Types of Homeschooling

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Which Homeschooling Methods Are Best?

While there are different ways to homeschool, the right approach will depend heavily on your goals. Some parents know that they will be putting their child right back into the classroom in a short period of time, so they choose a type of homeschooling that replicates the school experience. Others whose children have lost all love of learning due to a highly restrictive educational experience want to completely flip the table on that educational approach. And some families are even ready to transform their home education period into a global travel adventure!

That means that the “best” homeschool method is simply the one that meets your specific criteria. Let’s see what facets of home education you should consider when choosing the style that suits your family best.

How to Pair Educational Goals to a Homeschool Style

Choosing among alternative homeschooling methods requires first that you consider the many aspects of home education. Perhaps take a bit of an “inventory” of your educational goals to help you make an informed decision on your approach. Below are some of the considerations to ponder.

Personal Values

• Do you want your homeschool style to help you instill a specific value system to your children?
• Do you prefer to leave value systems out of your specific homeschool approach?

Educational Philosophy

• Do you ascribe to a specific educational philosophy that would affect how you approach your child’s education?
• Are you neutral in terms of educational philosophies and prefer to focus on other aspects of education?

Homeschool Duration

• Do you know how long you plan to homeschool and whether your child will be returning to the classroom at some point?
• Is your homeschool duration open-ended?

Educational Goals

• Do you have specific personal, family, or educational goals that you want your child(ren) to accomplish while homeschooling?
• Will you be taking each homeschool year as you come to it, rather than having overarching goals?

Family Circumstances

• Are there personal, financial, or medical circumstances that could affect how you homeschool?
• Do you prefer to homeschool irrespective of family circumstances?

Flexibility

• Do you prefer to follow a single homeschool style that will define everything you do in your home education model?
• Are you comfortable mixing and matching homeschool approaches to create whatever blend of homeschool style best fits your individual child(ren)?

Now that you have taken stock of your feelings about how you want to approach homeschooling, it’s time to take a look at some of the most popular types of homeschooling methods. This will help you dig into the specifics of each approach to find the ideal fit for you, your homeschooler, and your family.

Traditional Homeschooling

The default homeschooling style for many new homeschoolers is to align their approach with that of the classroom educational model they are so familiar with. Find out more about this homeschooling style on our Traditional Homeschooling Style page.

Roadschooling

Homeschooling may a bit of a misnomer for some families who prefer to take their family and their education on the road. Learn more about this unique approach to home education on our Roadschooling page.

Worldschooling

For families with the means and desire to make homeschooling a global adventure, worldschooling is an option that adds a significant cultural boost to emerging learners. Learn all about this multicultural take on education on our Worldschooling page.

Unschooling

Contrary to what its name might indicate, unschooling certainly does not mean that a child is free from learning. Rather, the term reflects a choice to put educational decisions into each child’s hands instead of having a parent or teacher make all the choices about what a child should/shouldn’t learn. Curious to learn more about this approach? Visit our Unschooling page.

Eclectic Homeschooling

Many homeschoolers become eclectic homeschoolers over time after they discover that blending multiple approaches works better for them than ascribing to a single defined style. Find out more about this mix-and-match method on our Eclectic Homeschooling Style page.

Classical Homeschooling

Some styles of education have stood the test of time, and that is definitely true for Classical Education, which has its roots stretching back as far as the Middle Ages. Learn more about what constitutes a Classical Education and how some homeschoolers integrate it into their educational approach on our Classical Homeschooling Style page.

Montessori Homeschooling

Yet another historical educator whose philosophies have had a major effect on how children learn was Maria Montessori. Discover why Dr. Montessori’s findings about how young learners develop have been so influential on the educational landscape both in schools and homeschools on our Montessori Homeschooling Style page.

Homeschooling with Unit Studies

Centering your homeschool studies around a specific topic or theme is called the Unit Study approach. This can involve integrating various academic subjects such as history, science, and English language arts into a dedicated study of a theme such as weather, bats, a favorite book, or even a biographical figure. To understand more about how this approach to education works, visit our Homeschooling with Unit Studies page.

Charlotte Mason Homeschooling

Some styles of homeschooling are steeped in the specific philosophies of educators who have become renowned for their takes on learning. One of these approaches is based on the findings of a British educator from the 19th century who believed that education should encompass a child’s atmosphere, disciplines, and life as a whole. Discover the tenets of the Charlotte Mason approach on our Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Styles page.

Waldorf Homeschooling

Another educator who ascribed to a very specific educational technique was Rudolf Steiner. His central focus was on instilling in children an understanding and appreciation of their place in the global and natural world. Uncover the details of Mr. Steiner’s approach on our Waldorf Homeschooling Style page.

How Time4Learning Works with Different Homeschooling Styles

Because families have so many options when it comes to how to implement their homeschool, Time4Learning has worked hard to create a flexible homeschool curriculum that is compatible with a variety of homeschool goals and approaches.

Children need a large amount of diverse activities to hold their attention and prevent boredom. By shifting from computer-based lessons to discussion, or from paper and pencil exercises to art projects, homeschooled children are more likely to stay engaged and benefit from different teaching methods. Time4Learning is flexible enough to fit into any kind of homeschool day and help keep children interested and engaged in their own education.

View the grade by grade curriculum overview to see what’s available and how the program can align with your personal homeschool curriculum goals. Time4Learning is proven effective with homeschoolers, has a low monthly price, is easy-to-use, and provides a money-back guarantee so you can make sure that it works for your children! Sign up for Time4Learning as part of your overall homeschool program.