9 of the Best Books About Education

Reading and a passion for education are often intertwined, so it makes sense that an interest in education would lead you to curiosity through reading. Whether you’re a teacher looking to expand your bookshelf, a future teacher looking to learn as much as you can, a parent or even a student, there are so many books about education to choose from when you’re looking for some new reads. From memoirs of education to psychology books that can teach you about the mechanics of teaching, here are nine great books about education that you can read right now.

1. Call of the Wild and Free by Ainsley Arment

This book is all about allowing children to experience nature, freedom and agency through spending time outdoors and adventuring. It’s nonfiction and is especially applicable to teaching young children and learning about child development. Check it out if you love alternative education!

2. Brave Learner by Julie Bogart

Intended as a homeschool guide for teaching kids within the home, Brave Learner is all about involving yourself in your child — or students’ — education and truly getting to know children as both students and people in general. If homeschooling is or has ever been a part of your experience, check this one out.

3. Creative Schools by Ken Robinson

Did someone say alternative education? This book is all about the revolutionary ways that we need to be educating young people. Ken Robinson has written so many books on education, and this is one of the vast library that you can choose from. This can also complement some of the other books you may already know from him.

4. Educated by Tara Westover

Moving over to a memoir, Educated by Tara Westover is one of the most popular firsthand accounts of educational experience that has graced the market in recent years. And to put it lightly, it’s a unique one. Tara Westover was raised in a fundamentalist household that excluded any form of education, but eventually went on to get a Ph.D. and pursue education. Her journey, though distinct and personal, is extremely insightful. If you’re looking for a narrative experience, this book is a great choice for you.

5. The Power of Different by Gail Saltz

If you want to learn more about different styles of learning and brain differences, this book is a great resource for exploring that. Whether you’re a teacher, parent or a student yourself, this is a psychological deep dive into all the styles of learning and how to help children learn at their very best. This book is all about the common perceptions of neurotypical behavior and disorders, and how to best adjust for that in teaching.

6. How Girls Achieve by Sally Nuamah

You need to pick up this book if you want to explore gender in education. This book is all about how to help girls achieve, both in academia and beyond. If you’re a parent of girls in school or if you want to support young women in your classroom, this book is exactly what you need. Gender politics and psychology within the classroom and in the world at large is a complex issue, and sometimes taking a deep dive into the information is just what you should do to understand things fully.

7. Mindfulness in the Secondary Classroom by Patricia Broderick

Mindfulness is all about remaining present in the current moment and paying attention to everything around you, and that’s exactly what so many students — and teachers — need in the classroom. Mindfulness has become more popular recently, and this book is a guide on how to bring it to your school effortlessly.

8. Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett

Emotional learning is a large part of the learning process, both for children and for older students, and this book is all about helping children learn through their emotional development and experiences. This book is truly a deep dive into the emotions of learning and development, and it can be a great read for parents and teachers alike.

9. I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

For the last book on this list, we’ll close things off with another memoir, I Am Malala is the story of Malala Yousafzai, a girl who stood up for her education and her right to an education, even when it put her life in danger. This story is an inspiring and unique memoir about fighting for the right to learn.

Books On Education

There are so many parts of the education world that you can learn about and read up on. From the psychology of education in all of its forms to the memoirs of those with unique educational experiences, you can explore so much through books. Which of these do you plan to add to your shelf first?