Eclectic. I utilize a sort of "private tutor" approach in the main subjects (math and reading), which probably is more akin to traditional school. However, those each lean on the Montessori/interactive side, so it's hard to call them traditional. A lot of our goals are classical -- we want our children to engage with the classics and receive from them heavily. However, our methods don't toe the line with that philosophy. We do unit studies for things like history, science, geography, and Bible study, especially with my oldest whose attention span is very long, and so she likes to sink her teeth into a given subject for a long time. If we tried to hit each of these subjects every day, we'd never get to them. With unit studies, we can dedicate a long time to each and move on to the next. I detest all things "unschooling" -- except that I listen to my children's cues on what interest them and don't push something that they hate or aren't ready for, so I think maybe I end up incorporating a slight flavor of unschooling in that regard. An outsider would probably pin us with Charlotte Mason, and that wouldn't be unfounded since reading, especially read alouds, are central to our school. I love homeschooling so much and am so glad I have many years of it ahead of me!
This is my second year, but the first year with all 3 children. I like more of a mix, eclectic, style. I am sure I'll continue to find my family's homeschool style as the year goes on!
I’m an eclectic homeschooler, also a new subscriber! I didn’t become eclectic on purpose though, I just didn’t want to fork out all the dough for box curriculum so I went around finding things on sale/free and it just stuck that way. Lol
Some of those boxes kits are SO expensive! I did that our first year because I had no idea what I was doing but then I switched things up once I got more comfortable. Thanks for joining me here! ☺️
Yes they are! I was mostly afraid of spending a ton of money on one curriculum and it not working for my girls. I’m glad I didn’t feel the need to do that, but sometimes that comparison bug would creep up on me and make me feel like I NEEDED to get something better. I think I still get that feeling sometimes, but I’m not impulsive on buying anything other than yarn so it has really helped out the family wallet. 😝
As you were talking I identified with most of them...then you explained eclectic and I was like 🔔that's it ! My almost 7 year old is advanced in some areas but also happens to have ADHD and is on the spectrum. So there are areas he needs a ton of structure and areas he needs a ton of freedom
What method and curriculum have you chosen? Curious bc my son was in private school and they wanted him to be diagnosed with adhd. Not sure CC would work for us but os what I had first envisioned for us.
My daughter is 8 and is very creative! School bores her so bad and she’s having trouble because she doesn’t do well just taking tests and worksheets, etc. I would like to find a method and curriculum for a creative child who learns best by doing. Advice from anyone! Thank you ❤
Do you know of a good homeschool curriculum? I want to homeschool I know that's what God wants also. But I'm nervous and need helping figuring it out and how to do it. Thank you for this video
I'm actually a homeschooled kid. My parents had to pull me out of school when I was 15 (3 years left in school) because I couldn't keep going in high school. We do a bit more structured of an approach, mostly just for the schedule because I have a younger sibling who isn't homeschooled and because I don't want to be alone when it comes to school holidays because I have so many friends who aren't homeschooled. Plus our system is technically influenced by the government here in Australia lol Think my mums eclectic tho Plus just the nature of having an Autistic kid who didn't fit in with the way school was set up
Great video. This is my 6th year homeschooling. We are definitely eclectic style. Strong Charlotte Mason emphasis with unit studies and unschooling thrown in at times :)
Do you think in the beginning years, they should just be going through getting the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic? And then later years (maybe 2nd grade or older), incorporating other styles? Or can some of these other styles work well in the younger years as well? Thanks!
Yes, definitely- that should be priority! I like to add some historical or science read alouds as well if time allows. I’ve got a video about homeschooling those younger years if you’re interested! My Advice For Homeschooling Young Children ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XlMbt2L_UIc.html
I love that you outlined them so well who knew how many styles there were. Thankyou we are based in Australia so following structure plus eclectic will work so well for us so we cover what the state requires plus what we would like our children to know💕
This video was amazing! So well done! I will share with every newly homeschooling friend I meet who wants to know what the "best" curriculum is. Thank you!
