Homeschooling Approaches

I've always wanted to teach, but over the years, I've explored different avenues of what that might look like. My main plan through college was to teach at an international school in China. (I ended up not teaching at all when I graduated but working in education indirectly by being a program director at a Boys and Girls Club). I remember visiting a Montessori school, thinking that my education background was a good foundation to possibly teach there. I was surprised, though, when they said that they've found that a background in education can actually be a hindrance since "the Montessori way" is so different than the typical way school is done. I remember them saying there would be a lot of "unlearning" if I chose to pursue Montessori education.

And I'm beginning to think the same thing about homeschooling. Of course, it's helpful to have experience as a teacher, but in many ways, I will be doing a lot of unlearning about what school "should" look like. I grew up in traditional schools and have taught in traditional schools. Homeschooling is a whole other animal, and I'm both excited and terrified about the adventure ahead.

I'll admit this book looks a little dated. It was full of good stuff, though! One section talked about the different styles of homeschooling. I wanted to reflect here on the different approaches because I thought it would be interesting to look back and see a bit of my philosophy of homeschooling here at the beginning of this "great experiment."

Traditional School at Home - People often start here because it's the easiest way to transition to homeschooling.  It keeps family on track with grade-level content, same academic level as age peers. As a kid, I always hated workbooks, so that has translated into not liking them as an adult. My last school was very workbook-heavy, and I tried to opt out of using them whenever possible. At the same time, it does make it easier to plan, and it frees up time to plan creative enrichment.

For this first "trial year," we are starting with some traditional workbooks, even though I'm beginning to think that that won't be our best-fit homeschool style, either for me or for the boys. I did think it would be a good way to transition to homeschooling. I'm also "tutoring" another family three mornings a week, so this will make it easier to assign work to them. 

Here are the printed curriculum resources we plan on using this year:

• Bible - We're not using a specific curriculum for Bible, but for this first semester, we're learning the Bible in 50 Words poem (author unknown) and learning the story for each line. We're also memorizing SwordGrip Old Testament Volume 2, which is 1-3 verses per book of the Bible from Proverbs to Malachi.
• Math - Mammoth Math. It's an online curriculum with options to order the printed materials. I like the no-frills approach, focus on problem-solving, and value. I also like that it's directed toward the students and is often self-taught and self-directed. Carter and Calvin are both a grade ahead in math and are doing fine keeping up so far. 
• Language Arts - The Good and the Beautiful. I like that it covers reading, writing, spelling, grammar, geography, and art; I also like that it's non-denominational Christian. I will probably supplement with writing to get them writing more frequently.
• Science - We've started with the free Marine Biology unit from The Good and the Beautiful. I like that it can be used with all 5 kids (1st grade - 7th grade) and that it is one unit at a time. After this, we're doing a Botany unit, and then we'll make a decision about whether to continue with another unit or try a different curriculum.
• History - We're doing Woke Homeschooling, which is American history with a focus on indigenous peoples and Black history. We do this all together, too, but the first text on the book list is difficult to digest. The curriculum mostly consists of reading together and watching documentaries and then discussing them afterwards.

Classical Education - I have some friends who homeschool this way, often through Classical Education co-ops. It's highly structured, and I don't have much desire at this point to look into it further.

Charlotte Mason - Some key points of this approach are "living books" instead of textbooks, narrative summaries instead of written tests, and nature notebooks. I'm intrigued but haven't looked too closely at what this would actually look like. I like the idea of reading stories and nonfiction from authors passionate about the subject material than just textbooks or reading compilations.

Unit Studies - Rather than subjects being addressed individually, unit studies are theme- or topic-based (historical eras, good books, science topics, cultural exploration) and cover multiple subjects. I LOVE this idea, but it also seems like it would take a lot of work. I had the opportunity to experience this as a kid in the public school setting in 4th - 6th grade. We would spend hours a day on various themes, which would tie to all subjects. These were called INTERACT simulations and were purchased with grant money. I remember creating our own countries, gathering items for a time capsule, competing with other city-states in ancient Greece, writing a newspaper during the WWII era, and creating travel brochures as we learned about the Canadian provinces. I can definitely see myself homeschooling this way once I get some experience under my belt.

Eclectic (or relaxed) - I feel like everyone, to some degree, is an eclectic mix of various methods and curricula and ideologies. 

Interest-initiated or Unschooling - This one intrigues me, but I don't know much about it. It seems like it would be too easy, as a mom, to swing into laziness and consider everything learning! In reality, I think this would require a lot of work to be able to guide them in their own interests. It's not just letting them do whatever they want whenever they want.

School-Sponsored Homeschooling Programs - This was a rarity when the book was published in 2001, but it's actually happening all around the world right now during this COVID-19 pandemic. In Kentucky, most public school districts have begun the year with online instruction. Private schools, like the ones where I've taught for the last 7 years, are doing in-person instruction. We made our decision to homeschool this year before our school district had announced their decision, so part of me has wondered if we should have just stayed with the school district to use their curriculum and resources. It definitely would have been easier on me! However, I wanted to be my boys' teacher -- not just connect them to a Zoom call with a teacher they haven't even met yet. I wanted to make the curriculum decisions and have the flexibility with our schedule.

Independent Cooperative Learning Situations - If we continue to homeschool past this year (which, at this point, seems very probable), I anticipate that we would join some type of co-op. There are some locally that meet a couple days a week and are as expensive as the full-time private school where I had taught. I think we'd probably do something more along the lines of a once-a-week enrichment program where the boys get to be around other kids and learn other things beyond my expertise.

Online Learning - This has also become incredibly more popular, especially this year. I know a girl who did mostly online learning as a homeschooled high school student. I would probably lean into this more as the boys get older, but I don't want them sitting in front of screens for too long. I had considered an online curriculum but ended up just sticking with the more traditional printed resources. We do have a subscription to IXL this year, though, to provide individualized practice on skills and to cover any gaps. The boys are really motivated by the rewards they "unlock" as they complete more skills.