Eclectic Homeschooling

The best thing about homeschooling is that there is no right or wrong way to homeschool. I believe that homeschool families do what is best for their child, so no one method of homeschooling is better than the other. Research even shows that it doesn't really matter what method or curriculum you use.




I don't think it is necessary to label ourselves, but I find it interesting that a label defines who we are as homeschoolers. It is the first thing homeschoolers ask each other: "What kind of homeschooler are you?" and "What curriculum do you use?" I feel that if I label us, we will be stuck with that label. I find this problematic because if we stick with a label, we can't ever change. I might call myself an unschooler and find out that one of my kids needs a more rigid, classical approach in order to succeed. So, with that...I will answer the most popular question asked of us.



We are elcectic homeschoolers. What does eclectic homeschooling mean and what do we believe in? Eclectic homeschoolers use a mix of approaches when teaching their children. We are also constructivists. What is a constructivist? We believe that our kids construct their own knowledge. We are unschoolers. What is an unschooler? Well....that's a whole 'nother story. Unschooling is the most misunderstood practice in homeschooling. For my Ph.D., I hope to help bring some definitive light to the topic. But for our family, we practice the true, original form of unschooling in which our children lead the way by constructing their own knowledge (see constructivism above). We are not radical unschoolers (as seen on a few Wife Swap episodes)...these type of unschoolers literally don't do school. Or any kind of instruction at all. I plan for instruction based on my kids interests, likes, style of learning, and needs. We never do lectures, we rarely do worksheets, and we never do flashcards.



To classical homeschoolers, I am more of an unschooler because my children lead the way. I am seen by some as an unschooler because I also don't believe in standardized tests, grades, scope and sequence based on grade levels, and lots of teacher directed instruction. We also don't have a set "school time" because I believe that kids learn 24/7/365. Radical unschoolers would definately say I am eclectic because I do use a mix of methods for "teaching" my kids.



See what I mean about labels? It gets quite ridiculous, if you ask me. What I find most funny is when I hear homeschooling families say, "we're not like those homeschoolers..." or "we don't hang out with those homeschoolers, they're followers of Charlotte Mason."



So, how do I plan instruction?




Even though the Snails are learning about what they are interested in, I still have required learning assignments that they might not want to do (like handwriting). I have established my set of educational beliefs and philosophies and I find educational programs, content, and curricula that match my beliefs.

There are three ways I decide what we will learn:

1. We learn about what interests the Snails. Things they are really, truly interested in. Things that they have been interested in forever. Things they really want to know more about.
2. I strew materials. If I want the Snails to be interested in something, or I want to introduce a concept to them, I lay the materials out and let them "stumble upon" them. I let them play with and explore the materials before I "teach it" to them.
3. We learn about it because Momma Snail says it is a requirement. Like, learning how to write your name and reciting your address from memory.
4. Then I look at our understandings and see which ones match the Snail's interests, or our units, and I say to myself, "what kinds of experiences, activities, books, etc will lead to these understandings?"

I am not a homeschooling "purist"; meaning that I follow one set method, or one set curriculum, purely and absolutely. I take bits and pieces of different philosophies, methods, and curriculum and take what fits our homeschool.





If you are new to homeschooling, I suggest that you sit down and write down what you believe in and how you want your kids to learn. This will help you so that you don't end up wasting your money on curriculum and materials that "don't fit."



My children do project based and inquiry based learning because I believe that my children learn by pure discovery and that they construct their own knowledge. And, most importantly, the majority of our days are filled with unstructured, unguided play.




I believe in/that:

• education should be individualized (Gardner)
• performance based, authentic assessment (Wiggins)
• project based (and here), problem based, inquiry learning
• kids should participate in authentic, real world tasks (Holt, Montessori)
• learning should be student centered and teacher facilitated (Holt)
• students should learn how to evaluate and reflect on their work (Wiggins, Holt)
• kids should learn based on their current interests (Piaget, High Scope, Emilia, Montessori, Papert, Holt, Waldorf)
• kids construct their own knowledge (Piaget, Papert, Holt, Montessori)
• kids learn reasoning through play (paper I wrote)
• learning should be connected to kid's lives and community (Montessori, Waldorf, Emilia)
• thematic learning enhances learning (this is not the same as the themes you see in Pre-K)
• inquiry-based integrated unit studies
  
