Here are the forms of homeschooling that I feel I can define with some degree of accuracy:

Unschooling- The child learns what they want when they want. The parent doesn’t require the child to study anything, however they do provide a rich environment with plenty of learning opportunities, and they do watch for interests that can be used to incorporate learning of certain basic skills and take advantage of those as they come up.

Relaxed homeschooling- Similar to unschooling except that the child is required to do some basic subjects like reading, writing, and arithmetic, though perhaps not all three every day.

School -in-a-box method. You buy the whole curriculum from one supplier and teach from it every day, trusting that the people who designed the curriculum know what your child needs better than you do. (Can you tell this is my least favorite option?)

Charlotte Mason method. This method incorporates lots of reading out loud, nature study, using literature to learn about History. Copywork, narration, and dictation are all used to teach Grammar, usage, spelling, and writing mechanics. There is a strong emphasis on developing a love for learning in the child. There is a lot of attention to developing good habits, strong moral character. Latin is usually studied at some time, preferably by fourth grade.

Classical Method. Very similar to the Charlotte Mason method, but there are a few key differences. Classical Education always covers History in Chronological order, while according to Charlotte Mason’s original writings History could be studied based on whatever literature the child was reading at the time. Classical Education usually organizes other subjects around a four or five year plan for studying world history, so literature, science, art, etc. are all arranged around the history plan. American History is usually studied only in the context of World History, rather than alone. There is lot of emphasis on memorization.

Copywork, narration, and dictation are used, but in a slightly different way than taught by Charlotte Mason. In addition, Grammar, Spelling, and mechanics is studied formally, rather than only through the copywork, narration and dictation. Latin is studied, preferably starting no later than 4th grade.

Unit Study approach- Studies are conducted around a topic, while studying this topic you cover other subject areas. For instance, lets say you decide to study birds. You would read books about birds and perhaps write reports about them (Language Arts). You would draw or paint pictures of them, or make birds out of clay (fine arts). You would build bird houses and bird feeders (wood-shop). You would track migratory paths, and calculate the miles traveled by certain types of birds (Geography). You might study the effects humans have had on bird populations throughout the years (History and Math). You would study different birds’ habitat, diet, mating habits, anatomy, and physiology (biology, natural science). You would study how a bird flies, what keeps him up (Physics). Many people who do unit studies also study one or two subjects separately to make sure they get covered adequately, math is a real common one to be studied apart form the Unit at hand.

Units can also be designed around things like Character traits, though I think you would have to be more creative to integrate lots of other subjects around that.

Then there are the eclectic homeschoolers like myself. We research lots of methods and pick and choose what we like from each. For instance, I like many things about the Charlotte Mason and Classical approaches, I also like Unit studies. So I end up teaching History Chronologically, and grouping other subjects around History. I incorporate lots of “living books” like Charlotte Mason, and when I get to the appropriate time period I plan to park for a while on American History by doing a Unit Study based on the Little House books, then I will continue with the classical outline of History. When I do the copywork, I don’t exactly follow Charlotte Mason’s methods, I feel she required too much perfection. But when it comes to rote memory I agree more with Charlotte Mason than with the classical method, I feel its important to memorize some things, like multiplication facts and a few Poems, but I just don’t see the value in having my son labor to memorize the names of a bunch of Egyptian Pharaohs.

So you can see, someone who was strict about Charlotte Mason methods would disagree with me in how I do the copywork and dictation sessions, and someone who was strictly classical might disagree with me about the memorization. Both would probably object to me taking a year to focus on American History through the Little House Unit study.

This is the beauty of homeschooling though, you can read up on all of these methods and blend them into your own unique method.

Here are some books I recommend reading:

A Charlotte Mason Companion.

The Well Trained Mind

Homeschooling, take a deep breath, You can do this.

So You’re thinking About HOmeschooling.

The Everything Book of Homeschooling.

The HOmeschool Source Book.

HOmeschoolling for Dummies (hate the title, like the book.)

Go to your library and browse around between call numbers 370 and 373.

I would say that you do seem to be doing a more conventional form of homeschool, often called “school at home”. It is very common for new homeschooler’s to do this…usually because the school model is what we were taught with! Folk usually use text or work books.

