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Basic Homeschooling Information |
Approaches to Homeschooling Homeschoolers have the
privilege of choosing both what they teach (curriculum) and how they teach it
(method). Curriculum School-in-a-box: Some families
like to purchase a pre-packaged curriculum in which all subjects have been
scheduled and daily lesson plans are provided. This choice of curriculum often corresponds
with a choice to use the traditional method of teaching. When purchasing a pre-packaged curriculum,
it is important to make sure that the curriculum covers all subjects required
by your local laws; sometimes additional supplementation will be necessary. Eclectic: Many families like
to research the available curricula and for every subject select the
materials best suited to their child(ren).
This choice of curriculum can correspond to any teaching method. Classical/Trivium:
Sometimes confused with a method,
a classical approach to homeschooling is a choice of subject matter, not a
choice of how that subject matter is presented. Subjects are taught at the developmental
age most suitable. In the early
grades, emphasis is placed on learning facts (reading, writing, spelling,
arithmetic, Latin, art, music…). In
the middle grades, students learn logic to be able to reason with facts
previously learned in the early grades.
At the upper level, students study rhetoric to enable them to use
language, both written and spoken, effectively. Any teaching method can be used with a
classical education. It is possible to
use the eclectic approach in selecting classical curriculum. Method School-At-Home: Families
can duplicate in their homes the approach traditionally used in a classroom
setting. This method of teaching relies
heavily on graded texts or workbooks.
Students read, then write answers to questions about the
material. Quizzes and tests are given
to determine what the student has learned. Unschooling: At the
opposite end of the spectrum from the traditional classroom is the
unschooling method. Unschoolers
recognize that all people, including children, naturally are curious and want
to learn, so provide opportunities for their children to learn about those
things in which they are interested. Unit Studies: Families
study all subjects around a single topic.
Commercial unit-study guides are available ranging from baseball to
lighthouses to gardening and dozens of other subjects. Many of these take approximately five weeks
to complete, then a new unit of study must be selected. It is possible for families to design their
own unit-studies. For example, a unit
study on meat rabbits could involve reading
about rabbits; using language arts
research skills to learn about meat breeds, their cost, and where they can be
obtained; spelling words related to
raising rabbits; math skills in
designing appropriate living quarters based on rabbits’ need for space; woodworking (occupational education) in
constructing rabbit hutches (also uses math skills); accounting in keeping track of the costs involved in raising
rabbits; biology/genetics in
breeding; Bible study in learning
what God’s Word says about eating rabbit; anatomy/health
in helping to dress out rabbits when they’re butchered; and writing about rabbits. We raised rabbits for three years, but the
main study focus took a full year. Charlotte Mason Method:
Charlotte Mason was an educator who lived in the late 1800s. She gave children credit for having brains,
and believed that they should be given the opportunity to use them. Families using the Charlotte Mason method
do not rely on dry textbooks; they put students in direct contact with the
material being studied and allow children to interact with it. This involves getting outdoors to observe
God’s creation, trips to museums, and a study of art and nature, as well as
spending time with good-quality, whole, living books. Literature Based: The
literature-based method allows children time to read an abundance of good
literature about the subjects being studied.
Often subjects are integrated, particularly language arts and
history. This approach can be combined
with any of the above-mentioned methods.
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