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Helpful Homeschool Unit Study Spines to Plan in a Few Hours

November 11, 2020 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Homeschool unit study spines can make or break your unit study.

While you can use any living book for a great unit study, some resources are more helpful than others to help you plan quickly.

Homeschool Unit Study Spines

Too, I’ve used many resources through my years of planning unit studies; choosing a spine is key to a successful unit study.

Before I jump into listing some helpful unit study spines, look below at the definition of a spine.

What is a Homeschool Unit Study Spine

A homeschool unit study spine can be a living book, magazine, mentor, reference book or chart, art or art object, play, musical piece, brochure, movie, encyclopedia, or any other type of book, object, or person which is the main reference or authority for your unit study topic.

In addition, a unit study spine is used to launch your lesson plans, topics, and sub-topics.

To easily plan, a superior spine will support additional ideas, projects, objectives, and concepts about the main topic.

It guides you down a trail to dive deep into the topic.

All research revolves around your spine; it is the backbone of your study and it is the main resource for your chosen theme.

Helpful Homeschool Unit Study Spines to Plan in a Few Hours

Additionally, depending on the type of unit study, some resources will be more helpful than others.

For example, if you’re doing a literature unit study, a beautiful dictionary is a must.

Also, as I moved away from all-in-one language arts, I used bar charts and quick study guides to zero in on skill subjects. To learn the difference between a skill and content subject read What Homeschool Subjects to Teach and When to Teach Them? Part 1 of 3.

Now look below at a few handy charts which promptly get to the nitty-gritty of language arts skills.

Further, while comparing and choosing books, here are features I look for when choosing a superior resource:

  • Background information about the topic in the text.
  • Ideas for hands-on projects.
  • Anecdotes.
  • Words for vocabulary.
  • Diagrams or charts.
  • Questions in the text or at the end.

With that being said, look at the breakdown for the different types of unit study spines which help you to plan in a few hours.

The very first reference books I started with were DK Eyewitness books.

They’ve improved through the years; they’re timeless. A wonderful collection is an inexpensive way to prep for a unit study beginner.

Science Homeschool Unit Study Spines

One of my favorite and timeless publishers is Nomad Press. They have many books which make for great themes. Look at some of them below.

More Science Unit Study Spines

Another set of books are the DK Smithsonian Encyclopedia which are keepers for science unit study spines.

Look at some of the timeless ones we have used below along with some new ones.

Moreover, there are no shortages of books and references for nature; I prefer field guides which are concise nuggets while teaching a nature unit study.

Of course taking the guides to our outside classroom is the best reason.

Nature Homeschool Unit Study Spines

Further, many times I’ve used two unit study spines as companions.

For example, the resources I’ve listed above are reference books. I find reference books are extremely easy in helping me to plan a unit study because they put topics in a nutshell.

Living Books For Homeschool Unit Study Spines

However, along with a reference book, some unit studies are better taught alongside a living book. I find when I add a living book, language arts becomes a natural fit and not a forced fit.

Living books contain two main important things.

  1. The book is written by an authority on the topic; and
  2. They are written in a narrative form meaning a book would explain events and give vivid details in a story form which engages the mind of readers.

In addition, a living book should stir a reader’s emotion and imagination even doing so in a picture book.

However, one of the best features of a living book is that a reader doesn’t realize that he is learning facts in a natural way. Living books are opposite of textbooks.

Lastly, I look for classic books, but they aren’t always living books. Foremost I look for a well-written book which has a high literary quality.

Adding a living book alongside a reference book has been the key to my family covering almost all the subjects in a unit study.

Below, I’ve listed just a few books we’ve used through years; I want you to have examples of living books for the various ages.

I’ve divided the living books into three sections or lower, middle, and upper reading levels.

Living Books for Beginning Reading Levels

Living Books for Middle Reading Levels

Living Books for Upper Reading Levels

Moreover, a series of books like the Shakespeare Can Be Fun introduces sophisticated literature to younger kids in a fun way.

Let a young learner’s introduction to Shakespeare be one he understands. There is plenty of time in middle and high school to learn about literary terms.

Helpful Homeschool Unit Study Spines to Plan in a Few Hours

Next, I want to share a few more reference books which I’ve used plentifully. The books below are by Chicago Review Press.

Even though these resources are some of my favorite, they are by no means an exhaustive list. My focus in this roundup is to give you visual examples of unit study spines which ease lesson planning by giving you a plethora of examples.

