HERO of Oklahoma -
Oklahoma Homeschooling Styles
The topic of homeschooling styles is one that has been hashed and rehashed among veteran homeschoolers. It is probably easier to understand if you think of the homeschooling styles as a spectrum with relaxed "unschooling" on one end and structured "school-at-home" on the other end. There are about as many styles of homeschooling as there are families doing it. Some find that one style suits them perfectly while others are more eclectic using a mix of several styles. Some families find the style that suits them best by first figuring out which styles don't fit at all. Others read books and articles and talk to other families to learn which style they are leaning to.
This page is an effort to help you learn the differences in the various homeschooling styles, to point you to resources that delve more deeply into the issue and help you find the style or mix of styles that suits your family the best.
General Homeschooling Styles
- Unschooling
From Unschooling.com "Have you ever described 'red' to a person who is color blind? Sometimes, trying to define unschooling is like trying to define red. Ask 30 unschoolers to define the word and you'll get thirty shades of red. They'll all be red, but they'll all be different. Generally, unschoolers are concerned with learning or becoming educated, not with 'doing school.' The focus is upon the choices made by each individual learner, and those choices can vary according to learning style and personality type. There is no one way to unschool."
- Relaxed Schooling
An article excerpted from The Enthusiastic Homeschooler by Dr. Mary Hood PhD. "It is really just a mindset. it's the idea that you are a family, not a school. You're a mom, not a teacher. You don't have a classroom. You have individual relationships with your children. Your husband isn't a principal, because there isn't really a school. He is the head of your household, a dad, and your number one supporter."
- Unit Studies
As described by Amanda Bennett in What Is A Unit Study?
"It is defined as an in-depth study of a topic (space, trees, cars, etc.) that takes into account many areas of the topic, such as geography, science, history, art, etc. It is a complete immersion into the topic so that the student will see things as a "whole" instead of bits and pieces learned throughout their education."
Amanda Bennett maintains an excellent website and books devoted to the topic of Unit Studies.
- Eclectic
As described by Beverly S. Krueger in Homeschooling Methods: Developing Your Own Homeschooling Style,
"While some styles seem inherently different, unschooling and classical homeschooling for example, a surprising number of homeschoolers are able to take the parts of each style that suits them and merge them into their own homeschooling style synthesis.
- Classical
From The Well Trained Mind, "Classical education depends on a three-part process of training the mind. The early years of school are spent in absorbing facts, systematically laying the foundations for advanced study. In the middle grades, students learn to think through arguments. In the high school years, they learn to express themselves. This classical pattern is called the trivium. "
- Charlotte Mason
From SimplyCharlotteMason.com, "Charlotte Mason was a British educator who lived in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Her method, the Charlotte Mason method, is centered around the idea that education is three-pronged: Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life."
- Montesorri
From Montessori Homeschooling, "The Montessori method of education is best described as an "Aid to Life" rather than a specific curriculum of educational objectives."
- School-At-Home
From Homeschooling Unlimited, "This approach to homeschooling is also known as school-at-home, structured homeschooling, scope and sequence schooling, or school-in-a-box. It is the method which most closely follows a traditional school model, and strives to mirror that type of classroom setting in the home. Traditional homeschoolers usually purchase a complete curriculum which includes textbooks, teacher’s guides, tests, schedules, and grading and record keeping materials. Each child will most likely have his own set of textbooks and workbooks, and will study each subject separately according to grade level."
- Waldorf
Unschooling
The Unschooling Handbook : How to Use the Whole World As Your Child's Classroom by Mary Griffith, is an excellent and thoroughly readable explanation of the "unschooling" philosophy.
The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education by Grace Llewellyn. A former teacher urges teenagers to free themselves from the world of cookie-cutter conformity produced by factory schooling, to think for themselves and to take charge of their lives and learning.
The Relaxed Home School: A Family Production by Mary Hood. A book for parents who are seeking a more "user friendly" approach to homeschooling than the "school-at-home" approach. Explains a version of unschooling from a Christian perspective.
Unit Studies
How to Create Your Own Unit Study by Valerie Bendt. Design your own integrated curriculum, using your child's special interests and learning styles. For example, if your child is the type that can't get enough info on horses, use that love of all that is equine to study math, reading, history, literature, art and more!
Unit Study Journal (Unit Study Adventure) by Amanda Bennett, provides a handy method of record-keeping for homeschoolers using a unit study approach. Bennett's Unit Study Adventures series are workbook-type books with ideas for studying various topics with a "unit-study" approach.
