Eclectic Homeschool Method

June 25, 2012 by

Are you having trouble relating to one specific homeschool philosophy? Don’t worry, you may just be an eclectic homeschooler, and that’s okay.

What is an eclectic homeschooler? You may like specific parts of a homeschool philosophy but you choose to implement some points and leave out others. You pick and choose what to implement in your homeschool according to what works for you and your student.

I would classify myself as an eclectic homeschooler, I like the chronological 4 year history cycle of classical education, I like the short lessons and narration from Charlotte Mason, and choose to create my own science curriculum. [Read more...]

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All in one or Boxed Curriculum

June 14, 2012 by

Are you interested in having everything laid out and planned for you? You may be interested in a boxed or all in one curriculum.

What is a boxed or all in one curriculum? Homeschool curriculum for one grade that covers most or all of the subjects needed for the year. It isn’t really a method but more of another option for homeschooling.

For each method either classical or Charlotte Mason,  there may be a program that comes in one package. If you want to follow a traditional school at home program with textbooks and workbooks, there are those as well. [Read more...]

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What is Waldorf Education?

June 11, 2012 by

Are you wondering what is Waldorf education? What makes it different from other teaching philosophies?

Waldorf education was founded by Rudolph Steiner in 1919 in Germany, it is also known as Steiner education. Steiner looked at child development in 3 stages. Early childhood included children up to age 7 who learn through hands on activities and imitation. The middle childhood or elementary years is from 7-14 focuses on creative learning. While secondary students age 14 and up focus on academics particularly abstract concepts.

What is so special about Waldorf education? [Read more...]

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What is the Montessori method?

June 7, 2012 by

Have you been wondering what is the Montessori method?

The Montessori method was developed my Maria Montessori, a physician and educator from Rome. The Montessori method focuses on the development of the child as an individual person full of a natural curiosity. The idea is to nurture this curiosity during the early years (0-6 years old) by providing the right opportunities to learn. Maria insisted that children were mature individuals capable of learning things on their own because of their natural curiosity. Teachers are to have a supportive role and provide an environment conducive to their learning at a level appropriate for them. [Read more...]

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What is a Charlotte Mason education?

June 1, 2012 by

Who is Charlotte Mason? She was a teacher living in England during the late nineteenth century.

What is a Charlotte Mason education? Her ideas focused on teaching the whole child which was unique at the time.

Children were taught to work diligently and emphasized good character traits. A Charlotte Mason education means using living books, copywork and narration, nature studies, foreign languages, as well as art and music study. [Read more...]

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What is a Classical education?

May 28, 2012 by

Are you homeschooling? Are you wondering what it means to classically educate your child?

A classical education focuses on returning to proven educational methods used in the past particularly focusing on the art and culture of Western civilization. It emphasizes languages, philosophy, art, and literature.

The philosophy is based on the Trivium which refers to the 3 stages of a child’s learning abilities – grammar, logic, and rhetoric. [Read more...]

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What is Unschooling?

May 25, 2012 by

What is unschooling?

It is child-led learning where the parents are facilitators not teachers. Unschoolers believe that because children naturally want to learn, they should be able to direct their own education. Parents are in a supportive role and provide materials or opportunities for the child to learn their topic of choice.

John Holt, author of Teach Your Own and many other unschooling books,  first used the term in the 1970′s, he believed that children would learn naturally when they were ready to do so. As long as a supportive environment was in place, learning would take place according to the child’s interest. He felt that the school environment was unnatural and that children should not be pushed to learn things they didn’t wish to. [Read more...]

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What are unit studies?

May 21, 2012 by

Are you looking into homeschooling and wondering what method to use? What about unit studies?

What is a unit study? It is the study of a topic or theme using numerous school subjects. For example, if we were studying butterflies, you would incorporate their history, geography – where they are found, math – count butterflies in your backyard, and science – raise caterpillars. Your homeschool revolves around one theme to unite all your studies.

First decide on a topic, ask your student what they would like to study and plan accordingly. The children will be more engaged in your studies if they are able to have some input. Also discuss how they would like to study the topic, they may have some ideas. [Read more...]

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Various homeschooling methods

April 5, 2012 by

Now that you’ve decided to homeschool your child, what next?

What methods will you use to teach your child?

There are various homeschooling methods to choose from, the next goal is to find what suits you best as a teacher and as a family. [Read more...]

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