When we officially decided to homeschool, I was on a mission to learn as much as I possibly could! I read about 10 books before we started, watched hundreds of hours of videos on different homeschooling philophies, curricula, and how other moms homeschooled, and I researched as much as I possibly could about homeschooling.
Because I did this, I knew right away that I was drawn to a Charlotte Mason homeschool philosophy and that living books would be the foundation for all of our learning. I'm so glad I took the time to learn as much as possible so I could start off on the right foot and not have to back track a ton right away.
But, you may be brand new and have no idea where to start. I've read a LOT of books about education, homeschooling, and how children learn and if I had to start over or recommend some books to a friend, these are the 6 I would start with. While a couple have a Charlotte Mason outlook to them, overall, I think so much can be gained from these books regardless of how you decide to homeschool your children.
The first book I recommend is Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto. This is a great read (I actually listened to the audio book which was short and so well done) especially if you are on the edge of deciding to homeschool or need help explaining some of your reasoning for homeschooling to your spouse or family/friends. John Taylor Gatto taught in the public school system for 30 years and realized that the schools weren't successful in creating well-rounded, free-thinking, highly educated adults. This book really helped open my eyes to many things I already thought about the educational system but couldn't quite articulate based on my own experience as a student and a teacher, plus other things I've observed since becoming a mother.
A very good follow-up to Dumbing Us Down is Awaking Wonder by Sally Clarkson. This was one of the first books I read when we decided to homeschool and it truly lit my heart on fire to want to awake wonder in my children and give them a childhood and educational experience that created in them a desire to learn and grow for the rest of their lives.
Ahhhh, Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins was such a beautiful encouragement to me when I read it our first year of homeschooling. Reading a very personal book about a fellow homeschooling mom's journey to carve an educational path for her children amidst having more babies, moving, not knowing what path to follow, and so much more encouraged me that I could do this and that even when life is a little chaotic (and when isn't it chaotic as a mom?!?), we can provide a beautiful, enriching, faith-filled education for each of our children at home.
I read Mother Culture by Karen Andreola before we started homeschooling and it's stuck with me many years later. The idea behind this book is that we shouldn't lose ourselves, our hobbies, our interests, and our time for ourselves when we become mothers. Instead, we should implement these things into our days and let our children see us being well-rounded people with our own identity apart from being mothers. Karen Andreola encourages us to do a lot of the things we encourage our kids to do in our homeschool day (read, study scripture, notice the beauty around us, do handicrafts, etc.) to bring fulfillment to our own lives and to also show our kids that these things shouldn't stop once they leave our homes. I've actually now convinced myself to re-read it this summer!
And lastly, one of my favorite homeschool books is For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay. If you have wondered what a Charlotte Mason education looks like or why so many homeschool families are drawn to Charlotte Mason's teachings, this book is a great starting place that gives a solid overview of Charlotte Mason's philosophy. This is a wonderful look into a completely different way of educating children than the public school system uses today and you might find yourself underlining and highlighting many passages as you realize many things you maybe didn't think about before! Whether you choose to follow a Charlotte Mason educational approach, I believe this book has many useful ideas for homeschool parents to feast on as they start their homeschool journey.
There you have it! It was VERY hard to narrow this list down to just six books since I've read dozens of homeschool books, but I think each one has a special outlook and purpose that can help set a solid foundation for any homeschool parent as they start traveling down thier own unique journey to this new and exciting lifestyle!