Beginner Books

[Persephone]

Does anyone have good recommendations on books about how to get started homeschooling? Or homeschooling theory books? I already have read "The Unschooling Handbook", and I know about the Holt books, but are there any others? I am planning on eclectic schooling: some combination of Unit, Charlotte Mason, and Unschooling. Any information on those would be really helpful. Thanks SO MUCH in advance!

[Persephone]

No one read ANY books before they started homeschooling?

[shaywyn]

Well, you know what, actually, I did not read any books in their entirety My attention span is too short, LOL! :LOL :LOL I did lots and lots and lots of internet research, which included articles, links, message boards, etc. Perused some books and magazines here and there. In fact, I only just recently gave any effort to reading the Holt books themselves, after years of reading and absorbing excerpts and reviews and opinions from them I also talked to homeschoolers I knew and hooked up with a compatible support group very early (dd was just turned 4), not as a weekly attendee but as a resource and to pick their brains, muahahaahaaa LOL!

We are now regular attendees of the group that gave us so much

If you feel you need books, I liked the Unschooling Handbook, which you have read, but I assume any of this woman's other books would be good, practical advice

Good Luck!!

[USAmma]

I really didn't read anything. A friend loaned me The Well-Trained Mind but I only leafed through it to get a general feeling about it. I guess my real preparation was my own education and if you count that, I did a LOT of reading.

I sometimes read books about the developmental stages of my dd's to get an idea on their emotional and social development and how to tune in better.

I just plunged right in when I felt it was time. I got a boxed cirriculum so it's pretty dummy proof. I know what to teach her on what days although we skip ahead as needed. I think if I was going to unschool I'd read more, or maybe get some guide on what kids should know by certain ages/stages. But then maybe not. I don't know a lot about unschooling. I'm still feeling my way through the whole homeschooling thing.

Darshani

[saphire]

What did I read in the begininng? I always knew I'd hs, but after we had kids, then as dd#1 got closer to school age I started picking up Home Education Magazine, Holt books, and any other hs books which I found. Mary Pride has a ton. I would cruise the hs section at the libraries or bookstores and took what I found appealing at the time. This has led me towards an eclectic/child led/unschooling approach. (Right now dd is wanting some actual instruction from me for once)

[musician/mom]

I really enjoyed this book. The author Rebecca Rupp homeschools her 3 boys and is rather eclectic in her approach. I was really excited about the learning possibilities and opportunities after reading this book:
Getting Started on Home Learning : How and Why to Teach Your Kids at Home -- by REBECCA RUPP

She also wrote this book which gives general expectations one might have at the different grade level. I refer to it often:
Home Learning Year by Year : How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School -- by REBECCA RUPP

I also really enjoyed this one; it is not a how-to but a great read on the whys of homeschooling:
Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense -- by David Guterson

I have not read this one but it got good reviews on Amazon:
The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child: Your Complete Guide to Getting Off to the Right Start -- by LINDA DOBSON

[mandib50]

well, i read alot of books about homeschooling/unschooling in general but nothing really on the "how-to". that for me was hard because i was never one to just trust myself and do something without a plan that i researched thoroughly! i got great use out of these 3 little booklets though , ruth beechick's 3 R's which are aimed at reading, writing and language arts. they're just little and gave good practical ideas that really required no materials other than what you might have around the house. recently i read a charlotte mason's companion by karen andreola which i did enjoy, i didn't read it in it's entirety but i did enjoy some of the philosophies. of course john taylor gatto is great and so is john holt. i just kind of take homeschooling books out of the library and browse through them, i think there is even a homeschooling for dummies now which wasn't bad.

i wish someone would've told me when i started out, relax, enjoy the process, your kids are going to learn no matter what, don't get so caught up in curriculum and being the perfect homeschooling mother. it's a journey, it's a process, have fun with it.

mandi

[Marsupialmom]

Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense -- by David Guterson

That is one of my favorites.

Then "The Well Trained Mind".

[eilonwy]

I read a whole bunch of books on homeschooling last year; in fact, I just went to the library, typed "homeschool*" into the search engine there, and over a period of about two months pulled every single book on the subject off the shelves and read it, from "Teach Your Baby to Read" (Glenn Doman; I wouldn't recommend this one, a bit of a waste of time IMHO) to "Teach Your Own" (John Holt; definately worth reading even if you're not planning to unschool) to "The Well-Trained Mind" (Jessie Wise & Susan Wise Bauer; this is the program which I'm doing with my niece. The attitude is a little bit... snobby... but the program is, overall, an excellent one with many strengths). I read books about the practical aspects of homeschooling, as well as about methodologies. There was a book full of free resources for homeschoolers which is excellent but I can't remember what it was called.

I also did a lot of reading on the internet. At the top of this forum is a sticky list of resources for homeschoolers, and many of those pages have links to more information.

I have to say that of all the things I read, the absolute most important was a copy of the laws in my state. I live in PA, and there are *loads* of laws here which homeschoolers must abide by. It looks like a real PITA, but it's really much easier than it looks! You definately want a thorough understanding of the laws in your state before you begin. I was planning to do a test run this year with regards to record keeping, but because my niece was pulled out of school she gets to be the guinea pig. She's actually doing really well, and the record keeping is a heck of a lot easier than the law leads most people to believe.

Then of course, there's this forum: if you have questions, someone here is bound to have asked before and someone is bound to have answered. It's like having experts on every sort of curriculum you can imagine, and most of the state laws, right on your desk. When it comes to the every day, nitty gritty stuff, this is the place to ask.

Homeschooling is great fun; I find it to be very rewarding not only for my niece and son, but for myself. It's such a satisfying experience to see a child not only learn, but enjoy learning and know that you played a role in that. (Sounds hokey, I know, but I still get such a kick out of watching my niece and son learn new things!) Kids are truly amazing people, and I wouldn't give up homeschooling for the world. Best of luck on your journey!

[Persephone]

Thanks for all the advice guys!

I don't even have children yet, so this request was really more of me looking ahead than anything else. I have checked the laws here, and it seems pretty easy to homeschool here. You just have to keep track of attendance. (365 days a year, heh.)