Category: Teaching Approaches & Methods

Waldorf

Posted by | Jun 2, 2008 | |

Waldorf Homeschooling Waldorf education was developed by the Austria philosopher and metaphysicist Rudolf Steiner in the 1920 and is based around his views on Child development. Steiner believed that the development of children paralleled world history and the development of mankind and tailored the Waldorf school curriculum to compliment that. A good example of this aspect of Waldorf education can be seen in the Waldorf social studies curriculum:     * Grades K-1 – Fairytales and folktales     * Grade 2 – Fables and stories of the saints     * Grade 3 – Old testament of the bible stories     * Grade 4 – Norse & Native American legends and sagas     * Grades 5 & 6 – The Indus Valley cultures, Egypt, Greece, & Rome     * Grade 7 & 8 – The Middle Ages, Renaissance, Age of Enlightenment and Revolutions     * High school – The modern world and their future. Lessons consist of in 2-3 week long Blocks or thematic units in which all subjects – Math, science, history, language arts – are related back to the main theme. Steiner also believed in educating the "whole" child and integrated a strong arts and movement based teaching style into Waldorf Education. Each morning is begun with movement and recitation exercises designed to stimulate the child's mental functioning and alertness. This is followed by the main lesson – an...

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Traditional/School-at-home/Structured approach

Posted by | Jun 2, 2008 | |

Structured Homeschooling The structured approach, sometimes called the traditional approach, or the scope and sequence approach, is the homeschooling approach that most resembles education in institutional schools. It's called scope and sequence to emphasize the scope is the body of knowledge to be taught and the sequence–the way it is divided up, usually into grade levels. It is the "school model". In this approach to homeschooling, the child works on each subject separately every day. All learning is planned and followed by grade level. Schooling does not get off track and everything is covered, with no worrying about learning gaps. Many homeschool programs that use the structured approach provide textbooks for each subject, along with a teacher's manual. Tests often follow each lesson, to be sure that the child is learning. Most structured homeschools have a daily schedule. Some structured homeschoolers run their programs Monday through Friday, following the public school terms; others school according to their family needs. Most structured homeschools enjoy the curriculum since the units and textbooks can be purchased (no need to create them). With a purchased structured curriculum the schedules, lessons, scope and sequence are planned for you. Some parents purchase a preplanned, structured curriculum so they have something to fall back on, diminishing the worries of homeschooling. Many parents that are new to home education start with this type of program. There are...

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Eclectic Approach

Posted by | Jun 2, 2008 | |

 Eclectic Approach   Most home schoolers consider themselves “Eclectic.” An eclectic homeschooler “takes the best and leaves the rest.”  Using the most appropriate aspects of each method is the perfect way for many families to customise the education of their children to meet the many needs of the family. Eclectic Homeschooling, as the name implies, uses a variety of homeschool approaches. Eclectic parents are innovative and flexible. They trust their own judgement to pick out or piece together the best curriculum from various methods and philosophies to complement the academic and experiential learning of their child. They are more inquisitive about educational materials, books, programs and theories. Eclectic parents continually shop for good products that will meet the needs of their homeschoolers. Most eclectic programs start with a curriculum foundation that corresponds to their own views of education and their child's learning style. The educational information used generally comes from diverse materials. Most eclectic homeschool households purchase a curriculum, then refine it and supplement it to meet the particular needs of each child. The curriculum is chosen to meet the child's temperament, gifts, interests, and learning style. Although most eclectic homeschoolers teach academics, textbooks are not used alone. It is believed that each child needs the freedom to explore his interests and to take advantage of everything and anything that can be a learning experience. Many eclectic homeschoolers attend...

