There are many homeschool methods in existence, and each family will have their own way of homeschooling their children. However, most people tend to gravitate to one or two education methodologies.
If you are just starting out on your homeschooling journey you probably have ideas floating around in your head about what you want your homeschool to look like. Researching different methods can really help you cement those ideas into a plan.
Listed below you will find a brief overview of the most well-known homeschooling methods, along with additional resources to get you started.
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What is a Homeschool Method?
When you first start your homeschool journey, it can be extremely overwhelming. There are almost unlimited options for everything, from maps to curriculum to co-ops to school supplies! A question you will encounter again and again on your homeschool journey is “What homeschooling method do you use?”
For those of you that don't know, a homeschooling method just means the type of homeschool you do at home. Another way to think of it is your homeschooling philosophy. There are many different homeschooling methods to choose from, and they all have pros and cons. Starting to homeschool with one homeschooling philosophy doesn't mean that you can't change later. As your family dynamics change you may realize that some things that were originally working aren't working anymore. One homeschooling method may not work for every child, especially if you have a special needs child. Many people also combine parts of different homeschool methods to find the perfect fit for their family.
Here is a list of the main homeschooling methods and some information about them to help you figure out what kind of method will work for you.
School At Home
Public school is often the only kind of educational model most people have been exposed to, so new homeschoolers often start homeschooling by trying to replicate school-at-home. The school-at-home method uses text books for the curriculum program. You can buy entire curriculum packages or you can purchase curriculum by subject. This method of homeschooling tends to be very expensive.
Parents trying to replicate the school at home method often try to homeschool their children for the same amount of hours that they would be attending public school. Since homeschooled kids can work at their own pace and often finish assignments much quicker than they would at school, this can lead to a lot of frustration on both ends.
Children may not be overly thrilled with the school-at-home method since textbooks tend to be dry. The school-at-home method tends to have a high burnout rate as well, probably due to the fact that many beginning homeschoolers try to replicate the length and strict structure of the public school day. On the plus side, children will be at the same level as their peers in public school if you ever decide to enroll them.
If you would like to use textbooks, you should check with your local school district about renting or borrowing the ones you need.
Online School
Online homeschooling is where a student takes some or all of their subjects online. Some companies only cater to homeschool students, but many school districts have a free K-12 online program.
These programs can be pre-recorded lessons or live lessons with a class.
Online school is probably one of the easiest ways to homeschool your child, as far as lesson planning goes. You don't have to worry about coming up with lesson plans and the grading is also done for you.
One downside to using online school is that sometimes kids will tell you they did their work when they didn't. If you use this method it is important to regularly check their progress to make sure they are actually moving through the program.
For some active children, sitting in front of a computer all day can be very hard, and they may not learn much from this kind of method. On the other hand, it can be the perfect fit for kids who don't need to move around as much.
Having to make sure each kid is logged on at the right time for each class can also be a big challenge.
Eclectic
Eclectic homeschooling is the hodgepodge of homeschooling methods. This method tends to combine more than one method. For example, you may use the classical method for literature, but use the Charlotte Mason philosophy of nature study for science. You may use unit studies for history, but use unschooling for any other interests your child has.
When using an eclectic method of homeschooling you are basically taking what you like out of each method and leaving behind what doesn't work for your family. But, since you are an eclectic homeschooler, you can also invent your own way of teaching your kids. Eclectic homeschooling can be a great way to make sure that your kids learn each subject in the way that best suits their learning style.
Many homeschooling parents also combine one main method with eclectic. For example, someone could be considered a classically eclectic homeschooler.
Unschooling
Unschooling is also known as child-led learning and interest led learning. Children learn by following their natural passions and curiosities, the same way that adults learn. This method of homeschooling lets children dive as deep as they want to into a subject. They often become extremely knowledgeable about their topics of interest.
The main disadvantage of unschooling is that since kids don't follow the typical public school program of learning, they tend to be behind kids in their grade. This can be a problem if they ever need to return to school.
If unschooling is something you are interested in, you may want to read some of the following books:
Worldschooling
The worldschooling method is an educational movement where you travel around the world with your family while educating your children. Worldschoolers believe that children learn best when they are exposed to many different cultures and people.
