Homeschooling Methods: Developing Your Own Homeschooling Style by Beverly S. Krueger

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Homeschooling Methods: Developing Your Own Homeschooling Style

by Beverly S. Krueger
When we talk about eclectic homeschooling we often talk about choosing amongst a variety of resources, but it is also true that eclectic homeschoolers often use a variety of homeschooling styles. For some families, a single homeschooling style can be the perfect way of homeschooling, but often families find that mixing styles works better for their unique situation or lifestyle. While some styles seem inherently different, unschooling and classical homeschooling for example, a surprising number of homeschoolers are able to take the parts of each style that suits them and merge them into their own homeschooling style synthesis.

The major homeschooling styles are traditional textbook, unit study, unschooling, classical, Charlotte Mason, and Montessori. Most of these styles are based on a particular educational philosophy. Several focus more on teaching methods than philosophy and can be used by those advocating one of the other philosophical styles. Homeschooling styles with their own unique educational philosophies include unschooling, classical homeschooling, Charlotte Mason, and Montessori. Traditional textbook and unit studies may be used by those who profess to hold at least a limited attachment to one of the other homeschooling styles, but for the most part they have a traditional educational philosophy that is best described as teacher led student learning.

If these styles are really so unique, then how is it that eclectic homeschoolers claim they are a mixture of two or more of these styles. Well, to a certain extent the reason may lie in semantics. One homeschoolers definition of unschooling may not closely resemble another homeschoolers. In fact, the definition of unschooling is probably one of the top ten homeschooling debates. There is more than semantics involved. Most eclectic homeschoolers cabbage on to the eclectic appellation because they don’t feel they really fit in any single category. For example, I’m an eclectic homeschooler. I’ve read a great deal about Charlotte Mason homeschooling. Initially, it thrilled me—using good books and avoiding twaddle. How wonderful! But the teaching methods espoused just didn’t suit me. I thought that I could use the good books ideas following the unit study method. I quickly discovered that coordinating a unit study to cover all aspects of my children’s education was time consuming and immensely difficult for me. Purchased unit studies were no better because I wanted to scrap half the ideas and do my own thing. Our family ended up with our own homeschooling style synthesis. We’re Charlotte Mason influenced history and science unit studiers who use traditional and non-traditional methods for studying language arts and math. Add in to that mix the influence from my reading about classical homeschooling, and you get a reasonable picture of my family’s homeschooling style. Let’s take a closer look at each of the homeschooling styles.

Traditional Textbook
Those who are traditional textbook style homeschoolers may or may not be attempting to replicate the school classroom at home. Even those who are stout defenders of using a complete curriculum often do not attempt to do school at home. This style of homeschooling depends largely on teacher led learning with heavy use of traditional style textbooks and teacher’s manuals. Many homeschoolers start her knowing nothing else and quickly move on or begin altering their studies.

Unit Studies
Unit studies are topic or theme based studies that incorporate as many of the academic subjects as possible into the study. Unit studies can be done together by all children of a family because they allow children to work at their own level on specific projects while covering the same topic as their siblings. Lesson preparation becomes easier because the homeschool parent doesn’t have to be current in more than one history or science subject. Johnny is not doing matter while Suzie is doing genetics. Language arts study is incorporated into the study through writing assignments and vocabulary and spelling words taken from the theme. The focus is less on covering a traditional scope and sequence than in developing learning skills that can be applied to any subject. Unit studies can be effectively used to cover even a high school course of study by covering sufficient topics in biology, chemistry or American history to grant credits for those subjects. Unit studiers are most likely to use additional math and language arts texts as supplements to their unit studies.

Unschooling
Unschooling has been defined as child led learning or delight led learning. At its heart unschooling is sort of an inverse of traditional educational ideas. Unschoolers believe that children are naturally inclined to learn. They don’t need teachers or textbooks to learn because their own natural drive will lead them to discover and learn on their own. This means that they don’t believe in lessons, assignments, schedules, or tests. Unschoolers don’t plan their children’s learning but they do facilitate it. When an unschooled child desires to learn about Ancient Egypt, they may ask to visit the library or bookstore. They may need help doing an Internet search. The key is to nurture a child’s curiosity rather than squelch it. Answering questions about butterflies as they are asked during the annual Monarch migration not deciding that today, January 12, is the day we will learn about butterfly migration.

Classical Homeschooling
Classical homeschooling is based on the Trivium. Classical homeschoolers believe that learning is divided into three stages based on a child’s cognitive development: concrete thinking during grade school or the Grammar stage, analytical thinking during middle school or the Logic stage, and abstract thinking during high school or the Rhetoric stage. The teaching methods used during each of these stages are designed to facilitate learning by maximizing the child’s learning strengths at that stage. For example, memorization as a learning technique is used extensively in the Grammar stage when children memorize easily. Studying Latin and Greek is desirable both as a means of understanding English grammar and for studying the texts long associated with study of the classics. Emphasis is placed on reading texts by Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Shakespeare, and other authors in the Great Books tradition.

Charlotte Mason Homeschooling
Charlotte Mason homeschooling is based on the educational theories of Charlotte Mason,. She believed that children learn best from real things. Thus, she advocated nature study and the use of good books in children’s education. She also believed that children learn best by doing. She advocated the use of nature notebooks, in which children are trained in scientific skills like observation and record keeping. Each of the specific learning activities she promoted was meant to inculcate good habits in the child. For example, dictation was meant to instill good writing habits, the use of proper grammar, and correct spelling. Once the child had developed these good habits, they could be allowed greater independence in their learning. She did not believe in busywork or traditional textbooks believing that children learn best when history is presented as the story of the people who made history.

Montessori Homeschooling
Maria Montessori the founder of the Montessori movement believed as unschoolers that children are natural learners and don’t need to be forced to learn. However, she believed that they learned best in an ordered environment that offered them the tools and resources to make the most of the drive to learn. She also believed that learning was a process that followed a particular pattern with all children. At certain ages children have sensitive learning issues that must be addressed in their environment. When a child reaches the age with a particular sensitive learning issue his environment needs to include the tools that will allow him to work on that learning issue. Montessori learning is thus highly structured but not individually forced.

Most eclectic homeschoolers develop their homeschooling style over time. It’s a process of learning about and trying out new styles and then incorporating or eliminating aspects that don’t suit your family. The homeschooling style you start out with may not look anything like the homeschooling style you use twelve years later. Over the past twelve years, our family has moved from traditional textbook to the style I described previously. With six year until my last child heads off for college or career, it could well change some more. My youngest is academically a lot like my oldest. It is interesting to see that the homeschooling style we’re currently using seems to suit her far better than the homeschooling style we used in our early homeschooling years. Live and learn. I guess it’s really true whatever your homeschooling style.

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