How Unit Study Spines Are Cost Effective

In conclusion, but certainly not less important is knowing the value of unit study spines. Homeschool unit study spines are cost effective for several reasons:

  • spines cover many ages and that means I divide the price by how many years I’m using it or by how many kids are using it for one year,
  • there is less waste of resources because we choose exactly what we want to study,
  • because unit studies are a mastery approach, less money is spent on covering one topic for several years, and
  • spending less time on curriculum which may not cover our specific educational goals and focusing exactly on my kids’ needs is not only a huge savings, but an outstanding education.

What do you think? Are you ready to give unit studies a try?

You’ll love these other unit study helps:

  • A to Z List: 100 Fun Summer Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • What You Must Know to Teach High School Unit Studies
  • 5 Simple Ways to Enhance a Homeschool Unit Study
  • How to Grade a Homeschool Unit Study for an Older Child (& high school assessment)

Hugs and love ya,

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Do Unit Studies, Homeschool Simply, Homeschooling Tagged With: book lists, historyspine, homeschool curriculum, homeschool planning, homeschool subjects, homeschoolanguagearts, homeschoolapproach, homeschoolcurriculum, homeschoolhistory, homeschoolmultiplechildren, homeschoolplanning, homeschoolscience, teachingmultiplechildren, unit studies

How to Choose the BEST Homeschool Curriculum to Fit a Child’s Natural Abilities

April 28, 2020 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Choosing the best homeschool curriculum to fit a child’s natural abilities is not coddling a child. Also, it does not mean you’re not preparing him for adulthood. It has been quite the opposite in my experience.

Let me back up first to share a bit of my struggle. Learning how to choose curriculum other than my preference as teacher was not easy.

When kids are very young like in the toddler and preschool years, they all share common traits in their learning personality.

Kids learn through playing, tasting, and moving; they’re learning with every breath they take. This is barring any special need.

Understanding that curriculum should be developmentally appropriate at that age was something I had to learn.

For example, pushing a child to write or hold a pencil correctly before their fine muscles develop can cause damage. I’ve seen homeschoolers who’ve had to take their child to therapy to try to correct the shove to push too soon.

It’s like trying to make a child walk before he is developmentally ready. As a mom I understood waiting on a child’s development, but transitioning that mindset to myself as teacher was not as easy.

Aligning Homeschool Curriculum With A Child’s Strengths (and Weaknesses)

When I grasped that my children were unique individuals with inborn likes, dislikes, strengths, weakness, AND a time table for development, I shifted gears in how I chose curriculum.

I delved into choosing curriculum which fit each of my child’s strengths and weaknesses.

I have more to say in a minute about how aligning homeschool curriculum with a child’s strength or weakness is not codding.

How to Choose the BEST Homeschool Curriculum to Fit a Child's Natural Abilities

First, look at these 3 easy ways you can choose the best homeschool curriculum to fit a child’s natural abilities

One/ Understand How Homeschool Curriculum is Categorized

You homeschool because you have goals and your homeschool approach aligns normally with your goals.

Homeschool curriculum is organized by homeschool approach.

To help you quickly understand the different educational philosophies, I have explained each of the 5 popular approaches in this article Top 5 Approaches New Homeschoolers Need to Know.

Two/ Search Beyond Achievement and Aptitude Tests

Next, search beyond achievement and aptitude tests.

Although administering an achievement test can pinpoint areas of weakness in the curriculum, you will need to observe and discuss with your child his natural abilities, strengths, and weakness.

Aptitude tests are used to identify gifted and talented kids in school and diagnostic testing can be used in giving you a clearer picture in the skill subjects which are math and language arts.

A public school teacher with many students may need this type of information to know if her curriculum is working or if it’s weak.

Too, as a homeschooler, you may live in a state which requires testing and these tests can be a starting point on painting a picture of your learner.

If you’re thinking you want to administer those types of tests, look at this test comparison chart.

Also, look at Brewer Testing Services which provides testing for homeschool families.

The point is talents are almost impossible to capture in an achievement test.

However, tests do not take into consideration a child’s natural bent, his level of curiosity, creativity, and imagination.

Quite the contrary, but constant testing may shortchange out of the box thinkers if you only use testing as the absolute authority in how to choose curriculum.

According to research gate, they reported: test takers who are strong-minded, nonconformist, unusual, original, or creative are forced to suppress their impulses to conform to the norms established by the testers.

You can look here at the report by research gate if standardized tests penalize deep-thinking, creative, or conscientious students.

Three/ Observe your child during one-to-one time (and other times too)

Nevertheless, the best way to align natural abilities to homeschool curriculum is the same way we teach which is one-to-one.

Observing a child, asking him questions, and noticing what he is interested in talking about, what is he doing, and what consumes his time when you’re one-to-one with him and when he is NOT formally learning during his homeschool day is a huge indicator toward his bent.