I just learned we are eclectic! Traditional with Singapore math, Classical with IEW, CM (sometimes unit study) for history, and I think unit study for science with 9 and 5 year olds. No wonder I couldn't purchase the whole curriculum from one place from the beginning! I wish I know how to do unschooling. I will ask my kids.
Same! Check out the book The Call of the Wild + Free. There are other great resources out there about unschooling. Here’s a good blog post about it! www.thehomeschoolmom.com/homeschooling-styles/unschooling/
has the facebook group thing been deleted??? Trying to learn as much as possible about homeschooling before my daughter is old ready for homeschooling.
I've purchased a curriculum that incorporates both Miss Mason and classical studies. I pull unit studies from the internet to teach more hands-on stuff and will tailor unit studies to my children's future interests. Basically, a little bit of everything.
We are preparing to jump into homeschooling next year and will have a 2nd grader, a kindergartner, and a preschooler (plus a newborn). . I was so hoping I would be drawn to an easy, one-source type...and yet, but the end of the video, I can see we will fall into the eclectic style lol. So much for plug-and-play. I was also homeschooled way back in the day and it is funny to see what my mom mostly used through this lens. Thank you, this is really helpful for a jumping-off point.
Thanks for the information you shared! I’m in my second year of homeschooling and I have liked doing a mix of the different styles. So the electic method 😊
I like the aspect of the thinking development of classical, and the freedom of learning of the unit studies. Someone said that they use a private tutor for main subjects, and I like that idea. So, the eclectic style may be more suitable for us.
I'm new to this homeschool journey and even more new to creating content on youtube. So I have to say bravo! I was looking for the next topic of my video and trying to see what has already been made on this topic when I came across this video. Great editing, esthetic, music, voice, and clear helpful info.... everything was amazing. Awesome content overall.
I use different methods with different ages of children. With my preschoolers I have found having a topic (homemade unit study) and daily read alouds from nursery rhymes, fables, and Bible story books to be the foundation with free play and no devices allowed. Primary group I add in one on one tutoring in reading, copywork/ dictation, and math. It is very Charlotte Mason in style plus memory work you would see in classical. I feel classical and CM are super similar at this age anyways. I follow Beechick style throughout. Middle school I add well written textbooks that are simply read for enjoyment with a boatload of books plus encouraging their personal directions in the afternoons. Robinson vocabulary and booklist plus TONS more...especially science and history of their choosing. We do Grammar study in middle school. In HS I require Apologia science and Notgrass History. We do one more round of grammar in HS and finish with Jensen's Format Writing. We love the Robinson curriculum approach, but switch one math hour for Science and One reading hour for required History reading. So it starts unschoolish with a unit study and literature base and ends with literature and traditional mixed.
Thanks for sharing this video! I am a young mom but know that public school isn’t for my family. My kids are 3 and 2.5 and I’ll be having another in a couple months! My two kids are already showing signs that they are interested in learning how to cook, coloring, shapes, numbers, letters, phonics, and more. I am trying to wade through all of the homeschooling methods to find what could help my kids at such a young age and give them what they are craving….while coaching me on how to do that! This video was nice to hear a variety of angles to work from but isn’t as young as what I was looking for. Keep up the wonderful work with your family 💕 God bless!
If you’re looking for something especially for younger kiddos, check into Montessori and Waldorf! Both are beautiful ways of incorporating learning into lots of hands on play and exploration! Best wishes!
Eclectic all the way ✊♥️ …having been greatly inspired by the Montessori method as well. It has been a dream of mine to homeschool my child(ren), ever since I was pregnant with my son (now nearly 5yo), and it’s been nearly 5 years of ‘following the child,’ ‘teaching the *whole* child,’ being resourceful and spontaneous - wholeheartedly practicing my personal belief that EVERY moment has the potential to be an invaluable teaching / learning opportunity. 😘 Thank you for your insightful, compassionate and entertaining videos. 🙋🏻♀️
This is our first year homeschooling. We are choosing to stay home due to covid 19 concerns. My 8th grader will be doing district online. But my 5th and 1st graders I am building their curriculums so I guess I would say we are going "eclectic". Thanks for your video. Lots of luck this year.
