Methods of Home Learning

Charlotte Mason 

Home Education by Charlotte Mason

The method that focuses on living books, narration, and nature. Charlotte Mason believed that education is a way of life. With discipline, good habits will be established allowing orderly days that are ready for learning. 

Living books are greater than textbooks. Essentially, great works of literature are the preference to fragments in textbooks.

Another firm belief of Mason is that narration is a better test of a child’s knowledge than multiple-choice questions. Narration is a key element for a child to showcase what they have learned. Firstly, when a child narrates their knowledge they are recalling vocabulary. Secondly, they are forming descriptions that draw upon what they know and using what is in their toolbelt. Comparing that to multiple choice questions one can easily see which method challenges a child more.

The Charlotte Mason way heavily emphasizes nature. She strongly encourages families to spend two or more hours in nature every day. Families typically keep nature journals to record children’s observations of their surroundings.

Classical Model 

The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer

This method focuses heavily on reading great books. As well as teaching in each subject matter to the trivium. This all leads to training the mind how to think versus what to think. The curriculum is usually dense and content rich. Lessons are similar to traditional schooling.

What is the trivium?

There are three children’s development stages. The trivium focuses on a different type of learning for each stage. Beginning in the elementary years is the grammar stage. Children learn details through rote memorization. Then, the middle years are the dialectic stage. Children learn the relationship those details have together and learn to ask questions. Lastly, the rhetoric stage is where children learn to express their conclusion well.

Classical Conversations, is a widely recognized educational approach. It has led to the establishment of co-ops around the world and in every state of the United States.

Hygge Method

The Lifegiving Home by Sally Clarkson and Sarah Clarkson

Do you want to create a home environment that promotes warmth, rest, comfort, togetherness, and harmony? A home where children want to be and want to learn? This method does not focus on the specific curriculum or content being taught. Hygge method emphasizes the atmosphere in which teaching and learning occur. I prefer to call it the Hygge “aesthetic.”

Here is an example of creating a home learning environment around a Hygge aesthetic. Classical music plays softly in the background while you and your child bake sweet bread in the kitchen. Then, sitting around the kitchen table you read poetry and maybe candles are lit.

As for the content or curriculum aspect, the focus is similar to unschooling. Learn about what interests you and makes you happy. Usually this is in normal daily activities such as cooking dinner, sewing, art, and other creative pursuits. 

Montessori Method

The Montessori Toddler by Simone Davies

Maria Montessori’s method inspires dedicated Montessori schools, but it can also inspire your home. Montessori primarily focuses on the younger years. The philosophy can extend to years 18 to 24, but it is less commonly found.

Add this method to the list that acknowledges learning is inherent in life. Children are expected to assist with everyday activities and chores. In the younger years, the focus is on routine, self-discipline, curiosity, and self-direction.

The parent carefully curates the environment for the child. Then, the parent observes and respects their child functioning in that environment. The curated environment emphasizes stimulating the senses through beauty and practical-everyday items. No instruction or intervention occurs unless the child is forming ill-habits.

Many families do not use a curriculum but instead have a topic in mind. As well as a way of offering it to the child. There are no set lesson plans in place and observing a schedule is typical. Montessori is similar to offering a buffet to your child and allowing them to choose their meal.

Online/Distance Learning

Exactly as it sounds, the internet assists families in completing lessons. I grouped them together because they are very similar and do not require much explanation.

Online refers to using a software or program and can be highly motivating due to animations during examples. Instantaneous feedback is also a big win for most children.

Distance Learning requires a teacher who posts lessons, assignments, and tests. Ideal for the older child due to the class being interactive. Advanced placement courses are also available to be taken in the home.

Using the internet caters to each child’s educational needs with little involvement from the parent. Do you want to homeschool but don’t have the time? This may be the best method for you.

Roadschooling/Carschooling

The great learning emphasis here is to learn while traveling. Usually learning through experiences rather than formal instruction. The focus is on reading for pleasure and exploring the areas a family is traveling through.

Formal instruction in math can take place because it is simply factored into the schedule at some point during the day or week. Some families may Roadschool for only a year or half a year. Then use another method the rest. And some families are full time Roadschoolers. 

