Starting your homeschool journey can feel overwhelming. I am sure there are so many questions flying through your mind at any time. You are wondering, how do I know what to teach my child and when? And also, how will I teach this?
Then you discover the homeschool methods and you’re spun all around. Classical? Charlotte Mason? Unschooling? What do these terms even mean and what does this mean for our homeschool? Do I need to understand these terms and choose a method to be a successful homeschooling parent?
We are glad you brought your questions and overwhelm here to this blog post.
Getting Started
For starters, you don’t need to scour the internet for what all of the methods are. We have an overview of each method in our FREE Download, “The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling”. This is a great place to start to get so many of your questions answered.
Next, although we believe it is beneficial to have a general understanding of each method, you do not need to choose a method to model your homeschool after. We feel it is important to understand the methods because you will come across them on a regular basis. There are co-ops and curricula modeled after specific homeschool methods so it’s good to know if you resonate and align with those methods before committing to something. This knowledge will help you feel more comfortable and confident when making decisions.
It’s great to have a general understanding of the methods because there may be one (or two) that you really resonate with and it helps you choose curricula and a co-op. There are so many great resources on the internet that can help guide you if and when you choose a method.
You may review the methods and none of them resonate with you and that is absolutely fine! The majority of homeschoolers are “Eclectic”, which is just a fancy way of saying that we homeschool using a variety of methods and curricula. Our family is “eclectic” and we are a blend of classical, Charlotte Mason, and unschooling. We take what we like from a few different methods and leave the rest. The co-op we have been a part of has always been classically based although the other subjects we do at home tend to lean Charlotte Mason and even unschooling for subjects such as History and Science.
Some Encouragement…
If you learn nothing else from this blog post, we hope you learn that it is ok to pave your own way. It is ok to homeschool unlike other families. It’s ok to stick to one method, to blend a few, or to ditch them altogether! We homeschool so we have the freedom to choose what works best for our families so don’t get stuck in paralysis mode if you’re overwhelmed by the methods.
Grab our Free Guide and see if any of the methods align with your values and strengths as a homeschool parent. And enjoy this stage of your homeschooling journey!
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