I’m leaning towards Charlotte Mason and unit studies. I’m new to this started last year and tried more traditional and it was a nightmare for us. Praying this year works better but I’m still looking for the curriculum that fits best.
This is my favorite Charlotte Mason curriculum if you’re looking for one! My FAVORITE Homeschool Curriculum Of All Time | A GENTLE FEAST ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ILnP1CILCuE.html
I'm definitely eclectic! I love the idea of CM and use the ideology of a feast of books. But my sons not crazy about poems nature studies etc. But we're going to attempt a bit more this coming year so I'll see if he's changed his mind yet 🤣
We plan to have a more eclectic homeschooling approach, with emphasis on unit studies and charlotte mason, as well as at least one day a week of unschooling. But we have a very academically advanced almost 5 yr old who loves to explore and learn!
New to this, and was about to sign up for one set program, but the teacher training for myself, pre signup, has me so stressed out!... and reminding me of my own school experience!... The reason I pulled my grandson (10yr old) out of school was because he has lost his enthusiasm and motivation to learn, so I don't want to recreate structured learning and testing at home! So after much prayer and scouring the internet came across your vid and it has really cleared my thinking and helped me with my decision.... Eclectic! Thankyou!💭🤗🤗😁
So happy that this helped you!! I highly suggest looking into a period of “deschooling” before starting into curriculum to help him find his interests again. Try to build the curriculum based around some of the things that he enjoys and look for opportunities to get involved in extracurricular activities of his choice. Best wishes in this new adventure!
@@TheEclecticHomeschooler we have just spent this last term deschooling and by the time we get our curriculum sorted, may take another couple of months.... I think we are both ready to dive in again, I kind of like the look of Rome to Reformation, maybe leaning towards that.
Interesting! I LOVE Charlotte mason. We are doing it for my first grader and I’m confident that it’s the right way for us. Of course sometimes I’ll pull other resources from TPT or something as I’m not a fan of how fast tracked and vague the science book is. For kinder we did Abeka and I kind of had to unschool my son a bit because he was NOT a fan of the worksheets and drills. I’m so amazed at how much they learn with the gentle approach of CM!
@Brittany Brown we were using Simply Charlotte mason. This year it’s not working out like I want so we are doing a mix of curriculum but my plan is to go back to following the history/geography and Bible and enrichment studies next year. I’m using Abeka for phonics, Math U See (HIGHLY RECOMMEND), and then up to this point we have been following the Bible reading plan with SCM but we need a break (Old Testament is a little rough in a few places for a kinder and second grader). And we also do a read aloud book together. :) It’s been an interesting year lol
Thank you Erin, lovely video!! I have 3 children and I’m trying to prepare myself for homeschooling for a first time for 2nd and 3rd Grade. My children’s have 504Plan and IEP but unfortunately their school haven’t really meet what is expected to cover my my children needs in terms of school accommodation, etc. I love your videos and I want to continue learning from you. 🌸💕🌸
Yes!!!! That is exactly my issue. They DO NOT meet her individual needs. They are have been confining her to a box and her thinking is waaaaay outside of a box.
We were leaning towards unschooling or electic but now we are switching to christian classical education and realized that it was what we were searching for.
I don’t know a lot about Waldorf. I don’t think it’s very similar to classical though. I know they focus a lot on Head, Heart, and Hands as kind of the mantra for Waldorf. They do a lot of project based, hands on things and try to incorporate educating the child as a whole person. Check out the RU-vid channel Pepper and Pine if you want more info there, she’s a Waldorf homeschooler and has loads of great videos!
We’re almost to our 3rd year & we are more in the eclectic area. Certain areas we can focus more on in SEVERAL WAYS & using different approaches. Right now, I think we’ve found the best way so far. But I’m still getting better ideas in place all the time!