And then some may only Roadschool for a week or two. There was not a name for it other than “family road trip,” when I was little. Every year my family visited a new location in the United States. As we traveled to a certain destination we would stop at various landmarks or prominent places and learn about them.

I brought school work along. This was completed in the evening after traveling. While we drove, I read many books for pleasure. These trips provided more valuable information than I would have gained sitting in a classroom for one or two weeks. In a sense, I received both public schooling and a Roadschooled education while growing up.

Traditional Schooling

This method is when homeschool looks similar to the classroom. The parent is in the teacher role and children are students. How closely this resembles a classroom may depend on the subject and family. 

Parents follow textbooks, workbooks, and structured lesson plans. Monday through Friday school days are also recognized. As well as, grade-level-appropriate curricula is fervently adhered to. No creativity license is taken here on the part of the parent.

There are positive aspects to using Traditional Schooling in your home. As children grow they become more independent with their lessons and require less of the adult. Families with a large number of children can greatly benefit from this structure.

Another aspect to consider is that this method is easily recorded and learning tracked for state requirements.

Unit Studies

A method that involves the entire family in the study of a theme. A family will collectively choose a theme that interests them.

Once you choose a theme, you’ll integrate most subjects into learning about various topics within that theme. Unit studies can then be categorized into three types. These types are based on the amount of time and energy that will go into completing the unit.

Unit studies are great for families who want to include everyone and use all the subjects together.

Unschooling Method

The Call of The Wild + Free by Ainsley Arment

Do you call it the John Holt method or Interest-led Learning? Unschooling has many names now. Whatever you call it, this method allows the child to choose what they learn when they are interested in a topic.

Unschooling is different from the Montessori way because it does not have a routine or schedule. An emphasis is placed on allowing the child to dictate their day’s learning and routine.

Strewing is one way that a parent may “intervene.” Children discover items and/or books prompting more exploration on that topic.

The homeschool community saw a huge surge in the Unschooling movement through a group called Wild + Free several years ago. They’re still going strong and many local groups have formed throughout the United States and the world.

Waldorf Method

The founder, Rudolf Steiner believed in educating the whole child. This means focusing lessons on the head, hands, and heart. Steiner believes this is achievable by incorporating the arts. Structured curriculums can be used but textbooks and worksheets are rare.

Also, rhythm is another key element and is holistically integrated. Repeated routines occur based on seasons, weekly tasks, and daily chores. These rhythms allow your child to know what to expect giving them a sense of security.

Worldschooling Method

Similar to Roadschooling in that the learning focuses on experiences over formal instruction. The main difference is that world schooling will take a family to live in another country for a period of time. However, it can take multiple forms.

Do you want to travel the world? Are you afraid your children’s education may suffer? Many families have made it work for them and created well-rounded children because of it.

Eclectic Method

Many homeschool families fit into the Eclectic Method. If you define eclectic, the dictionary states it to be “deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.” If one method does not suit a family’s needs exactly or helps them meet goals then a variety may be adopted.

An Eclectic family may use a Charlotte Mason approach the majority of the year. Then during Christmas the same family utilizes a unit study. Another family might utilize Online Learning for math and Spanish but Unschool the other subjects. A myriad of examples can describe how the Eclectic homeschool could look. 

My Family

Needless to say, this is where my family fits. I strive for a Hygge atmosphere with the Charlotte Mason emphasis on living books and nature. Exploring interests is also important. One day they may chase turtles and learn about them. The next they may simply ride their bikes and tricycles.

At the same time my family believes there is a place for instruction in math and learning to read. Even if the child shows no interest. Under these subjects we take a more Traditional Schooling approach but with a lot of purposeful play opportunities.

However, all of these fall into a Waldorf Method rhythm. I strive to work with the seasons and not against them.

This family is a Charlotte Mason, Traditional Schooling, Unschooling, Waldorf and Hygge homeschooling family. I pick and choose what I find beautiful from each method. I only use it for as long as it makes sense with our needs. And so can you!

Preschool lessons in our home.

Preschool is an important and unique time in a child’s life. They are ready to start adding all sorts of tools to their imagination toolbox and yet they need extensive amounts of play. Because of this my family uses Letter of the Week. It teaches the alphabet and includes activities in science, nature, math, art, and more. You can access Letter of the Week entirely free by following the link!