The books for homeschool moms that I’m sharing here in this blog post, are ones that have changed my life as a homeschool mom of two. In fact, a few of them can even be given credit for helping me make the decision to homeschool in the first place! This is not just a random list of homeschool books – quite the contrary. I have personally selected, purchased and read each of these books, and they all have played a profound role in my life. If you’re looking for some great books for homeschool moms, these ones won’t disappoint!
Why Read Homeschool Books?
Great books have the ability to change the course of your life, and these books have done that for me! Read at different times in my homeschooling journey, these books have shaped me as a homeschool mom and have helped me figure out what direction we should go in regards to how we homeschool.
Each book in this list of books offers something unique, and speaks to different parts of my heart and mind. They offer practical advice, and inspire me on my homeschool journey. Some of them have a solid Biblical foundation, which those of us who are Christian homeschool moms really appreciate. But even the ones that aren’t geared towards Christians, I view as a valuable resource with a lot of great insight into how to educate our children at home.
These books have helped me discover my “WHY” for homeschooling, and continue to shape my approach and teaching style to this day. I have been given lots of different book recommendations over the years, and these books are almost always mentioned as “must reads”! There are so many more that I have yet to read, so I can see myself updating this list in the future. But for now, here are (in my opinion), the best books for homeschool moms to read!
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The Unhurried Homeschooler
The Unhurried Homeschooler is written by author and mother, Durenda Wilson. Personally, I am a huge fan of Durenda and listen to her podcast called The Durenda Wilson Podacst, very frequently. She has written multiple books, but so far this is the only one I have read. She has successfully homeschooled all of her 8 children, and is considered a seasoned veteran when it comes to homeschooling!
This book is a very quick read, in fact she calls her book “a mercifully short book on homeschooling”, and it is all about taking an unhurried approach to homeschooling. Durenda writes about not rushing our children into formal learning, and waiting until they are ready to learn certain things, such as reading. She really encourages the homeschooling mom to relax, enjoy the younger years, and not to worry so much about all the extras.
She shares stories about her own 8 kids, and how taking an unhurried approach proved to work wonderfully for every single one of them. Durenda’s examples of how different her children are from each other, yet how they all came to learn exactly what they needed to know in their own time, are life giving to me! This book really helps me to trust the process of homeschooling, and not feel stressed about all the extras we often feel so pressured to make time for.
The Unhurried Homeschooler is one of my favorite books for homeschool moms, and I highly recommend it!
The Call Of The Wild & Free
Author Ainsley Arment started an online community quite a few years ago called “Wild & Free”. Since then she has written a few books, all with the theme of being wild and free. The Call Of The Wild & Free is a really inspirational book for homeschool moms to read. This homeschooling book is all about exploring the wonders of your children and encouraging them to find their passions. It’s about stepping away from the pressures and labels that the world puts on our children, and allowing them to be wild and free in nature, in their talents and in their education.
Ainsley’s book The Call of the Wild and Free offers advice, insight, and encouragement for parents considering homeschooling, as well as those who are currently living that lifestyle and need some inspiration. She shares experiences from her own years of homeschooling her 5 children, and she has found that the natural world around us is often the greatest asset to homeschool life.
I found this book to be incredibly motivational and it is one that I will likely read multiple times. I marked so many pages with sticky tabs in this book because of all the amazing ideas it gave me for my own homeschool! If you want to be blessed and encouraged, this book is for you!
The Wild & Free Family
The Wild & Free Family is another book by Ainsley Arment, and it goes along with her Wild & Free community. There are many good books out there for families, but in my opinion, this one is the most inspiring one I’ve read so far.
The Wild & Free Family encourages homeschool families to forge their own path toward a life filled with wonder, connection, and adventure. Ainsley really focuses on the importance of family, building strong relationships, and appreciating each other for who they are.
This book speaks to families in all sorts of different locations, demographics, and cultures. It elevates family time as a priority and a way of life, not just an appointment on the calendar.
If you’re striving for closer relationships and stronger connections as a homeschooling family, this book is definitely among my top picks for you to read!
They’re YOUR Kids
They’re Your Kids by Sam Sorbo (wife of actor Kevin Sorbo), was actually the very first book I ever read about homeschooling. I read this book before I pulled our daughter out of school, and although it wasn’t WHY we made the decision, it absolutely helped confirm that what we were feeling and desiring for our children was a good thing.
