Five Books for Homeschooling Moms to Read
If you’re a thinking about homeschooling or you’re already a homeschooling mom, you’ve probably been doing some research. You’re looking into curriculum, you’re checking out different homeschooling styles and methods, and maybe you’re taking a homeschooling course. One of the best things you can do – no matter where you are in your homeschooling journey – is to read books for homeschooling moms! So I’m going to share my five favorite books for homeschooling moms.
There are SO MANY books for homeschooling moms to read… books about homeschool methods, curriculum, or basically just about any topic you want to read about!
I have way more than five books on my shelf, but I’ve chosen the five that I reach for over and over, and that have made the biggest impact on my homeschool.
Why Read Books for Homeschooling Moms?
Just as someone who takes continuing education courses for their job, this is our job – so we need to keep pouring into ourselves as home educators. This is often referred to in the Charlotte Mason world as “Mother Culture.” I have a full list of homeschooling books that I love over in my Amazon storefront, but these are my absolute favorites and the ones I would recommend first. If you have a hard time finding time to sit down to read, try listening to some of these books as audiobooks.
My Top Five Books for Homeschooling Moms to Read:
Simplicity Parenting
This is not technically a homeschooling book, but it’s one of my all-time favorite parenting books. And homeschooling and parenting really go hand in hand – you don’t stop being a mom when you’re homeschooling.
Simplicity Parenting brings a great perspective to parenting, beyond the stuff and the activities. It boils parenting down to the basics and helps you to re-center your focus on what’s truly important – letting your kids be kids.
Educating the Whole Hearted Child
This is one of the first homeschooling books I ever read, and I have gone back to it time and time again. If you are homeschooling your kids from a Christian perspective, I highly recommend this book. It’s incredibly practical, while also helping you to develop your values and philosophy around homeschooling. This is probably one of my absolute favorite books for homeschooling moms! It’s really big and jam-packed with good info, so it’s a great one to digest slowly over the summer. Sally and Clay Clarkson write this book together, and I would recommend any of Sally’s other books as well or the amazing encouragement she provides through her social media and podcast.
Home Grown
This book was monumental in shifting my focus from curriculum to life. I’m so grateful that I read this book early on in my homeschooling days, because it helped me see that so much of learning happens outside of the curriculum. Even though this book talks about unschooling, you don’t need to be unschooling to benefit from it. I think everyone could learn from this book!
Brave Learner
This book will help bring the enchantment into (or back into) your homeschool. This book will guide you into adding surprise, mystery, adventure, and risk into your days, all while learning naturally. Julie Bogart will give you some amazing examples of how to bring the fun into your homeschool days!
The 4-Hour School Day
Durenda Wilson has made an incredible impact on my homeschool. She’s a long-time homeschooling mom of a large family, and she’s taken such a balanced approach to homeschooling. Her podcast is a wealth of wisdom, and her book is a great resources as well. This book is so encouraging to show that kids don’t need to spend all day at a desk or in curriculum – even in their older years!
If you’re looking for tips on choosing curriculum, check out this post:
Bonus Book for Homeschooling Moms:
I had to give an honorable mention to the book Home Learning Year by Year. This really isn’t an inspirational book, but more of a practical book to help you develop your home education program. It will give you an idea of what your child should be learning each year, give you suggestions for books and activities, and help you develop or choose your curriculum. Don’t view this book as: “I must do exactly what this book says each year” – just use it as a guide.
