Important Disclosure: I only recommend books and resources that I LOVE. For some of these, I am using affiliate links. You pay nothing extra; any commission that I earn comes at no additional cost to you. I recommend these resources because I have found them to be tremendously useful and helpful.
Resources to Educate Your Sons & Daughters Outside of School – Making it Easy to Opt Out!
Instead of Schooling
Book and Online Course
Self-Portrait
Self-Portrait™ Power Traits Assessment that helps you uncover strengths and the way that you and your child are naturally wired to learn. I recommend you do it for yourself and your kids: Parents and Students
Homeschooling Laws
Self-Directed Education & Parenting
The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto
The Schools Our Children Deserve: Moving Beyond Tradtional Classrooms and “Tougher Standards” by Alfie Kohn: a solid, research-based look at education that will open your eyes.
Free to Learn by Peter Gray: beautiful book that shows how kids learn naturally through play and self-direction.
Free Range Kids by Lenore Skenazy: makes it easy and normal to give kids the same kind of freedom most of us had — and loved.
Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn: how to love your kids unconditionally so that they become their most caring, responsible selves.
How Children Learn by John Holt: the classic that started the unschooling movement.
Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto: another classic that will change how you view school forever.
Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy by Cathy O’Neil
Why are You Still Sending Your Kids to School by Blake Boles: a handbook for taking your kids out of school and unschooling them.
Smart Moves: Why Learning is Not All In Your Head by Carla Hannaford
Unicorns are Real: a Right-Brained Approach to Learning by Barbara Meister Vital
Documentaries & Videos
The Six Purposes of Education by John Taylor Gatto
John Taylor Gatto website
Race to NowhereClass Dismissed
Do Schools Kill Creativity by Sir Ken Robinson
The Decline of Play by Peter Gray
Finding Your Element by Sir Ken Robinson
The Puzzle of Motivation by Dan Pink
The Myth of Average by Todd Rose
Stop Stealing Dreams by Seth Godin
I Sued the School System by Prince EA
Books by the inventors of forced government schooling
Principles of Secondary Education by Alexander Inglis
The History of Education by Ellwood P. Cubberly
Writing Resources
Handwriting Without Tears is a solid approach to learning how to print and also the lost art of cursive.
I can personally vouch for Cover Story as a fun and engaging middle school writing curriculum.
Dyslexia
Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity
Learning Ally – audiobooks, can qualify for free membership
Math
Constructing the Universe– math through the lens of nature, art, and architecture
YouCubed – Jo Boaler, Stanford professor, has courses and exercises to revamp the teaching of maths
Mr D Math – online self-paced and live higher math classes
No Nonsense Algebra – pre-algebra and algebra books and videos
Science
Rupert Sheldrake website and YouTube channel
Crrow777radio episode on Tycho Brahe
The Fourth Phase of Water by Gerald Pollack
The Secret Intelligence of Water by Veda Austin
Regenerate by Sayer Ji and Sachin Patel
Government & Economics
A Trio of Amazing Economics Books offered by the Foundation for Economic Education: Economics in One Lesson, The Law, and I, Pencil
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? by Richard Maybury
Paradise Stolen – by Stefan Verstappen
Best Evidence – YouTube channel by John Titus about the Federal Reserve & Money
The Creature from Jekyll Island: a second look at the federal reserve
Online Courses & Schools
Sora – project-based learning for high school
Kubrio – self-directed education for ages 8-18. Global online learning pods – diy and live. Nanocourses.
Enki – an update of Rudolph Steiner’s Waldorf approach – for grades 6-9
Outschool: live online classes and camps
Study.com – video based learning, some with college credit
International Virtual Learning Academy – created by Arizona State University, NCAA approved. Offers K-12 with a wide range of options from content partners.
Acellus Academy: accredited online K-12 school; video lessons and online quizzes and tests. $79 per month per student for up to 6 classes.
Power Homeschool: the non-accredited homeschool version of Acellus Academy; parent as teacher; $25 per month per student for up to 6 classes.
Khan Academy: free K-12 courses, my kids didn’t like but some do.
Dual Enrollment – Early College
Sofia University– for college credit; free if you complete in 60 days, check with the colleges on your list to make sure they will transfer
Outlier – Intro to Psychology and Calculus through the University of Pittsburgh; pay only if you pass
Grand Canyon University – a wide selection of college courses at ~ $200 each, a Christian perspective, most of the colleges that I asked will accept these courses as long as they are core courses
Bob Jones University – a wide selection of college courses at ~ $225 each, a Christian perspective, most of the colleges that I asked will accept these courses as long as they are core courses
Home Education Curriculum Guides and Online Stores
Cathy Duffy Reviews – organized by age and subject
The Homeschool Resource Roadmap – charts of curriculum and resources by age and subject area
For Small Hands – Montessori materials
Build Your Library – learning through books
Project-Based Homeschooling by Lori Pickert
Charlotte Mason Approach – literature based
Build Your Support Network
Unschooling School – a resource center to empower families to use the resources at public schools to facilitate their free learning. They have a great list of resources here.
Let Grow – helping you to trust that your kids can make their way in the world.
Alfie Kohn – a brilliant thinker who will change your view of testing, homework, and conventional parenting
Naomi Aldort – parenting support and coaching