While there are scores of suggestions out there regarding the homeschooling books you should choose for your children, something that is rarely mentioned is alternative books that can be used to supplement a good home schooling curriculum. Assuming you are willing to put in the time and effort that is necessary to help your children succeed, the textbooks that are already out there do a relatively good job of providing a comprehensive education. However, there are often many gaps to fill, and this is where alternative books can play a role in not only providing an adequate education for your child, but a superb education that will be far superior to the one they might have received in the public or private school system.
The first rule to keep in mind is to be a real educator to your child. Homeschooling books are no good at all if you are unable to convey the material at a high level and in a way that is easy to understand for your child. Because this is true, it is important that you take the time to read and understand the books yourself before subjecting your child to them. Many parents who consider home schooling are ill prepared for this sort of time commitment, which is why a huge industry is popping up around home schooling tutors and supplemental programs.
Once you have read and understood your child’s basic textbooks, it is time to think about ways that you can improve on what is already there. For example, one trend in home schooling for high school level students is to have the student comparatively read Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” alongside Karl Marx’s “Communist Manifesto” for an economics course. While most textbooks mention the major world theories as laid out in these texts, the vast majority of students never actually read the source material and therefore do not quite understand the very basics of economic theory. Gaining a deep, fundamental understanding of the subject will allow your home schooled child to be able to effectively process and interpret information.
Homeschooling books can be effective, but the best home schooling course of study will involve active engagement with supplementary texts and books.