Identifying Your Homeschooled Child's Learning Personality Online Self Paced Course

Did you know that I teach an online self-paced course to give you much insight into discovering your child’s learning personality?

Read about this AWESOME insightful course which is Identifying Your Homeschooled Child’s Learning Personality

Kids, like us, are influenced by their environment and that means they want to please you. They try to work with the subjects you chose for homeschooling and school in the places at your home you have set up for learning.

For kids to let down their walls and give us an idea of how they want to learn, we need to observe them in their own setting.

I’m not saying we accept bad behavior, but in question asking, you can determine his natural bent.

During the formal time of your homeschool day, you may notice which subjects your child struggles in and which subjects they prefer to spend more time studying. If you’ve homeschooled for any length of time you already have a good indicator of how he learns.

For example, some more analytical people prefer to learn math just by a book. Others who may not be math inclined prefer a more video approach.

There are two easy ways you can identify strengths and weaknesses at home.

1.Informal questioning.

Look at some of these questions you could use for your kids who are upper elementary to high school because they can articulate better than real young kids.

  • Does your child prefer to learn alone in his room or with you and at a co-op? If he answers alone, this can be a leaning toward the Logical. If he prefers to be with people, this can be the Feeler who loves people or the Mover who loves an audience.
  • Does your child learn better with a guideline of what is expected or does your “relaxed” approach send your child into stress because he wants a more detailed plan for the day? If your child prefers a more general guideline he could be a Mover or Feeler, both of whom prefer general guidelines and not exacts. The Logical and the Planner do well with exact expectations and time slots for subjects or activities.
  • Does he prefer a desk or table or to lay on the floor or on the sofa? A desk or table could mean the Planner or the Logical who prefer more organized spaces and more light. The Feeler and the Mover sometimes prefer a more relaxed area.
  • Does he prefer to learn through stories or prefers to get the facts? A Mover and the Feeler like stories and to learn about the people. A Planner and the Logical sometimes want to get right to the facts.
  • And of course, what are his favorite subjects?

Selecting Homeschool Curriculum

After your child answers the quick survey above, I’ve created a table to show you how to narrow down to an approach which is the first place to start to match your child’s natural abilities to homeschool curriculum.

This table is just a very few of the indicators of these types of personalities.

You’ll want to take my workshop to get an in depth understanding of each learning personality.

Identifying Your Homeschooled Child's Learning Personality Online Self Paced Course

The Mover

  • needs to move to learn
  • normally prefers physical activity
  • prefers impulsive learning and seizing moments to learn

The BEST Homeschool approaches are:

  • Unit Study approach to give him time to move while mastering material
  • Charlotte Mason approach allows for plenty of outside learning.

The Planner

  • desires routine
  • prefers organized lesson plans
  • likes checklists

The BEST Homeschool approaches are:

  • The traditional approach because of routine.
  • Classical approach because of organization.

The Feeler

  • prefers social interaction
  • focused on relationships

The BEST Homeschool approaches are:

  • Classical approach because of the emphasis on language arts
  • Charlotte Mason because of the emphasis on fine arts

The Logical

  • prefers to work alone
  • prefers logic-related subjects like math and science

The BEST Homeschool approaches are:

  • Unit studies because of the desire to research.
  • Charlotte Mason because of the science leaning.

A Child’s Learning Personality Simplifies Homeschool Curriculum Choices

2. Have your kids draw a picture.

Here is the second easy way to help you determine how your child learns best.

This tip you can use for any aged child provided you don’t tell them what you’re doing. Ask them to draw their deal learning space, what subjects they want to learn, and what would be around them.

Here are the DOS and DON’TS of having your child draw his learning area.

  • Don’t act over official. Your child is smart. He knows something is up. Just relax and tell him that you’re changing up some things and there is no right or wrong, just what he thinks is what you want him to draw. There is no judging or grading.
  • Do not make this an art lesson unless a child wants it to be. The point is pencil drawing to creative to labeling is fine. A quick 5 minute picture is just as worth much as a 50 minute project turned art. Bottom line explain to him you just want a picture.
  • Don’t use the words let me see your school room or school desk.
  • Do say draw a picture of your ideal learning space or area. Where would you learn? Would it be inside or outside? Would you have lots of light or dim light? What would be around you? What subjects would you cover?

Reduce Homeschool Curriculum Fatigue by Teaching to Strengths

Look at my reasons what adjusting your day and homeschool curriculum is not coddling your child.

