There are lots of different ways to homeschool
As you dive into the world of homeschool, you’ll quickly learn that there are an infinite number of ways to homeschool. These are some of the most popular, and we’ve included book recommendations for each so that you can dig deeper into the ones that pique your interest. As you find your footing as a homeschooler, you’ll probably find yourself mixing methods to create your own custom homeschool blend.
Classical education maintains that learning occurs in specific stages called the trivium: the grammar stage (through about sixth grade), centered on language skills and memorization; the logic stage (middle school), focused on a understanding more abstract concepts, using formal logic, and seeing cause and effect; and the rhetoric stage (in high school), in which students use knowledge and reason to express thoughts in clear, concise speech and writing.
>> Learn more: The Well-Trained Mind
Project-based learning is inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach, and it has become a popular method for modern homeschoolers. Using this method, parents become mentors to their children in order to help the child direct and manage her own learning. Children may undertake long-term projects and will be given the time and tools that allow them to dig deep into their interests. PBH can be used in conjunction with any curriculum or style of homeschooling, from classical to unschooling.
>> Learn more: Project-Based Homeschooling: Mentoring Self-Directed Learners
Charlotte Mason was a British educator who believed children learn best from living books (rather than textbooks) and through short, focused lessons with lots of narration and nature study.
>> Learn more: A Literary Education: Adapting Charlotte Mason for Modern Secular Homeschooling
Montessori methods were developed by Maria Montessori in 1870, based on her observation that children learn naturally in a “properly prepared environment” designed to promote independent learning and exploration. This method emphasizes skill- specific, hands-on activities, use of manipulatives, and real-world work.
>> Learn more: One-to-One: A Practical Guide to Learning at Home
Eclectic homeschooling is a mix-and-match method that you adapt to meet your child’s needs, essentially creating your own homeschool style by combining elements from different homeschool philosophies.
>> Learn more: Free Range Learning: How Homeschooling Changes Everything
Unschooling, often referred to as child-led learning, maintains that children acquire most basic skills through life experiences, and they learn better when self-motivated to explore a particular topic. Ideally, this means that the parent acts as facilitator, providing opportunities for learning but never trying to force a child into learning they have not chosen. Most unschoolers do not use textbooks or workbooks unless the child has specifically asked for one.
>> Learn more: Learning All the Time
Waldorf is a method developed by Austrian educator Rudolph Steiner in 1907. Steiner believed a child’s learning is based on developmental stages, specific seven-year cycles, which guide what a child should learn and when. Waldorf instruction relies on lecture-based, experiential learning, emphasizing arts and crafts, music and movement, natural science, and social skills.
>> Learn more: Play the Forest School Way
School at home is for parents who wish to recreate a traditional school experience with their homeschool. This method often involves boxed curriculum, designed by grade level and generally including all textbooks, workbooks, etc., by the same publisher, along with pre-set lesson plans to follow.
>> Learn more: Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School
Unit studies organize a child’s learning experiences within a single topic or theme. For example, a unit study on flowers might include reading fiction about flowers, studying flower species and anatomy, calculating the amount of time it takes a flower to bloom, reading about symbolism of different flowers and their meanings, visiting a plant nursery or museum, and writing poems about flowers.
>> Learn more: Engaging Ideas: The Professor's Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom
What if I don’t know where to start?
Start with a unit study. You can research options forever, but if you just plain can’t make up your mind, a unit study makes a great starting point. You can do it for free, with a little help from online resources and the library. You can choose a topic that you and your child are both interested in. You’ve got a clear focus, so you won’t have the burden of that “How will I ever learn everything I need to teach her?” stress. and best of all, a unit study gives you the opportunity to see how your child learns and works.
