Types of Homeschool Teaching Methods

Educational Theory? Homeschool Philosophy? You may wonder why you need to know this stuff when you simply want to teach your preschoooler the alphabet! Well, your values, convictions, and beliefs about education will ultimately influence all your homeschool decisions. What you believe about how learning happens is vital because education determines how an individual views the world and how s/he approaches life. You already have the basis of an educational philosophy, even if you have not put it into words. These consist of the values, ideas, and convictions that led you to consider homeschooling.

 

Educator John Taylor Gotto says, “There are as many ways to become educated as there are individual fingerprints.” This is evident in the myriad approaches homeschoolers take to educate their children. The following list represents the major homeschool teaching methods you will come across. It is in no way exhaustive, but will serve as a guide as you begin to piece together your own educational philosophy.

This is the method used to train the greatest thinkers of the western world. A Classical Curriculum includes reading great works of literature and studying rhetoric and logic. Advocates of this approach are critical of progressive trends that, they believe, water down education. Their main goal is to cultivate independent thinkers, and develop great communicators and leaders.

 

Raymond and Dorothy Moore developed their philosophy based on research conducted in the 60s and 70s. They believe that children should not be rushed into formal education and can benefit from delaying training until 8 yrs or longer. Their evidence suggests that the development that happens in the early years sets a better foundation for later learning.  

 

Charlotte Mason was an influential educator in the 19^th century who advocated developing the soul and spirit of a child. Her method is literature based, with English and other subjects taught in an integrated way. This approach has become wildly popular with homeschoolers with many curriculum providers utilizing the Mason Method.

 

The Montessori Method is based on the work of Dr. Maria Montessorri and is primarily concerned with the education of young children. Her theories are based on a belief that a child learns through freedom in a structured environment. The Montessori classroom gives children free access to materials, exercises, and resources designed for sensory and motor training that lead to later skills mastery. Instead of teaching, adults become encouragers and guides while students express and explore.

 

Based on the teachings of John Holt, unschooling allows children to take control of their educational choices. Unschooling is student-directed instead of teacher-directed. Unschoolers often take issue with the current, expert-based education system, choosing instead to trust the individual’s ability to guide their own education by following their interests.

 

Eclectic Homeschooling is a term that has become popular as homeschoolers gain confidence and become savvy consumers of different methods. It simply means picking and choosing what works best for you and not being afraid to make decisions or change your mind. An eclectic homeschooler may use one publisher for math and another for science. Or, she may even use a different math for each student. Eclectic homeschoolers are confident that they know what is best for their children and are highly independent in decision making.

 

This approach mimics what happens in the public school classroom. It compartmentalizes subject areas, uses textbooks, and relies on teacher-driven content.

 

Some homeschoolers reclaim the wasted time in traditional education by accelerating the pace that they do school. They typically graduate high school very early and many go on to home school college and graduate school.

 

This approach is uniquely Christian and encompasses the idea that all learning centers on God’s word. Students learn the methods of America's Founding Fathers; specifically Research, Reasoning, Relating, and Recording.

 

Source: John Taylor Gotto: Gotto, John."I Quit, I Think" http://www.johntaylorgatto.com, retreived December 31, 2006.