Homeschool Methods
Decide the teaching method or approach that best fits you and your children.
There are basically three main approaches to home education: traditional, unit
studies, and unschooling.
a. In the traditional approach textbooks are
used, assignments are given, and tests are taken. This is the school at home
approach that should be familiar to everyone. Even though it is sometimes
implied that a set curriculum (or “curriculum in a box” as a derogatory term) is
not really home schooling, don’t believe it. This approach works successfully
for many families and often is the most reassuring route for new home schoolers
to take.
b. Unit studies are when you plan your
schoolwork around a theme. This approach would take one subject, such as horses,
and then planned the whole curriculum around that subject. This approach can
require a lot of preparation. Many literature based programs fall under this
category.
c. Unschooling is the method that John Holt
proposed. It basically promotes that all the learning is child directed and you
are there just to facilitate learning rather than guiding it or teaching.
d. Many home school families use an eclectic
approach. One family may pick and chose their curriculum from different
publishers, according to their preferences. Another family may use a curriculum
for math and grammar, but have their history, science, and literature composed
of unit studies and or literature based studies that are done together as a
family. All families are different, and even within a family, different children
may respond differently to the same book a sibling used with ease.
Organize
Organize your school and records
a. This is something that will be different for every
family. Your home school can be set up in and done in almost any room of the
house. Bedrooms, kitchens, family rooms, living rooms and a combination of these
are all common places to hold school. You will have to decide what works best
for your child. You may end up having one child in a bedroom while another is in
the dining room. Keep in mind that you do not have to use desks in a home
school. A kitchen table could be the best place for your school to take place.
Having school at home will take up some space and you will need to decide where
to store all the books, etc. that go along with it. Over the years I’ve heard of
many creative storage solutions that families have devise to store their books,
papers, pencils, etc.
b. As far as equipment, this can vary according to your
family and your approach to home schooling. Any more a computer is essential
school equipment. A scanner or personal copier and printer might be a worthwhile
investment. For the grade school years, a chalk board bulletin board, and dry
erase board can be very helpful, but are not essential for everyone. Investing
in a globe and good maps of the world and the USA might be helpful. A CD player,
VCR, or DVD player could all be important equipment for one family while less
important to another.
c. Planning out what time works best for your family to
have school is going to be a very individual schedule based on your routines,
work day, and activities. You will need some flexibility in your schedule, but
take care that your days aren’t so flexible that you are not getting school
done! Remember that school comes first, then activities and you will be fine. It
is also true that different times of your life require different schedules.
Families with young children may find that afternoons, during naptime for the
little ones, are a better time for school with older children while a family
with teens may school for most of the day. Also a large family, by necessity,
can have a very different schedule than that of a smaller family. Some families
have school for four days a week. Other families have school year round. The
best advice is to try what you think will work for your family and be open to
making changes accordingly.
d. Record keeping and planning is also based on very
individual preferences because there are so many choices. Some people prefer to
use a teachers lesson plan book while others may like to use one of the many
home school planners available. Still others enjoy making up their own forms and
using them. Some people may plan out their whole year at one time (in pencil)
while other people like to just plan a week (or a day) at a time. You’ll have to
gage what would suit you and your family. Ask a home school veteran what they do
and see if it suits your style. What works for one family may not work for you,
so don’t be afraid to look for a system of record keeping and planning that you
will use. You can find many forms online now and that may be a good starting
point, or your local teacher supply store. Try to find some system that will
suit you. Avoiding keeping records and planning is much worse than changing your
style of organization.
IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO CONTACT NEVADA
CHRISTIAN HOMESCHOOL. WE ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP!
Nevada Christian Home School has provided this page as a resource only for those who are seeking out homeschool options; it is not an endorsement from Nevada Christian Home School. This list has been provided to NCHS from a variety of homeschool parents and does not reflect the personal opinions of the NCHS board or it's members.