If you have a picture perfect image in your mind about how homeschooling is then you may be surprised by the truth. Homeschooling isn’t all sitting at the kitchen table and watching your kids work while sitting quietly. This scenario isn’t all true since there are different ways of teaching your child. Some methods are different from others, and these methods will affect that kind of homeschooling environment that you have in your home.
There are 3 distinct ways to teach your child at home and the right one for you will be based on your style of teaching. So in this article, we will explore these 3 teaching methods, and how each one varies from one another.
Here’s the first method of homeschooling:
1) Charlotte Mason
You probably already know who Charlotte Mason is, but if you don’t I will briefly explain who she is. Charlotte Mason started the idea of homeschooling. She was a homeschooler herself and set out a mission to make homeschooling educational while enjoying in the same manner.
Her method of homeschooling hones in on the core subjects that would normally be taught in a traditional school setting. She also focused on literature subjects such fine arts, music, and poetry. How this works is that the teacher would read a part of a book, and the child would be asked to summarize what was read. This starts at age 6 and continues to age 10 – which after age 10 the child will be asked to write down the summarization instead of speaking it.
Her method of homeschooling hones in on the core subjects that would normally be taught in a traditional school setting.
She also started the idea of something called “nature diaries” – and it’s like exactly how it sounds. After a lesson, the child is asked to go outside and get observations from nature. This allows the child to free their mind as well as having a sense of respect for nature. Mason thought that in addition to core schooling subjects, that behavior and attitude was also an integral part of the learning experience.
Here’s another popular homeschooling method:
2) Eclectic
The eclectic homeschooling method takes a mixture of different homeschooling techniques and combines them into one. The goal here is for the parent to select multiple topics that will be the best course of schooling for their child. In addition to this technique, parents are continuously search for new patterns and methods that will best suit the needs of their child.
Occasional trips to factories, libraries, and museums are also common in an eclectic style of homeschool.
This makes the schooling lessons for their child pre-made and the parent can adjust the curriculum to suit the needs of their child. Occasional trips to factories, libraries, and museums are also common in an eclectic style of homeschool.
3) Unschooling
The unschooling method was started by a man name John Holt. John Holt thought that allowing children to learn at their own speed allowed them to best learn a subject. In this method, there is no set curriculum, since the curriculum is based on the child’s tastes and interests.
This is the most unorthodox technique of the methods listed and works better for some children rather than others.
By making a curriculum this way, the goal is to “unschool” child from a traditional learning setting. This is the most unorthodox technique of the methods listed and works better for some children rather than others.
If you’re looking to homeschool your child and haven’t figured out yet how best to teach your child, then these methods should be of some assistance when you do. Good luck on your home schooling quest.
About the Author
Adrian Hargray recommends homeschooling methods you can use to teach your child at home successfully.