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Unit Study Approach

Posted by | Jun 2, 2008 | |

Unit Studies Approach The unit studies approach is designed to give both in-depth and broad understandings of subjects revolving around some entire theme that interests the child. This integrated approach includes science, math, geography, art, music, history, language, literature, drama, and creative movement. It is often referred to as a multi-disciplinary or a thematic approach. It is an experiential, hands-on approach to learning. It is believed that when children go into such depth, and spend a generous amount of time on each theme, their retention of the subject is higher than in traditional methods. Other terms used to describe this approach are: Block Scheduling and Thematic Units.   Since the central focus is on one theme, all core subjects are integrated together based on that particular theme. The primary advantage, of course, is that the subjects are blended together and not learned separately. There are many other advantages with the unit study approach:    1. Children of all ages and different levels can learn together.    2. Unit studies are relatively low in cost, especially if you create your own unit.    3. Because the studies are learner-generated, the child gets an in-depth understanding of each topic, and in turn develops mastery and retention of the material.    4. Since there are no time restraints, the child is given ample time to think, experiment and discover each topic through...

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Unschooling

Posted by | Jun 2, 2008 | |

Unschooling Families who are comfortable throwing away the textbooks and not inflicting any sort of lesson plan or agenda upon their child’s education might want to try unschooling. Unschooled children are free to learn (or not) according to their own whims and aren’t directed to working from workbooks or textbooks. Learning for an unschooler is the result of pursuing an interest and self-studying it until the interest is satisfied. The term unschooling originated in the 1960s in the teachings of a Boston public educator named John Holt. He did not agree with the way children were being forced to learn through teacher dictation. Holt believed that children learn best through free or child-led education, where the child is free to learn at his own pace, in his own unique way, guided by his interests. Holt often lectured on his view of free education, hoping to change the public education methods. After becoming disillusioned with the public schools’ resistance to change, Holt began to encourage disheartened parents to try unschooling or schooling in the home. His basic message was to “unschool” their children, a parent only needs to allow the child to direct his own learning through his interests and provide the child with educational experiences and materials. If the child asks questions, simply answer him; if you don’t know the answer, show the child the direction needed to discover...

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Christian Classical Homeschooling (+few links)

Posted by | Jun 2, 2008 | |

The core of Classical Education is the trivium, which simply put is a teaching model that seeks to tailor the curriculum subject matter to a child’s cognitive development. The trivium emphasizes concrete thinking and memorization of the facts of the subjects in grade school; analytical thinking and understanding of the subjects in middle school; and abstract thinking and articulation of the subjects in high school. Subjects unique to Classical Education which help accomplish the goals of the trivium are Grammar, the science of language usage; Logic, the science of right thinking; and Rhetoric, the science of verbal and written expression. Classical Christian Education is further characterized by a rich exposure to the history, art, and culture of Western Civilization, including its languages (Latin and Greek), its philosophy and literature (the Great Books of Western Civilization and the Christian tradition), and the development of a Biblical worldview with Theology in its proper place as the Queen of the Sciences. ~from Christine Miller's site http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/ CLASSICAL WEBSITES: Classical Homeschooling http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/ Trivium Pursuit http://www.triviumpursuit.com/index.htm Well Trained Mind http://www.welltrainedmind.com/ Laura Berquist http://www.motherofdivinegrace.org/ Logos School http://www.logosschool.com/ Linda (from Adnil Press) wrote a good article on this...

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Classical Education – A Brief Summary

Posted by | Apr 2, 2008 | |

Exactly what ‘is’ a Classical Education? Well, as always, there is some healthy debate about what it all means. Here is an article that touches on the basics of what makes up a ‘Classical Education’. So, what is this thing we call Classical Education? I read somewhere recently that the “whole point of Classical Education was to cover each topic three times, once in each stage of development of the child”. Well, that’s partly true – the main thing we consider when homeschooling our children via the ‘Classical Method’ is that there are three distinct phases in a child’s development. Now of course, these have been given some marvellous, technical names – those being the ‘Grammar Stage’, the ‘Logic Stage’ and the ‘Rhetoric Stage’. Let me explain a little bit. The ‘Grammar Stage’ is when the child is just starting out on their schooling journey. This is the age, (around grades k-4), where memorisation, and the recitation of facts, jingles, nursery rhymes and stories all come very easy to them – they just LOVE to hear the same story told over and over again. Memorisation is the key – someone once described little children in this stage as ‘sponges’ – they soak everything up, and enjoy it! The ‘Logic Stage’ comes next – usually beginning around 5th-7th grade – and this is when their young minds begin asking those...

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