A Catalog of Homeschool Approaches
Correspondence Schools and Distance Learning
Eclectic ("build it yourself")
Literature-based (Sonlight, Charlotte Mason, Great Books approach, Robinson)
Autism, dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, blindness, deafness, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, serious illness.
Textbook (Commercial Curriculum)
Unschooling (child-led, delight-directed)
I have several friends who homeschool, but each of them uses a different approach. I am feeling pretty overwhelmed as to where to start. How can I choose what is best for me and my children?
Some of the various homeschooling approaches have in common several elements: dictation, family nights, defined objectives, field trips, use of lesson plans, frequent visits to the library, portfolios, notebooking, worksheets, peer tutoring, mentoring, and narration. When you look at the distinctions between various approaches, it is as important to understand what they have in common as well as their differences.
The first step in choosing a homeschool approach is to gather information about the options that exist. As you study these descriptions and talk to experienced homeschoolers, you can start to get a feel for the style that fits you and your family best.
Answering a few questions about yourself will lead you to an easier decision regarding your homeschooling style: Are you a highly organized person? Do you like your day to be predictable? Or are you inclined to stay flexible, ready to adapt to changing circumstances? Would you prefer that you not be told what to do? Do you want your curriculum to be planned for you, with teacher instructions and worksheets for the children? Or do you want to be able to pick and choose which books they read and which activities to engage in? What is your decorating style at home? Is it more formal, with everything matching, or more eclectic, with lots of variation in the style? Try to understand your own preferences before you take a serious look at your children's learning styles (discussed in chapter 6).
We've been homeschooling for about a year, and I'm looking for a new approach. In the past, we've used mostly textbooks. What alternatives are there?
Many first-time homeschoolers turn to the "school-at-home" textbook approach when they first begin teaching their own children. This is not uncommon. As a parent, you build on what you know; and most of us were educated in the public school system, with regimented hours to the day, and proscribed curricula. But the expectations which are developed for a public school system for neither realistic nor necessary for the homeschool environment.
If you already have a few months of experience of being with and homeschooling your children full-time at home, you may feel the need for "something else." A change in approach might be precipitated by a change in lifestyle, such as a new baby, a move, some new homeschooling friends that you've met, or perhaps you want to form a co-op based on one or more methods of homeschooling.
The alternative approaches for homeschooling are almost unlimited, including that very special approach which will be called "yours," as you fine tune over time. Don't think that you have to know everything about every approach in order to begin somewhere. The key is to take one day at a time, and to continue you own personal development and education. Then, as you grow and change, you will be empowered to make changes in your teaching style, curricula, and you will understand better how to mentor and train your children.
Continued effort at personal development is a key to establishing a successful homeschool. Get Dad involved in this, too, because his support will be crucial to your success. Every homeschooling approach should include a defacto explanation that "Dad is important to success," even if that means that once in a while he gives Mom a much needed evening all to herself while he watches the kids. Some dads are more involved than others, ranging from reading a bedtime story to conducting science experiments in the back yard. But at all levels of involvement, your day will run smoother if you know that Dad is in the background somewhere, cheering you on.
My kids aren't cooperating in our homeschool. What approach would you recommend?
Changing your homeschool philosophy or approach isn't necessarily going to make your children more compliant with your educational requests of them. You may need to back up a step, and work on getting them personally committed to their individual goals (see PROJECT). When each person takes the time to analyze, discover, and commit to a path leading to a desired outcome, then half the job is done already. Without that level of commitment and desire, then your homeschooling efforts may flounder.
That said, there are changes in approach which could help ease the way for you. If you have been trying a "school-at-home" textbook approach, try exploring the Charlotte Mason approach, take a nature walk, or look into using the ideas of the "Scout School" approach. Sometimes just giving the kids the day off for some R&R can clear the air and let you start over the next day.
No matter what your homeschool approach, this advice is valid:
Charlotte Mason tells us we would have happier households if we mothers "would only have courage to let everything go when life becomes too tense, and just take a day, or a half a day, out in the fields, or with a favorite book, or in a picture gallery. . ." to rest and play, like our children.
If you have ever asked yourself any of the following questions, visit the descriptions below of the various homeschool approaches. You will find yourself better prepared to make the daily decisions that are yours to make as a homeschooling parent.
Are there recommended approaches for younger children? For older children?