• socialization should be natural in which children interact with people of all ages (Montessori)
• Children should be in the natural world (Waldorf, Louv, Montessori, Mason)
• creativity, curiosity, and understanding should be developed and nutured
  
• learning should be problem-based
• Overall, I believe in constructivism
  

I do not believe in/that:

• learning should be based on memorizing facts, numbers, definitions (E.D. Hirsch)
• standardized testing
• learning should be cookie cutter, one size fits all
• children should learn based on a standardized Scope and Sequence. I believe the Scope and Sequence should be based on the child.
• children should be assessed with tests, grades, and report cards. I believe in authentic assessment.
  

Our homeschool methods are a mish-mash of the following (with why we like them):

Charlotte Mason

• Use of living books
• Firsthand experiences
• Cultivating good habits
• Nature study

Montessori

• Natural, authentic socialization
• Children learn all the time
• Children learn what they love
• Student led
• No limit on how long a child learns something
• Teaches independence
• Children do real work (wash dishes, cook, dress self, etc) with real tools

Waldorf

• Natural, organic toys
• open-ended toys with open-ended play
• Nature study
• Art and creativity
• Writing taught before reading

Unit Study Approach

• Thematic or interest based
• Project based
• authentic performance based assessment

Unschooling or the Natural Learning Method (also called Delight Directed and Relaxed Homeschooling)

• student centered
• kids learn what they are interested in
• experientially based
• inquiry based
• development of family relationships
• strewing materials for discovery

Reggio Emilia

• student centered
• child constructs their own knowledge
• kids learn what they are interested in
• project based
• inquiry based
• development of relationships
• based on art as "symbolic expressions"
• documentation of work/dictation of children's work

I use the Teaching for Understanding and Understanding by Design models. You can find out more about Teaching for Understanding by reading here and here. You can read about Understanding by Design (UbD) here and here. If you really want to learn about it, Google it or buy Grant Wiggins' book, Understanding by Design.

-------{added April 25, 2009}-------

My mission statement is going to probably change as I challenge and examine my beliefs as I work on my Ph.D. I do want to add this recent amendment:

There is a name for "what I am" and there is a philosophy for what I believe in. Yet, it is pretty much unheard of in the homeschooling community and shunned in the public school system. I am a constructivist and I believe in constructionism. I am a follower of Seymour Papert, John Holt, Jean Piaget, Howard Gardner, and Vygotsky. Many constructivists use project-based, inquiry-based learning. I plan for instruction using the Understanding by Design model by Grant Wiggins.

The Association for Constructivist Teaching

As I mentioned before, I have developed my beliefs from over 15 years in researching and practicing educational philosophies and methodologies. I have a Bachelor of Science in Outdoor/Experiential Education, a Master's in Technology in Education, and am a Ph.D. candidate in Early Childhood Education.

Some additional reading that I love and that fits our homeschool:

A Great List of Books on Constructivist Learning and Teaching

Understanding Unschooling

Project Based Learning for Homeschoolers
Project Approach
Video: The Nature of Unschooling
The Importance of Block Play
Books by Alfie Kohn

The Implications of Constructivism

Constructivism and the 5 E's


Tons of Articles on Constructivism

Radical Constructivism & Ernst von Glasersfeld

The Trap of Choosing a Homeschool Method

The Relaxed Homeschool Mindset

Brooks, J.G. & Brooks, M. (1993). The Case for Constructivist Classrooms.

Educational Leadership, February 1994 Issue. Lots of Constructivist Articles

Gardner, H. (1991). The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should Teach.

Cavallo, D., Papert, S., & Stager, G. (2004) “Climbing to Understanding: Lessons from anExperimental Learning Environment for Adjudicated Youth.” In the Proceedings of theSixth International Conference on the Learning Sciences.

Kafai. Sandoval, Enyedy, Nixon& Herrera editors. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum AssociatesDuckworth, E. (1996)The Having of Wonderful Ideas and Other Essays on Teaching andLearning. NY: Teachers College Press

Harel, I., and Papert, S., eds. (1991) Constructionism. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing.

