|
|
| Methods & Philosophies of Home Education |
Homeschoolers cover an entire spectrum of different educational methods. On the one end, you have unschoolers, families that believe in self- or child-led learning. Relying on real world experiences, they learn by living. On the other end of the spectrum, you find parents who have "school at home." They may set up a classroom environment, use structured curriculums, and rely on schedules to keep things moving smoothly. And of course, there is everything in between. There are as many different ways to homeschool as there are homeschoolers. Explore the different methods, ideas, and approaches that make the homeschooling experience so rich.
|
| |
| Learning Styles |
| |
Knowing your child's learning style can help you teach him or her in the best way possible. Explore these diverse ways of learning and get tips on the best way to help your child grasp and learn new material.
|
|
| Eclectic Homeschooling |
| |
What do you call the homeschooler who doesn't necessarily subscribe to a certain homeschooling method? Well, the term eclectic fits just perfectly. Eclectic homeschooling involves a diverse and unique approach to learning at home.
|
|
| Unschooling |
| |
Unschooling is more than just not going to school. It is following your child's interests to get the most out of learning through living.
|
|
| Montessori |
| |
The Montessori approach to education can work very well in the home environment. Learn about incorporating Montessori techniques at home, national support organizations, and how to find resources and materials.
|
|
| Waldorf |
| |
Explore the Waldorf philosophy of education and see how it can be integrated into learning in the home.
|
|
| Classical/Trivium |
| |
The classical method of education, based on the Trivium, is a traditional model of learning and teaching. Read more about this method and find out how homeschoolers are using it to teach their children at home.
|
|
| Charlotte Mason |
| |
Charlotte Mason's philosophy and model of teaching can be used with great success in the home. Explore this method and find ways to incorporate this teaching and learning style into your homeschool.
|
|
| Moore Formula |
| |
Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore were pioneers in the homeschooling movement and have given generations of homeschoolers inspiration, know-how, and ideas that make learning at home fun, less stressful, and more rewarding. Learn more about their philosophy of education and their methods with these resources.
|
|
| Unit Studies |
| |
Unit studies are a creative and dynamic way to integrate core subjects into topical learning. They can excite interest in your child and can help you cover a number of subjects in a shorter amount of time. Learn more about unit studies and how to incorporate them into your own homeschooling methods.
|
|
| Co-Ops |
| |
What do you do when you are overwhelmed and feel like you can't do everything all by yourself? Join a co-op! Co-ops pull together the resources, strengths, and gifts of several people to help provide a more diverse, complete, and rewarding educational experience for your children.
|
|
| Virtual Schools |
| |
A virtual school in general refers to a program in which your child is at home, but takes courses over the Internet. They are usually administered by a public or private school. Thus, children enrolled in these programs are effectively enrolled in a school and skirt the definition of a homeschooled student. There are some controversies regarding these programs, but they do provide an alternative that is appropriate for some families. Learn more about how these programs work, what to expect, and how to get the most out of them.
|
|
| Distance Learning |
| |
Distance learning programs are ususally designed to meet the need of students who are unable to attend classes in a traditional school or classroom setting. Many of these programs are administered by the public school system or a college or university. By enrolling in these programs, either part- or full-time, your child would be considered an enrolled student of the administrating institution, rather than a homeschooled student.
|
|
| Vocational Training |
| |
Vocational training offers teenagers and yound adults the opportunity to learn a trade, often with on-the-job training.
|
|
| Community Colleges |
| |
Many community colleges around the country have opened their doors to homeschooled teenagers, giving them an opportunity to start their college careers early, to gain classroom experience and college credit, to challenge them with more difficult materials, and to expand their horizons. Many parents look to community colleges to provide instruction in materials that they are not well suited to teach themselves.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Secret Society of Unschooling Dads (SSUD) |
|
This group is for Unschooling Dads, Granddads, and Dads-to-be who have attended one of the past 3 Live and Learn Conferences OR who have spouses who attended one of these conferences. Other unschooling fathers (et al.) can also join the group through invitation. Our intention is to keep a running dialog and passion for unschooling our children between conferences.
|
|
|
|
A Charlotte Mason Education |
|
Featuring articles from the back issues of The Charlotte Mason Monthly, a newsletter published monthly since 1999. Includes information on narration, nature study, developing good habits, scheduling, reader tips, and more. Helpful to homeschoolers are special sections on using Charlotte Mason's ideas and techniques in an individual home environment. |
|
|
|
Lisa Nolan Montessori |
|
Montessori for the Earth offers affordable on-line Montessori and homeschool programs and ebooks for parents, homeschool, teachers, and aides by a certified Montessori teacher. Their Montessori on-line Distance Learning programs are designed for parents and homeschoolers, teachers and assistants, educators, administrators, and college students who want to learn about (or review) Montessori education and curriculum so they can incorporate it into their home, classroom, or college studies. |
|
|
|
A Conversation with John Holt |
|
Marlene Bumgarner |
|
In 1980, Marlene Bumgarner, a homeschooling parent, hosted author John Holt in her home while he was in California for a lecture tour. While he played in the garden with her two children, John and Dona Ana, she interviewed him for the bimonthly magazine Mothering. In this article, Holt answered such questions as, "What is your philosophy of learning?", "Why homeschool?", and "What about the child's social life?" |
|
|
|
Beware the Curriculum Mentality |
|
Sarah Fitz-Claridge |
|
One of the most important duties of parents is to help their children to discover and pursue new interests, retaining the love of learning that is almost universal in young children and almost universally extinct in conventionally educated adults. Standardised curricula, and the stultifying educational hoops that schoolchildren have to jump through, sabotage this aim. This can cause trouble for parents who have to satisfy other people ... that they are educating their children properly. Under pressure, they may slide into a "homeschooling" mentality that distorts and damages their children's education. |
|
|
|
|
|
|