What kind of homeschooler do you consider yourself? If you couldn't choose eclectic (which statistically is where most homeschoolers fall) What type do you most identify with? Unschooler? Classical? School-at-home? CM? Relaxed? Unit Studies? Something else?
I'm totally school-at-home (wouldn't select eclectic even if I could). Both I and my kids are structured, schedule-loving people.
Much to my dislike, I would have to say school-at-home, at least w/my oldest two. I am going to try to change that however, with my youngest two!
I am very relaxed. Math is structured. Other than that, I pull from many different resources and tend to follow the kids' interests. I'm currently reading High School: A Home Designed Form-U-La by Barbara Shelton. It is helping me to document all the things we do in our lives for credit on high school transcripts. LOVE IT!!!!
Can't pick eclectic, huh? I don't fall into one category, but I do utilize parts of different philosophies. I use unschooling in the preschool years as well as outside of school hours. I use the classical approach to literature and history. I use CM in that I use real books instead of text books for many subjects and narration and copywork have had an appearance in our homeschool. I am school at home in that we spend 5-6 hours on school each day. I am relaxed in that I approach subjects with depth and lots of hands-on activities allowing lots of time to let ideas sink in. I utilize unit studies for geography, history, and science. Ahhh....the confessions of an eclectic homeschooler.
I would say I am a little bit classical, a VERY little bit school-at-home (math mostly), and a whole lot relaxed NOW. However, if you asked me two years ago I would have said school-at-home and very rigid. I have learned what works for my littles and what doesn't.
That's playing dirty to tell us we can't chose eclectic I guess I am a combo of unit studies and school-at-home, with little bits of a few others thrown in for fun. I am not Charlotte Mason, but I do like using real or living books instead of text books when reading about many things. But workbooks for math and phonics and a few other things help me feel that we are getting things done and are learnoing what we need to be.
I would soooo love to be unschooler, but don't think that would pass with my dh, so we are fairly structured with math and language arts, and relaxed with everything else, going by our boys' interests.
Um, if I can't say eclectic, I would say Classical for content; CM for instructional style. With the notable exception that I have one who LOVES worksheets. I have stopped "fighting" that particular battle and he uses worksheets for math (with manipulatives, most of the time).
Classical including Living Books and Jounaling is my definite slant. However, I like throwing in unit studies also.
We are relaxed on everything except math I suppose. I do not hesitate to switch if something isn't working, but with math we are doing well with Teaching Textbooks and will stay with it.
Well I never thought too much about it.:? I always took the electic cop out. Lets see. I really cannot say classical, for the simple facts I do not teach Latin, I follow my own schedule of history and science. Not too much rotation there. As for Charlotte Mason we do enjoy nature walks and notebooks. I prefer actual books over textbooks for history and science. Yet in science I do like having a set curriculum to use as a spring board, so not very Charlotte Mason. Then there is the school at home. We do not start at a certain time or do school on certain days, we don't use a full curriculum so I cannot say that one either. I figured it out, I know what kind of homeschooler we are! We are the Jo Anna method of homeschooling! Strong on Math and Language Arts, heavy in reading of all subjects, lots of hands on fun, with a twist of let life happen and don't stress. How is that for an answer?
I could have written this post! I'm even reading the same book right now and also LOVE IT! If I *had* to say something else, I would probably go with CM.
Definitely unschooler We're going to be doing a lot more unschooling this year in fact. As a single mom I just can't keep up otherwise.
I am totally eclectic and have a lot of "good intentions". I envision school with so many subjects, hands on activities, crafts, all in an organized home and we barely get through the basics each day! Each year I start off great and I can't seem to make it last. I always look forward to the next year with a new chance to do it right! Maybe this year will be the year we get it down to a "science" lol!
Great thread, Sonita. I am a little bit of a lot of things. It changes through the years and from one child to another. I am not classical or an unschooler. For history we use living books, not textbooks. I avoid tests in this subject but do try to have my son restate what he has learned and we talk about how history has affected us. He also does a couple projects each year for history. For language arts as in writing, spelling, and grammar we use workbooks. Math we use curriculum, TT. Science we will be using SOS. I would love to use hands-on approach for science but my son just does not like that. All the other subjects are a hodge podge approach. With my daughter we did many more unit studies and hands-on learning, which is my learning and teaching style.
I guess relaxed..except Math. Math and Spelling are daily, year round. We do Unit Studies, Timelines , real books, textbooks, free online worksheets and a lot of making up something on our own. Like when my kids find Spelling/English boring we started a Word of the Day spiral notebook. Each day the girls randomly flip through the dictionary and put their finger on a page, whatever word their finger is on is their word of the day. They have to write it done 3 x's, write the definition , then use that word in a sentence and say it out loud to everyone at dinner. We have a lot of fun doing this and it never gets old because you get a new word everyday! I didn't like any of the books that I found in regards to geography so I made up my own "book". Sometimes you just have to do stuff on your own to get what you want and I love it. I also hear what my dd's have to say and sometimes use their ideas for Science, Art and History. So I guess we are considered relaxed homeschoolers...but I don't always feel that way
