Choosing the best homeschooling method for your household may be a daunting task when you look at all of today’s options for educating our children at home. The beginning of your homeschooling journey should begin with your families mission statement. What brought along the decision to choose a home education program? Take the time to sit down and think about this, write it out so that you have a clear reminder of why you are doing this.
Another option to consider is which ways your child retains information most efficiently. Everyone has their own study style, and we all learn at our own pace, you must keep this in mind when picking the best program for your child. Below we will go over just a few of the different teaching methods for homeschooling so that you can make the right decision for your child’s education.
Which Curriculum Is Right For Your Child?
Probably one of the most known home education programs and widely used years before there were so many options to choose from is the Traditional method. The traditional way of teaching at home follows the curriculum of the public school system reasonably close. This method is best for parents that are looking to have a set structure for coursework and the typical curriculum for each age group. If your child is a traditional kind of student, you may consider using this method in your home.
Another popular method of homeschooling is the Classical, or Christian education method. This style of home education focuses on the Trivium form of teaching. This essentially means that the curriculum follows three main ideas. The core of the Trivium is to emphasize the levels of thinking our children follow throughout their young lives. The first emphasis being on the concrete thinking of grade schoolers, followed by the Analytical thinking of middle schoolers, and finally the abstract reasoning of high schoolers.
The final method we will go over, and perhaps the most interesting follow the Unschooling method. This untraditional method of teaching supports the idea that children should learn in a natural environment. Rather than developing a strict curriculum, this teaching method allows students to learn through playing, following through with their given responsibilities in the household, as well as social interaction.
Taking The Next Step
We have only covered three of the many versions of homeschooling curriculums that are out there to choose from, but don’t stop here! It’s going to take a lot of research, time, energy and let’s face it, Stress before you can start on this journey to further your child’s education.
Once you have done all your research, and you find the curriculum that most closely meets your child’s educational needs and your families mission statement, make sure you have all the proper tools you need to make sure your teachings are successful. With so much information out there, as well as support systems for parents going through the same process, you will have all the support you need, to make sure your child receives the best in home education!