|
|
Five-Star Educational Resources
for Homeschooling Families and Others Too!
[Books for Parents] [History] [Geography] [Philosophy, Religion & Critical Thinking] [Arts & Crafts] [Music] [Science] [Maths] [Language & Literacy] [Software]
Books for Parents
 | Deci, Edward Why We Do What We Do. Deci's book on the basis of human self-motivation is a great follow-up to Kohn's "PBR" (see below). His central thesis is that one individual cannot motivate another, but only create the conditions under which that individual will motivate himself by supporting that person's autonomy. This book crystallized a lot of my parenting ideas and instincts.
|
| Gatto, John Taylor Dumbing Us Down.
In his acceptance speech for his award as NY State "Teacher of the Year", Gatto threw down the gauntlet and challenged the assumptions of public schooling. In this series of speeches, he explores the hidden agenda of public schooling. |  |
 | Griffiths, Mary The Unschooling Handbook: How to Make the Whole World Your Child's Classroom. A good basic introduction to the philosophy of unschooling and the possibilities. The book is filled with quotes and anecdotes from real unschooling families. |
| Guterson, David Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense. Guterson is a writer, homeschooling dad and high school English teacher. The first chapter of this book is the most persuasive concise argument for homeschooling I have ever read. His role in the teaching profession gives him the kind of credibility skeptics often need. The rest of the book elaborates on his thesis with wit, style, and just plain good writing. |  |
 | Holt, John How Children Fail. This book was written before "How Children Learn" and looks at the fear and need for conformity which lead children to fail at learning within the school system. |
| Holt, John How Children Learn. Holt, who was first a schoolteacher, tired of working within the school reform movement and moved beyond the concept of public schooling to found the "unschooling" homeschool movement in the US in the 1960's and 70's. This book is filled with observations and explanations concerning the natural learning of children which is as yet unaltered by the demands of the school system. A wonderful introductory read for parents of young children who are considering unschooling. |  |
 | Kohn, Alfie No Contest: the Case Against Competition. I like Alfie Kohn's ideas. This is a well-researched book which ties in nicely with "PBR" (listed below). It questions a central assumption in contemporary society: that competition leads to better performance. Good writing, and a persuasive book. |
| Kohn, Alfie Punished By Rewards: the Trouble With Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, Ašs, Praise, and Other Bribes. This book has been very important to me, as a parent, homeschooler and music teacher. It challenges the behaviourist idea that the best way to motivate people is to attempt to control their behaviour with incentives. As usual, Kohn's writing is witty and well-researched, and his arguments persuasive. |  |
 | Pipher, Mary Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls. Not really a homeschooling book, but this ought to be required reading for all parents of daughters. It explains how the questionable values of our culture lead young girls to separate from their true selves, much to their detriment. |
| Pipher, Mary The Shelter of Each Other: Rebuilding Our Families. Pipher explores the importance of family from a refreshingly liberal standpoint. Again, not really a homeschooling book, but affirms the importance of family as an antidote to many of society's stresses and challenges. |  |
| Ma, Liping Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics. An incisive comparative analysis of differences in the basic mathematical understanding and teaching of Chinese and American teachers (and, by extension, parents). It's amazing how bad it is in America, and how good it is in China. I'd love to hear Ma analyze the understanding and teaching of every basic mathematical concept. Here she examines four. | |
|