Worldschoolers live all over the world, including in many third world countries. Some worldschoolers do formal schooling while they are living abroad, but many are unschoolers too. Some worldschoolers enroll their children in public school in whatever country they happen to be living in at the time and consider that worldschooling.
The backdrop of different cultures and environments provides a rich tapestry of learning opportunities for worldschooling kids. Children often take part in humanitarian projects, and they get to fully immerse themselves in other cultures.
If you don't have a job that allows you to travel all over the world, you can still worldschool at home. You can do this by being more aware of the books you read your children. Make sure that you consciously incorporate books from different countries, books by people of different ethnicities and books by people of different cultures. Try foods from different countries. Talk about where the different items in your house came from. Try sorting laundry by country of orgin rather than color. Here are some books you may enjoy reading to help you worldschool.
Unit Study
Unit studies are an assortment of activities from different school subjects that tie into a central theme. They can incorporate all areas of the curriculum or just one, such as literature or history.
For example, if you were doing a unit on medieval times, you could incorporate activities from a wide variety of subjects such as art, literature, history, physical education, music, etc. that all relate to the medieval time period.
A sample of this might be making a tapestry or learning needlework. You could read books that take place during the time period you are studying, or if your child is older reading books that were actually written during that period. You would learn the history of the royal family, the feudal system, what life was like for each class group, etc.
Physcial education could include learning a medieval dance, or learning how to fence. The musical portion of your unit study could be learning about the different instruments of that time period, learning how to play one of those instruments, learning Gregorian chant, or learning a song that people would have sung in their everyday lives.
Unit studies are fantastic for helping children learn and retain information. They are also easy to differentiate for different age groups.
Some people use unit studies for all of their homeschooling, but other people save unit studies for really interesting topics, like Ancient Egypt or Ancient Greece. A unit study can be a nice way to add some variety to your normal homeschool routine.
If you do choose to primarily teach with unit studies, you will want to make sure to add in a separate math program.
Charlotte Mason
The Charlotte Mason method is mainly a Christian character building curriculum that aims to educate the whole person and not just their mind. The books used in the Charlotte Mason curriculum were chosen for their literary quality and their ability to develop the whole person.
The books were also living books, rather than dry textbooks. However, you can still follow the Charlotte Mason method if you substitute different books than she used in her time. Just make sure they are living books.
(Living books are books that were written by one author (usually) who has a passion for their topic and as such makes the topic seem to come to life. Living books tend to stay with you for a long time after you read them.)
Other aspects of the Charlotte Mason homeschool method are learning multiple foreign languages, daily nature walks in all kinds of weather, nature study, narration after reading, copywork and dictation, poetry, art and music study. Lessons were kept short so that many different subjects could be covered everyday. Since the lessons were kept short afternoons were kept free.
Children were instructed in many different kinds of handicrafts so that they could use their free time wisely. Incentives such as gold stars were not used. Instead children were encouraged to do their best everyday. Competition between children is not encouraged in the Charlotte Mason method.
If you prefer a secular education for your family, this method is very easily adapted to that as well.
Charlotte Mason wrote 6 volumes about educating children but...they are written in a flowery Victorean-era style that can be hard to read. Karen Glass and Karen Andreola have written multiple books about the Charlotte Mason method that are much easier to understand. See the links below. The first one is the first volume of Charlotte Mason's work.
A website you may find very helpful is Amblesideonline.com. The wonderful ladies at tis website have put together a rigourous Charlotte Mason curriculum, with links to many free books and resources.
Classical
Classical Education is based on a three prong approach to training the mind called the trivium. The first prong is called the grammar stage. The grammar stage takes place in the early years of school, approximately 1st through 4th grade.
Reading, writing, and math take high priority during this time. Children are also exposed to a wide variety of topics so that they can lay a good foundation for further learning. As part of this foundation lots of memorization of basic facts takes place as well.
The second stage is called the logic stage. It starts in 5th grade (approximately) and goes through 8th grade. Students in this age group have begun to think more analytically, and they start to see the cause and effect between areas of knowledge. They begin to study logic and apply logical thinking to all of their subjects. They start to study higher level mathematics, and they learn the scientific method.
