Homeschoolers cover an entire spectrum of different educational methods. On the one end, you have unschoolers, families that believe in self- or child-led learning. Relying on real world experiences, they learn by living. On the other end of the spectrum, you find parents who have "school at home." They may set up a classroom environment, use structured curriculums, and rely on schedules to keep things moving smoothly. And of course, there is everything in between. There are as many different ways to homeschool as there are homeschoolers. Explore the different methods, ideas, and approaches that make the homeschooling experience so rich.
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| Learning Styles |
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Knowing your child's learning style can help you teach him or her in the best way possible. Explore these diverse ways of learning and get tips on the best way to help your child grasp and learn new material.
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| Eclectic Homeschooling |
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What do you call the homeschooler who doesn't necessarily subscribe to a certain homeschooling method? Well, the term eclectic fits just perfectly. Eclectic homeschooling involves a diverse and unique approach to learning at home.
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| Unschooling |
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Unschooling is more than just not going to school. It is following your child's interests to get the most out of learning through living.
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| Montessori |
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The Montessori approach to education can work very well in the home environment. Learn about incorporating Montessori techniques at home, national support organizations, and how to find resources and materials.
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| Waldorf |
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Explore the Waldorf philosophy of education and see how it can be integrated into learning in the home.
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| Classical/Trivium |
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The classical method of education, based on the Trivium, is a traditional model of learning and teaching. Read more about this method and find out how homeschoolers are using it to teach their children at home.
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| Charlotte Mason |
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Charlotte Mason's philosophy and model of teaching can be used with great success in the home. Explore this method and find ways to incorporate this teaching and learning style into your homeschool.
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| Moore Formula |
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Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore were pioneers in the homeschooling movement and have given generations of homeschoolers inspiration, know-how, and ideas that make learning at home fun, less stressful, and more rewarding. Learn more about their philosophy of education and their methods with these resources.
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| Unit Studies |
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Unit studies are a creative and dynamic way to integrate core subjects into topical learning. They can excite interest in your child and can help you cover a number of subjects in a shorter amount of time. Learn more about unit studies and how to incorporate them into your own homeschooling methods.
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| Co-Ops |
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What do you do when you are overwhelmed and feel like you can't do everything all by yourself? Join a co-op! Co-ops pull together the resources, strengths, and gifts of several people to help provide a more diverse, complete, and rewarding educational experience for your children.
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| Virtual Schools |
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A virtual school in general refers to a program in which your child is at home, but takes courses over the Internet. They are usually administered by a public or private school. Thus, children enrolled in these programs are effectively enrolled in a school and skirt the definition of a homeschooled student. There are some controversies regarding these programs, but they do provide an alternative that is appropriate for some families. Learn more about how these programs work, what to expect, and how to get the most out of them.
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| Distance Learning |
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Distance learning programs are ususally designed to meet the need of students who are unable to attend classes in a traditional school or classroom setting. Many of these programs are administered by the public school system or a college or university. By enrolling in these programs, either part- or full-time, your child would be considered an enrolled student of the administrating institution, rather than a homeschooled student.
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| Vocational Training |
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Vocational training offers teenagers and yound adults the opportunity to learn a trade, often with on-the-job training.
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| Community Colleges |
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Many community colleges around the country have opened their doors to homeschooled teenagers, giving them an opportunity to start their college careers early, to gain classroom experience and college credit, to challenge them with more difficult materials, and to expand their horizons. Many parents look to community colleges to provide instruction in materials that they are not well suited to teach themselves.
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Radical Unschooling |
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Sandra Dodd expounds on how people learn. A great overview of unschooling with everything from real life examples, to chores, to learning math, to peace and harmony in the unschooling household. |
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What is Unschooling? |
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Karen M. Gibson |
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Unschooling has many, many definitions - probably a different one for each family that calls themselves unschoolers. To the author, unschooling means interest-led or child-led learning. There are also many different levels of unschooling. Some families require a set amount of Math and English done each day, and then their child is free to explore whatever subjects he would like. Others unschool totally until their child reaches a certain grade level, and then start requiring some structure. And then there are the dyed-in-the-wool, radical unschoolers, who require nothing from their child. They totally trust their child to learn what he needs to know on his own timetable.
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K12 Large Families |
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This group is for large families using the K-12 curriculum created by Dr. William Bennett. Both homeschooling families and Virtual School families are welcome. It is particularly intended for families with more than 3 children in K-12 as well as additional teens, toddlers and babies. Discussions include both the curriculum and the challenges of implementing it in a large family. |
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Unschooling Families |
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This list is a friendly place for all to chat about anything you wish to explore. Parenting issues, schooling issues, political issues . . . as unschoolers, we know that nothing is off topic. |
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Classical~Charlotte Mason Material Swap |
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The Classical Charlotte Mason Swap list is for home schooling families to exchange living books and curricula that are used with the classical (Trivium) method or the Charlotte Mason method. This list does not support one particular way of implementing classical education, but rather is open to methods and materials as recommended in the many books and websites on the subject. Curricula, books, manipulatives, videos, and audios may be posted. |
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