3 Books for the Classical Educator to Read This Summer

Are you gearing up for summer? I know we are. Only 3 weeks until vacation and the kids CAN’T stop talking about it!

I like to read more during the summer, since I have less time lesson planning and preparing for the day. As a classical educator, I like to keep my learning going as well as keeping myself up on the best way to prepared and lead a classical education in my home.

So, as you are winding down your school year and getting ready for the summer, here are some great books to add to your summer reading list.

The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education by Leigh Bortins is the first on my list. If you have not read The Core and you are home educating, interested in classical education, or are home education full time or part time with your kids, this is book you really want to read. Leigh Bortins, the founder of Classical Conversations, wrote this book. She explains the “core” of education that all students need to learn to succeed in today’s society. The Core gives parents the methodology behind classical education and explains the tools needed and how to get them in order to implement a classical, thorough, rigorous education at home based on the classical model of education.

What I loved about The Core is that is explained exactly what I needed to do at home with my kids at each stage of their academic learning life as well as how to teach the whole family together, regardless of age. References are provided on curricula, books to read, read-alouds, and even how to teach memorization techniques and train math skills. Frankly, I wish I had read it earlier than I did initially and re-read the book occasionally to keep my frame of reference in the right place.

Don’t be mistaken, this is not light reading. Be prepared to jot notes and re-read sections. It is a very thorough book and one that any classical educator should have in his or her library.

Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie is an excellent book for any homeschooler. Whether you are a classical educator or simply eclectic, Teaching from Rest gives every homeschooler the inspriation and encouragement to provide a warm and enriching home in which to grow and learn. Since many the parents that homeschool are full of stress and anxiety that they “aren’t enough,” Teaching from Rest is an excellent faith-based, inspirational book that helps the struggling, homeschooling parent learn to be accepting of their call to homeschooling and learn to teach from the knowledge that they ARE “enough” and can give their children the best education at home.

This is an excellent book to help you prepare for your next year of homeschooling whether you are walking into your first year or your 15th. Teaching from Rest can get you in the right frame of mind to have your best homeschooling year yet.

For the Children’s Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay is the first homeschool book I read. Though not necessarily a “classical” education book, For the Children’s Sake is a book about the Charlotte Mason approach to homeschooling which, in my humble opinion, is an excellent pairing with Classical education. The book gives a great basis for anyone considering homeschooling their children or educating them at home, even in an education setting outside the traditional school schedule. The importance of “living books” is discussed and, whether home educating or not, gives an excellent depiction of what family life can be when considering the education of the whole child.

For the Children’s Sake is a great read and something that every parent can benefit from regardless of the manner in which they choose to school their children.

There are so many great homeschooling and classical education books and resource available. However, I’m looking forward to re-reading these 3 gems this summer as we prepare for our 7th year of homeschooling.

What books are on your summer reading list?