Homeschooling has increased substantially in popularity over the past decade. With more parents than ever searching for an alternative to the education system, homeschooling has become a viable solution for those looking to provide their children the best education possible. With a plethora of different options for homeschooling methods, it can be overwhelming for parents to determine which method is the best.
The following outlines the top methods and what makes them the best choice for families.
Overview of Homeschooling
Homeschooling is an alternative education option where parents choose to educate their children at home. This allows parents to customize their children’s education to their individual interests and needs.
It also provides them with the flexibility to work around their work and family life. Over the years, homeschooling has evolved drastically, now providing parents with a variety of educational materials, online curriculum, and resources. Each family is able to choose their homeschooling structure or method, suiting their family’s dynamic.
Types of Homeschooling Methodologies
In order to decide which of the homeschooling methodologies is the best for a family, it is essential to understand the options parents have. The three most common homeschooling methodologies are Classical, Unschooling, and Charlotte Mason.
Classical
The Classical Method focuses a lot on literature and the ability to think logically. Parents who adopt the Classical Method use lectures, discussions, debates, large blocks of reading, and questioning students on those texts to among other things.
The method requires a lot of parental involvement, including having the parent continually assess the student’s progress.
Unschooling
The Unschooling method, also known as interest-based or child-lead learning, encourages children to self-learn, primarily through life experiences. This method allows the children to take control of their learning, pick and choose the subjects that interest them, and create their own learning experience.
It requires a lot of open and trusting conversations with the parent and student.
Charlotte Mason
The Charlotte Mason homeschooling method focuses on the parent-led education. With this method, the parent will guide the student through a more gentle approach, using real books, living books, science experiments, lectures, and field trips instead of textbooks.
It also emphasizes on habit training and coming to a realization that our actions do not only affect ourselves, but society as well.
Evaluating the Methods
Now that parents understand the basics of the most popular homeschooling methods, it is important to identify their strengths and weaknesses. It is a battle between two currents — classical and unschooling — but with Charlotte Mason being a harmonious blend of both.
Classical vs. Unschooling
Classical homeschooling highly values the traditional understanding and rote skills of a subject — therefore, it requires a lot of dedicated study time, plenty of parental guidance, and focused effort to keep track of student progress and the closely following of the curriculum. On the other hand, Unschooling requires little parental involvement and encourages the student to take charge of their own education journey — only providing guidance when needed. The issue is that self-directed learning can lead to the student only focussing on the topics that entice them, causing them to miss out on a more well-rounded knowledge base.
Charlotte Mason
Charlotte Mason’s approach encourages educational advancement, balanced with the same educational philosophy parents used to gain knowledge years ago. Charlotte Mason homeschooling focuses heavily on the child-lead learning — within a parent-led framework.
This method led by a parent who was knowledgeable in the subject using lectures and hands-on approach rather than the traditional textbooks and quizzes. It also allows them to come up with creative ways to learn that may pique the student’s interest and keep them engaged.
Pros and Cons of Each Methodology
Classical Homeschooling – Pros: • Helps with memorization • Encourages children to think analytically • Gives children the opportunity to have an in-depth knowledge of the subject • Easier to measure student progressCons: • Lots of parental involvement is required • Limited flexibility should the student fall behind or pass ahead• Lack of socialization • Focus on memorizing facts can become dullUnschooling – Pros: • Freedom and flexibility • Emphasizes more experientially based learning • The child is more in charge of their education • Can introduce new ideas Cons: • Possible lack of structure • Harder to measure success since there are no standardized goals • Parental guidance is often seen as an issue since the goal is to get the child to be independent • Lack of socializationCharlotte Mason – Pros: • Clear and understandable structure • Parental guidance and involvement is lasting • Child-lead learning • Allows for more creative learning opportunitiesCons: • Rote memorization is still emphasized • Limited resources to cohesively learn • Higher cost for the materials needed • Lack of socialization
What Is the Best Homeschooling Method?
When all is said and done, Charlotte Mason is arguably the best homeschooling methodology. For those parents that are looking for a balanced, structured approach with plentiful resources to customize their child’s education, Charlotte Mason is the best choice. It allows parents to be involved while still providing their children with the freedom and flexibility to pursue the topics that are of interest to them.
Ultimately, it allows parents to have the confidence that their children are receiving the best education possible.
Conclusion
Homeschooling provides parents with the opportunity to give their kids the best education possible. But as with any decision, it is important to assess the different options available.
Classical homeschooling is great for its analytical approach and measurable student progress. Unschooling, with its self-directed education, is wonderful in its flexible and creative approach. However, the Charlotte Mason method, with its combination of child-lead and parent-led education, offers the best of both worlds.
Allowing for parental involvement and a structured approach, the Charlotte Mason method provides parents with the confidence in knowing their children will get the quality education that they deserve.