  • A strong homeschooling foundation means we reject cookie-clutter education and accept that kids are individual learners. Research shows that colleges actively pursue homeschooled kids. NEHRI states: “The home-educated typically score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests. (The public school average is the 50th percentile; scores range from 1 to 99.)”
  • Instead of focusing just on what kids cannot do, we delve deep to tap into their inner strengths so we can nurture our kids to become who they truly are and not what society tries to form them to be.
  • Instead of labeling children, we teach our children to accept differences as strengths.
  • By teaching a child more than one way to take in information, he is eager to learn lifelong instead of struggling with why he doesn’t understand some subjects as well as he does others. A child knows his weaknesses and strengths like we do and is better equipped as an adult.
  • When a child knows he has strength and weakness, he appreciates that people communicate using their same strengths. It equips a child to have long-term relationships by learning to get along with someone who is opposite his learning personality.
How to Choose the BEST Homeschool Curriculum to Fit a Child's Natural Abilities

Learning personalities, inborn strengths and weakness means our kids come pre-wired and we accept them for who they are, not what we want to try to bend them to be.

What do you think? Do you have figured out you and your children’s learning personality?

Look at more of my tips:

  • The Dos & Don’ts When You Hit A Learning Plateau in Homeschooling
  • How to Know What A Homeschooled Child Should Learn Yearly?
  • BEST Curriculum by Homeschoolers for Homeschoolers
  • How to Build Middle School Curriculum Directly From Amazon
  • A to Z List: 100 Fun Summer Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Big Ol’ List of All-In-One Homeschool Curriculum (a.k.a Boxed)
  • How to Use a Boxed Curriculum without Giving Up Your Homeschool Approach 

Hugs and love ya,

2 CommentsFiled Under: Choose Curriculum, How To - - - Tagged With: curriculum, homeschoolapproach, homeschoolcurriculum, learning, learningstyles

How to Mesh Your Personality With Homeschooling When They Collide

April 11, 2020 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We bring our view of what is education to the homeschool world based on our experiences. That’s not the shocking part. How to mesh our personality with homeschooling when they collide is the painful part.

Homeschool Teacher – Be Yourself

If you’re like me, you’re a product of public school or maybe you fit in the category of being a public school teacher much like the ones I’ve mentored through the years.

When your idea of schooling is constant testing (without being state mandated), over technical lesson plans, and giving daily grades, it can collide with the relaxed homeschool approach.

How to implement the relaxed and successful approach of homeschooling while maintaining much needed guidance for your structured personality is not easy, but it’s possible.

Having started my journey being severely structured and then learning how to implement a delight-directed approach was a gradual process.

I didn’t take years to adjust to a relaxed approach when I saw that the delight directed approach worked.

However, the organized part of my personality knew that some guidance was needed so important skills like math and writing did not get left out.

Using strengths to shore up weaknesses in my teaching style was the key for me.

Look at how I started slowly until I lit a fire in my kids for learning.

Tip 1: Start with a content subject.

It takes time to move away from segmented subjects and understand that all bodies of knowledge are connected.

So when going from structured to relaxed, start with history, geography, or science to get your feet wet. Look at Skill Subjects vs. Content Subjects: What’s the Difference.

The content subjects don’t have to be introduced or mastered in an exact order like skill subjects, which are the three Rs – reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic.

For example, if you choose to cover the American Civil War in 4th grade or 7th grade, there will not be any big gaps in your teaching.

You obviously would expect more research, writing, and maybe map work from a middle schooler than an elementary-aged kid, but that is the only difference.

Tip 2: Field Trips, Living Books, and Projects.

The next thing I had to quickly learn was that tools matter. You can’t expect a talented artist to create masterpieces with lame tools.

Kids are the same; learning tools don’t have to be expensive, but kids need relaxed and unstructured time to use them.

Throwing in a field trip as a second thought instead of being the major learning experience does not stir passion or kindle in the slightest a love of learning.

Surrounding your kids with living books, which are books that explain topics in story form, taking regular meaningful field trips and pursuing projects your kids are passionate about stokes the creative juices.

Look at 5 Steps to Choosing Geography Living Books Your Children Will Love and 13 Living History Books about Ancient Greece.

Also grab some tips from 22 Awesome Homeschool History Field Trips.

Tip 3: EVERYONE is passionate about something.

I hear it all the time.

My kid is not interested in anything. He just wants to play games or ride his bike, or ___ (insert anything here other than “school”). Even games can have educational value.

Turn fun into learning. This is the hard part for personalities who want to stay structured, but I have many examples to show you how. Here is one. Look at my post Screen-Free Educational Activities for Kids Who Love Video Games.

If you fill up every bit of time with scheduled activities, a child has no time to linger. He needs time to investigate, explore, and discover.

Lingering can produce laziness, but it can also produce a lively, energetic kid IF you provide opportunities.

