There’s no instruction manual for parenting, and while the same goes for homeschooling, there are at least some credible books that have been written on the matter. In trying to make children ready to be adults and to join the workforce, there are many struggles to overcome, and hopefully, these books can alleviate some of that for you and other roadschooling parents alike.
Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar
Roadschooling Happy Children
While at first glance, this might not seem like a book fit for roadschooling, I would like to pose a question. Which would please you more, to see your child become a rich doctor, or to see them be a happy, loving adult? The answer is likely the latter, and that’s why this book is important for any parent to read, especially if they plan on educating their children.
This book on positive psychology will give you insight into how to healthfully sculpt your own thoughts in order to live a meaningful life. In fact, for my mom, who schooled all five of me and my siblings, she said this book affected her tremendously in how she approached education.
The Call of the Wild and Free by Ainsley Arment
Roadschooling Wild Kids
Reclaiming the wonder in your children’s education is the subtitle to this book, and it encapsulates its core message beautifully. If your vision of roadschooling involves plunging you and your family into nature and allowing your kids’ to explore their own fascinations and interests, then this book is the perfect fit for you.
Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp
Roadschooling Logically
On a more practical level, Rebecca Rupp provides a comprehensive guide to the nuts and bolts of designing your kid’s curriculum, from pre-K to the end of High School. This book is remarkably in depth, and will help any parent that feels lost with what to assign and teach their roadschoolers.
Differently Wired by Deborah Reber
Roadschooling Quirky Children
In this book about raising kids, Deborah Reber expounds upon what education has been like for her five children, all of which having been diagnosed with such things as Dyslexia, ADHD, and other common ailments we see in kids today. Deborah’s book is one of those special kinds of books that will improve your teaching by enabling you to see into your child and set them on the path to be confident in who they are.
Teaching In Your Tiara by Rebecca Fech
Roadschooling For Ease
Teaching in a naturalistic way is what this book is all about, and that means understanding that you will have strengths and weaknesses as an educator. Play to your strengths, and fill out your weaknesses with others in your support group or with external curriculum. This book is about reinforcing common sense into your child’s education, and ensuring that they get the results they need while not having to sacrifice every minute of your life.
How Children Learn by John C. Holt
Roadschooling For Child Psychology
Written over 55 years ago, this book stands the test of time thanks to how it examines the nature of learning on a fundamental level and how, for children, learning is literally as easy for them as breathing.
The Way They Learn by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias
Roadschooling For Children as Individuals
While not as old as John C. Holt’s book, this one is still almost three decades old, and it is just another example that while technology might be ever changing, the principles of creating smart kids don’t. By recognizing children’s learning habits, this book shows that as a roadschooler you can do something that no school system can: tailor a curriculum to fit exactly what your child needs.
Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto
Roadschooling Against Traditional Education
While maybe a less upbeat read than most on this list, this book does exemplify one of the key reasons any parent chooses roadschooling: because the modern school system doesn’t teach children much of anything, besides how to mindlessly follow orders. In fact, in this day and age, many educators have come to realize that public schooling intentionally makes it easy for kids to pass without learning anything at all.
The School Revolution by Ron Paul
Roadschooling A New Way
While this book is admittedly, very political, it’s also a damn fascinating read. If you’re considering or already are homeschooling, you probably already know a few things you don’t like about the American education system, but this book takes it to a whole new level. Ron Paul’s book will give you several more reasons why taking your kids out of public education is a good idea.
The Unhurried Homeschooler by Durenda Wilson
Roadschooling With Less Stress
Burnout is a very real risk for any parent that chooses roadschooling, or any style of homeschooling for that matter, and it’s no surprise. The weight of raising a child can be hard enough, but adding education on top of that can be very intimidating. There’s a good reason many parents only choose homeschool for only part of their child’s education, and it’s because schooling can be tremendously hard.
The Unhurried Homeschooler will help you put your child’s education into perspective, and over the course of her many years of raising and teaching her eight children, author Durenda Wilson learned the valuable lesson of how to enjoy the process and not worry too much about the future.
Conclusion
With this list of ten diverse, homeschooling books, you should be in a good place to find a few to compliment your current educational toolset, and hopefully you’ll be able to provide your children an education that both you and they will be satisfied with.
Don’t forget to check out our blog post about the best books for RVers. For more tips of roadschooling, check out our blog where we compared two vastly different styles of homeschooling, as well as our post about roadschooling highschoolers. And, if you have any books for this this post you’d like to recommend, send us a message by filling out the ‘Leave A Reply’ section below.