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. You might also see it called Relaxed homeschooling.

If you aren’t familiar with the common homeschooling styles – Classical, Charlotte Mason, Unit Studies, Unschooling, School-at-Home, and Montessori – be sure to read up on them. One of these methods might totally resonate with you, especially if you are new to homeschooling and need a place to start. But like many parents, you might feel a connection with two or three methods, and wish you could just take the parts that work for you and turn them into your own personal style. Well guess what? You can!

Eclectic Homeschooling in Practice

If you are new to homeschooling, I would encourage you to start with one method. Which one appeals to you the most? Which one do you think you can actually do with your kids? You’ve got to be honest with yourself – School-at-Home might appeal to you for the lack of planning on your part, but if your child is bored in public school or not very self-motivated to work online or through textbooks – it might be a disaster! Unit Studies might seem exciting to do, but if you know that you’ll fizzle out on planning and preparing across all subjects, your excitement won’t last long. When you are choosing a method to start with, take an objective look at who you are as a teacher and how your kids respond to learning.

As you go through your first year or two of homeschooling, you will discover things that work and things that you never want to try again. Plus, every child is different, meaning what works for one might not work for the other. An Unschooling approach in science for one child might give him free reign to explore his curiosity – and learn more than he could ever find in a textbook. But the same approach might cause another child who is rather disinterested to fall behind. You as the parent can identify what works and what doesn’t – and then modify.

Does this mean that you can choose a Classical approach for one kid, and a Unit Study approach for another? In reality, probably not. Having everyone on a totally different track will burn you out in no time. The idea of Eclectic homeschooling is not just to try everything, but to streamline the best of everything for your family.

Benefits

An Eclectic homeschool can be a sign of a maturing homeschool. There are some benefits to examining what works and what doesn’t for you:

• You can pick the best of a few methods rather than feeling stuck in a single style
• There are plenty of resources available, especially since you are drawing from a few methods
• It is very flexible and customizable

Drawbacks

You will need to resist the urge to try everything all at once. Without a clear direction defined by a single method, we can be lured by every flashy new book or resource without staying grounded in what we have started. It can be tempting to drop a resource as soon as we encounter a struggle, and in the process lose focus resulting in not learning much of anything.

I would recommend combining elements of just two, maybe three, methods, unless you are very confident in planning a well-rounded curriculum. Branching out too much can make you feel lost in what you are doing. Your children may be confused if things don’t seem to fit together or have a unifying purpose. Eclectic homeschooling can be a good thing, but there can be too much of a good thing.

Is this right for you?

Eclectic homeschooling is sometimes less of a decision you make, and more of just using what works. Understanding the different homeschooling methods can help you know what options are out there – especially if you find that something isn’t working for you. Or sometimes, things could be working fine, but you feel like you need to spice it up a little by throwing a Unit Study in the mix of a normally Charlotte Mason homeschool.

Once you have your feet wet with a year or two of homeschooling, or if you feel confident in pulling together mix and match resources, go ahead and branch out! Your homeschool can (and should be!) just as unique as your children. Eclectic homeschooling can give you the freedom to really feel like you are in charge of your children’s education.

You can find more resources and ideas at Eclectic Homeschooling and this post from The Homeschool Mom.

Are you an Eclectic homeschooler? Or do you find a single style is working wonderfully for you? Drop me a line and let me know!