Recommended Reading List
Good Reads
The following list contains suggestions for books about homeschooling. These informative resources are there to help you resolve and answer learning and homeschooling questions of all kinds. Titles marked with * are for those considering home education.
*The Ultimate Guide for Homeschooling – Debra Bell (Tommy Nelson) – This comprehensive book leads you to consider ‘Is homeschooling for you?’ and deals with many other topics such as; curriculum, organization and planning, burnout prevention, teaching teens, use of computers, testing, and resource guides.
*Homeschooling: The Right Choice – Chris Klicka (Noble Publishing) – This comprehensive homeschooling handbook covers the biblical basis for homeschooling, benefits of homeschooling, academic success through college, how-to tips and more.
Dr. Beechick’s Homeschool Answer Book – Ruth Beechick, edited by Debbie Strayer (Arrow Books) – Using a Q & A format, the author presents her educational philosophy, advice on teaching preschool, spelling, writing, reading, math, Bible and high school.
*For the Children’s Sake – Susan Schaeffer Macaulay (Crossway Books) – This book is a ‘classic’ among books on homeschooling. It is especially useful to the new homeschooler or those considering homeschooling. It gives valuable insight into the education process. The author quotes extensively from the works of Charlotte Mason and is an encouragement to any homeschooling parent.
Beyond Survival: A Guide to Abundant Life Homeschooling – Diana Waring (Emerald Books) – The preparation, the journey, the abundance. Using these three headings the author guides you through the homeschooling adventure with confidence and compassionate humor.
*Mary Pride’s Complete Guide to Getting Started in Homeschooling – Mary Pride (Harvest House Publishers) 2004 edition – Reader’s Review gives this commendation: “‘Your home will be blessed for it. You can do it. Here’s how,’ I felt her speaking through the pages. The new format gives parents quality information at their fingertips. Veteran home educators will dive into up-to-date information with sections on Field Trips, Conferences, Retreats & Homeschool Days for the Whole Family, and Worldview & Leadership Training for Teens, education 101, Unit Studies, Homeschooling with a School or Group, and Homeschooling Away from Home. New chapters include, How Has Homeschooling Changed? Seven New Reasons to Homeschool, Laptop Homeschooling, The Maloney Method, and The Wholehearted Method.
What about Socialization? – Rick Boyer (Holly Hall)
The Homeschooling Toolbox – Maxine McLellan (Joy Center of Learning) – A complete manual for Canadian, Christian home educating families. Over 135 pages of information, encouragement, practical tips, curriculum reviews, Canadian suppliers and more to help your family succeed. For beginners and veterans.
The Heart of Homeschooling – Chris Klicka (Broadman and Holman) – As a homeschooling father of seven, Chris Klicka speaks from both his heart and years of practical experience. The spiritual principles and practical tips are helpful to parents who are serious about serving the Lord and faithfully training their children. Great encouragement for the veteran homeschoolers.
Teaching Children – Diane Lopez (Crossway Books) – Gives a guide for what your child needs to know and when he needs to learn it. This book applies a literary, written and verbal approach to learning, presenting a logical sequence of skills, concepts, and content.
Shepherding a Child’s Heart – Tedd Trip (Shepherd Press) – While not specifically about home education, this book is about child training and character development which are essential components of homeschooling.
The Well-Trained Mind – Susan Wise Bauer & Jessie Wise (W.W. Norton & Co.) – This book will provide you with the techniques, curriculum and resources necessary to ensure that your child’s education is the best it can be using the pattern of classical education.
Books Children Love – Elizabeth Wilson (Crossway Books) – Newly updated, this comprehensive guide offers readers commentaries on hundreds of the best available children’s books in over two dozen subject areas.
Educating the Wholehearted Child – Clay and Sally Clarkson (Whole Heart Ministries) – ‘How to use real books and real life to make your home a vibrant center of living and learning for you and your child’. This book has practical help and suggestions for making your homeschool journey relaxed, yet orderly. Very much within the Charlotte Mason approach.
A Charlotte Mason Companion – Karen Andreola (Charlotte Mason Research and Supply) – A helpful approach in keeping your homeschooling experience relaxed and enjoyable in the early years.
The Way They Learn – Cynthia Tobias (Focus on the Family Publishing) – Learning styles; what are they and how do they affect my teaching? This book will outline the various learning styles and how to use this information to be more effective as a teacher.
The End of Ignorance – John Mighton (Penguin) – A revolutionary call for a new understanding of how people learn. John Mighton argues that by recognizing the barriers that we have experienced in our own educational development, by identifying the moment that we became disenchanted with a certain subject and forever closed ourselves off to it, we will be able to eliminate these same barriers from standing in the way of our children.
How to Homeschool – Gayle Graham (Common Sense Press) – One review states: I found it very easy to read and to use. She has great pages at the back one can use to organize one’s homeschool that are worth the price of the book! A great encouragement.
The Big What Now Book of Learning Styles – Carol Barnier – This book is extremely practical. It keeps the definitions of learning styles simple and then provides hundreds of ideas for teaching various subjects to work with specific learning styles.
102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum – Cathy Duffy (Grove Publishing) – Selecting the right curriculum can be a time consuming, heart-wrenching task for any family that chooses home education. Now, homeschooling curriculum expert Cathy Duffy makes choosing the right resources for your child easy in her book 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum.