Each homeschooler is unique and our ways of both teaching and learning are distinctive to the point of being individualised. It therefore follows that home education techniques are varied and encompass a variety of external factors from location, scheduling, content, testing, and discipline, to name a few.
Over the years, a formative pattern or rather, patterns have emerged that best facilitate homeschooling for different individuals. While some parents prefer to mimic or model their home education techniques in regular school settings, others prefer to “un-school” or go as far away from mainstream teaching as possible, with the firm belief and facts that back up their approach.
Though there exist multiple methods of homeschooling, a consensus exists on the eight more popular methods that are employed by home educators all over. It should be pointed out that there is an overlap of both methodologies and analyses employed in the various approaches.
Let's go through the different styles of Home Education and consider their benefits and shortcomings. The good news is that you can borrow bits from each and inculcate them into any style that suits you. Even better, various styles can be used at different intervals and can supplement a student’s learning curve throughout their academic career as and when required.
The 8 common Home Education Styles are:
Each of these education styles is unique in its own way though you might find overlapping techniques in some of them. After you have gone through the different styles, pick one and adapt it to suit your needs. Below is an overview of some of them but if you need any extra help, please contact me for an in-depth discussion on which style suits your needs.
Widely regarded as the most popular style, the Classical Method has been around for centuries dating back to the Ancient Roman and Greek lyceums. Generally broken down into three sections namely, Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric. The Logic section stresses analysis, critical thinking, and dedication. Grammar is normally taught first and consists primarily of learning techniques, ranging from memorising facts to knowledge gathering. The Rhetoric Stage is for advanced students and often involves the Socratic Method involving open-ended questions, and learning through debating researched topics.
There are many other aspects that promote Classical teaching as a better option than in-school teaching, such as introduction and insight to “Great Books” and their authors. Other languages are sometimes introduced as a supporting block and emphasis is towards intelligent dialogues and exercises in abstract thinking rather than tests and quizzes.
PROS:
● Well proven to work (Time-Tested)
● Encourages reading
● Deals with real life situations
● A lot of material available due to its popularity
● Systematic and structured
CONS:
● The amount of reading required may take its toll on both students and parents.
● Students may lose interest in reading if not guided properly.
● Inflexible as compared to other homeschooling methods. (Though much more flexible than normal schooling)
“Let children alone... the education of habit is successful in so far as it enables the mother to let her children alone, not teasing them with perpetual commands and directions - a running fire of Do and Don'ts” ~ Charlotte Mason
Charlotte Mason reformed education in the early twentieth century by dwelling on the child’s psyche and stimulating their natural inquiry to absorb and retain knowledge. A Homeschooler that practises the Mason style employs shorter periods of study, supplemented with external stimuli like walks, observations of natural occurrences, and methods to keep the child mentally challenged and most importantly, interested.
Combining observing, recording, processing, and implementing/planning excursions is a prime factor of the Charlotte Mason method. Studying “living” books (where the characters in the book narrate their experiences or point of view) is also a key component in the Mason style. This method works well for the Homeschooler who wants to inculcate an independent mind.
PROS:
● Student-directed methodology
● Less expensive than School-At-Home or Classical
● More structured than Unschooling or Montessori
● A popular method among Christian conservative Homeschoolers
● Nature walks encourage observation skills and critical thinking in an exploratory setting
● Time-Tested
● You don’t need a professional degree to teach the Charlotte Mason methodology
● CM works well with Unit-Study and Classical, thematically connecting subject areas
CONS:
● Though the elementary and early-middle school model offers a wealth of resources the module is often weaker as it approaches high school level
● Not appealing to non-Christian Homeschoolers
● Lack of extensive resources in advanced areas of study for Math and Science
● Old fashioned for contemporary Homeschoolers
Known as the grandparents of homeschooling, Raymond and Dorothy Moore established a homeschooling program which propagated that formal schooling is better when started later rather than early. Under the Moore Formula, children have little to no formal schooling till the age of eight. This does not mean they receive no education at all. The Moore Formula emphasises building a sense of community and service in young children. It is only when they understand their place in society as a whole can they start formal education to supplement that knowledge.
Along with play, community service and house chores are emphasised in the Moore Formula. It focuses on three areas - Study, Manual Work, Home & Community Service.
Study - The Moore formula promotes self-teaching by using resources such as Math-It and Winston Grammar. The Formula believes parents are the best teachers and doesn’t rely too much on workbooks and textbooks, though it does have a few. The few minutes or hours of study in the day keep head, hand, heart, and health in mind encouraging creativity and parental guidance in teachings.
Manual Work - For character building as well as improving motor skills, constructive manual work is encouraged for a few hours a day. By allowing them to be part of the industrious tasks children build self-confidence and it has been seen to cure many behavioural problems. Start small and build the tasks around the house from preparing a small snack to tending the vegetable patch, and keeping their rooms and houses organised.
Community Service - To nurture future community leaders the Moore Formula recommends at least an hour of community service when the child is old enough. This encourages a selfless attitude amongst them from childhood, and prepares them for the future with a sense of giving back to their communities.
PROS:
● Children are not rushed into formal schooling
● They are allowed to explore their creative side and perform critical thinking exercises in real-life scenarios
● Advanced motor skills due to the manual work section of the formula
● A deeper understanding of the world around them
● Self-confidence and well-rounded personalities
● A better attitude when it comes to tackling formal education at the right age
● Because there is no strict structure in the Moore Formula you can create individual and specialised teaching according to your child’s interests
CONS:
● Compared to other children their age, your child might feel ‘left behind,’ and this could cause a lack of confidence without the right guidance
● Not enough source material
● The Formula relies heavily on parents being the sole guide
Also known as thematic units or integrated studies refer to the idea of studying a subject as a whole rather than several subjects. The idea is to take something as simple as water and explore the subject from the viewpoint of science, literature, history, social significance, and art. The Unit Studies homeschooling style tends to pick a subject and live with it for a while, taking a deep dive into it till they have understood it completely as a whole.
A typical Unit Study approach to a subject would be to read books about it. For example, a unit on animals would include books like Charlotte's Web, and The Sheep-Pig for Literature; writing stories about animals for Creative Writing, Grammar, and Punctuation; the classifications of animals for Science; circling and understanding new words within the subject for Vocabulary, and finding where certain animals live in habitats on the globe for Geography.
PROS:
● Unit Studies are best suited to families that are homeschooling more than one child as each can study the same unit but at different levels of advancement
● Better information retention
● The program allows for different learning styles and abilities and can cater to individual needs well
● It is relatively inexpensive because parents get to design their unit study
CONS:
● Maths units are often taught as separate units because they aren’t as easy to incorporate into everything being studied.
● Preparing units such as worksheets and lesson plans can be time consuming and hectic, especially if there is more than one child
● It is not as tidy as workbooks and textbooks and can seem all over the place if not planned properly
In the Montessori Method, the child dictates the learning. It doesn’t require a lesson plan per se but focuses on a more hands-on, activity-based structure of learning, in which the child’s interests are given centre stage, encouraging curiosity towards learning something new. A lot of time is spent outdoors on exploratory walks and allowing children to make their own observations.
The aim is to provide children with a constant learning environment rather than breaking learning into semesters with intense study and then vacation time. The Montessori Method happens all year round but delivers knowledge in small pieces throughout the day through interactive concept building. The Montessori curriculum focuses on five main areas - Practical Life Skills, Mathematics, Sensory, Language, and Culture & Science.
PROS:
● Children focus on independence
● Concepts are picked up faster because they are presented through subjects that interest the children
● The Method encourages a neat and tidy environment to learn
● The Method follows the child’s skill level rather than an age milestone and can incorporate multiple levels in the same lesson for families with multiple children
CONS:
● Involves a lot of preplanning on the parents’ part
● It is specifically designed for young children in mind and the resources will need to be sought for middle and high school.
● The approach to lessons is more intentional and can tend to lack imaginative play
● The Montessori Manipulatives (materials used to teach specific lessons) can be a little expensive
● Because there is no set curriculum it can be hard to determine which concepts should be covered by a specific age
The Waldorf Method was created by the Austrian Rudolf Steiner in 1919. He believed that education needed to involve the entire child, their heart, hands, and head, and focused on the arts, folklore, mythology, and the natural world.
Though based on spirituality and the awareness of the spiritual self, the Waldorf Method does not advocate any one faith. It focuses on a child’s natural wonder and integrates it into everyday learning. Reading is delayed till the 2nd grade and oral storytelling and understanding of letters and writing take precedence. Art is intertwined with all subjects to make learning more visual and beautiful.
In a classroom model, students can sometimes have the same teacher for several years to develop a level of trust and a family-like dynamic. Some unique features of the Waldorf Method include eurythmy which inculcates movement with language. This could be anything from the inclusion of handiwork such as knitting, or an early introduction to world languages.
PROS:
● The inclusion of art in lessons makes the work memorable and fun
● Develops tolerance to listen to and accept different points of view as the Method encourages looking at objects, subjects, and situations from multiple viewpoints.
● Develops a vivid imagination
● The learning approach encourages cooperation instead of competition
● All areas of learning are considered just as important as the rest
CONS:
● A lot of parents aren’t comfortable with the faith-based learning
● Delayed academics are considered concerning by some parents
● Quality material can be expensive to procure
● Every child does not have the gift or the interest in arts and so might feel isolated by the method
● Doesn’t have a lot to offer families that want to incorporate tech in their homeschooling
The Relaxed or Minimalist Homeschooling Method gets rid of all the extra frills on education and just focuses on the important aspects. While other methods tend to view homeschooling as an array of activities and lesson plans, Relaxed homeschooling is a cross between Unlearning and Formal learning and focuses on a few core subjects leaving a lot of free time for additional learning if the student chooses to do so.
The Relaxed method is very fluid. Families can pick and choose what they deem important and cut out the rest. Some tend to stick to maths, reading and writing and omit extracurricular especially if they see their child has no interest in it. But, others create their own curriculum based on what they consider to be essential learning tools.
PROS:
● The method can easily be personalised to fit the child rather than the other way around.
● It is a much more relaxed environment and reduces levels of stress surrounding learning
● It works well in larger families
● It allows a lot of free time for children to explore their interests and maintain a routine
CONS:
● What you deem essential can be subjective, so the children might have major gaps in understanding of subjects considered unimportant
● Settling into a routine can take time and it can be easily disrupted
● It involves a lot of group learning which doesn’t mesh with every family
The name Unschooling might sound like a whole lot of chaos, but it is a philosophy that embraces self-determination in learning. The onus of what to learn, how, and how much is completely on the student. It is especially worth implementing in homeschooling because it helps determine the child’s areas of interest and provides them with relevant material.
Unlearning Homeschooling encourages self-motivated learning and establishes the idea that children learn and retain more when they are self-motivated to do so, rather than the carrot and stick approach of Formal learning.
PROS:
● It encourages freedom of choice in children
● There is a synthesis of knowledge and children can learn to connect the dots between subject matters
● There is no griping about being bored because the subject is chosen by the child
● Children develop a good sense of self-worth and determination
CONS:
● There is a distinct lack of structure with Unschooling
● Because Unschooling doesn’t determine systematic learning, there can be concerns of children learning things before an understanding of the subject develops or vice-versa
● There is the danger of scattered knowledge with a lot of factual knowledge being left at the wayside
● It is easier to teach abstract concepts in Formal schooling than it is Unlearning.
Home Education is a fantastic and perfectly regulated option to choose for your children. You can select methods as is, or incorporate two to three methods to create a hybrid model that works for you. Sources are available online and we are always here to help guide you in choosing the perfect model for you.
Happy Learning!
Summa Summarum Education
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