ECLECTIC
We use a mixture of Unit Studies and Unschooling. We really like the idea of letting the kids experience things hands on and learn by everyday activities. We also supplement with work book activities and reading with the kids. Flash cards are something else that we utilize frequently. We also really like the idea of picking something that the kids are interested and teaching them all about it using all subject matter. For instance, this past year Emma was all about animals, mainly African animals. So, we focused her learning on Africa and the animals that live there using books, math, videos, games, going to the zoo, and so on. Since she was interested in the subject, she enjoyed learning all the different aspects of learning. Now, she still loves all animals but she is really interested in birds, so we'll tailor her learning towards birds. This is the biggest perk of homeschooling our children. Another big perk is that our schedule is very flexible.
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Homeschooling Styles according to www.homeschool.com
"Relaxed" or "Eclectic" Homeschooling
"Relaxed" or "Eclectic" homeschooling is the method used most often by homeschoolers. Basically, eclectic homeschoolers use a little of this and a little of that, using workbooks for math, reading, and spelling, and taking an unschooling approach for the other subjects. The advantage of this method is that the parent feels that the subjects they believe are most important are covered thoroughly. This method also allows the family to choose textbooks, field trips, and classes that fit their needs and interests.
Unit Studies
Unit studies use your child's interest and then ties that interest into subject areas like math, reading, spelling, science, art, and history. For example, if you have a child who is interested in ancient Egypt, you would learn the history of Egypt, read books about Egypt, write stories about Egypt, do art projects about pyramids, and learn about Egyptian artifacts or mapping skills to map out a catacomb.
Packaged unit studies are available on popular topics like the Little House and American Girl books and also for virtues like patience, trust, and obedience. The advantage of this homeschooling method is that it recognizes the fact that people learn best when they are interested in the topic. The disadvantage is that sometimes parents can be overzealous and make a unit study out of everything, scaring the child off from talking about a new interest they might have.
Unschooling
Unschooling is also known as natural, interest-led, and child-led learning. Unschoolers learn from everyday life experiences and do not use school schedules or formal lessons. Instead, unschooled children follow their interests and learn in much the same way as adults do—by pursuing an interest or curiosity. In the same way that children learn to walk and talk, unschooled children learn their math, science, reading, and history. John Holt, schoolteacher and founder of the unschooling movement, told educators in his book, What Do I Do Monday?: "We can see that there is no difference between living and learning, that living is learning, that it is impossible, and misleading, and harmful to think of them as being separate. We say to children, 'you come to school to learn.' We say to each other [educators], 'our job is to teach children to learn.' But the children have been learning, all the time, for all of their lives before they met us. What is more, they are very likely to be much better at learning than most of us who plan to teach them something."
The advantage to unschooling is that unschooled children have the time and research abilities to become experts in their areas of interest. The disadvantage is that because unschoolers do not follow the typical school schedule, they may not do as well on grade-level assessments and may have a harder time if they reenter the school system.
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