What is the most used homeschooling method ?

Question

I.E : classical , eclectic , unschooling ,unit study . If you know the % of homeschoolers who use that would be great !

Also : what is the most commonly used curriculum ? ( A Beka , Bob Jones ,etc ) Which one do you use and WHY ?

Answer 1

I agree with the one answer in that it would be difficult to get an accurate percentage since some states are not homeschool friendly so they don't have ready access to these stats.  However, you might try HSLDA online and find that they have some stats you could use.

I know that classical education is on the rise and I personally feel it is the most effective method of education.  I use it with my own homeschool.  Classical ed has similar properties to unit studies because of the philosophy behind it.

A solid History curriculum like Mystery of History or Story of the World series are great for this.  I use Spell to Write and read for my beginner language arts and to reinforce spelling and reading skills.  Making Math Meaningful is a great math curriculum and classical in its approach.

Hope this gives you some input.

Answer 2

I don't think research has ever been done on either of your questions. It would be hard to really get accurate statistics, too, because there are trends in different areas.

Btw, eclectic isn't so much a method as a combination of methods. And I don't use a formal curriculum. I pick up things here and there. For example, we have "Story of the World" which is by the same people who put out the book "The Well-Trained Mind" (one form of classical education), but we don't follow a classical approach. The kids picked their own workbooks for math this year. They also selected A Beka cursive books. We do what we want for science and social studies (or the kids do what I want them to do). Yes, we are eclectic. ;)

Answer 3

I agree with the other homeschooling moms.  It would be impossible to cite the percentage of homeschoolers using a particular homeschooling approach; the stats just aren't available.

I just began homeschooling in November 2006, and for my second grader, this year, I am using Christian Liberty Press for Phonics and Spelling; Bob Jones for Reading and Science; Singapore Math for Math; and various other books, projects, etc.  

I am using Christian Liberty Press, because I purchased some of their text/workbooks in May and really liked them.  I'm using the Bob Jones for Reading, because I know my son will enjoy the stories, and I like their Science book too.  I'm going to try Singapore Math, because it is highly recommended by homeschoolers I know.

As a newer homeschooler, I had thought of purchasing a "school in a box" curriculum.  However, I'm learning to use what works for my child and to "throw out" the rest.

Answer 4

All of the above.

Often families will change, or adapt the methods used, and alter curriculum's to fit their unique needs.

It is the exception where families start with a "boxed"  curriculum, and stick with it throughout their whole home school journey.

When first starting out it is not always known how the children will best learn, and what works for them.

To stay true to what home schooling really is supposed to be, as well as provide an individualized education to our children, it is important to be flexible, and open to alternatives in both the methods, and materials used.

Answer 5

The point of unschooling is not using a method but to rely on genuine life experience and curiosity to guide learning.  Since I was educated as a teacher, I'm bringing a lot of my own experience to the table.  I also bring the pure ideals of education, not the political structure of curriculum choices (that's what homeschoolers really rail against more than anything else--the politics of education).  

Math and science were not done with a curriculum (math was my specialty K-12).  We worked on building skills logically over time and were often well ahead of other children the same "grade."  Language arts was done similarly but we focused on building vocabulary through breaking down word structure.  This was tied in with social studies and culture.  It was as much student led as it was parent facilitated.

Answer 6

I think those statics are going to be really hard to find because homeschool is sometimes an underground movement.  No one really knows how many millions of homeschoolers there are in the US.

A lot of websites will tell you that many homeschoolers use a variety of methods= eclectic.

I do not use a formal curriculum because I don't want to bring the public school home.  I believe the home is the best place for real learning and that the parents are the best teachers.

I also believe that a formal curriculum based on workbooks or textbooks teaches students how to respond in a desired manner but not how to think- that little real learning is actually taking place.