First Steps in Choosing a Homeschool Approach

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I have several friends who homeschool, but each of them uses a different approach. I am feeling pretty overwhelmed as to where to start. How can I choose what is best for me and my children?

Some of the various homeschooling approaches have in common several elements: dictation, family nights, defined objectives, field trips, use of lesson plans, frequent visits to the library, portfolios, notebooking, worksheets, peer tutoring, mentoring, and narration. When you look at the distinctions between various approaches, it is as important to understand what they have in common as well as their differences.

The first step in choosing a homeschool approach is to gather information about the options that exist. As you study these descriptions and talk to experienced homeschoolers, you can start to get a feel for the style that fits you and your family best.

Answering a few questions about yourself will lead you to an easier decision regarding your homeschooling style: Are you a highly organized person? Do you like your day to be predictable? Or are you inclined to stay flexible, ready to adapt to changing circumstances? Would you prefer that you not be told what to do? Do you want your curriculum to be planned for you, with teacher instructions and worksheets for the children? Or do you want to be able to pick and choose which books they read and which activities to engage in? What is your decorating style at home? Is it more formal, with everything matching, or more eclectic, with lots of variation in the style? Try to understand your own preferences before you take a serious look at your children's learning styles (discussed in chapter 6).



We've been homeschooling for about a year, and I'm looking for a new approach. In the past, we've used mostly textbooks. What alternatives are there?

Many first-time homeschoolers turn to the "school-at-home" textbook approach when they first begin teaching their own children. This is not uncommon. As a parent, you build on what you know; and most of us were educated in the public school system, with regimented hours to the day, and proscribed curricula. But the expectations which are developed for a public school system for neither realistic nor necessary for the homeschool environment.

If you already have a few months of experience of being with and homeschooling your children full-time at home, you may feel the need for "something else." A change in approach might be precipitated by a change in lifestyle, such as a new baby, a move, some new homeschooling friends that you've met, or perhaps you want to form a co-op based on one or more methods of homeschooling.

The alternative approaches for homeschooling are almost unlimited, including that very special approach which will be called "yours," as you fine tune over time. Don't think that you have to know everything about every approach in order to begin somewhere. The key is to take one day at a time, and to continue you own personal development and education. Then, as you grow and change, you will be empowered to make changes in your teaching style, curricula, and you will understand better how to mentor and train your children.

Continued effort at personal development is a key to establishing a successful homeschool. Get Dad involved in this, too, because his support will be crucial to your success. Every homeschooling approach should include a defacto explanation that "Dad is important to success," even if that means that once in a while he gives Mom a much needed evening all to herself while he watches the kids. Some dads are more involved than others, ranging from reading a bedtime story to conducting science experiments in the back yard. But at all levels of involvement, your day will run smoother if you know that Dad is in the background somewhere, cheering you on.

My kids aren't cooperating in our homeschool. What approach would you recommend?

Changing your homeschool philosophy or approach isn't necessarily going to make your children more compliant with your educational requests of them. You may need to back up a step, and work on getting them personally committed to their individual goals (see PROJECT). When each person takes the time to analyze, discover, and commit to a path leading to a desired outcome, then half the job is done already. Without that level of commitment and desire, then your homeschooling efforts may flounder.

That said, there are changes in approach which could help ease the way for you. If you have been trying a "school-at-home" textbook approach, try exploring the Charlotte Mason approach, take a nature walk, or look into using the ideas of the "Scout School" approach. Sometimes just giving the kids the day off for some R&R can clear the air and let you start over the next day.

No matter what your homeschool approach, this advice is valid:

Charlotte Mason tells us we would have happier households if we mothers "would only have courage to let everything go when life becomes too tense, and just take a day, or a half a day, out in the fields, or with a favorite book, or in a picture gallery. . ." to rest and play, like our children.

See http://www.charlotte-mason.com/motherculture.html