Secular Homeschool Styles
I recently wrote a guest post over at Pandia Press’s blog about homeschooling styles. I encourage you to go over there and read the entire thing! But if you have read it, or just want some resources to get started, I have a list below.
The article begins:
Especially if you’re new to homeschooling, you may be wondering, “Do I even have a homeschool style?” The answer is yes! Whether you are recreating a traditional school environment or striking out in a different direction, you are making choices based on your philosophy and goals for your child.
Starting with the most structured, and proceeding towards more flexibility:
- School at home/distance learning
- Classical education
- Charlotte Mason
- Unit Studies
- Unschooling
- Eclectic
Read the rest here: Homeschool Style: From School at Home to Unschooling
Resource List
These sources are provided to get you started with the approach that appeals to you. Don’t be afraid to investigate multiple options! I’m definitely an eclectic homeschooler whose style incorporates both classical curriculum AND unschooling! Meanwhile, our writing curriculum is grounded in the philosophy of Charlotte Mason. We’re all over the place, and it works well for us!
School at Home
If you would like to learn more about this method, check out these secular providers:
Classical education
Many secular families use The Well Trained Mind as a resource, but avoid the religious elements in recommended texts such as Story of the World.
The curriculum company we use for our classical history is Pandia Press. We are planning to start History Odyssey Ancients Level 1 in a few months.
Charlotte Mason
While traditional Charlotte Mason materials include religious references, many secular families use curricula like Build Your Library. This post from the curriculum’s website goes into depth about the Charlotte Mason approach and how it can resonate with secular families.
Another popular, secular, Charlotte Mason influenced curriculum is the BraveWriter program.
Unit studies
Resources for unit studies depend upon the topic of choice. Families might choose a “spine” or curriculum for a specific content area, then weave in the rest of their homeschooling around that. For example, Pandia Press’s History curricula or REAL Science Odyssey. Students may also use a separate curriculum for math and perhaps early reading, writing, or phonics.
Unschooling and Eclectic
While I don’t have any resources to recommend at this time, I hope to update this post as I find more!