Different homeschool families follow different educational philosophies and methods. In fact, there are numerous methods that families tweak to their own style that no two homeschools will be looking the same! In this post, I hope to provide a glimpse into the different methods.
Before I start, I’ll let you know that I have been a semi- Classical, semi-Charlotte Mason, Eclectic homeschooler from the start. Don’t run away! We’re going to see what all this means 🙂
First off, something to be remembered is that homeschools do not try to replicate the public school classroom at home. There are some homeschools that follow a ‘school at home approach’ to others that are completely opposite, as to unschooling. Usually homeschoolers tend to adopt a style that fits their educational viewpoints and works for their family based on their unique family dynamics as well as teacher dynamics/ teaching style and child dynamics/learning style. And we should have the courage to change things if they don’t work for us. That’s the beauty of homeschooling. We should be able to ditch things that don’t work, and try new things to see if it is a good fit, as well as tailor education to fit the child’s learning style and passions.
Some of the different homeschooling approaches or styles, are the following:
Traditional method
Classical method
Charlotte Mason Approach
Unit Studies based
Unschooling
Eclectic approach
Let’s look at them one by one:
A) Traditional method– This is the method most similar to replicating the public school classroom at home, a.k.a ‘school at home’. This method relies heavily on the use of textbooks, workbooks, tests, grading, and a formal structured classroom with desks for each kid. Most families who follow this method use a pre-packaged curriculum that comes complete with lesson plans. There is very little flexibility and homeschool burnout is usually greater in this case. It is a good option for those who are just starting out, in terms of knowing exactly what to do each day, as it is all outlined in the accompanied lesson plans.
B) Classical method– This is a method of education that has been in existence since the ancient Greeks and ancient Romans. It is based on the Trivium, which is a 3 part process of training the mind. The Grammar stage roughly corresponds to the elementary years where the student learns best through memorisation. Thus, lots of facts and images are presented at this stage. The Logic stage is the middle school years where the student begins to question facts and starts analyzing content. The Rhetoric stage is when he starts expressing himself.
This is a language focused method which involves the use of Great Books of Western Civilization, as well as the study of history in a chronological manner in 4-6 year cycles.
Subjects commonly taught with Classical method are Logic, Speech/Debate, Latin, Greek, Philosophy, Great Books and the use of Socratic Dialogue.
C) Charlotte Mason Based Approach– This approach is based on the educational philosophies of Charlotte Mason, a British educator who lived in the late 1800s. Her philosophy can be summarized in 1 sentence-”Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life”. Thus, her methods are based on surrounding the child with high quality books and ideas(atmosphere), development of good habits and character(discipline) and presentation of living ideas and thoughts(life), not just dry facts.
A Charlotte Mason education is Christian focused and characterized by short lessons where the student is completely attentive during the time, nature study, narration, dictation, ‘living books’, development of habits, art and music study.
D) Unit Studies–This integrated approach drills into one topic across multiple disciplines. For example if the student is to learn about trees, they will be learning it from different disciplines, thus integrating science, history, arts, math etc, incorporating hands-on learning and other methodologies.
E) Unschooling– This is a radical approach which is completely student directed. The child is allowed to follow his innate desire to learn and decides what to learn. The role of the parent is only that of a facilitator, where they provide the necessary materials.
F) Eclectic approach– Eclectic homeschoolers/ Relaxed homeschoolers pick and choose different ideas, methodologies, curriculum and come up with their own style. It is thus basically a combination of styles and methods that work for their family. Eclectic homeschoolers tend to think outside the box and incorporate things that work for them while ditching things that don’t fit them.
So now I will explain what we do in our homeschool.
I put together my own curriculum from a variety of different publishers. This way, there is more flexibility to customize curriculum and ditch ones that don’t work as opposed to being stuck with a pre-packaged curriculum. We use some of the classical methods, including a chronological study of history, logic, memorization, Latin, and some of the Great Books. We use Charlotte Mason principles by incorporating nature study, picture study, music, narration and some living books into our curriculum. I generally try to use curriculum where the kids(upto High School) learn the same topic each year, mostly for Science and History. We use some textbooks and have a designated schoolroom with a permanent workspace for each kid. I also allow some unstructured time where I let the kids follow their interests and pursue their passion, a.k.a Delight Directed Learning. I encourage self-teaching from the beginning. However there are few subjects I teach. While they learn independently for the most part, we also have periods of time where the children get together and we learn certain things together, including memorization, Bible history, read alouds, picture study. Thus I use a mix of methods and formed my own style.
You can read more about our methods in this post here.
With all these different possibilities, it is no wonder that if there are 100 different homeschool families, they will all have 100 different styles!
The fun of homeschooling lies in trying out new ideas and seeing what works. What works for one family does not at all have to work for another family. While it is very good to see what other people do in their homeschool, if we try to replicate verbatim what another homeschool does, we are setting up a recipe for disaster. Your family is unique and so should be your homeschool!