Posted in Beginning the homeschool journey

So, why do we homeschool?  How did we decide that this was the right educational choice for our family?

 

For us, it was a natural decision, made without fuss or even much discussion.  It seemed a natural decision that stemmed from choosing a single-income lifestyle with myself as a stay-at-home mom.  After being the primary caregiver and teacher to our daughter for five years, suddenly we were expected to exchange or share that role with a relative stranger whose values we did not know or, possibly, share?  That just didn't feel right.

 

If I could teach my child to walk, talk, use basic social skills, identify colors and letters, then how much of a stretch would it be to continue on with basic elementary level skills? 

 

And, when the topics become more involved, the opportunity is there to model one of the most important lessons homeschooled children discover - that learning is not confined to 12 years in a classroom.  Learning is a lifetime endeavour!

 

I didn't remember learning how to read, but I didn't have to.  I learned to teach reading by researching programs on phonics and other methods.  Eventually, I discovered that my daughter could "see" phonics patterns in word lists - ie. cat, hat, bat, etc.  She liked reading these lists, so I chose a program that uses word lists to teach phonics. 

 

I certainly don't remember all of my algebra instruction from high school.  But I can relearn all of this and, no doubt, it will come back to me as we begin.  Knowing I'm not confident about teaching math, I research programs that provide sufficient teacher support and discuss different ways to teach new concepts.  

 

Homeschooling will help you discover your own strengths and weaknesses! 

 

Finally, homeschooling doesn't have to be "school reproduced at home,"  which was a joyous discovery for my husband, who really disliked school.  There are innumerable methods of homeschooling that offer their own unique styles of education. 

 

A few of the primary methods are briefly outlined below (links in titles):

• Classical Education - Language focused (vs. video or picture driven) education that is geared toward training the mind to research and learn using a three-part pattern.  Most classical adherents advocate the study of Latin as a means to cultivate logic.  Currently popularized by Susan Wise-Bauer and also the Bluedorns, among others.
• Charlotte Mason - Charlotte Mason was a 19th century educator who believed that the best way to teach children was the use of "many worthy books."  Her method advocated the use of "living books" that were "twaddle free" and having the child narrate the stories back to the instructor.  Specifics on how to implement the CM method can be found at Ambleside.  Contemporary writers about this method include Karen Andreola.
• Unschooling - Unschooling, by it's nature, is difficult to define.  Essentially, it involves acknowledging that most of our life skills are educational.  Left to their own inclinations, children will seek out and explore things of interest, which will open the door to many, many aspects (read: subjects) of learning "hidden" within the topic.  Unschooling is primarily about the process of learning, not strictly focusing on specific content. 
• Unit Studies - Unit studies can be a fascinating way to unify varying aspects of the learning process.  Students study a single topic from various angles, incorporating writing, art, math, literature, and science skills as the topic warrants.  Some folks build their school year around a series of unit studies.  Some use units studies as "breaks" from other methods of teaching, as many did during the recent Olympics.  Some children do their own unit studies - also known as "obsessive hobbies!" 

There are several other methods, which can be explored here.  However, it is not uncommon to discover that many people are, essentially, eclectic homeschoolers - using a mix of styles and methods to tailor their child's education.  It's not hard to see that classical homeschooling can borrow from Charlotte Mason's "worthy books" philosophy, or that a unit study on ancient Greece could provide six months of literature for a rhetoric-level classical student or unschooler.

 

However, all of these decisions about method and style, why and how, involve the learning process.  Wanting to learn, being excited about learning, is something that the parent has to bring to this journey.