Other methods and how the day would look:1. Unschooling, there is no formal work, you and your children live and work alongside each other, making use of teachable moments, and your childs questions and interests.

2. Unit study: you choose a topic and relate all your subjects to this topic, so if you chose water in one day in history you would discuss water systems in Ancient times perhaps, do clouds, rain, the water cycle etc in Science, find the water courses in your country on a map in Greography etc. Often these are very hands on unit studies, but not always.

3. computer based (cd rom)lessons, often linked to Internet

4.Classical education: focus on learning classic languages like Latin, Greek, and Grammar etc

5.Eclectic: a mix ‘n match of various methods

I can give examples of curricula to purchase for each type if you need.

Does this help any?

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This means that my family does pretty much the exact opposite of what you are trying to do with your son – we don’t do any “lessons” or “subjects” or follow a schedule or a curriculum and our parents don’t attempt to “teach” us anything. We’re totally free to follow our own interests and set our own learning goals whilst Mum and Dad support us but never dictate to us when it comes to education (my 2 oldest unschooled siblings are both currently studying BSc Hons degrees and my 15 year old unschooled brother passed, with all A grades, exams meant for 18 yr olds when he was 13 so you shouldn’t necessarily freak at the idea of going without all the “conventions of school”).

What you are doing (trying to recreate school at home) is what heaps of people try to do at first, if they’re new to home education. Just know that, because your local school is doing or teaching something, does not mean you as a homeschooling mum have to do the same. You don’t. You’re not in competition with your son’s ex-school. I think that is one of the reasons why it is so good that, in my country, people tend not to use the term ‘homeschool’ but to talk about ‘home education’ instead.

http://www.unschooling.com/

I would like to add another resource book on unschooling that I think gives a pretty good snapshot of this method of learning, as well as the life style.

The Unschooling Handbook by Mary Griffith.

ISBN — 10: 0761512764

Hope this helps a bit, but please understand that unschooling is the hardest to describe since it is different for each family, it is unique to their life style, as well as each individual in that family.

Here is a rundown of our unschooling way of life:

First, and most important we have long talks, and discussion about anything, and everything.

We do math, and language arts in the more traditional way, since I believe that math, reading, and writing are the most important things a person can learn.

If these are firmly in place, you can learn anything you put your mind to.

Proper communication is very important.

For history we choose, movies, documentaries, talks with veterans, good historical fiction books, games, and other literature.

For geography we do essentially the same, but we also include games, travel video’s, road trips, and cooking meals from the regions.

Map skills (regular, and topical), as well as compass reading are learned, because these skill are a necessity where we live.

One should not rely on technology (GPS) alone, these gadgets can break, making basic survival skills a must.

The Boy Scouts, the Civil Air patrol can teach many of these skills as well.

Science is part of everyday life, the first six years are the day’s of creation, each “day” has enough subject material to cover a years worth of reading, experiments, as well as field trips; one drawback are the animal habitats; they become a permanent part of our families zoo. 🙂

Home economics’s, and life skills; chores, learning how to budget, shop, and cook by planning the meals, and preparing them.

Getting a job, balancing a checkbook (even at age 12), and learning how to save, learning how to work with, and interact with all kinds of people on the job,or while doing their volunteer work are skills that need to be practiced, and cannot be learned properly from a textbook.

They are learning languages, cultural diversity and music, from members of our congregation who gladly share their knowledge, and talents with them, because the children are genuinely interested.

Bible; Sunday school, Awana’s, youth groups, and Bible camps; add daily devotions, voila, no curriculum needed unless you like to have a chronological study; my kids did want to do that so we got one.

Civics’s, study a basic book; add a study of the constitution; go to see your elected officials in action at your state capitol, follow a bill to see how it is drafted, and what it takes to move it through the system, volunteer at voting booths, or a candidates campaign.

Speech, and debate sign up for Toastmasters, or another club.

Electives; use 4H for everything from cooking, sewing, photography, veterinary science to robotics.

Sports; the sky is the limit, both for recreation, and competition.

I would say all that adds up to much more than the average “textbook” could cover.

Life was meant to be experienced, lived, and questioned, with all it’s ups and downs.

The added benefit is that learning actually clicks, because it is a part of their daily life, it makes sense, and they gain the needed self confidence to become independent, with that I can do attitude.