Between you and I, it can be easier for a structured personality to do this because you have a natural bent toward wanting to be organized.

Look at the list below to provide opportunities:

  • introduce a totally different subject or course that your family doesn’t know much about like marine biology, interior design, or forensic science. What kid doesn’t want to learn about crime. Don’t focus on grading or completing, just introduce and whet your child’s appetite.
  • trade reading for doing. This is not so easy for structured folks who feel that reading a book completely equates to learning sticking. Reading recipes does not make an elite chef. Trading reading for doing looks like this: Instead of reading books only about being interested in pets or animals, volunteer at an animal shelter. If a child is too young, start an easy pet sitting business. When a child wants to learn about music, he plays a piano or guitar. When a child wants to learn about math, he bakes cookies, plays board games, learns by dominoes, learns by a card game, learns by hopscotch and can still read a book. When a teen wants to learn about law, call a law office and have him volunteer for a day or two a week.

The Difference Between Lazy and Relaxed Homeschooler

  • strew. Strewing is placing items, books, materials, supplies, games, or any other item in places around your home. It’s intentional. It’s hard to find passions unless a child is exposed to a variety of topics AND when he makes choices from the items instead of being told, it’s empowering. Children will have an insatiable appetite for a topic that aligns with their strengths or interests. Not being told every subject to cover breeds fierce independence in learning.
  • reference books. Having more reference book in my home to use for research than textbooks was a game changer for me. Look at 100 BEST Books for Kids from all 50 States (Easy Geography), 5 BEST Books to Create an Around the World Unit Study (and Hands-on Activities), and 3 Less-Known and Irresistible Homeschool Hands-on Science Books to spark a few ideas of what to stockpile in your home.

Tip 4: Turn your weakness into a strength.

One fear of relaxed homeschoolers is not covering everything. It’s the same fear for home educators who have a more structured approach.

Turn your weakness into a strength by creating organizational systems which align with a more relaxed approach.

Hear my heart when I say to let go of all organization is not the answer. It never worked for me. Find your balance by using what your gifts are for your kids.

From my struggle, I created the wildly popular 7 Step Homeschool Planner. It’s a powerful tool for relaxed organization.

A few key points to take away about my planner is that it’s UNDATED. That is huge for folks who feel once they’ve planned they are behind when the first sick day comes.

Not so with my undated planner. You simply stop schooling and pick up on the next lesson number.

In addition, my drive to do worksheets only turned to creating lapbooks for our unit studies for my kids. I have dozens of them for you here on my site.

I took a strength of organization and aligned it with a hands-on tool like lapbooks.

Finding the Non-School Homeschool Teacher Within

Look at these other ways you can use your strengths:

  • create a simple checklist of subjects for the day. Don’t tell the exacts if you want to add more delight-directed learning to your day. Simply put down your subjects like math, spelling, and vocabulary for the day. Challenge your kid to find a way to satisfy one of them with a non-traditional way to learn. Of course, don’t be like that lame artist or chef I mentioned earlier by not providing enough tools. Provide the tools and books and resources.
  • alternate subjects that you want covered like science and history instead of covering both on one day. This gives your child more time to research and delve into a topic.
  • provide visual communication of what you expect for the day. Visual communication like charts and calendars equals a powerful communicator.

One of the most important things to remember about relaxed or child-directed learning is that it looks different for each family.

One weave that is common among all families is that the parent is more of a facilitator.

Think:

  • of your role as guiding instead of dictating,
  • how can you give more choices while still meeting your expectations for the day, and
  • how can I add other tools in my home so that passions are fed or discovered.
How to Mesh Your Personality With Homeschooling When They Collide.We bring our view of what is education to the homeschool world based on our experiences. That's not the shocking part. How to mesh our personality with homeschooling when they collide is the painful part. CLICK HERE if you want to go from structured to relax! #homeschool #homeschooling

Do not over complicate the process; use life happenings or natural things to be the teacher for you and your children.

Tip 5: Expand the definition of homeschool curriculum and use life happenings.

For example, use the seasons. Use springtime to make a garden, use winter to learn about winter birds or hibernation, use summer to learn about the ocean and ocean animals and used fall to learn about the cycles of life or the tides or moon.

Here are a few more of my units to help you get going.

  • How to Easily Garden Plan With Kids Using LEGO
  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study
  • Ocean Lapbook Printables
  • Fall Unit 1 {Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More}
  • Free Fall Unit Study Ideas– For Older Kids Too

The key to relaxed learning is use everything around you and everyday to teach.

The last important point to share is that you need to expand your definition of curriculum so your kids are not always sticking their nose in a book to learn something.

