Helpful Books about Homeschooling and/or Learning in General

And The Skylark Sings With Me, by David Albert. Offers an inspiring and uniquely thought-provoking perspective on learning. Sample chapter at http://www.skylarksings.com/

The Beginner's Guide to Homeschooling, by Patrick Farenga. An introduction to homeschooling, with a FAQ, suggestions for curriculum, resource lists, and much more.

Better Late Than Early, and School Can Wait (a more scholarly version of the same research), by Raymond and Dorothy Moore, discussion of the large body of research proving the dangers of early formal schooling (includes their own Christian-based perspectives as well).

The Book of Learning and Forgetting, by Frank Smith. Eloquently contrasts the "official theory" that learning is work with a view that learning is a social process that can occur naturally and continually through collaborative activities.

Christian Unschooling: Growing Your Children in the Freedom of Christ, by Teri J. Brown, Elissa M. Wahl. Comprehensive information, and ideas to inspire the (Christian) homeschooler in the subjects of language arts, history, math, science and more.

Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the Child with Learning Differences, by Lenore Colacíon Hayes. Insights on the challenges and joys of homeschooling special-needs children with challenges ranging from autism or ADD to other learning disabilities or who simply march to the beat of a different drummer.

The Complete Home Learning Source Book, by Rebecca Rupp. An enormous, well-organized resource with reviews and essays on learning resources of every kind, for all subjects.

Dumbing Us Down, The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Education, by John Taylor Gatto. The former NY State Teacher of the Year discusses the nature of education, and urges parents to re-engage their families in their culture, economy and society.

Educating the WholeHearted Online, by Clay and Sally Clarkson. A Christian inspired and comprehensive approach that integrates all areas of study for children aged 4-14, making the entire home a place of learning.

Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense, by David Guterson. A former high school English teacher, and now a best-selling novelist, Guterson explains why he chose to homeschool his own kids, even while still teaching.

The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child: Your Complete Guide to Getting Off to the Right Start, by Linda Dobson. The synthesis of countless years of educational inquiry and experiment, from many contributing homeschoolers.

Freedom Challenge: African American Homeschoolers, edited by Grace Llewellyn. Inspiring observations from the experiences of 20 families who span the globe.

Fundamentals of Homeschooling: Notes on Successful Family Living, by Ann Lahrson-Fisher. A comprehensive 400+ page resource book that emphasizes the importance of family life and "living a satisfying learning lifestyle."

Getting Started on Home Learning, by Rebecca Rupp. A small companion book to The Complete Home Learning Source Book, this includes an inspiring discussion of her own experience of homeschooling three sons.

Guerrilla Learning: How to Give Your Kids a Real Education With or Without School, by Grace Llewellyn, Amy Silver. The title says it all - the book examines how people learn and illuminates its practical advice with insightful stories.

Hard Times in Paradise, David and Micki Colfax. The story of how the Colfaxes (see Homeschooling for Excellence) learned together while struggling to build their homestead—an interesting perspective on real education.

Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School, by Rebecca Rupp. A detailed guide to standard subjects generally covered by schools, with suggestions for good books and resources that can be used.

The Home School Source Book, 3rd Edition, by Jean and Donn Reed. Reviews a huge assortment of resources, with thought-provoking commentaries about homeschooling. It's also a catalog (see catalogs below).

The Homeschool Reader, by Mark and Helen Hegener. Articles from past issues of Home Education Magazine, by 30 respected writers, covering the whole spectrum of homeschooling topics.

Homeschooling Almanac, by Mary and Michael Leppert. Description of various methods, interviews with homeschoolers, and guide to resources.

Homeschooling and the Voyage of Self-Discovery: A Journey of Original Seeking, by David Albert. Unique essays on how to incorporate the aesthetics of family learning into the realm of daily living, including practical ideas. Excerpts at http://www.skylarksings.com/

Homeschooling Our Children Unschooling Ourselves, by Alison McKee. A gifted teacher with wide experience in traditional education describes her family's journey into homeschooling and the challenging, but rewarding, process of learning to trust her own children to show her the way.

The Homeschooling Book of Answers, by Linda Dobson. More than thirty seasoned homeschooling writers respond to 88 important and frequently asked questions about homeschooling.

Homeschooling for Excellence, by David and Micki Colfax. Inspired by frequent questions after their first son got into Harvard on a scholarship, this book empowers parents to take charge of their children's education.

Homeschooling for Success: How Parents Can Create a Superior Education for their Child, by Rebecca Kochenderfer and Elizabeth Kanna (editors of Homeschooling.com). A comprehensive introduction and overview of homeschooling concerns and resources.

The Homeschooling Handbook, by Mary Griffith. A thorough overview of homeschooling, with thought-provoking comments from many experienced homeschoolers.

Homeschooling, the Early Years, by Linda Dobson. Although these years, 3-8, are early for formal study, the book offers encouragement and inspiration about the ways in which young children continually learn naturally.

Homeschooling the Middle Years, by Shari Henry. Lots of helpful ideas and inspiration about homeschooling the 8-12 year old, from many families.

How Your Child IS Smart: A Life-Changing Approach to Learning, by Dawna Markova, a learning and comprehension specialist, is a clear and reassuring book on how to recognize individual learning styles and empower the child.

Learning At Home, A Mother's Guide to Homeschooling, by Marty Layne. A thorough overview based on the wisdom gained in the years of homeschooling four children.

Living Joyfully With Children, by Win Sweet and Bill Sweet. Having homeschooled long before the word "homeschooling" came along, the Sweets share their inspiring discoveries and practical advice about creating joy-filled family life.

Morning by Morning: How we Home-Schooled our African-American Sons to the Ivy League, by Paula Penn-Nabrit. Focuses on a families' decision to homeschool in order to address the children's holistic development as spiritual, intellectual and physical beings.

Real Lives: Eleven Teenagers Who Don't Go to School Tell Their Own Stories, by Grace Llewellyn (Editor).The teens who wrote for the 1993 edition of this book have gone on to interesting adult lives, and have contributed updates on their lives.

Teach Your Own, How Children Learn, How Children Fail, and others, by John Holt. Holt was an educational and social critic, and a pioneering homeschooling advocate. His captivating books and gentle empathy with children introduced deeply insightful observations about how learning works.

The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education, by Grace Llewellyn. The classic on teenage unschooling, this popular book has lots of valuable advice and resource suggestions.

The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas, by Linda Dobson. A categorized collection of over 500 tried-and-true educational activities for all subjects, submitted by many homeschooling families.

The Underground History of American Education: A Schoolteacher's Intimate Investigation Into the Problem of Modern Schooling, by John Taylor Gatto. A fascinating and opinionated history of how practices and principles of schooling have come to be.

The Unprocessed Child: Living Without School, by Valerie Fitzenreiter. "The Unprocessed Child is not so much a book about how to raise our children without school, but a book about respect, dignity and honor of the very nature of childhood." -Tracy Million Simmons

The Unschooling Handbook: How to Use the Whole World As Your Child's Classroom, by Mary Griffith. Provides tips and advice from many experienced homeschoolers.