EDIT:

Rosie_0801

A great Latin program is Prima Latina, and Latina Christiana from Memoria Press, they also have many other classical resources available for this method of schooling.

http://www.memoriapress.com/

When I first left school, I did school-at-home. I did it willingly, but it was always just a chore to get through, something I did because my parents said I had to. Then, we realized it just wasn’t working. I was hardly learning anything, my sister was just fighting with my mom, and it was getting pretty expensive. So we just stopped ‘doing school’.

For about a month and a half, I didn’t do anything. I was nine years old. I read a lot. I wasted my time outside. I watched TV. Then, I realized something. It was really, really boring, not doing anything. I started going to my mom and saying, “I want to learn about [blank].” But, by the time my mom did all the research on [blank], planned the museum trip to the exhibit on [blank], printed assignments on [blank] off the Internet, I knew more than she did.

Now, I’m 15. I’m a happy, self-motivated learner. I’m taking an online AP class in US history, I’m a ‘grade level’ (what a weird concept) or two ahead in math, I’ve read at above college level for a long time. It’s nothing special about me. My parents didn’t hire tutors, or anything, they just gave me a library card and told me to get out there.

Your son wants to learn. Nobody objects to learning. However, you will do it much more efficiently if you can learn to let him go on his own path. It can be frustrating for a parent at times, because his own path could be one that doesn’t involve a certain subject for months -or even a year or two- after he ‘should’ be covering it. However, I can guarantee you that he will be fine. This year, I’m taking my first science class since I was in school in third grade. So far, I’m doing fine. I’m not all that interested, but I need it, so I’m doing it, and I’m learning.

Keep playing games with him. Leave the books around. Get documentaries out of the library. Both of you should take a learning styles test. My family used ‘Discover Your Child’s Learning Style’ by Victoria Kindle Hodgson. My mom is a Producing type, and a text-based learner. She’s the model school kid. She likes workbooks, learns well from reading, is orderly, likes lists and has a place for everything and everything in its place. My sister is an Inventing type, and a hands-on learner. She’s the polar opposite of my mom. Both of them are intelligent people, but they just work differently. One way of thinking is not superior to another. You may also find that your communication is easier. I’m a Performing type, secondary tied with Inventing and Thinking/Creating, and a visual learner. That means I have a lot of energy -physical and mental- and am always thinking about, and trying to build, new things. I get completely absorbed in what I’m doing. In school, that was considered disobedience.

Also, I think that if you treat video games like this ultra-awesome reward, he’s just going to covet them. My parents used a “No games until your work is done” policy. (I signed up for classes and stuff, self-directed =/= nothing happening.) Stock his room well with books and puzzles.

Last night, I had my DS -which I spend plenty of time using- next to me, and I had a copy of ‘The Age of Reason.’ Because I don’t think video games are this awesome forbidden fruit, I went with the Paine. There are plenty of times I go for the video games, but I see them as a form of recreation, not the reason to get through my stuff.

Sorry if I sounded like an unschooling evangelical.

School at home – This is where you read the books, do x amount of worksheets, and call it a day. This is usually the most comfortable method for new homeschoolers.

Classical – There are two methods of this – Greek/Roman Classical and Hebrew Classical. Both are based on the same model, but have different philosophies. Greek/Roman is very much based on knowledge for the sake of knowledge (as their culture was based on education in order to gain knowledge or further the strength of the state). Hebrew is more based on truly reaching the heart of your child in order to help them understand their world, their place in it, and their religious beliefs. Both lend themselves well to worldview studies on the middle and high school levels. Greek/Roman can be either secular or Christian, Hebrew tends to include Christianity or Judaism fairly heavily. Here are some sites:

Greek/Roman:

http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/

http://www.classicalhomeschooling.com/

http://www.homeschool.com/Approaches/Classical.asp

Hebrew:

http://heartofwisdom.com/

http://www.triviumpursuit.com/index.php

Unit Studies – This is where pretty much everything you do is based around a common concept or theme. Take, for example, ocean predators: you can read about them (reading and comprehension), research and write a report on them (language arts and writing), perform experiments to show how a shark moves so quickly through the water or how the tentacles of an octopus suction onto their prey, or how different animals use advertisement and camouflage to stay safe (science); you can research a couple of famous marine biologists and their discoveries (history, language arts); you can make word problems based on the animals and their environment (math); you can research the different layers of the ocean, what their characteristics are, and what animals live there and why (science, language arts); you can do artwork based on the different animals, the biome, the plant life, etc. (art, science); you can find and analyze/memorize poetry based on different aspects of the ocean and the marine life (poetry, literature); you can do a study of the different layers and how they affect life (geography); and the list goes on and on. Here are some sites that give info on unit studies:

