When thinking about home schooling I began to read a lot of books. In fact, I think I checked out nearly every book on home schooling available at our local library. No joke! All that to say, I thought today I’d share with you the top 10 books I found most helpful as a new home school mom. If your are thinking about home schooling or have already begun but need a little encouragement, I highly suggest checking one of these out. I know I will be referring to many of these over and over again as the years go by.
- Home Schooling 101: The Essential Handbook by Mark and Christine Field–Excellent beginner’s resource.
- Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum: A Guide to Catholic Home Education, 3rd Ed. by Laura Berquist–Whether you are a Catholic or not or pursuing a classical avenue or not, this books provides excellent suggestions for grade by grade objectives as well as supported reading lists.
Educating the WholeHearted Child: A Handbook for Christian Home Education: Home to Use Real Books and Real Life to Make Your Home a Vibrant Center of Living and Learning for You and Your Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson–The most scripture filled Charlotte Mason Philosophy resource I’ve found.- The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease–Great reference for read aloud books similar to Honey for a Child’s Heart (see below)
- Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High Schoolby Rebecca Rupp–Provides a standard by standard list of resources and guidelines for each grade.
- The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book by Guy Baily–Provides lesson plans for activities and sports units conducive to the home school environment. If you use it along with a health book, you’ve got physical education covered K-12.
- The Unofficial Guide to Homeschooling by Kathy Ishizuka–Another good beginner’s resource.
Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt–Great reference for on-grade reading books. This may also be a book you might want to consider even if your child is not homeschooled.- The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise–Even if you are not considering a classical education I’d still consider reading this book as it is one of the top home school books on the market.
- Homeschooling Methods: Seasoned Advice on Learning Styles by Paul and Gena Suarez–Subtitled as a “Homeschool Convention in a Book” this book helps parents determine the teaching methodologies that would work best with their kids from a Christian perspective.
Do you have a book you’d recommend on homeschooling? If so, please share! I’m always up for a good read.





















Hi! Welcome to Cornerstone Confessions. My name is Kathy Gossen and I'm a full time homemaker learning about what it means to be a godly woman in the everyday. On Cornerstone Confessions I share my adventures in organizing, homeschooling, cooking, parenting, and more as a means to encourage other women in their quest to becoming a Titus 2 model in their homes and beyond.





Great Idea, thanks for sharing! I pinned so I can find it again in a couple years when I will need it for Little Man
I couldn’t live without Cathy Duffy’s 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum. Another one I like by Rebecca Rupp is The Complete Home Learning Source Book.
Two books that I read when we started out on our homeschool journey that I really enjoyed were So You’re Thinking of Homeschooling by Lisa Whelchel and You’re Going to Do What? by Laurajean Downs.
Thanks for the list; some of these I haven’t heard of.
Oh I totally agree. I found Cathy Duffy’s 100 Top Picks very helpful, but then I probably found her website more helpful so I’d doubly recommend either. And Rebecca Rupp’s books is on my to-buy list I like it so much. I’ve also read Lisa Whelchel’s but I haven’t read “You’re Going to Do What?” I need to check that out. Maybe I should have made a top 20 list, instead of top ten! Thanks for sharing!
Kathy
Great list! So many helpful books – I’m so glad you had something to link up this week – you always have such great resources!
Marissa
http:forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com
The 3 R’s by Ruth Beechick! Great confidence builders for new homeschooling moms and anyone teaching K-3.
That’s what I’ve heard. It’s on my 2013 Book List. Who knows…maybe after I read it I’ll have to come up with a new top 10 books for moms, eh?
Thanks for sharing.
Great post! Found you via pinterest!! I read “Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe” by Todd Wilson. It was so fantastic our homeschool group bought 20 copies to share within the group. It is a must read for ALL homeschooling moms!! Sadly the moms that seem the most tired and burnt out chose not to read it.
Oooo…thanks for the book suggestion. I haven’t read that one yet so I will definitely put it on my list.
Thanks so much for the book list! I love reading books for homeschooling mom’s. My favorite book is Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Terri Maxwell. Check out Titus2.com. This is a wonderful book that has really helped me in my spiritual walk & homeschooling.
Kristel, thank you so much for the lead. I’ll be sure to check it out!
My must-read authors for homeschooling-Raymond Moore, John Holt, Mary Pride, Ruth Beechick. I read everything I could get my hands on before I started and I just finished my 17th year.