So many options!  When you’re just getting started, it can be difficult to picture what homeschooling might be like. To complicate matters, every family does things differently, and no one can tell you exactly how to homeschool your family.

Choosing an approach to homeschooling is a little like choosing paint colors.  There are many options, and even once you choose a color there are so many shades.  They’re all beautiful, you can mix and match, and if you don’t like it, you can change it!

Let’s talk about some of the main approaches to homeschooling so you can begin to decide what might work best for your family. Keep in mind that the methods you choose will affect the cost quite a bit.

Let’s explore some ways to homeschool!

How to homeschool on-line:  This method takes away much of the responsibility which can be a relief, but also takes away most of the freedom. It is a good fit for some families, though.  If you’re enrolled in public school on-line, you’re not technically homeschooling.  If you pay for a private program, it can be expensive.  Make sure you know how much parent involvement is required with the program you choose.

How to homeschool with the classical education method:  This approach is based on a three stage model of learning called the trivium. Young children in the first stage focus on memorization. Upper elementary and middle school students are in the second stage which focuses on developing logic and reasoning. Older students in the rhetoric stage use what they have learned to craft convincing written and oral arguments. Emphasis is placed on classical texts.  The families I know who use the classical method belong to a Classical Conversations group that meets once a week to study some subjects together. There are homeschool groups and co-ops for every approach, but the CC groups are specifically for those implementing the classical learning method.

How to homeschool with unit studies:  This approach to homeschooling revolves around topics of study, aligning all subjects with each topic.  This method makes it easy to involve the whole family and make connections across all areas of learning.  You can also choose your topics based on your children’s interests.  For example, if your children are interested in birds, then you would read about birds, watch videos about birds, do art projects related to birds, learn about bird anatomy, habitats, etc., listen to the songs of various birds and music inspired by their songs, learn about the role of birds in history, examine maps of where birds live in the world, study feathers and flight…Once you get started, you’ll find that the problem with unit studies is not to know what to study, but when to stop!  Studies across a subject can be differentiated for younger and older learners.  Some people create their own unit studies and there are also prepared units available for purchase.  Sometimes a separate math program is used to keep those studies consistent, and the prepared units sometimes stretch the topic in order to cover all subjects.

How to homeschool with the standards:  Families that plan to send their students to public school in the future sometimes choose to follow state and national standards.  Requirements for each grade level and subject are listed, and families find resources or a curriculum that help their children to explore and understand included concepts.  Since standards tell what to teach rather than how to teach, parents are able to use methods that suit their children.  Instruction may need to be adjusted up or down depending upon the ability level of each student.

Each family is unique and many factors combine to determine which method(s) will work best; often it changes over time. You are the person most qualified to determine what is best for you and your kids.

That being said, Deborah Taylor-Hough did attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of various approaches in her article, “Are All Homeschooling Methods Created Equal?” (June 2010).  She asserts that “not all methods will produce the same level of personal maturity, leadership, and intellectual capabilities in the students. For the conscientious parent looking to see their children develop into…self-reliant, critical thinkers,…a combination of Charlotte Mason’s methods and unschooling would have the best chance of success.”

Certainly many homeschooling families will use different approaches and have great success, but I was happy to see these methods touted as effective because they play a part in the way my family homeschools.