Homeschooling 101 Part III - Types of Homeschooling

There are numerous types of homeschooling and homeschoolers within the homeschooling community.  From classical homeschoolers to unschoolers, the variety within the homeschooling community spans across all racial, religious and ethnic backgrounds.  Homeschooling is not just for "hippies" or "ultra-conservative Christians" any more.  I used to say that there were two camps within homeschooling and I did not fit into either - these were the "Granola-Crunching Tye-Dye Brigade" and the "Bible-Toting Denim Jumper Brigade".  I have absolutely no problems with either of these two 'camps', other than the fact that I did not 'fit' into either of them very well.  

Being a person who never really 'fit' into any one group (except the band geeks in high school), this didn't bother me too much, but it made finding a good match in a homeschooling support group difficult.  I don't think the line between two 'camps' in homeschooling are much more blurred now, at least in North Carolina.  There is a much wider variety of people homeschooling now than ever before.  Finding your niche in homeschooling is a lot like finding your niche in life.  So, when beginning homeschooling one must examine themselves and see where they fit.

I will begin by describing what I think of as opposite ends of the homeschooling spectrum:  unschooling and classical education.  These two forms of homeschooling are equally valid and I’ve seen highly educated students coming from both ends.  Honestly, the differences between the two, in my opinion, do not matter as long as knowledge is acquired and children are learning.  Depending upon your children’s learning styles, unschooling may be right for one child and classical right for another.  Here are brief descriptions of the two methods:

Unschooling varies from unschooler to unschooler, but basically, unschooling is the process of eliminating the use of a formal curriculum and replacing it with self-directed learning focusing on the individual child.  Some unschoolers do provide curriculum to their children, but just as a resource for self-directed learning.  Unschooling uses life to learn all the core subjects (reading, writing, math).  Unschoolers encourage their children to find their passions and do research to educate themselves.  They also encourage their children to learn at their own pace.  

Classical Education uses time tested methods to teach children not only core subjects, but usually subjects such as logic and Latin.  Classical Educators can use a variety of curricula or even a boxed curriculum to teach each of these subjects, but are typically rigorous in their academics.  Again, though, even in the classical arena, education can be self-paced if the parent and child desire.    

Homeschooling takes many other forms along the spectrum between Classical Education and Unschooling.    Traditional Education; Unit Studies; Distance or Virtual Learning; Eclectic.  These methods take many forms, but I will try to describe them as I have seen them typically applied.

Some families choose to do a boxed curriculum and set a traditional ‘school at home’ type of schedule.  This sort of homeschooling usually looks like a regular institutional style education with a set schedule and ‘typical’ scope and sequence - meaning children learn certain concepts and skills at certain ages just like in public school.

Unit Studies are a great resource for just about any form of homeschooling.  This method takes a subject or theme and uses this to learn all core subjects.  Unit studies are also great for those who have children of multiple ages because these studies can be covered on many levels.  Some families choose this as their primary form of education which is why I include it as a ‘type’ of homeschooling.  A family could do a unit study on the plant life cycle.  This unit study could include: mathematics to measure a growing plant, science in growing the plant in the first place; social studies by studying the history of the plant within society; geography by studying different plants in different regions of the world; and reading by doing research on how to grow plants or reading about the plant life cycle; and even writing by developing a composition based upon the results of any science experiments or books read.  A parent and child(ren) could easily go from topic to topic doing nothing but unit studies to learn all subjects.

Distance or Virtual Learning is becoming popular among many homeschooling families because of the ease in planning it provides.  Any of the other forms of homeschooling take a serious time commitment in lesson plans and lesson execution.  A virtual learning tool such as www.time4learning.com provides the lesson planning for the parent so they can focus on helping the child learn the material.  What virtual or distance learning takes away is the customization a family has with other forms of homeschooling.  Some families choose to use Virtual Learning tools as a supplement to another type of homeschooling.

This is where Eclectic Education comes into play.  Eclectic Homeschooling involves using whatever resources or types of homeschooling a parent feels is necessary to accomplish learning.  From what I have seen, a lot homeschooling families fall into this category.  This is the category that most closely matches my family.  We use a virtual learning tool (www.time4learning.com) as our primary curriculum, but add in unit studies, video games, science experiments, literature and whatever else I can find to pour as much learning into my little spongy children as I can.  

I hope this helps someone in the quest to find a way to home educate their children.  Any of these methods can be used effectively to help a child learn.  The trick to doing so is finding the one that works for both your child and yourself.  Try to be flexible and don't go out and spend a ton of money on one thing in the beginning.  Research and experiment and see what works for all parties.