So you’ve decided to homeschool. You have researched the pros and cons, you know what style you fit into, and you have filed the appropriate paperwork in your state. Now what subject do you teach?
If you’re anything like me, the term “eclectic” conjures up images of an elderly gentleman with a curious collection of mismatched knick-knacks. But for our purposes, Eclectic homeschooling describes a style that combines two or more methods to create a customized education just for your child.
This is an educational model named after Italian educator and psychiatrist Maria Montessori – you have probably heard of Montessori schools. While this method is much more common in paid schools, it can easily be adapted to homeschools.
Sometimes the idea of homeschooling can be frightening simply because we don’t know what to do. I mean – teachers get trained and paid to do this, and we are just supposed to jump in and make it happen?
Are you leaving public schools because of a negative experience? If so, Unschooling as a form of homeschooling may sound pretty intriguing. Or – do you like structure and systems and quite frankly believe that this may as well be called “The School for the Lord of the Flies”? Before Read more…
The basic idea of a Unit Study is to dwell on a single topic across all your subjects. Learning about Ancient Egypt? Read through some picture books for history. Make papyrus for art. Mummify an apple for science (yes, it’s a thing). Study pyramids and triangles in math. Throw in some language study with hieroglyphs. Draw and label maps for geography. That’s pretty much the gist of a Unit Study.
How would you like to have an educational method named after you? Charlotte Mason did just that. She was a nanny in late 19th/early 20th century England, looking to help others in her position provide a better education for the children in their charge. Her ideas ended up bringing new Read more…
In the homeschooling world, classical education is a hot buzzword. At its most basic level, classical education refers to traditional studies that students would have done pre-20th century. There is heavy emphasis on the great books of western civilization, studying the ideas and thoughts that shaped Greek, Roman, and all Read more…
I am going to give you a quick summary of the 7 major homeschool methods out there, and a few resources to learn more about them. Knowing what you like will help you narrow down the huge array of curriculum choices you’ll find.
So you’ve decided to homeschool. You’ve thought through your WHY, you’re confident you can do this without messing up your kid, and you are ready to take action. You grab a stack of books, pencils and highlighters, and head outside for a day of basking in educational bliss with your Read more…