10 Best Homeschooling Books UK 2024 | Ben Hewitt, Ainsley Arment and More

Topping our charts is this charming yet realistic overview of the homeschool experience by Julie Bogart. She has 18 years of experience teaching her kids at home and has also championed Brave Writer, a writing program for kids to develop their spelling, grammar and imaginations online.

What we find most appealing is that Bogart has actually trained other homeschooling families across the world, built curriculums and encountered all the dramas natural to homeschooling, coming up with innovative ways to turn 'failure' into another invaluable lesson. It's divided very clearly, zips along and key ideas are highlighted making them accessible to even the most frazzled parent. 

Ben Hewitt is a father of two who shares a large stretch of land with his wife that has served not only as a home, but as a source of sustenance and even a classroom for their growing sons. This book will urge readers to use the great outdoors as inspiration to educate their children and expand their horizons. 

While it isn't an official guidebook and has no grand goals of educating its reader, this book is one of those that you'll read and feel instantly energised to bring some of the author's idyllic way of living into your own homeschool routine. There are stories and delightful images and you'll pick up tips on bringing learning into everyday play without fuss or fanfare. 

Ainsley Arment is a fabulous modern mother with a huge social media following and five lovely kids. She started the Wild and Free community to connect like-minded parents aiming to educate their children away from traditional institutions. This book is gorgeous to look at but also filled with thoughtful, astute observations about teaching and parenthood. 

Blending a personal memoir of motherhood with ideas for games, maths tasks, spelling prompts and a strong focus on nature and the outdoors, this book encourages children to look at the world with hope and delight, though really it's the parents who'll regain a sense of wonder through this imperfect, silly and colourful approach to learning. 

This is a helpful book if you want advice on homeschooling with the specific goal of balancing a busy workload with teaching your child. L M Preston is a college professor with 17 years of experience as a homeschool parent. This book flags up all the possible dilemmas so you can get prepared and approach them with optimism. 

The chapters are brief and easy to get through, the advice is set out clearly and tips are frequent so you get bags of ideas from every section. Its focus is on flexibility and building a strong bond with your children, while still maintaining focus on one's own career and goals. Multi-tasking made easy.

This book has been a huge hit in recent years, probably because of its author's combination of parenting expertise, experience as a teacher and knowledge of writing school curriculums. This is not just a pretty book detailing the wonders of walking your toddler in nature, it has a strong focus on learner outcomes and autonomy. 

The faith element is not so key that non-religious families could not enjoy its teachings, and the photos and illustrations are beautiful too. What we love best about this book is the acknowledgment that struggles and challenges are inevitable and that when things go wrong, lessons can even be found in the mistakes.

Carol Barnier writes with a jaunty irony that clearly demonstrates her years of lived experience parenting a child with ADHD, and the joyful approach to it she has taken. This is another more old-school book on our list, but that doesn't mean to say it isn't full of reliable, effective strategies.

Reviewers describe how it has served as a bible throughout their ADHD offspring's childhood and enabled them to see the world through new eyes as they realise attention issues do not denote a lack of ability. This book is not cheap for a paperback but it is packed with solid gold advice.

This book allows developing girls and young women to let out their creativity. While many modern parents don't want to push their children into overly strict gender roles, traditional characteristics simply shine out of some kids like sunbeams. If your daughter loves to dance and draw, this book is here to enhance that joy – and who's to say your son won't love it too?

Gender aside, this is a workbook to encourage autonomy and nurture an interest in art, nature, music and reading. It allows kids to take control of their learning, sending them off to the library to choose books that inspire them and find what they want to know inside. Much more for the child than the adult, this book could serve as a homework-style addition to lesson time.

This book is a lovely choice if you want comforting, warm and funny anecdotes from a homeschooling mother, mixed with great advice and a sprinkle of spirituality too. It encourages children to have faith without being overwhelming, so it's great for Christian families but shouldn't put off secular homeschoolers or those from different faiths. 

It is also packed with ideas for lessons to keep children engaged and in control. Online reviewers reference the passion and warmth with which Leanne Golliher writes and the various ideas of hers they've used and love, including geography games with maps, outdoor nature surveys and maths games with cooking. A charming read.

If you are worried that homeschooling will be intense and pressured, this book is a great start to help you release anxieties and power forward. Rather than coming with a didactic and prescriptive approach, it allows you to unlock your own ideas of what inspires and excites your kids. 

The book has activities at the end of each chapter to put the advice into action, so you and your child can watch your progress as you evolve into an effective teacher-learner team. Christine Owens uses the Thomas Jefferson educational philosophy which encourages children to become the guardians and driving forces of their own learning. 

This comprehensive compendium of homeschooling activities is just the kind of book you can grab and open at random when you have those 'Help! I've forgotten how to homeschool!' moments. Inside, you'll find ideas for practicing science, history, maths and English appropriate for children aged between 3 and 12 years old.

It was first published in 2002, so the graphics and approach are not the most up-to-date, but these time-worn classics really work. Plus, Linda Dobson is a mother with 17 years of homeschooling under her belt who has written several guides and really knows her stuff. A brilliant time-saving book for inspiration when you're having a panic.