The final stage is called the rhetoric stage. This stage runs from 9th grade (approximately) and goes through 12th grade. In this stage of classical learning your child will be able to express himself clearly and forcefully due to the foundation of logic and knowledge that was laid down in the early parts of his education. Your child will also begin to specialize by taking classes in their specific interests.
A classical education not only follows the trivium but it is also a language focused (both written and spoken) way of learning. It is not an image based method of learning.
The classical method is rigourous and systematic. Kids stay with one topic long enough to dive in and learn it well enough to make connections to other things they are learning. Basically, they learn to think and express themselves clearly.
Here are some books that you may find helpful. I especially recommend The Well-Trained Mind. I refer back to this one all the time!
Montessori
The Montessori Method is a child led curriculum, in that the teacher lays out the materials they are covering and the child is allowed to spend as much time as they want with each item.
The teacher provides the materials that the child needs at the child's different stages of development. The materials are self-correcting so that the teacher isn't telling the student that they are wrong. The materials tend to move children from concrete to abstract concepts, which helps them to understand abstract concepts better.
When you incorporate the Montessori Method into your homeschool, you will focus much of your teaching on sensory training and developing independence.
The Montessori education method was originally developed for handicapped children, so if you have a special needs child this may be a good homeschooling method to look into. However, the majority of people who use the Montessori method have mainstream children. Here are some great books to get you started.
Waldorf
A Waldorf Education is also known as Steiner Education. One of the main attributes of Waldorf Education is the importance it puts on the development of the imagination and using the imagination in learning.
Learning is not forced, and children learn when they are ready. Free play, art, circle time, learning practical tasks, drama, storytelling, crafts and music are key components to a Waldorf education.
Like many other homeschooling methods, the Waldorf method has divisions along child developmental stages. The Waldorf method is divided into three stages:
- Early Learning-preschool to 6 or 7
- Elementary-6 or 7 until around age 14
- Secondary-14+
When other homeschoolers have told me about their Waldorf experience, they often describe it as magical. Here are some books to get you started.
Christian/Religious Homeschooling
Christian or religious homeschooling basically just means integrating your religion into your studies. A Christian homeschooler would study the same subjects that are normally found in school, but they add religious instruction as one of the subjects. This could just be adding a scripture study time to the homeschool, learning hymns and reading other religious books.
Religious instruction could also be more involved, such as doing copywork and dictation using bible verses. Some Christian spelling programs would add in a Christmas word list, while others would have the child learn words which would culminate in a bible verse at the end of the week.
Christian curriculum normally doesn't teach evolution. Some Christian curriculums start each chapter with a scripture, while other curriculums have a bible verse every couple of paragraphs. There are a lot of variations as to how religious you want to be.
You can also be a Christian homeschooler and use secular materials but add in religious instruction that you design yourself. It is a lot easier to find christian-based homeschool material than it is to find secular curriculum.
Secular
Secular homeschooling is homeschooling without teaching any religious doctrines. You would still talk about different religions in your study of the world, but you wouldn't practice any part of them.
Any of the homeschooling methods can be adapted to secular, even if they were originally intended to be Christian. Secular homeschooling curriculum tends to teach evolution.
It can be more difficult to find curriculum that is secular. If you order the Rainbow Resource's free catalog, they have a chart for different subjects that shows which curriculum programs are religious and which are secular.
Conclusion
It is definitely OK to not really be sure of your homeschooling method initially, but as you delve more into homeschooling you will probably want to structure your homeschool so that it fits into the homeschooling method that you want to teach.
A great way to help you figure out what kind of homeschooling method you want to use is to join a Facebook group for each homeschooling method that appeals to you. As you read the different posts on the various Facebook pages, you will notice that some methods you initially really liked lose their appeal, and others start to interest you more than they did at first.
I hope this article has helped you learn about the main types of homeschooling, and helped you to start to narrow down what kind of homeschool you want to implement in your home. Just remember that if you try a homeschooling method and it doesn't seem to be working with your children, it is totally fine to change! The most important thing is finding the best method for you and your family!