You know we love reading. A lot of homeschoolers are passionate about reading, but learning goes beyond that.

Look at 45 Ways to Define Homeschool Curriculum.

You’ve got this! Go now and conquer!♥

Hugs and love ya,

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Be an Exceptional Homeschool Teacher, Begin Homeschooling, Determine Learning Styles, Homeschool Simply, How To - - - Tagged With: homeschool, homeschool challenges, homeschool lifestyle, homeschool mistakes, homeschoolapproach, personality

Top 5 Approaches New Homeschoolers Need to Know

December 21, 2018 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

After deschooling, a new homeschooler’s first step is to get a basic grasp of homeschool approaches. Having a basic grasp of the top 5 approaches new homeschoolers can conquer overwhelm and tame the curriculum beast.

First understand these two basic clarifications to dispel misunderstandings about our lifestyle.

  • Deschooling is a process, not a homeschool approach. It’s the process ALL new homeschoolers or homeschoolers should do initially or from time to time if they struggle. See my link below.
  • Unschooling IS a homeschool approach. While we’re ALL homeschooling were NOT all unschooling. Big difference.
After deschooling, a new homeschooler’s first step is to get a basic grasp of homeschool approaches. Having a basic grasp of the top 5 approaches new homeschoolers can conquer overwhelm and tame the curriculum beast. CLICK HERE to read this SUPER helpful list!

A colossal mistake is to focus first on curriculum instead of a homeschool approach. Taking time to read this article all the way through will put you ahead miles.

Also, don’t forget that I hang out at my Facebook Group where I share free resources, how-tos, and encouragement. I share some things JUST there. So be sure you join me.

Before jumping into homeschool approaches, you need to understand the curative power of how to tap into your teaching style and your child’s learning style. They may not be the same and from the start you may unintentionally cause problems.

What is a Homeschool Approach

Simply put, a homeschool approach or homeschool style is an educational philosophy which is implemented or followed through by using curriculum as a tool. There are no right or wrong, better or worse, or smarter or dumber approaches. I’ve seen success stories and failures with each approach. An approach is a method, goals, and values that are important to you. Part of deciding a homeschool approach is to determine what are your families priorities. That is why there is no right or wrong, just what is best for your family. An approach is how you will implement what you want your children to learn.

For example, on a history topic, a Charlotte Mason homeschooler will look for a living book on the topic while a Classical homeschooler may look for a book from the great minds of the past. That is just one simple example.

Whether you intentionally or unintentionally chose it, EVERYONE has a homeschool approach when they begin.

It’s better to pick it for your family’s needs than to jump in and choose curriculum that is fitted for a homeschool approach that is opposite of your child’s learning style.

Secret Revealed: Homeschool Approaches Essentials

There are a few things for you to know so that you make an informed choice.

Understanding these 6 fundamental points will help you to increase the odds of success.

  • Did you know that just about ALL curriculum falls into one or more of the homeschool approaches? By narrowing down to an approach that fits your family’s values and your children’s needs you have tamed the curriculum hunt. Reduce overwhelm by choosing the method FIRST.
  • It’s NOT necessary to know EVERY approach just like it’s not necessary to understand EVERY ingredient in a homemade dish. The most used ingredients are key to understanding the big picture. Homeschool styles or approaches are similar. You don’t need to know EVERY single one, but only the most popular one. Some styles are not as popular. Not that they are unimportant, but the top 5 homeschool approaches are what a majority of homeschoolers use. As you’re more experienced, you can delve into the others.
  • There is NO need to choose only one. If you see that one or two follow your goals, then pick and choose the teaching points and combine them. It’s called eclectic. Eclectic is not really an approach, but a type of homeschooler.
  • With that being said, DO choose one that fits MOSTLY with your goals because it cuts down on frustration. By having one that is your dominant one, you can find curriculum that fits it first and then delve into curriculum that fits other approaches that comes in second. It REALLY reduces teaching fatigue to have one major approach that you can rely on.
  • You can change on a dime if one is not working. There is no harm done. Maybe you’ve not accomplished what you’ve set out to do because you chose a homeschool approach that doesn’t really embrace how your child learns. He probably has still retained some of the information. Just switch approaches, chalk it up to being inexperienced, and move on.
  • One more HUGE point to remember and that is NOT every homeschool approach has a plethora of planned out curriculum to choose from. There are more choices now than used to be, but remember you’re following an APPROACH and using curriculum as tools. Bottom line: An exceptional teacher will be able to use what she has to tweak to fit her students. Yes, it may take a bit more work, but it can be done. Be sure to see my post at the bottom where I used a textbook to do our unit study.