Harel, I. And Papert, S. (1991)“Situating Constructionism” in Constructionism. Norwood,NJ: Ablex Publishing.

Kafai, Y., and Resnick, M., eds. (1996)Constructionism in Practice: Designing, Thinking,and Learning in a Digital World. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Papert, S. (1990) “A Critique of Technocentrism in Thinking About the School of theFuture,” MIT Epistemology and Learning Memo No. 2. Cambridge, Massachusetts:Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Laboratory

Papert, S. (1991) “Situating Constructionism.” In Constructionism. Harel, I., and Papert,S., editors. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing.

Papert, S. (1993) The Children's Machine: Rethinking School in the Age of the Computer.New York: Basic Books.

Papert, S. (1999) “The Eight Big Ideas of the Constructionist Learning Laboratory.”Unpublished internal document. South Portland, Maine.

Papert, S. (2000) “What’s the Big Idea? Steps toward a pedagogy of idea power.” IBMSystems Journal, Vol. 39, Nos 3&4, 2000.

Sarason, Seymour B. (1996) Revisiting The Culutre of School and the Problem of Change.NY: Teachers College Press.

Sarason, Seymour B. (1998) Political Leadership and Educational Failure. San Francisco:Jossey-Bass.

Sarason, Seymour B. (2002) Educational Reform: A Self-Scrutinizing Memoir. NY:Teachers College Press.

Sarason, Seymour B. (2004) What Do YOU Mean by Learning? Portsmouth, NH:Heinemann.

Stager, Gary. (2001) "Computationally-Rich Constructionism and At-Risk Learners." InComputers in Education 2001: Australian Topics – Selected Papers from the Seventh WorldConference on Computers in Education. McDougall, Murnane & Chambers editors. Volume8. Sydney: Australian Computer Society.

Stager, Gary. (2002) “Papertian Constructionism and At-Risk Learners” In theProceedings of the 2002 National Educational Computing Conference. Eugene, OR: ISTE
The Monitor on Psychology: "It's More than Fun and Games"

The Informed Parent: "Nurturing Imagination"

IPEMA: "Combating Childhood Obesity with Physical Play Opportunities"

Alliance for Childhood: "Play Fact Sheet"

Fayette County Review: "A Modest Proposal to Slash Public Education"

New York Daily News: "Schools Ripped on Obese Kids"

The Arizona Republic: "Schools Pressured to Cut Recess"

USA Today: "Doctors Warn Against Obesity in Toddlers"

The Association for the Study of Play (TASP)


American Association for the Child's Right to Play (IPA/USA)


Center for Creative Play


Playing for Keeps

Voice of Play

Alliance for Children and Families



Unstructured play leads to healthy brain development, by allowing children the opportunity to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to resolve conflicts and to learn self-advocacy skills. In addition to gaining cognitive problem solving skills, children who play learn how to interact socially and gain social problem-solving skills. Kids who play regularly are better able to develop and sustain friendships, to cooperate, to lead, and to follow. (Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 2005)

Play builds active, healthy bodies… encouraging unstructured play may be an exceptional way to increase physical activity levels in children, which is one important strategy in the resolution of the obesity epidemic. (Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 2005).

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"While constructivism defines learning as the building of knowledge structures inside of one’s head,constructionism suggests that the best way to ensure that such intellectual structures form is through the active construction of something outside of one's head, that is something tangible, somethingshareable. (Stager 2001, 2002)"
Stager, Gary. (2001) "Computationally-Rich Constructionism and At-Risk Learners." InComputers in Education 2001: Australian Topics – Selected Papers from the Seventh WorldConference on Computers in Education. McDougall, Murnane & Chambers editors. Volume8. Sydney: Australian Computer Society.

"In short, our definition of a context for productivelearning is an environment and set of experiences that would lead students to construct knowledgethrough the act of engaging in long-term personally meaningful project work." (Stager, 2005) Constructive Technology as the Key to Entering the Community of Learners. Gary Stager. Originally published in the proceedings of the 2005 National Educational Computing Conference (NECC),Philadelphia, PA, USA. June 2005"