Homeschooling Methods

Which Homeschooling Method
Is Best For Your Child?

One thing we tell our children is that the world is their school – there are no limits, borders or boundaries to learning. We believe in a more self-directed approach – following our children’s interests as we help guide them along the way. They currently learn through play and exploration and we provide any information to them regarding their interests. Our little ones are still quite young (almost 5yrs, 3yrs and 5months), but we already know that homeschooling is the educational path we want them on.

​As parents, we feel that going through a traditional school curriculum may restrict them from acquiring the kind of education and awareness that we want our kids exposed to. With over two million American children homeschooled, more parents are settling into the idea that homeschool kids certainly do just as well as children in a conventional school setting.

When it comes to homeschooling, no two families use the same method. However, many families that homeschool their children will be quick to admit that they prefer and opt for the eclectic way. This is used to refer to when families combine and use different homeschooling styles to produce their own.

When trying to select a homeschooling method, it is best that you consider your family routine.
Additionally, you should also consider your child's needs as well.

Many different methods exist, new and old - and methods are still being created today. If you are a parent thinking about homeschooling your children, below are some of those you ought to consider.

Unschooling
Unschooling, also commonly referred to as child-led learning veer away from formal schedules of schooling. Here, there are no set rules. Instead, the child learns from life experiences and is encouraged to pursue his/her interests. It goes without saying, that this type of learning focuses on and helps nurture the child's abilities and interests.

With such a method, it helps illustrate the fact that a child that is being homeschooled is not confined to a specific structure. Instead, the child is free to learn and nurture their creativity.

Worldschooling
You’ve probably heard of this method more recently. Although not necessarily new, the term is slowly but steadily increasing in popularity. Worldschooling is a lot similar to unschooling. However, the difference is that it is more travel based, hence its other commonly used term, travel-based education.

By traveling the world (near and/or far), children are actively encouraged by their parents to seek out learning opportunities across the area(s) they travel to, from different cultures, traditions and rich history. Worldschooling is a fun and active way of learning for children. Moreover, it does encourage bonding between the parent and child.

Wildschooling
Wildschooling, also a form of unschooling, focuses on nurturing a child’s connection with nature. It also seeks to respect the child as an individual so as to foster and encourage inner expression and creativity. By letting the child learn at his/her own pace, the child is free to explore, experiment and discover nature to promote learning.

The Classical Method
The classical method is based on the trivium that involves three main stages of learning. It usually involves preparing the children by educating them on the three R's: Reason, Research and Record. After this, they can now progress to the stages of Grammar, Logic (dialect stage), and finally, the Rhetoric stage.

The Grammar stage focuses on guiding children on how to learn. The Logic stage introduces analytical concepts. The most important and final stage is known as the Rhetoric stage, which focuses on communication and expression through words, actions and writing.

Charlotte Mason
This method breaks away from the everyday norm of textbooks. Instead, it encourages the use of what Charles Mason referred to as living books. This method allows children to learn from real-life situations through narration, short lessons and discovery.

Waldorf
The Waldorf method of education incorporates a more holistic approach. During the early stages of a child's development, this method focuses on nurturing a child's creativity through music and crafts. Waldorf discourages the use of computers or televisions, as they may interfere with a child's creative abilities.
It also seeks to nurture a child's character through self-awareness and self-reasoning.

Montessori
Developed in the 1900's by Maria Montessori, this method emphasizes on order in the learning setting. This helps ensure that learning time remains uninterrupted. In this setting, the parent-teacher works at the pace of the child, where they can gently guide them towards their full potential.

Eclectic Method
As previously mentioned, this is a widely preferred method among homeschoolers. It offers a more flexible schedule, hence the reason the method is also referred to as relaxed homeschooling.
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The method may focus on academic goals such as Math and English one part of the day - while another part of the day, the focus may be on nurturing a child’s hobbies and interests.

All things considered, there is no right or wrong way to homeschool your child. A method you use today may not be the method you use tomorrow – parents should use whichever method(s) best suits their family schedule. Above all, it is essential that you choose one that best suits your child.

Do you have a unique method of homeschooling? We would love to hear about it. Comment below or send us an email.

If you find this post useful or know someone thinking of homeschooling, please share.
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-Nid <3

#ParentHard

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