your child into learning more.
Thoughtfully designed curriculum, this book is indispensable for parents or even grandparents, who are looking to fill in the gaps in areas that the school cannot seem to reach for their child. The materials provided in the book fulfills the learning need of every third grader, along with a quality time that you would spend with a child.
We would particularly like to highlight the poems and language arts that the author has put into the book. It’s praiseworthy! The perfect balance of silliness and sentimentality will improve your child’s spelling, writing, and reading skills as they grow up.
All in all, this book works as a great framework to build a solid foundation for a third-grader. It is highly recommended!
Pros:
Good solid information
Educationally eye-opening
Cons:
Doesn’t contain too many images for which children may not like it
While you’re successfully homeschooling your child, make sure that your procedures are joyful and retain the natural curiosity of your child. Learning is an everyday kind of thing, and it should never be boring. Whether the child is in elementary or high school, keeping their interest in education is highly essential.
In tune with that, The Brave Learner works like magic in the process of homeschooling. Sometimes you could be really hard on yourself as well as your child, and in turn, that could possibly hinder your bonding time with your child. Therefore, take the burden off both of you by taking on this book into your syllabus.
The author, Julia Bogart distills decades of homeschooling experience and has shown enchanting ways to develop an exciting experience for your child. It doesn’t matter whether they are an elementary school or in high school, this book is taking your homeschooling journey places!
The book is beautifully written about how enchantment is all about ease, rather than striving. The author portrays how you, as the parent, can make room for surprises, adventures, mysteries, and risks in your family routine and thus create an environment that is naturally moving towards learning.
If your child is keen about taking in a new hobby, you might discourage them, which could douse your child’s unique spark. However, as the name of the book says The Brave Learner gently talks about how kids, too, can approach certain things with creativity, joy, and courage and win in life!
Roll into the art of homeschooling with bravery and perfect coaching with your hand on this book by Julia Bogart!
Pros:
A book full of meaningful and deep thoughts
It emphasizes the spirit of adventures that kids want to take on
Cons:
The book being a true masterpiece has not reported any negative issues from other readers
Homeschooling 101: What is Homeschooling All About? Everything You Need to Know
When parents choose to educate their kids at the ease of their home instead of sending them to a traditional private or public school, that’s homeschooling. Many families around the world are increasingly choosing the option of homeschooling for numerous reasons.
It’s their dissatisfaction with the education system, educational philosophies, different religious beliefs, and the belief that the traditional school might not be providing enough for their children.
A little into the history of homeschooling would take us in the 1970s when it all first started. Researchers and famous authors like John Holt and Raymond Moore began writing about how the educational system needs to reform. And that’s when they suggested the idea of homeschooling.
As per the National Home Education Research Institute, the United States has over two million children being homeschooled. Interestingly enough, this percentage has been increasing rapidly by 7% to 15% per year. It has also been reported that homeschooling is now legal in many foreign countries.
How to Get Started with Homeschooling?
Do the parents need a strong educational background to homeschool their children?
We wouldn’t say that parents don’t need an educational background at all, but we also wouldn’t know that they do need a strong educational experience. Here’s the deal:
If you as the parent already have the basic knowledge of how a school system works and are confident that you can guide your child, then go ahead! However, if you have a higher level of education, of course, it is going to be better for your child’s nourishment.
Plus, the process is a little different for parents who have already enrolled their children in school and are now planning to homeschool. You need to write a withdrawal letter to the school principal or local superintendent. The letter must clearly state your intention of removing your child from the school and begin homeschooling. After that, you are free to follow your style of homeschooling.
How Do Homeschooled Children Move Ahead in Life?
Trust us when we say that homeschooling lessens the burden of extra homework that is the basic requirement of any school, especially for elementary school children. Moreover, a classroom is incomplete without 20 – 25 children for a particular time frame.
Now, why are we saying all this?
This is to tell you that by homeschooling your child, you can continuously observe as they learn. You can keep a detailed track of your child’s learning progress and struggles and consecutively even alter the assignments accordingly.
As the children grow older, they attend more traditional classes, and that’s how they gain the typical experience of a school. The most significant advantage of homeschooling is that they can enroll themselves in community colleges and start their college at an early age.
When the question comes to how grades are administered, many families make use of computer programs to keep track of the grades. The homeschooling environment is extremely friendly for those children who can progress at their speed, without having to compete with anybody. In that way, they can even master their necessary areas with as much time as they need.
So, how long does homeschooling last?
It depends on the child and the family. The process of homeschooling can continue until the time when the student feels confident enough to enter a college. Some families prefer to homeschool until they think that they need to transfer their child to a mainstream school system.
However, many colleges are starting to acknowledge homeschooling as an important part of a child’s education. Surprisingly, even Ivy League universities are accepting homeschooled graduates!
5 Homeschooling Facts:
Homeschooling is metamorphic. Not only does it create personal growth for your child, but also you as the parent. You get to re-discover your specialties another time while helping your child to discover theirs. There’s nothing better than having to homeschool your child and build them as responsible adults!
If you love reading to your child, spending time with them and enjoy exploring the world with them, homeschooling is just for you!
Children are natural-born learners. Learning is just like breathing for them. They learn by following stuff that interests them. In fact, that’s how we adults learn. As we grow older, we discover our passions and enthusiasm for something that we’ve been looking upon. In the case of homeschooling, families learn together and know that learning is forever.
Your child does not need to attend 6 – 8 hours of school on days when they are not feeling to be in the mood for learning something. Traditional schools are all about spending time in school, waiting. So, you can help your child overcome such wait by designing a plan for your family that works best for everyone. Choose a time when it’s ideal for your child to learn. Sometimes evenings are when children love to sit and explore something new.
Your child will not need to learn Algebra unless he wants to. It’s not always necessary for you to teach Algebra to a ten-year-old unless he decides to become a scientist or aspires to get admission to a college. After they learn to do basic math in their daily lives, they will become well-equipped to teach themselves some higher-level math. So, don’t worry about it and ruin their fun when they are just about ten years old.
Final Words
More and more parents are choosing to homeschool their child instead of wasting time, money and energy by sending them to traditional public or private schools. And why not? Selecting a topic and learning about it in-depth is so much better than studying a wide variety of topics and not being passionate about anything.
If you’re new to thinking about this idea of homeschooling, we’d say, why don’t you give it a try! It’s just like traditional school, except the fact that there’s no classroom and there are no other children apart from their siblings (if any).
There some really important differences between homeschooling and traditional schooling, and those differences are what make a HUGE difference in your child’s learning curve.
Whether you are already a homeschooler or just thinking about implementing it for your child, we hope that you found this article helpful! Let us know if we have missed any of your favorite books on our list.
