When setting up your curriculum, you can choose from a variety ways to teach. How do you choose what homeschool approach is right for your family? Here are some different ones, and I’ll tell you what I picked and why.
Unschooling
Unschooling is basically what it sounds like. There isn’t a curriculum because it isn’t like school. In this homeschool approach, instead of teaching children a structured curriculum, you base what a child learns on their interests and passions. You could be outside, and your child sees a bird and expresses interest in it. You can research, go to the library, go on nature walks, or draw in a nature journal. Or maybe your child is passionate about astronomy- you would go to observatories, IMAX, have a telescope to look through, read books on constellations, or even draw out the constellations or planets. The child is running the show. Because they are so interested in what they are learning about, they develop a love of learning
Charlotte Mason
Charlotte Mason is the idea that children learn through reading what’s called “living books”, hands-on activities, and nature journaling. They view children as having their own interests. You nurture children’s love of learning through literature and real-life experiences. There is a website called Ambleside Online that has free lesson plans for all grades. You do have to buy the books, though. I have quite a few friends who use this method and love it. I would do it with my daughter, but we have some issues with auditory processing that hinder her ability to read and be read to.
Classical
The Classical approach is similar to Charlotte Mason with an emphasis on literature. There is a stronger emphasis, though, on subjects such as grammar, logic, and rhetoric. They study a lot of history, philosophy, and classical literature. The reason behind this is to teach children critical thinking, the ability to be analytical when approaching a problem, and to be able to converse intelligently.
Unit Studies
This approach utilizes unit studies to teach a variety of subjects with one single topic. Say you want to study ancient Egypt. You could teach science by learning how they mummified their dead. We made our own papyrus, and I got a book that came with stencils of hieroglyphs, and we wrote on it. You could teach engineering by building your own pyramids. For history, you can read books on ancient Pharaohs or go to museums that have exhibits on Egypt. They take some planning, but they are a lot of fun, especially if your child is like mine and learns best from hands-on learning.
Eclectic
This approach is the one we use in my homeschool. It is a mix of everything. Our school is very structured, as with her Autism, she craves routine. We occasionally do unit studies. This year we have done ancient Egypt and botany. We also incorporate some Charlotte Mason/Classical by reading classical literature. If Hannah shows interest in something, I will sometimes take a break from our lesson plans to explore that topic with her.
As you can see, there are many different approaches. None of them is wrong. You have to decide what homeschool approach will best fit your child. Is your child self-motivated? Try unschooling! Does your child love to read? Try Charlotte Mason or Classical! Does your child learn best from hands-on learning? Try unit studies! Does your child not fit into one or the other? Try eclectic! The possibilities are endless!
