Several of the following books are out of print -try www.abebooks.co.uk or Amazon Marketplace to obtain copies.

The Academic Achievement Challenge: what really works in the classroom?. Chall. Guilford Press. New York. 'Required reading' for people who work in and run our schools.

All Must Have Prizes. Melanie Phillips. Pub. Warner. A 'must read' for anyone interested in education, especially the chapter on literacy 'The War of the Words'.

Give Your Child a Superior Mind
Free, (abridged) online book by Siegfried and Therese Engelmann. Originally published 1966. Valuble information on pre-school education and IQ.

A Desolation of Learning. Chris Woodhead. Pencil-Sharp Publishing Ltd.

Myths and Misconceptions about Teaching: What Really Happens in Classrooms Vicki Snider. Pub. Rowman and Littlefield. (USA)
Review: http://d-edreckoning.blogspot.com/2006/09/book-review-myth-and-misconceptions.html

Inside the Secret Garden: The Progressive Decay of Liberal Education. Tom Burkard. Pub. UPB.

The Alphabet. David Sacks. Pub. Hutchinson. The story behind each of the 26 letters which comprise the English alphabet- where do our letters come from, how did they get their shapes, assigned sounds, their sequence... http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/referenceandlanguages/0,6121,1112273,00.html

Animated evolution of the Alphabet: http://www.gifbin.com/984203

When Children Don't Learn:understanding the biology and psychology of learning disabilities. Diane McGuinness. Pub. Basic Books. Contains a useful chapter on hyperactivity (ADHD). Out of Print

The Schools We Need: and why we don't have them. E D Hirsch Jr. Anchor Books.(USA) Recommended.

Sense and Nonsense about Hothouse Children: a practical guide for parents and teachers. Howe. Pub. BPS. Out of print.

The Origins of Exceptional Abilities. Howe. Pub. Blackwell.

Who Needs Parents?: The effects of childcare and early education on children in Britain and the USA. Patricia Morgan. Pub. IEA. Recommended. This book 'will one day be recognised as the Silent Spring of domestic life' The Guardian.

Why Don't Students Like School? A cognitive scientist answers questions about how the mind works and what it means for the classroom. Willingham. Pub. Jossey Bass. 'This book will help teachers improve their practice by explaining how they and their students think and learn—revealing the importance of story, emotion, memory, context, and routine in building knowledge and creating lasting learning experiences' Amazon.co.uk

The Language Instinct. Pinker. Pub. Penguin. Fascinating book on the development of language in humans.

Bad Science. Ben Goldacre. Pub. Fourth Estate. Comprehensive coverage of the bad science behind Dore, Brain Gym, fish oil therapy (all claim to help with dyslexia) and more, plus how to read research reports and statistics to avoid being conned.

Intelligence and How to Get It: why schools and cultures count. R.E. Nisbett. Pub. Norton. 'Argues against the belief that genetics and race determine intelligence levels, asserting that societal influences are largely responsible for intellect and performance, and makes a case for the role of education as it relates to social and economic development' Amazon.co.uk

Home Education:

'Educating Your Child At Home Jane Lowe / Alan Thomas. Pub. Continuum. A guide to home education in the UK - useful and reassuring for parents still contemplating the step or for those just starting out.

School's Out. Jean Bendell. Pub Ashgrove Press (1987). This book covers the experiences of an English, home educating family. A delightful and inspiring read. Out of print.

www.societyforqualityeducation.org/parents/HTGTREFYC.pdf Free, online book 'How to get the right education for your child', covers homeschooling in Chapter 7 -especially useful book for parents with children struggling with the 3R's. Canadian.

The Well Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home. Wise and Bauer. Pub. Norton (USA) Recommended.
A comprehensive and systematic, language-based, history-intensive home curriculum based on a three-part pattern of progress; first memorization, then logical organisation and lastly, expression. www.welltrainedmind.com

First Language Lessons for the well-trained mind. Jessie Wise. Peace Hill Press (USA) Scripted, step-by-step lessons to develop oral and written work.

One to One: a practical guide to learning at home, age 0-11. Williams (Lewis). Nezert Books. Full of practical suggestions including games for arithmetic, handwriting, gardening, cooking and crafts (ignore his ideas on teaching reading though!).

Unqualified Education: a practical guide to learning at home. age 11-18. Lewis. Nezert Books. Lewis's book for secondary-age, home-educated children. Includes history, literature, music, cooking and gardening. Lovely!