There are a multitude of learning styles or methods of teaching out there.  The school room uses almost exclusively, the "Scope and Sequence" method.  I'm going to outline that, plus some others.

The Scope and Sequence is the most common method employed in the classroom.  Teacher directed study in which every child must learn an encyclopedia of information, divided over the 12 years of formal schooling.  Every child should perform roughly the same as their peer group.  In a classroom setting, this assumes that the child must be adapted to the programme, not the programme to the child.  Because parents are the teachers, we can adapt the programme to suit our child.  Textbooks and worktexts use this method.  Some Christian textbook and workbook publishers include A beka, Bob Jones, Rod and Staff, Accelerated Christian Education (ACE or ACA in Australia), Alpha and Omega, Christian Light Publications.  The Waldorf Steiner method also employes text books in the higher school years.

The Habilual Method  Seeks to instill the habits of self-discipline in children through daily routine, concentration, truthfulness, self-control, co-operation and unselfishness.  Children should be exposed to the best sources of knowledge, and be required to narrate the material back in order to develop attention, concentration, and understanding.  The Charlotte Mason philosophy best characterises this method.  Other styles also employ elements of the 'habiltual method' eg: Classical studies, unit studies etc.

The Environmental Method (John Holt) seeks to provide an unstructured and unguided environment of books and resources.  Parents 1) provide a model of interest in learning 2) involve their children in their own adult experiences 3) surround them with a rich environment of resources 4) make themselves available to answer questions and suggest things to help the children explore their own interests.

The thematic and interest-directed unit study approach Studying a particular topic or theme - examining it from the perspecitves of science, art, mathematics, language and literature.  All subjects are blended together around a common theme.  There are many different types of unit studies.   Studies created around personal character eg: Konos, Advanced Training Institute, studies created around scientific interests eg: Alta Vista. Studies created around history eg: Weaver and many others. Studies created around Christianity or christian principles, character etc eg: Heart of Wisdom.  Many parents enjoy creating their own unit studies to suit the needs & interests of their children.  A specialized form of the unit study is the Interest Directed Approach (Greg Harris) All subjects are centered around the child's interest.  If a child has an interest in guns, then design studies in the history of guns, the physics and chemistry of guns, the mathematics of guns, the language and literature of guns etc.

I'll put some more in my next post. 

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