In recent times, homeschooling has become the norm for many of us. Some parents have had to turn their homes into a classroom on the fly, others have educated their children at home for much longer, feeling disappointed by the UK curriculum and wanting more for their kids both socially and as learners.
We've picked ten informative guides to read from home-school mums and dads which will help you with everything from planning lessons to turning the world into your classroom. You'll find links to Amazon for these affordable, accessible and educational homeschooling handbooks.
Quick List - Top Homeschooling Books
Julie Bogart
Build the Learning Habit Into Daily Life
Ainsley Arment
Inspiring Guide Harking Back to the Childhoods of Time Gone By
L M Preston
A Clear Guide to Juggling Homeschooling With a Career
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Table of Contents
In order to make an informed shopping decision, it can help to educate yourself about the options available to you. In the following section, we'll look at the different types of homeschooling books so you can choose the absolute best for your child's needs.
A homeschooling book usually comes out of years of experience teaching one's own brood. Mothers and fathers who have successfully raised bright, independent kids who go on to study, travel and generally thrive feel they've cracked the home-school code and want to share. Keep an eye out for the amount of experience your author has so you know you're in safe hands.
One good piece of advice is to take a look at how many years and how many children the author has worked with. This may give you some idea of how much practical, hands-on experience they have, so you'll know their ideas are tried and tested. It seems a lot of home-school authors have large families, though not always.
Perhaps consider an author with a similar number of children to your own clan, as they may have encountered similar challenges and triumphs or know how best to keep certain group sizes occupied.
While the aim of homeschooling is, of course, to move away from the school system as it currently functions in the UK, teaching isn't easy. Wherever your classroom is located, creating dynamic, student-centered lessons where your child stays focused and sees tangible outcomes doesn't come naturally to all of us.
This is where some input from homeschoolers with teaching experience can help. They know how to truly guarantee that a child participates and can help you avoid simply announcing facts and hoping for the best.
Keep an eye out for authors who've worked in standard schools and you'll gain wisdom about classroom management and comprehension-checking methods you never knew you needed.
Among our recommendations, you'll find several books whose authors have a particular expertise or vision for what homeschooling should be. Other books have less of a strong influence and provide a more neutral, general perspective on homeschooling as a whole. Mull over the options before you buy to find a book that's just right for you and your offspring.
For a solid introduction to your new adventure, you can't go wrong with a book that lays out every element of elective home education. These guides will cover everything, from why people choose to reject the traditional school system to the clear goals your child will need to reach in order to be employable or have university as an option later.
The potential judgement from other parents will often be covered too, along with a range of ideas on planning, projects and discipline.
There is sometimes a crossover between religion and homeschooling; families with a strong faith often also feel inspired to teach their kids at home, keeping the family close and letting spirituality inform and inspire their education. If this sounds up your street, you might want to consider a book by an author who shares your faith.
Even if you're not religious but are spiritual or open to the concept, you may appreciate books that mention God or have connections to religious faith. While this type of homeschooling guide won't be for everyone, the sense of wonder and gratitude for the natural world that comes with a belief in God can be engaging and joyful for children and parents alike.
Trying to work a full- or even part-time job when you are also homeschooling your kids is an enormous challenge. There are some books on at-home education that tackle this exact task, guiding you through prioritising, planning a realistic schedule and communicating to your child so they know their learning needs are as valid as your deadlines.
These books often share foolproof techniques for juggling careers and the kitchen-come-classroom and share relatable anecdotes so you can avoid potential pitfalls.
Perhaps your child suffers for attention difficulties (who doesn't these days!?) or has a diagnosed condition such as ADHD. If this is the case, it can be helpful to choose a book that helps you understand how your child may see the world differently from you and/or their siblings.
A homeschooling guide written by a parent whose child has ADHD, high energy or more general struggles with focus can be really useful. This type of book approaches the home classroom using shorter tasks, regular changes of activity and games involving colour and space.
Rather than requiring intense focus for long periods, you and your child will reach the same educational goals in a way that complements their learning style, without overwhelming them or making them feel inferior.
Keep in mind the various formats in which you could enjoy your book. There is the standard paperback: cheap, lightweight, easy to chuck in your bag and not too fancy for cereal spills or splashes of art-class paint. A sturdy hardcover, meanwhile, will set you back a few more quid but could be passed down through the family as it will last and last.
Or perhaps you'd prefer a digital option? If your home is already packed to the rafters with homeschooling bits like blackboards, textbooks and crafting materials, why not choose an eBook you can read on your tablet or Kindle? This saves space but means added screen time, which may be a downside to some.
Finally, you could go for an audiobook, which will allow you to listen at bedtime, while you cook, clean or work out... Even in the shower! Perfect for busy homeschool parents with crammed schedules. You will also be able to enjoy the author's dulcet tones, which can feel like a one-to-one chat with a real homeschool mum or dad.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Julie Bogart The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life | ![]() | Build the Learning Habit Into Daily Life | |
2 | Ben Hewitt Home Grown | ![]() | Homeschooling Book Focused on Outdoor Adventures | |
3 | Ainsley Arment The Call of the Wild and Free | ![]() | Inspiring Guide Harking Back to the Childhoods of Time Gone By | |
4 | L M Preston Homeschooling and Working While Shaping Amazing Learners | ![]() | A Clear Guide to Juggling Homeschooling With a Career | |
5 | Jamie Erickson Homeschooling Bravely | ![]() | A Broad and Encouraging Overview With a Spiritual Slant | |
6 | Carol Barnier How to Get Your Child Off the Refrigerator and Onto Learning | ![]() | Cheerful Illustrations, Easy-to-Follow Prose and a Focus on ADHD | |
7 | Sarah Janisse Brown Homeschooling Creative Girls | ![]() | A Journal Come Workbook for Growing Girls to Take Control of Their Own Learning | |
8 | Leanne Golliher The Heart of Homeschooling | ![]() | Stories, Memories and Actionable Techniques From a Christian Homeschool Mother | |
9 | Christine Owens Relaxed Homeschooling | ![]() | A Stress-Free Approach Tailoring Classes to Your Child | |
10 | Linda Dobson The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas | ![]() | Inspirational Guide With More Than 500 Ideas for Home Education |
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.
No. 1: Julie Bogart|The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life
No. 2: Ben Hewitt|Home Grown
No. 3: Ainsley Arment|The Call of the Wild and Free
No. 4: L M Preston|Homeschooling and Working While Shaping Amazing Learners
No. 5: Jamie Erickson|Homeschooling Bravely
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