These are all books I have actually read and recommend to my friends. Clicking through these links will support this site. Thanks!
John Holt
Raymond and Dorothy Moore
John Taylor Gatto
Resources for Reading
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The Successful Homeschool Family Book: The Moore’s original, flexible homeschooling program lets you work around a realistic family schedule while creating a low-cost, low-stress homeschool program for your family. They encourage flexibility and creativity and creating a personalized curriculum based on your child’s needs and interests.
Mind Your Own Business: Why work and service are important components of home education; how to start and run a family business as part of your homeschool.
These two extremely important books mine the research showing the very real problems and dangers to children than can result from early formal schooling, and the ease with which children age eight to ten or even twelve can “catch up” with their peers who have had three to six years of formal education.
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Teach a Child to Read With Children’s Books, by Mark Thogmartin, is the ONLY book on reading instruction you need. As someone who holds a degree in elementary education with an emphasis in early childhood and reading, I can tell you this is 100% in line with what we know about how children learn to read (very little of good teaching theory makes it to the classroom, however). This sensible and simple approach melds phonics to comprehension and writing, which gives beginning readers motivation and reward at the same time they learn. New copies are rare and expensive, but it’s not hard to find a used one at a decent price.
How to Get Your Child to Love Reading, by Esme Raji Codell, is an amazing book of book resources: lists for boys, lists for girls, and lists for reluctant readers as well as activities, projects, and experiments for encouraging and rewarding reading.
Great books! I’ve read most of them and owned several of these titles (before our house fire). Each author is inspiring in his (or her) own way, and they all dovetail nicely.
An additional favorite author is Ruth Beechick. Her You Can Teach Your Child Successfully: Grades 4-8 got me through the “down” days that always seem to creep in at various points in everyone’s homeschooling career. Recommended by this retired homeschool mom!
Oh, Susan, one of my worst nightmares is losing all my books! I know you lost everything but books and photos – that’s what is most wrenching!
Thanks for the recommendation! I love Beechick too and I’ll probably get to her when I add more to this list. There are a whole lot of books I have yet to add!
Looks great, Carma. You are creating a resource that many people will find helpful.