Here are some of the most popular homeschool styles and I’ve listed a few curriculum suggestions as examples of each.

Popular 5 Homeschool Styles

1. Traditional Textbook Homeschool Approach

Characteristics

  • textboook driven
  • worksheets
  • test driven
  • follows a sequential scope and sequence
  • record keeping/grading services
  • often been called “conveyor-belt” education

Textbooks and workbooks are used. This is what a lot of us used in public school and the approach most of us are familiar with. This is the way most new homeschoolers start out. Ask yourself why you would want to repeat the same approach that is not working in public school.

Many online public school at home providers have popped up in the last 10 years. Even online schools which may not necessarily use printed material may still under this approach because it’s based on textbooks.

A graded textbook guides teaching, and subjects are covered in increments over the course of a school year.  Textbooks may be supplemented with worktexts or books.

A few curriculum providers (both secular and Christian)

  • Abeka
  • Acellus
  • Bob Jones
  • Calvert

2. Unit Studies Homeschool Approach

Characteristics

  • where all subjects are covered by being focused on one topic
  • child-led or parent directed
  • emphasis is on mastery-based learning instead of ages
  • natural real-life approach to learning
  • students can see the whole picture
  • creating self-learning

Unit Studies take a specific theme or topic and delves into it deeply over a period of time. The emphasis is on integrating language arts, social studies, science, history, fine arts, and math together while focused on one unit of study or theme.

The unit study philosophy emphasizes that all knowledge is connected and remembered longer when taught in an integrated fashion.

A few curriculum providers

  • Konos
  •  Home School In the Woods.
  • Intellego Unit Studies.

3. Charlotte Mason Homeschool Approach

Characteristics

  • oral narration
  • written narration
  • copywork
  • nature study
  • journaling
  • use of living books
  • form habits

Charlotte Mason was a turn of the century British educator whose approach was to teach children skills such as reading, writing, and math, and then expose them to the best sources of knowledge for all other subjects.

This means taking nature walks, visiting museums to view art up close, or reading what she called “living books.”  Textbooks are viewed as dry and dull and to be avoided in favor of richer sources of knowledge.

A few curriculum providers

  • My Father’s World
  • Trail Guide to Learning
  • Ambleside online

4. Classical Homeschool Approach

Characteristics

  • intensive language arts focused
  • emphasis on Latin, Greek and Hebrew
  • progression through learning based on child’s development
  • reading great books as a way to connect to great minds

In Ancient Greece, emphasis was place on learning the tools of learning.  These tools could then be applied to the study of any subject.  This classical” approach would have students study grammar, the dialectic or logic phase, and finally rhetoric.  These tools were known as the “trivium.”

Following the study of these subjects were arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music – called the “quadrivium.” The approach is to teach learning in “stages” according to the child’s development. The book by Dorothy Sayers’ The Lost Tools of Learning is a reference  for this approach; Susan Wise Bauer’s The Well Trained Mind was the first book of its kind to lay out curriculum suggestions for this approach.

A few curriculum providers

  • Institute for Excellence in Writing
  • Veritas Press
  • Memoria Press

5. Unschooling Homeschool Approach (a.k.a delight-directed)

Characteristics

  • learning is directed almost entirely by the child which is where unschoolers differ from other homeschoolers
  • instead of teaching being at the center, the child is at the center of learning
  • children should not be forced to learn something against their will
  • more access to the real-world
  • creating self-learners
  • to provide an environment with rich resources

John Holt was a twentieth-century American educator who believed that children’s natural curiosity and desire to learn were destroyed by traditional schooling.  He is generally associated with the unschooling approach, which focuses on nonstructural learning that allows children to pursue their own interests and believes that children should be included in a meaning full way in the life of adults.

The approach has the child at the center of learning and subjects revolve around his interests. The child is exposed to a rich environment of resources, including an adult who models a lifestyle of curiosity and learning.  Formal academics are pursued when the need arises or when the child indicates willingness.

A few curriculum providers

  • Because learning is child-led, homeschoolers will have many resources in their homes from living books to games. Also, every day learning experiences are used to teach every day. Many curriculum resources are unschooling friendly.
After deschooling, a new homeschooler’s first step is to get a basic grasp of homeschool approaches. Having a basic grasp of the top 5 approaches new homeschoolers can conquer overwhelm and tame the curriculum beast. CLICK HERE to read this SUPER helpful list!

Look at some of these posts The Big List of Unit Study Hands-on (and Hands-off) Curriculum and Big Ol’ List of All-In-One Homeschool Curriculum (a.k.a Boxed) which will help you with curriculum.

I will be adding questions to help you hone or identify your homeschool method AND how to match curriculum to homeschool approach.

