Disabilities, Learning Challenges, and Educational Tips

Your Homeschooling Style

Homeschooling is a diverse educational approach. Your homeschooling style is how you will trek your homeschooling journey.

Your choice of homeschooling style often depends on the child’s learning needs, family values and lifestyle, and the resources available. Many homeschooling families adapt and evolve methods to meet their changing needs and goals.

Common Types of Homeschooling Style

Traditional Homeschooling: In this approach, parents follow a set curriculum. They cover math, science, literature, and history and may use textbooks and workbooks. Its high structure and accountability appeal to some families, but others may find it too restrictive. It can limit opportunities for going on field trips and enrolling in classes offered by homeschooling co-ops, colleges, and other providers. The intensity of this structure can cause burnout.

Unschooling: Unschooling is a child-led, interest-based approach to education. Children pursue their interests and passions instead of a structured curriculum. Learning happens through everyday experiences, and there is less emphasis on formal lessons and assessments. Learning activities are typically based on hands-on learning. It is immensely flexible and allows for customization. However, some families find the lack of structure difficult to teach effectively, which some resolve by creating accountability.

Charlotte Mason Method: Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy inspired this method. It emphasizes using living books, nature studies, art, and short, focused lessons to encourage children’s love for learning. Nature walks, fine art activities, and time spent learning outside the home are common learning activities. Learning assessments rely on portfolios, journals, and parent discussions.

Montessori Method: Montessori homeschooling is based on Maria Montessori’s principles. It focuses on providing a prepared environment where children can explore and learn at their own pace, emphasizing hands-on, self-directed learning. The Montessori method is rooted in early childhood psychology, and its educational approach is based on values, principles, and techniques. It emphasizes physical, hands-on learning activities with students moving, playing, and touching.

Many parents are not certified Montessori teachers, but the method is attractive for its techniques and principles for educating children. Montessori is primarily for younger students. As students age, your homeschooling curriculum must switch to another relevant program.

Other Homeschooling Styles

Classical Education: Classical homeschooling follows the classical model of education, which includes three stages: the Grammar Stage (learning facts and language), the Logic Stage (developing critical thinking skills), and the Rhetoric Stage (communicating effectively). The Classical approach often incorporates the study of classical literature and history.

Classical Trivium: The classical trivium approach involves practicing three broad skills: grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric. It emphasizes learning practical skills that help students succeed. Practicing grammar involves inputting data, which involves memorization of terms, ideas, and concepts. Dialectic consists of processing that data—in other words, asking questions and thinking logically. Rhetoric is the output of the processed data. It involves expressing, explaining, or persuading others of the idea.

The grammar skill is at the elementary level, dialectic is in the middle and early high school years, and rhetoric is in late high school. Content is high-quality literature and resources on important subjects. It is a highly adaptable and customizable method that is thought to equip students with the general knowledge and skills to succeed in all areas of life.

Focused Homeschooling Styles

Waldorf Method: Waldorf homeschooling is based on Rudolf Steiner’s educational philosophy. It emphasizes holistic, arts-based education and a strong connection to nature. Subjects are taught in an integrated way, and there is a focus on artistic and practical activities.

Religious Homeschooling: Some families choose to homeschool for religious reasons and use religious curricula to teach subjects aligned with their faith. (Note: We do not list religious-based curricula on this website.)

Online or Virtual Schooling: In this approach, families use online resources and virtual schools to provide structured curriculum and instruction. Students often have a teacher or facilitator who guides their progress.

Varied Homeschooling Styles

Eclectic Homeschooling: Many families use an eclectic approach, combining elements from various educational methods to create a customized homeschooling experience that suits their child’s needs and interests. This broadly termed homeschooling style defines the mixing and matching of various resources to create one whole learning environment. Each subject could have a different producer and may not be related in style, learning approaches, or grade levels.

This method tends to be a precise and deliberate plan with curriculum resources customized by their parents (or an outsourced consultant). However, those with children with disabilities or defined IEPs or 504 plans can focus on their students’ strengths and weaknesses and cater to their instructional needs. Planning and preparing for learning activities takes a great deal of time. However, it is cost-effective and fits most budgets.

Unit Studies: Unit studies focus on learning activities centered on a specific theme, switching subjects as they relate to it, and changing the theme when the previous one has been completed. The theme could be historical events, geographical regions, ideologies, or other unifying concepts.

The approach demonstrates to students that subjects aren’t confined boxes to be studied in isolation. This encourages students to view subjects as about each other, look at the world holistically, and make connections between what they learn. It can be challenging to assess students’ learning, decide what to study next, or determine whether students will develop the necessary skills to succeed.

Socialized Homeschooling Styles

Cooperative or Group Homeschooling: Some families join or create homeschooling cooperatives or groups where multiple families share resources, expertise, and socialization opportunities.

Hybrid Homeschooling combines homeschooling with part-time enrollment in a traditional school or learning center. Students may attend school a few days a week and homeschool on the remaining days. It is similar to a private school classroom 2—3 days a week. The other educational days are used to attend courses at a local university-modeled school. Generally, these offer extracurricular activities. Typically, these schools offer smaller class sizes than public or private schools; therefore, students receive more one-on-one attention. This model works for families that cannot afford one parent to teach students daily. Professional guidance and accountability are assuring for some.

Worldschooling: Worldschooling involves traveling and experiencing different cultures as a way of learning. Families may homeschool while traveling the world, incorporating global experiences into their children’s homeschooling method often depends on the child’s learning style, the family’s values and lifestyle, and the resources available. Many homeschooling families adapt and evolve strategies to meet their changing needs and goals.