Fearless Homeschool

 

Welcome to the ninth, and final, post in the Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Styles series! Click here to view the rest of the series.

 
The Ultimate Guide to Eclectic Homeschooling - Fearless Homeschool
 

Eclectic homeschooling is the style that isn’t a style! Basically, it’s a catch-all style for people that develop their own way of homeschooling that doesn’t really fit into any other style.

 

When you have educational freedom, then fitting yourself into any educational philosophy, even an alternative one, can be constricting.

 
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, visit my disclosure page.
 

Think of homeschooling like a buffet restaurant. Each style is a specific diet. Maybe classical is vegetarian, so you’ll skip the meat. Unit study devotees are lactose intolerant, so won’t choose anything with dairy. And Montessori can be Paleo – no dinner rolls for them!

 

If you’re eclectic at the homeschooling buffet, you can choose it all. As an example, you can use a classical approach to maths and grammar, do Charlotte Mason nature study, have a Steiner-style morning circle time, organise a few unit studies based on interests, and incorporate project-based activities. All together, the activities and approach add up to a richly varied and comprehensive education.

 
The idea is to educate, not follow anyone's schedule about when something should be studied - Eclectic Homeschooling quote from Ray Drouillard, featured on Fearless Homeschool.
 

Most homeschoolers morph into eclectic homeschooling once they relax and find their groove. No style suits everyone in everything. And not every style covers everything that you may want to learn well. The solution is to pick and choose.

 

Realistically, you’re unique. Your children are unique. Your life circumstances, no matter how boring you think they are, are unique. Why wouldn’t your homeschool style also be uniquely tailored to you?

 
There isn't any known way to bulk–educate; it's all custom work. John Taylor Gatto quote featured on Fearless Homeschool.
 

The Good Points

  • Completely personalised learning. Each child can be given resources that are suited to their development level, interests, and ability.
  • Choose the best of everything! Eclectic homeschooling allows you to choose the resources and activities that suit each particular learning area for you
  • If you like to keep your options open, you’ll love it
  • Strictly adhering to a specific style can be stressful if it doesn’t fit perfectly. Allowing yourself to pick and choose removes that stress.
  • You can find resources that will be great for varied ages if you have more than one child, and spend more time doing work as a family, not separately.
 

The Not-So-Good Points

  • You’ll have to review and decide from a greater range of resources. If you find a lot of choice overwhelming, this will freak you out.
  • You’ll need a greater knowledge of all the different styles and approaches, in order to know the options available to you (start here!)
  • It can take a while to find your groove, in terms of getting to know your child’s interests and abilities intimately, and learning what works for your family.
 
Instead of a national curriculum for education, what is really needed is an individual curriculum for every child - Charles Handy quote featured on Fearless Homeschool.
 

Further resources

Zero to Homeschool – If you’d like to craft your own ultimate homeschool, then this course if for you! Over eight weeks you’ll learn specific information and carry out targeted tasks in order to make the homeschool (and life) that suits your family perfectly. Find out more here.

 

 The Relaxed Art of Eclectic Homeschooling | Amber Oliver

eBook

Take a tour through our eclectic homeschool (video and resource list)

 

Each of my other Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Styles posts has resources specific to that style – take a look at the ones that interest you for more ideas to fit into your homeschool.

 

Also, take a look at my Eclectic Homeschooling Pinterest board to discover fantastic resources that will help you work out what to include in your unique homeschool.

Follow Kelly | Fearless Homeschool’s board Eclectic Homeschooling on Pinterest.

 

12 Responses

  1. We definitely fit into this category. I like to say we are child led, but I guide math, language arts, and vocabulary. I am also a meticulous note keeper as far as what she is doing. It’s amazing to me the depth of subject and variety she has went through this year, especially in history which I wasn’t really expecting to be of much interest to her, and science which I was expecting. Also that she shows less interest in computers than I had expected. This is like a whole new and wonderful way for me to get to know her interests.

    1. So I just found your blog . I’m currently researching and hoping to start homeschooling next school year . We will be taking our daughter ( 1st grade ) out of public school so I’ve been anxious about her adjusting . I’ve been so overwhelmed with information , then I found you! Thank you thank you thank you !!! Your blog is amazing , the content is amazing and I finally feel like I’ve found my saving grace . Thank you for taking the time to break everything down and make sense of it all. I can’t put my phone down , I can’t stop reading . Well done ! Thank you again.

  2. This is definitely our homeschooling style once we relaxed and realized we didn’t need to re-create public school at home. Reading about the different types of homeschooling really helped us when we were first starting out. Thanks for sharing!

  3. The main thing I’m concerned about is the reporting and all the proof they ask for (We are in Queensland) I applied once before and when we got to the point where I had to do up a plan I got completely overwhelmed and gave up and went with distance Ed instead, but this way I’m still not getting to teach my kids what I think they need instead of all these extras they cram into education these days, I know what I want to teach them but When asked to spell it all out in such detail that feels almost impossible to me and is very overwhelming, I wish someone could do the paperwork & ‘proof’ side of it for me

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