Five Homeschooling Books

A friend who has never thought seriously about homeschooling just asked me if I had any book recommendations for her about education and homeschooling. Here's the list I put together for her:

The First Year of Homeschooling by Linda Dobson
My husband and I read this book together six years ago when I was first becoming involved in the homeschooling community in Portland, Oregon. It gives a lovely introduction to the spectrum of homeschooling styles. We read it out loud together and loved all of the anecdotes and positivity. I would recommend it as a good first book to read about homeschooling.

The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise
One of the styles we read about in The First Year of Homeschooling which interested us was the Classical method. This book explains that particular method of homeschooling. If you are wondering if homeschooling can provide a rigorous and comprehensive enough education, this is a good book to read. I am not planning to adopt the entire Classical structure, but I am very excited about the idea of tying literature to historical era and going through all of history three times: in elementary school, middle school and high school. I wish I had had a more thoughtful and thorough exposure to history, so not only am I excited about giving such an education in history and literature to my son but also about learning it myself at the same time.

Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn
This book espouses some extreme and controversial ideas, such as that all rewards (for example, grades or even praise) are inherently demotivating. I found this book upsetting when I first read it (every time I was about to say "Good job" to a student I found myself tongue-tied and unsure) but ultimately thought-provoking in a very positive way. (The book actually distinguishes between generic demotivating praise such as "good job" and very specific valuable feedback.)

Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto
Another upsetting book that sometimes reads more like a rant, this book gives the dark history of the history and current state of the American public school system. I found myself saying "That's impossible!" often as I read it, but again I found the information and ideas to be ultimately thought-provoking and to ring more true after I gave them more thought.

Multiple Intelligences by Howard Gardner
This book is a more serious research-heavy book. It is a completely fascinating and clear rewriting of what constitutes "intelligence" and a useful reminder to me again and again that every person or child is unique and uniquely intelligent. It helps me to question what and how an individual should best learn.