Five Great Reads for Homeschooling Parents
Listed below are five books that I have really enjoyed reading as we started our homeschooling journey… These books span the gamut from secular resource suggestions to curriculum planning to spiritual encouragement for Christian parents. The list includes books aimed at secular and/or Christian parents.
Links to the Amazon listing are included - but they currently are not affiliate links (I will update if this changes). See the Used Book Resources page for other great places to buy books.
Homeschool Bravely by Jamie Erickson (2019)
Ms. Erickson is an outspoken Christian, and this book is definitely written with the Christian parent in mind. She encourages homeschooling moms in the education of their children from a biblical perspective. Her reminders of why we do what we do are timely. And her resources and suggested tips scattered throughout are really helpful. There are several pages that I want to tag just so I can refer to them over and over.
Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp (2020)
This secular book was revised and updated in 2020 and has a plethora of great resource suggestions. Ms. Rupp goes through each grade level and breaks down the commonly taught topics within each subject. To be honest, at this point, I have only read the first six chapters - because that is all that pertains to my homeschool at this point. Her 2020 book contains links to free and paid resources for parents. She even includes topics such as computer. So not just readin’, writin’ and ‘rhithmetic here! :-) I first purchased a used copy of her original (2000) book but soon realized how many of the website links were no longer viable. At that point, I broke down and bought a new copy of the new edition. :-) It was worth it!! I will have this book on my shelf for years to come as a fantastic resource. She references state standards. So, if you are wanting to keep your child current with the typical public school standards taught, this book is a must!
Uncovering the Logic of English by Denise Eide (2012)
Secular. If you are looking for a book that explains ALL THE RULES of English spellings and pronunciation in one short volume, look no further. I am a bit nerdy about this stuff, but I found Eide’s book to be fascinating. She explains the rules - even the little ones that are often considered “exceptions” by many teachers. I read it cover to cover and now love having it in my library to reference or loan out to interested friends. See also my blog post, Why I Chose a "Dyslexic Curriculum” for my Non-Dyslexic Child, for references to this book.
The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie (2018)
Sarah Mackenzie writes to all parents, whether or not they share her Christian faith. In the first part of the book, she shares stories from her own family, ideas for creating wonderful read-aloud experiences and memories, and research pertaining to the benefits of reading aloud. In the second part, Mackenzie gives an annotated bibliography of read-alouds broken down by suggested age ranges. I found her descriptions of the books very helpful and now plan to buy a physical copy to refer to - rather than just the digital one I read on Scribd. She explains that her method of assigning age brackets for the books is based on the topic/vocabulary’s age-appropriateness and not based (like many publishers do) on the age of the characters in the book. Mackenzie says that publishers often assume children only want to read about kids older than them, and therefore often assign the age ranges accordingly.
The Three R’s by Ruth Beechick (2006)
Christian, but written for any parent. Dr. Beechick’s short book focuses on the three primary elementary skills - reading, writing, arithmetic. She provides many wonderful ideas for how to gently introduce and develop each of these subjects in younger elementary aged children. This book could essentially be used to develop your own homeschool curriculum for grades 1-3. Her approach is very child-centered, in that she encourages gently developing their learning as they are ready for each step. Dr. Beechick provides research to support her views on possibly “delaying” some elements of the curriculum until the child is truly ready for it. And, she shows that this method often leads to better student outcomes in the long-term. Click here for my full book review.
