18 Best Homeschooling Books, Blogs & YouTube Channels for Parents Struggling With Homeschooling

There will be days when you struggle with homeschool. That’s equally true if you’ve been teaching your kids for years, or you’re new to the world of homeschooling.

If you’re having one of those days (or weeks), it’s time to reach for a little help.

These 18 homeschooling books, blogs and YouTube channels cover all of the homeschool bases: theory, practical tips, and lots of exciting activity ideas.

Get ready to rediscover your homeschool motivation!

The best books on homeschooling

‘Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book of Homeschooling’ by John Holt and Pat Farenga

Seen by many as the homeschool manual, Teach Your Own tells readers not to try replicating the school environment when you make the switch. Instead, it encourages parents to focus on helping their children grow as learners, with the aim that both kids and parents will find enjoyment (as well as education) in every homeschool day. 

‘The Three R’s’ by Ruth Beechick

The Three R’s is a down-to-earth take on reading, writing, and arithmetic for young children. It gives parents confidence in their own know-how and supports them in incorporating learning into everyday activities.

‘The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas’ by Linda Dobson

As you might have gathered from the title, this book is jam-packed with tried and tested homeschooling ideas for children aged 3 to 12, covering math, science, writing, history, and so much more. The activities are also fun and easy to set up, which makes this book a great little go-to when inspiration is in short supply.

‘The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning and Life’ by Julie Bogart

The Brave Learner is an inspiring read. It challenges readers to encourage curiosity; teaching your children, but letting them teach you too. With lots of practical ideas along the way, this book gives parents all the tools they need to reconnect with homeschooling.

‘The Well-Trained Mind’ by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise

If you prefer a more structured approach, The Well-Trained Mind will get you back on track. This book gives step-by-step instructions on how to give your child a classical-style education. It covers all ages, provides a homeschooling book list, and answers a host of commonly asked homeschool questions.

The best homeschooling blogs

The Homeschool Mom

This blog is a one-stop-shop and a great place to start if you’re new to homeschooling. There are sections on deciding what kind of homeschooler you want to be, planners, and subject help. There’s even a section on homeschool field trips divided by state! Very useful indeed.

iHomeschool Network

Schoolteacher turned homeschool mom, Jimmie Quick, set up iHomeschool Network to inform and inspire other homeschooling parents. A number of different homeschoolers contribute to the blog, meaning you get a complete 360 perspective.

Let Them Be Small

A great resource for elementary school children, with advice on homeschool planning, assessment, and routines. The blog is full of project ideas and contains homeschool book reviews, too.

Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

You’ll find plenty of amazing homeschool ideas on the blog of veteran homeschool mom, Kris Bales. But be sure to check out the section on hands-on learning. Here, Kris gives ideas for exploring nature, cooking with your kids, and teaching practical life skills.

Hip Homeschool Moms

The “funschooling” section at Hip Homeschool Moms is sure to inspire even the most exhausted of homeschoolers. Here you’ll find wonderful (and seasonal) craft activities for elementary age kids. 

STEAMsational

STEAMsational is all about STEM and art activities, with tons of fun experiments that you can do with standard household items. Make a tornado in a jar, turn a penny green, create a baking soda volcano, and teach your kids loads about science in the process.

If your kid is all about science, why not also check out our blog exploring the best science experiments for middle schoolers?

The best YouTube channels for homeschooling

The Homeschool House

This YouTube channel is a must-watch if you’re just finding your homeschool feet. Heather Torres is a homeschool mom of two and her channel is dedicated to homeschool advice. She covers curriculum and scheduling ideas, along with some great tips for beginner homeschoolers.

TED-Ed

From the same team behind the inspirational TED Talks, TED-Ed delivers educational videos with really engaging animation. The videos cover a wide variety of topics, from Viking ships and Sylvia Plath, to why the Tower of Pisa doesn’t fall over! There are also riddles that encourage problem-solving and critical thinking — can you help solve them?

Crash Course

Over on the Crash Course channel, you’ll find hundreds of 10 to 15-minute videos. Different presenters teach their specialist subject with topics including computer science, sociology, biology, US politics, literature, and many more.

Geography Now

Let your kids travel the world from the comfort of their own home! Geography Now takes a look at the geology, infrastructure, and culture of countries around the world. Presenters also tackle important questions like how borders came to be, and the history of each world flag.

Veritasium

This is a channel dedicated to science. Black holes, self-driving cars, and how chameleons change color — all of the topics that are sure to intrigue young scientists. Even better: the videos are delivered with lots of real-life examples from the channel’s world-traveling host. 

Red Ted Art

Looking for art class inspiration? Red Ted Art provides amazing tutorials for a wide range of creative activities. There are craft projects for each season and holiday, as well as video playlists on activities like finger knitting and origami.

National Geographic Kids

Of course, you can trust National Geographic to knock it out of the park with their YouTube channel. Teaching everything from space to dinosaurs and the natural world, National Geographic Kids has an incredible selection of educational videos. There’s also a “Weird but True” series sure to spark kids’ imaginations.

Never go short of homeschool resources again!

That’s all for our rundown of the best homeschooling books, blogs, and YouTube channels for the times when you struggle with planning class. We hope these resources provide some inspiration.

And to supplement what your kids have learned, don’t forget to take a look at our KidsKonnect worksheets — another great resource for homeschooling families.