Homeschool Hacks

Needless to say, the last few months have been full of a lot of crazy unknowns about school and how it’s all going to go down..

Some states are going full time in-person, some states are opting for all distance learning, and some states are doing a hybrid of the two. Heck, some states (like mine) are still having 4-hour parent/teacher conferences trying to figure out what the heck they’re going to do! I’m hoping this blog post might offer a tiny bit of hope and information in what might seem like a hopeless situation.

First, a little about my homeschool journey: When my oldest daughter was ready for school, I remember being in the Starbucks drive-through lane talking to my friend, Ashley, on the phone. Our babies were about the same age when we first met, and now, four years later, she was asking what my plan was. I said, and I quote, “I can’t believe I’m about to say this out loud, but I’m seriously considering homeschooling.” After we cackled across the continent together, guffawing loudly from Washington all the way to Virginia, it was decided that I’d give it a go! And that is my epic origin story.

Luckily I had a few great friends that had been homeschooling for years and could take my hare-brained idea and turn it into a reality. The amount of options, variety, and curriculum was overwhelming, and these mentors really took me under their wing (shout out to Tracey, Sara, and Beccy. Hey, ladies!). And now, after three kids and seven years of homeschooling (still going strong!), maybe it’s my turn to be a mentor and turn something that could be a scary situation into an opportunity to have an incredible year.

So without further ado, here are a few of the main types of homeschooling with some (hopefully) helpful info on each:

The Classical Method

Classical homeschooling focuses on three main areas of knowledge: grammar, logic, and rhetoric, in that order. Grammar is for the elementary years and focuses on rote learning, repetition, and memorization of spelling facts, mathematics rules, and other building blocks.

Logic is the next teaching level, allowing children to explore why things happen, the cause and effect of things in History, and critiquing using things like the Scientific Method.

Last comes the highest level, rhetoric, usually for high school. Students will take all that they’ve learned over the years and apply it to real life in areas like public speaking.

There are numerous “Classical Conversation” homeschool groups in towns and cities across the world that can be an incredible resource for any parent thinking about using this method.

The Montessori Method

Montessori is more self-directed, meaning that the kids will progress along at their own pace, being able to move ahead in subjects that they’re better at, and getting extra help in subjects where they need it. Hands-on learning and lots of playtime are mixed with creativity and exploration, and because the homeschool classroom really focuses on each child’s individual strengths and interests, kids of different ages can be working and learning together with no issues. I grew up going to a Montessori school, and can attest to its awesomeness!

The Traditional Method

I personally use this method with my kiddos. I would definitely say that this method is what most parents and students would be familiar with and is commonly called “school-in-a-box” because you can buy the textbooks, tests, quizzes, and syllabus that closely follow a school curriculum.

Days are solidly scheduled, giving parents specific instructions on exactly what to do with suggestions for enrichment activities. You purchase all of the “core” subjects, which are language arts, math, science, and history, and then supplement with spelling, reading, and writing, plus any extra-curricular activities your kids enjoy, like art, music, or sports.

I think for me, because I’m very Type-A and love organization, lists, and structure, this method just fits best. Plus, when I first started I really wanted to make sure my kids stayed on grade level. Now, after doing this for seven years, it’s much easier for me to know when I can move a little faster through something because my kid has the concept down really well, or when to give extra assistance to another who needs it, which is a little Montessori mixed in.

Unschooling

Unschooling is pretty much exactly what it sounds like—completely student-led. This is definitely the most unstructured approach to education. Student interest and curiosity guides what they study and learn about, and they gain knowledge by experience. There is no set time to introduce certain subjects, i.e. “U.S. history should start in third grade,” or “we should learn about sex in sixth grade.” As kids get interested in it, they learn about it.

I’m going to be honest, this type of homeschooling makes my pits sweat a little (OK, a lot). If I let my kids rule the day, I have one that would be outside all day climbing trees, one that would read books from sunup to sundown, and one that would just stomp around roaring like a dinosaur. For those of you that know my kids, I am positive you know which one is which. However, maybe some of you have kids that would make wise choices if left to their own devices?

Eclectic

This is the final homeschool form I’ll talk about, and I would say that this method is by far the most popular because it literally is a little bit of everything. You can structure or unstructure depending on individual needs, adjust as the year goes on, have different approaches for different children, use a mix of textbooks, online learning, unschooled-type field trips and experiences . . . you get the picture. Understanding how your child learns is key to this approach so that you as the teacher are designing the best possible mix and match of curriculum.

Resources

There are a few other methods of homeschooling that I didn’t touch on, but for any extra information on the ones that I did, and the rest, I found this to be a helpful resource.

Each state has its own guidelines as far as reporting, registering, vaccinations to participate in sports, signing up for music lessons at the local school, and all of those other fun things. Every time I move to a new state (I’ve homeschooled in only three so far, not bad!) I just Google “Homeschool requirements in _______,” and plenty of websites pop up. You can often even find the guidelines for the school district you’ll be living in, which is really helpful!

Another great resource is your local Homeschool Co-Op, if it’s run the right way. I joined one that was amazing, with parents teaching classes like art, dance, geocaching, and science experiments, all of which are exciting to me because that means that I don’t have to teach it! Plus, it allows my kids to get instructions from someone else, which is important for them to learn. On the other hand, I’ve also briefly been involved in a couple of Homeschool Co-Ops that are a little more “Mom’s Night Out” than I was looking for. Great if you want to go to dinner or a movie and commiserate with other moms about their homeschool journey!

 

Listen, guys. I want to tell you that it will be fine. This year is going to be crazy for every single family with kids in school, no matter which option they choose. Zoom is going to fail. A lot. Teachers are going to be stressed. Your kids are going to be emotional. And as parents, you are expected to deal with all of it on top of whatever you actually do for a real job. No matter what you decide to do, give yourself and your family some grace.

You can do this!