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.

1. Home Schooling 101:  The Essential Handbook by Mark and Christine Field–Excellent beginner’s resource.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease–Great reference for read aloud books similar to Honey for a Child’s Heart (see below)
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. The Unofficial Guide to Homeschooling by Kathy Ishizuka–Another good beginner’s resource.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.