Are you wondering how to homeschool and curious about what it takes to make it happen- like the real nuts and bolts of how to make it all work? Homeschooling is an ever-evolving journey. Every year brings new challenges and opportunities for growth, requiring a fresh perspective on what is needed for the upcoming school year. It’s common to feel like each year is a new beginning, requiring adjustments and refinements to find the right groove. This continuous process of reevaluation and adaptation is essential to meet the changing needs of growing children.
Reassessing Homeschooling Styles
As children grow, their learning styles and needs evolve. Subjects they once found challenging may become areas of strength, while new interests might emerge, requiring different approaches. It’s crucial to periodically review the homeschooling styles being used to ensure they align with the current needs and interests of the children. For those who are new to homeschooling or even seasoned homeschoolers, a guide to different homeschooling styles can be invaluable. These styles can be eclectic, blending various methods to support each child’s unique learning journey. For more detailed information, a free guide to homeschooling styles is available here.
The Power and Intentionality of Unschooling
Unschooling is a homeschooling method that emphasizes self-directed learning based on a child’s interests. When done with intentionality, unschooling can be a powerful educational approach. It allows children to explore their passions deeply, often leading to remarkable achievements. For example, some unschooled children have successfully started businesses at a young age, demonstrating a level of entrepreneurial skill that surpasses their peers. However, this method requires guidance from parents, who act as facilitators to help their children access the resources and knowledge needed to pursue their goals. Accountability remains a key component, ensuring that children are learning effectively, even within this non-traditional framework.
The Role of Parents in Unschooling
In unschooling, parents play the role of guides, directing their children towards educational opportunities while holding them accountable for their progress. This responsibility involves helping children understand the practical skills they need to succeed, such as math for managing a business or science for understanding the world around them. Despite its flexible nature, unschooling still requires structure and intentionality to be effective. It’s about more than just letting children do whatever they want; it’s about facilitating a learning environment where they can thrive.
Guardrails in Unschooling
Just like driving on a mountain road requires guardrails for safety, unschooling requires boundaries to ensure children remain on a productive path. These guardrails might include basic guidelines, such as ensuring a child isn’t spending too much time on passive activities like watching cartoons or playing video games. Instead, parents should actively engage with their children, helping them discover and explore their interests. The goal is to provide a safe yet flexible environment where children can learn and grow without feeling constrained by traditional educational methods.
Differentiating Deschooling from Unschooling
Deschooling is often confused with unschooling, but the two are distinct. Deschooling is a temporary process of detoxing from the traditional school system, allowing both parents and children to reset and discover new interests. It’s a time to pause and reevaluate what learning means outside of a structured school environment. The purpose of deschooling is to take a break from academics, reset mental health, and rediscover a passion for learning. Unlike unschooling, which is a long-term educational philosophy, deschooling is a transitional phase that helps families adjust to homeschooling.
The Importance of Structure in Unschooling
While unschooling offers flexibility, it still requires a level of structure to be successful. Without intentional opportunities for learning, children may develop educational gaps that are difficult to overcome later. This is especially important in subjects like math, which is crucial for developing logical and sequential thinking. Unschooling is not about neglecting education; it’s about providing a different framework for learning that still respects the importance of foundational skills.
Exploring Different Homeschooling Styles
Homeschooling offers a variety of styles that cater to different educational philosophies and learning preferences.
Here are a few:
Charlotte Mason: This approach emphasizes the use of living books, nature studies, and narration. It values conversation and the ability of children to express what they’ve learned in their own words, making it a powerful tool for understanding how they think and view the world.
Classical Education: Focused on the trivium—grammar, logic, and rhetoric—this style is rooted in classical learning, encouraging critical thinking and a deep understanding of subjects.
Montessori: Montessori education is child-centered, emphasizing hands-on learning and collaborative play. It fosters independence and a love for learning from an early age.
Waldorf: This style integrates academics, arts, and practical skills in a holistic manner, emphasizing imagination and creativity in the learning process.
