There are many books about home education. Although most are from the USA, where 'homeschooling' has been popular for many years, there are an increasing number now written in the UK, from a British perspective. Those listed below are a few of my favourites; they can be ordered from most local or Internet bookshops, such as Amazon UK, or Play.com, or from the second-hand online bookstore Abebooks UK.


'Free Range Education' edited by Terri Dowty

Twenty British families (including ours!) have written individual chapters explaining why they chose to home educate and an idea of their philosophy. A fascinating series of vignettes into home education at the end of the 20th century.

Some frequently asked questions are answered in between chapters, but the majority of the book describes what home education is like from day to day in different households. Most of them are reasonably informal, some entirely autonomous while others use some National Curriculum or other text-books. The overall feeling is of happy, healthy children and teenagers who enjoy the challenge of learning, and are confident about their future.




'Those unschooled minds' by Julie Webb

This book is based on interviews with twenty home educated people in their twenties, or older. The author first spoke to them in their teens, while they were still being educated at home, and wanted to find out what they thought about the pros and cons of home education.

There are lots of interesting insights in this book. I felt it was an encouraging tribute to the ground broken by those families who opted to educate their children at home in the 1980s and before, when home education was a barely recognised option in the UK.

Read this if you wonder what happens when home education finishes, and whether young adults who have not been to school are able to deal well with employment and adult society.



'Doing it their way' by Jan Fortune-Wood

This book describes thoroughly the 'autonomous' method of home education which is gaining popularity in the UK. It examines various theories of raising children and of educating, and explains why the author believes strongly in child-led education. It shows clearly how vital it is for parents to be fully involved in their children's lives, and to take them and their concerns seriously.

I didn't agree with every word in this book - the assumption is made, for instance, that every child, if raised entirely non-coercively, will make wise choices at least most of the time. It is also assumed that a totally autonomous lifestyle is always possible, if we take the time to discover a mutually agreeable solution to any problem. The principle is good, but in practise there isn't always time available - and some children, in my experience, actually do benefit from more parental guidance than this book would allow.



'Educating Children at Home' by Alan Thomas

This is the result of extensive research in the UK and Australia. It's not a book to read straight through, since it's full of statistics, information and answers; they are well organised, but not exactly flowing.

However, I thought it fascinating to see varied responses to the author's questions. A few detailed examples are also given of how learning occurs frequently in the home without any direct 'teaching'.

This is a book to share with those who are dubious about the value of home education, particularly academics. It's also a book to keep on your shelves, to dip into occasionally, and to encourage you about the state of home education in the UK and elsewhere.



'How Children Learn at Home' by Alan Thomas and Harriet Patterson

I haven't read this book, which was published in 2007, but a friend has recommended it highly.  

It emphasises the role of informal, apparently random study through which children learn at least as much, if not more than their school-going contemporaries.  This is despite schoolchildren having their education given in supposedly logical sequences. 

This may all be obvious to home educating parents - however it's presented very well, from an academic background, so it's the kind of book that could be good to buy for relatives or friends who are dubious about the theory of home educating, and particularly unschooling or autonomous education.



'The Teenage Liberation Handbook' by Grace Llewellyn

This is an American book intended for teenagers who are interested in learning at home. It shows how they can leave school and study, even if their parents are unable to provide many resources, or are out at work.

The book also looks at college entrance (from a US perspective, although many of the principles are international) and ways of studying different subjects at home.

Interesting for parents to read, although not so relevant for younger children who can't be left alone for long periods. It tends to take a fairly structured approach to learning, assuming that teenagers do want to go to university or some particular career that requires qualifications. Full of good examples. It's the kind of book I would like to have read as a teenager, even though (on the whole) I enjoyed my school days.

'Teenage Liberation Handbook' is only available second-hand in the UK - the link is to the American Amazon, where it is usually better value, even in the UK, due to the weak dollar.



'Teach your Own'  by John Holt

I haven't actually read this book - or not in the updated edition, anyway, but it's considered a classic in the home education world. John Holt was one of the early promotors of interest-based education, pointing out the futility of mass learning for many children. This is a revised edition, helping parents understand that education should be relaxed, interesting and grow out of the children's own motivation.

There are chapters on living with children, on working with children who have special needs, and discussion of 'serious play', according to the synopsis.

It also has financial and legal advice, and suggestions for co-operating with local schools - however that is probably more relevant in the USA than the UK.


'For the Children's Sake' by Susan Schaeffer McCauley

This book is based on the research of Charlotte Mason, a British educator from the early 20th century. It examines the style of this radical thinker, seeing how relevant her ideas were to the modern child, and how they can be put into practice either in a small school or in the home. In a nutshell, Charlotte Mason believed that children should have a lot of freedom, good books (she called them 'living' books) rather than pared-down tedious readers, and spend a lot of their time outside.

Susan Schaeffer McCauley educated her own children at home, and gives examples of how she approached their learning. This book is ideal for anyone interested in Charlotte Mason's principles, since the original books are rather long-winded and old-fashioned, and almost impossible to get hold of. This one feels a little dated now, but I found it very interesting and inspiring, nonetheless.


Other recommended books for home educators

'Better Than School' by Nancy Wallace is the first book I ever read about home education, although it's long out of print. It's the story of an American family who discovered a relaxed, child-led way of learning, some years before this became more common. 

The book is well-written, and a very inspiring account of two children, happily learning together through life, conversation and play. I read this book when we lived in the USA, when my sons were about five and seven. Although we were not considering home education at the time, I found the book encouraging in the way it described children's play, and relaxed family life in general.

If you discover this in your library, it's well worth reading. Second-hand prices in the UK tend to be high; you may find the US second-hand prices for 'Better Than School' cheaper, despite having to pay for postage.

'School's Out' by Jean Bendell is is another book which is now out of print, although the second-hand prices tend to be reasonable in the UK. It's one mother's account of her decision to educate her children at home in the late 1980s, before home education in the UK was at all well known. She describes her initial research, and gives lots of helpful advice to anyone wanting to get started.

Inspiring, if only because it shows the dedication of mothers such as Jean Bendell who were prepared to go right against cultural and society expectations to provide the best possible education for their children.

Finally, one of the earliest  books about home education, Children in Chancery by Joy Baker. An inspiring story of someone who home educated by conviction when it was scarcely heard about, and got a land-mark decision from the High Court in the UK.  Now long out of print, and usually very expensive second-hand, but well worth it if you can find a copy in a charity shop or library.