Will these tips give you a starting point?

You’ll want to read these other tips.

  • Deschooling: Step One for the New Homeschooler (the Definitions, the Dangers, and the Delight)
  • Mixing It Up: How to Combine Homeschool Approaches (Without Losing Your Mind) 
  • How to Use a Boxed Curriculum without Giving Up Your Homeschool Approach 
  • 5 Signs That You Need to Switch Your Homeschool Approach 
  • 3 Things To Try When Your Hands-Off Homeschooling Approach is a Failure 
  • Why Buying Curriculum Won’t Make You a Homeschooler (But What Will)

Hugs and love ya,

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Be an Exceptional Homeschool Teacher, Begin Homeschooling, Determine Learning Styles, How To - - - Tagged With: Charlotte Mason, classical approach, homeschool, homeschool style, homeschoolapproach, learning styles, learningstyles, relaxedhomeschooling, textbooks, unit studies

3 Reasons to NOT Avoid the Homeschool Middle Ground

August 6, 2016 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

3 Reasons to NOT Avoid the Homeschool Middle Ground @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Fighting mini battles while we homeschool becomes part of our homeschool lifestyle. And it’s true that for many issues involving education, homeschoolers don’t wade in lukewarm waters nor take the middle of the ground approach. Being firmly decisive is key to surviving the harsh amount of negativity that is thrown our way.

Standing Firm on Homeschool Middle Ground

However, many things in homeschooling are more successful when you can step back and straddle the middle road. Sometimes taking an all or nothing approach can be counter productive, even extreme at times.

Look at these 3 reasons to NOT avoid the homeschool middle ground.

ONE/  When you do a unit study with multiple ages of children.

You can set your homeschool day up for failure when you use a learning resource that is too high above your oldest child’s head or one that is too young below it.

It’s a common mistake; choosing a unit study resource that is the grade level of your oldest child.

The secret to individualizing a delightful unit study topic is to  choose the middle grade between the ages of your children.

Seasoned homeschool veterans know that it’s easier to scale down activities for younger grades. Use the example of a plant unit study.

Younger students can color, label and dissect a plant. Older students or high school students can use the same unit study, but expand the activities on it to a high school level.

For example, older students can include plant history, learn about the local plants in your area and even spend some time in an apprenticeship learning from local professionals about herbs or plants. Ideas to use for an older student spring from the middle of the grade resource that you are currently using.

Not all ideas are so easy to round up for an older learner, but they are more useful than a resource used for your youngest learner.

TWO/ When you mix and match homeschool curriculum.

It’s easy to use the same curriculum provider with all of your children. Why would you do that though?

Each child is as unique as each homeschool family or should be.

Take the middle ground, avoid the extreme by choosing just one homeschool curriculum and use pieces and parts of a boxed curriculum, unit study and another curriculum to create a study that is unique for each child.

If you’re using just one type of curriculum, then one or more of your children may not be benefiting from it as much as another child. Mixing and matching homeschool curriculum will ensure a better fit for all of your children.

THREE/ When you begin homeschooling high school.

I did it too when I started homeschooling high school and that is to right away in 9th grade take a sock it to him attitude when planning.

High school is not about controlling your teen through his high school years, but it’s about working alongside each other. It is a give and take.

You give because your teen is a different person than you and your husband and he has goals and inspirations now that he too wants to meet. But it’s a take also because you don’t want to give up all your goals or plans for your teen’s future and some things will be must-haves in high school.

What I’m saying is that you choose the middle ground in high school when you help a teen keep balanced in all subjects until he decides his goals.

Some adults don’t even know what they won’t do, so don’t put a lot of pressure on a teen. Take the middle road by keeping subjects balanced until a mommy track, college track or job track is decided.

Also, grab some other tips from my other articles Homeschool Confession – My Homeschool Mistakes, Go Ahead and Make a Mistake: Homeschool Without Fear and Homeschooling – Beginnings are Usually Scary, Endings are Usually Sad, but It’s What’s In the Middle that Counts!.

Don’t give up the fight in touting the decisive ways we need to take a stand when it comes to homeschooling, but just know that the middle ground can not only be productive, but necessary many times in your journey.

What else do you take the middle ground on while homeschooling?

Hugs and love ya,

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Leave a CommentFiled Under: Avoid the Homeschool Blues, Be an Exceptional Homeschool Teacher, Begin Homeschooling, Choose Curriculum, Homeschool Simply, Teach Unit Studies Tagged With: boxedcurriculum, curriculum, homeschoolapproach, homeschoolcurriculum, homeschoolmultiplechildren, new homeschooler homeschool curriculum, teachingmultiplechildren, unit studies

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