Traditional Schooling: This approach mirrors conventional school methods, using a structured curriculum and a set schedule.
Embracing Eclectic Homeschooling
Most homeschoolers eventually find themselves adopting an eclectic approach to education. Traditional curriculum and courses often serve as the guardrails on the road, providing structure while allowing for freedom in the middle where the real fun and personalized learning happens. This flexibility enables parents to blend various educational styles and resources, creating a unique learning environment tailored to their child’s needs and interests.
Where to Find Curriculum
When it comes to sourcing curriculum, there are numerous places to explore, each offering different advantages. Here’s a rundown of some popular options:
Online Marketplaces: eBay, Craigslist, Facebook groups, and Mercari are great places to find used curriculum at a fraction of the cost.
Specialized Retailers: Websites like Christianbook.com, Rainbow Resource, and Timberdoodle offer a wide range of homeschool materials, often with reviews and recommendations from other homeschoolers.
Direct from Publishers: Purchasing directly from curriculum publishers can sometimes offer the most up-to-date editions and exclusive deals.
Local Stores: Don’t overlook local options like Mardel, Barnes & Noble, or even Amazon, which carry a variety of educational resources.
Libraries and Thrift Stores: Libraries are invaluable for literature-based learning, and thrift stores like Thriftbooks.com and AbeBooks.com can offer significant savings on books.
Getting the Best Deals
To maximize your budget, consider using Google’s shopping tab to compare prices across various platforms. Many publishers and sellers offer discounts during the spring, around February or March, as they prepare for the upcoming school year. Supporting fellow homeschoolers by buying used curriculum from them not only saves money but also helps boost their household income.
The Joy of Learning
Before diving into curriculum purchases, it’s essential to have a conversation with your children about their interests and what they hope to explore in the coming year. Tailoring your curriculum around these interests, rather than forcing a pre-set curriculum, will lead to a more joyful and engaging learning experience. Consider their preferences for coursework, co-ops, and extracurricular activities to plan a year that aligns with their passions.
Involving Your Kids in Curriculum Choices
Allowing your children to have a say in their curriculum can be empowering, especially as they get older. Even younger children can benefit from having a voice in their education, fostering a sense of ownership and enthusiasm for learning.
Lessons Learned: Flexibility is Key
Homeschooling offers the freedom to adapt when things don’t go as planned. For instance, one family shared their experience with a highly recommended science curriculum focused on birds, which ended up being a poor fit for their children. Midway through the year, they switched to a more hands-on, experimental approach that was better suited to their interests. This flexibility is one of the many benefits of homeschooling.
Planning Your Homeschool Year
For detailed guidance on planning your homeschool year, refer to our two-part podcast series on this topic. When planning, remember to include both your children’s academic needs and your family’s overall schedule, including vacations, co-op days, and extracurricular activities. Use a planner to map out your year in pencil, allowing room for adjustments as needed.
Self-Care for Homeschool Moms
Amidst the demands of homeschooling, it’s crucial not to neglect your own needs. As a homeschool mom, you wear many hats—teacher, principal, chauffeur, coach, chef, and housekeeper. Prioritize self-care to ensure you can continue providing for your children from a place of fullness rather than exhaustion.
Embrace the Back-to-School Season
The back-to-school season is an exciting time, with school supplies filling the shelves of stores. Lean into this excitement by allowing your children to pick out new supplies, whether it’s fresh notebooks, pencils, or even a new laptop for older kids. Even though you’re homeschooling, you can still create a sense of excitement around starting a new school year, making the experience fun and engaging for your children.
Join Our Facebook Group for Curriculum Giveaways
Lastly, don’t forget to check out our Facebook group, "The Essence of Homeschooling," where we’re hosting curriculum giveaways from our own bookshelves the month of August, 2024. Whether it’s gently used or brand new, there’s a chance to win some valuable resources for your homeschool. If you’re not already a member, join today to participate in these exciting giveaways!