For many people, homeschooling can evoke a picture of two or three children sitting at a table working dilligently on their workbooks, while mom or dad supervises. In reality, this is not always the case. There are different approaches to homeschooling , and the method you choose will determine the curriculum and how you teach. Here are some of the most influential and popular online education methods.
The Charlotte Mason method
Charlotte Mason is considered the founder of the homeschooling movement. As she was a home schooler herself, she was passionate in her dedication to laying the groundwork for an important and comprehensive family education program both educational and fun.
This method focuses on all the basic subjects, focusing on classical literature, poetry, fine arts, classical and craftsmanship. Using a selection of books from Mason’s Classic Literature, which called it “the living books”. Kids encourage daily awareness of literature from daily “living books”. After that, the child is told to see what he has heard in his own words. This process begins at the age of six and in ten years, the child is encouraged to write his stories in his books. Mason also believes in using the “diary of nature”. After every short and interesting lesson, the child is known from nature and has to observe nature. In this way, the child also develops the feeling of respect to its environment. Mason realized that due to good character and behavior, it was necessary for the overall development of the child’s personality.
The Eclectic Homeschooling
This is a mix of several homeschooling techniques. In this case, innovative parents rely on their own judgment and choose the subjects that offer the best program for their child. Such parents constantly have an eye on the best products to meet the requirements of their homeschoolers. Most eclectic homeschooling programs are improvised. This means that the basic program is standard. Parents then modify the curriculum according to the individual needs and interests of their children. Gifts, temperament, learning style and interests define the curriculum. Eclectic programs include trips to museums, libraries and factories.
Unschooling
John Holt’s name for Boston public education founded the new school procedure. He felt that children are better aware when children are free to learn their speed and are allowed to follow their own interests. His message was not just to educate child. This method is a practical approach to learning where parents just point to children in some direction and then children try to find some clues. There is no defined program, schedule or content. This method is the most unusual of various techniques of education in the family environment.
The Montessori Method
This method is native to Italy, when it has been observed that children have acute periods of intense duration, during which they undergo phases of intense concentration. During these moments, a child will repeat an activity until he attains a certain mastery. The Montessori method depends on an environment prepared to facilitate learning. All the materials used in creating such an environment are meant to meet the inner desire for the child’s spiritual development. The materials used in this process range from simple to complex and are rather expensive.
These are just a few of the different types of homeschooling. Whatever the approach used, the focus is on flexibility and interest in the child’s desires. The key is to satisfy the natural curiosity of the child to continue his studies.