Sam shares why she and her husband decided to homeschool their kids, as well as some funny stories about their homeschooling journey as a family. She also addresses some very common questions and fears that people often have about homeschooling.
This book takes more of a political angle on certain things, but in a very interesting way. Sam discusses the reality that our public schools are run by the government, which obviously means that they will teach what the government wants our children to learn. She gives examples of how Christian schools teach the Bible, Muslim schools teach the Koran, and Government schools teach the government agenda. Therefore, as parents, we need to decide what we want our children to be immersed in each and every day based on the values we hold as a family.
They’re YOUR Kids is all about parents taking control of their child’s education, and not allowing other people to have such a strong negative influence on their lives. Sam is unapologetically opinionated, so this book isn’t for the faint of heart! However, it’s a great read and it’s a book I recommend to anyone who is considering homeschooling but needs a little confidence boost to take the step.
How Children Learn
How Children Learn by John Holt is one of those books that challenges everything we have been taught to believe about learning. A public school teacher himself, he begins his own study of how children actually learn – and it’s not what our culture has conditioned us to believe.
In this book he conducts various different long-term studies with different children, where he takes time to simply observe them in their play and notice how they naturally engage with the world around them. He forces himself to put aside his “teacher training”, and not try to teach them anything. Rather, allow them to learn in their own different styles of learning, and come to him with a question if they have one. When asked a question, he purposely answers only what they’re asking and tries not to offer too much instruction.
He shares what happened when he stepped in too much, verses when he held back and let the child lead. He goes on to give his conclusions about the public school system and how we as a culture have embraced “schooling” as the ONLY way to learn. When in fact, his studies show that children learn best when allowed to explore their own interests, and come to conclusions on their own. He agrees that adults are very useful in helping children to learn, but not necessarily by teaching them everything. If we as adults take on the role of a facilitator rather than a dictator in our children’s educational journey and allow them to make mistakes, discover their interests, and help them when they need it, children become far more interested and engaged in learning new things.
This is a fascinating book and extremely eye opening! As a homeschooling mom I believe that this book is a powerful tool to have in your reading list, as it will transform the way you view children and how they learn.
Homeschool Bravely
Homeschool Bravely by Jamie Erickson is (if I had to choose), my top favorite homeschooling book so far that I’ve read! I read this for the first time when we started homeschooling, and I’ve read it two more times since then. I would consider this book to be a homeschooler’s guide to reclaiming hope and purpose in your homeschool, as well as how to not only give your children an excellent education, but a Godly one.
Jamie addresses many common struggles that a homeschool parent faces in their homeschool day such as teaching a struggling learner, juggling school and parenting when there’s toddlers at home, planning with the end in mind, and more!
Homeschool Bravely truly showcases Jamie’s heart for homeschooling and her desire to speak into the hearts of homeschool moms. She shares stories of her own children, the struggles she faced as a homeschool mom and how she overcame them.
Reading this book is like having coffee with a friend, and having somebody truly understand your fears and struggles when it comes to homeschooling. This is a must read for everyone who is considering homeschooling, or currently walking that road as a family.
Unschooled
Unschooled by Kerry McDonald is another fabulous homeschooling book to add to your repertoire! Even though I’m not technically “unschooling” my children, I do take an unschooled approach with certain things. If you aren’t familiar with the concept of unschooling, my post all about unschooling vs deschooling will lay it all out for you!
This book really helped me to understand why I feel the way I do when it comes to the foundations of education, and also focuses on the wholehearted child.
The motto on the cover of the book reads, “Raising curious, well-educated children outside the conventional classroom” – and that really sums up the purpose of this book. I was very curious about the unschooling approach, and Unschooled not only educates parents on the truth about unschooling, but also fosters a great love for the beauty and freedom of homeschooling.
Whether you want to take an unschooling approach or not, this book will absolutely inspire you to let your kids be kids and enjoy the freedom that homeschooling allows!
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Summary
If you have been considering any of these books for homeschool moms, I hope you will read them! I know that my own homeschool journey has been greatly impacted by these authors and what they’ve written. Take the time to invest in yourself and start reading books that will motivate and inspire you to stick with the unconventional path of homeschooling. It’s so worth it!
Blessings!
~Maryann
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