Facebook Groups for Homeschoolers

Below are some suggestions of Facebook groups for homeschoolers. Before I give you links, I just want to warn you of something you already know – INFORMATION OVERLOAD IS A REAL THING! Don’t get sucked into the vortex. These are great resources to have available, but don’t let them steal your joy!

Homeschool Successfully, Perfection Not Required
General homeschooling group.

Charlotte Mason Homeschoolers
Specific to the Charlotte Mason method.

Mere Motherhood
Homeschooling and Motherhood. Christian. Created by Cindy Rollins, homeschool mom who has graduated 8 boys and 1 girl.

Charlotte Mason/Ambleside/Living Books
Used “living” books for sale.

Reshelving Alexandria
Parents who are trying to curate the highest quality books for their home library.

Classical/Charlotte Mason/Eclectic Homeschoolers
Many groups can become echo chambers. This one is eclectic enough to not let that happen as much.

It’s Not That Hard to Homeschool High School
High School specific!

There are also many boards that are specifically for a particular curriculum. If you need help with understanding how to implement your curriculum, try searching it on Facebook. Instagram has A LOT of awesome inspiration, but it is even more likely to steal your joy, so I’m not linking to it here. Enter that world at your own risk!

Books About Homeschooling

These are books about homeschooling that either I or my friends have read and highly recommend.

GENERAL HOMESCHOOLING

Teaching From Rest
I listen to this at least yearly. It calms the anxiety of feeling like I’m not doing enough. It brings peace to my heart. It helps me refocus on the most important things. This is the most commonly mentioned book when new homeschoolers ask for suggestions!

Rethinking School
This book would be especially good for those of you who plan to put your kids back in school next year. It is not a homeschooling book but is written to everyone with children. Some really good information here.

The Call of the Wild and Free
If you are a new homeschooler, this book will help open your eyes to the possibilities of a freer, richer education.

Brave Learner
How to make education an exciting, enchanting experience for your kids. (Some advice here leans a little too close to the unparenting side of unschooling for my tastes, so use discernment as you read. Don’t let that dissuade you, though! This is a very popular book and will help inspire you and loosen you up if you are an anxious, Type A person!)

The Read Aloud Family
Inspiring book that will convince you of the benefits of reading aloud to your kids. This one always gets high praise.

Better Together
A guide to what Morning Time is and how it can enrich your family life.

Homeschooling Gifted Kids
Great guide for those new to homeschooling and raising bright, intense, asynchronous kiddos.

CHARLOTTE MASON SPECIFIC

For the Children’s Sake
The most often recommended book for people who are curious about the Charlotte Mason method. This is the book that started the movement in the United States. It feels a bit dated now, but very inspirational. It will give you a new vision for your family. This is my Goodreads review: “A ‘must read’ for every Christian parent, no matter where your children go to school. This will give you a vision for what a good education and a good childhood can and should look like.”

Know and Tell
THE book about narration from Kindergarten through graduation.

The Living Page
All about the various notebooks in a Charlotte Mason education. Enlightening.

Consider This
One of my tippy top favorite homeschooling books. This discusses Classical and Charlotte Mason education. Enlightening. Convincing. Paradigm-shifting. This is the book that convinced me to use the Charlotte Mason method and allowed me to ALSO call myself a Classical educator.

A Philosophy of Education
If you are only going to read one book by Charlotte Mason, let this be the one. This one was written last and lays out her philosophy, going over each subject individually. This would be a fascinating read for any schoolteachers out there! Your mind will be blown! I basically underlined the whole thing.

MISCELLANEOUS

Last Child in the Woods
The power of nature in a child’s life.

Mere Motherhood
A view from the other side of the trenches. Written by a mom of 8 boys and 1 girl who has become an inspiration to thousands of homeschooling moms around the world.

A Thomas Jefferson Education
If you are looking for a mix of classical and unschooling, this is your book!

FREE Audio Books for Kids

These audio books from LibriVox are always free! There is an app that might make these easier to access for your kids. The Pro version with no ads is $2. Sometimes the narrators are unpleasant to listen to since they are all volunteers and don’t always have good recording equipment, so you need to check first. I’m including ones that seem pretty good from the samples. If you don’t like a particular narrator, check the site/app to see if there is another version you would like better. These are all books we did use in our homeschool or would have used if I’d known about them. The age ranges are just my best guess and may not be right for your particular children. If they aren’t used to listening to audio books, start with those meant for younger kids. I did try to note any that I remembered being somewhat scary. Don’t skip the ones with “princess” in the title if you have a boy. These are great stories for all!….

AGES 4+

My Father’s Dragon (This is the most adorable thing you will ever hear!)

Collection of Beatrix Potter Stories (Dramatic Readings by a cast of children)

When We Were Very Young (delightful poetry by A.A. Milne)

A Child’s Garden of Verses

Poems Every Child Should Know

The Aesop for Children (various narrators)

Aesop’s Fables

The Adventures of Peter Cottontail

The Adventures of Reddy Fox

The Adventures of Sammy Jay

The Adventures of Bobby Coon