HOME

http://unitstudy.com/

http://unitstudies.com/default.aspx

http://almaproject.dpsk12.org/unitlist.htm

http://clepprep.tripod.com/cleplessonplans/

http://edsitement.neh.gov/

http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/

http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/

Charlotte Mason – this is very literature-rich homeschooling, and in its truest form is very structured. It is also done in a looser, close to unit-study type of format. It is based on the trivium (like classical homeschooling) but generally has short (20-30 minute) class periods and plenty of extras. Here are some sites to give you info:

The Gentle Art of Learning tm brings Charlotte Mason into the 21st century

http://sites.silaspartners.com/cmason

http://amblesideonline.org/CM/toc.html

http://www.amblesideonline.org/ (free K-12 curriculum for CM)

http://homepage.bushnell.net/~peanuts/faq1.html

Eclectic – This method combines a bit of everything to tailor a curriculum specifically for your child. If your child needs a very structured math curriculum but is a voracious reader and creative artist, likes hands-on science experiment but likes to notebook and timeline through history, this is for you. It’s just what it sounds like – pieces of everything. Here are some sites:

http://members.aol.com/clayvessel/

http://www.educationalfreedom.com/heart/pages/eclectic.html

Unschooling – this method allows the child to study at their level and according to their interests, but allows the child to choose their own studies. The parents act more as facilitators, supplying their kids with the opportunities and resources, helping them to locate answers when necessary, but otherwise letting them go to learn. This works very well with a motivated student and a confident mom; there are unschooled kids that have gone on to become CEO’s of very successful businesses, etc. However, if you have a child that is unmotivated to learn, or is not at all confident about searching out information, this may not be a good idea. Here are some sites:

http://www.unschooling.com/

http://www.unschooling.org/

http://www.unschooling.info/

http://www.home-educate.com/unschooling/

http://www.naturalchild.com/guest/earl_stevens.html

Homeschoolers use any and all of these, or even a combination of two or more. You have the freedom to use whichever you would like, based on your free time and teaching style, as well as your student’s learning style. You will most likely find that your methods develop over time, as both you and your son become more comfortable with homeschooling and his abilities develop. And it’s fine to do that!

Hope that helps 🙂

Edit…I just realized I didn’t put down what we do! Sorry about that. We’re pretty eclectic.

Math: Math U See, which is taught by DVD and very concept and manipulative based.

Language Arts: Learning Language Arts Through Literature, a workbook that interrelates all areas of LA and ties them into literature.

Bible: We do a family Bible study every night, and he reads a specific amount each day. He also does tons in his AWANA books and studies up further on anything that interests him. He also takes an OT History/Biblical Feasts class at co op.

Science: We use Apologia, he goes through about 2 elementary texts per year. He’s starting 5th grade right now, will be moving into the jr. high program sometime next spring. We also do unit studies whenever the interest pops up.

History: We use both a textbook and a lapbook/notebook/hands-on study for history. We’re in American History right now, so we’re using All American History, which he does pretty much by himself. He also reads historical fiction and biographies at grade level. We then do a study either from http://www.handsofachild.com/2/ or http://www.homeschoolinthewoods.com/ to get more into it and nail down the ideas, people, places, events, etc. We keep a general timeline in his notebook, and he does a specific timeline in his notebook or lapbook with each event that we study.

Writing: IEW, which is integrated with his other subjects (generally Bible, science, and/or history.)

Spanish: The Easy Spanish

Greek: Elementary Greek

Geography: Right now we use continent and studies from http://www.handsofachild.com/2/, we will be moving into a more literature and research-based format next year. We also integrate geography with history.

I think that’s it…other than that we read, cook, go on field trips, make projects, and discuss. He thinks it’s fun, and he learns tons!