My children are ages 2 through 17. What is the best approach for a large family?
Do I need a lesson plan?
What is the Charlotte Mason approach? What does a Charlotte Mason day look like?
How would I implement the Classical approach?"
Practically speaking, what specific thing should I do TODAY to unschool my child?
My friend calls herself an "Eclectic" Homeschooler. What does she mean?
How is unschooling different from other approaches?
My child is a gifted (or delayed) learner. What is the best homeschool approach for him?
A Catalog of Homeschool Approaches
“Accelerated” is a term signifying advanced studies. Acceleration allows the child to study and work several levels above his “age level.” Acceleration among homeschoolers is very common. Don’t be surprised to find that your child is eager and ready to explore the higher levels of learning, now that he has the freedom to do so. Some homeschoolers make the decision to teach their children at home because of the child’s advanced academic abilities. The public school system just can’t stretch to accommodate all of their child’s various needs and ability levels. A child needing remedial work might be accommodated in the public school system, but the child who is ready for more advanced work often is left to his own devices. When that need reaches critical mass, then the decision to homeschool allows the parent to “accelerate” the course work.
For some students, this means advanced work several grade levels above his “age expectation” in one or two subjects. For other students, one or two whole grade levels may be skipped, as the homeschool academic structure adapts to the true ability level of the child.
Many homeschoolers are already advanced in their studies compared to public schoolers, simply because the individualization afforded them in a homeschool setting allows them to proceed with purposeful learning in a time-effective way.
Lori Learner says that through using the Aesthetic Realism approach to teaching, that her students love to learn. She writes:
"Aesthetic Realism explains about the relation of accurate knowledge and ethics: when a child sees reality's opposites in a subject, he or she learns, and also becomes kinder to people standing for reality. Founded in 1941, the Aesthetic Realism method is based on the philosophy of Eli Siegel. "The purpose of education," Mr. Siegel explained, "is to like the world" (Self and World, p. 5). Further, the reason we can like the world is that it has a structure that is interesting, sensible, even beautiful—and is related to our very selves. That structure is described in the following principle, stated by Siegel: "The world, art, and self explain each other: each is the aesthetic oneness of opposites" (Four Statements of Aesthetic Realism, 1967)." (from http://www.aestheticrealism.net/education_aesthetic_LL_b.htm).
One of the simplest (and oldest) methods of teaching is to find a mentor. For centuries, those who are proficient in their fields (the tutor, the master, the expert) have been teaching those who wanted to gain skills, knowledge, or expertise (the apprentice, the learner, the novice). What could be more desirable or easier than connecting your child with a mentor (once you have found a willing master teacher, that is).
Charlotte Mason was an educator in England during the previous century, and her methods are currently experiencing a rebirth among American home schools. “The end result of a Charlotte Mason education,” Catherine Levison, author of "A Charlotte Mason Education" writes, “is that children ‘find knowledge so delightful that it becomes a pursuit and source of happiness for a lifetime.”
Living BooksCharlotte Mason strongly encouraged the use of "living books" instead of textbooks for a child's education. Living books, sometimes called classics, are those books that spark a child's imagination, that speak to his heart as well as his mind, that are not works of an education "committee", but rather they are works of art and craft that have stood the test of time. Often they use a higher vocabulary than the average child's reading fare. A living book will promote elevated thoughts and aspirations in the reader.
Narration
One of the hallmarks of the Charlotte Mason approach is an emphasis on narration. Charlotte defined narration as "the mind putting questions to itself." Narration is when a child reads a book (or when a book or passage is read to the child), and then the child reports back about the contents of the book. This reporting, or narration, can take various forms: a written report, a drawing, a discussion, a poster, or even a dramatic enactment. Penny Gardner, author of A CHomeharlotte Mason Study Guide, says that a child's "listening, attention, comprehension, retention, speaking, and writing skills all improve from using narration as a major part of education." Charlotte Mason recommended that formal narrations not begin before age six, although informal, spontaneous "retellings" can be preparatory to the written narration.. Penny recommends that written narrations begin around age ten. She explains:
Literature, history, geography, science, Bible study, art appreciation
are among the academic subjects that work really well using a narration
approach. If a student can explain how to solve a math problem, that is
a narration that proves he has learned the concept. Narrations need not
be essays. Sketching a map from memory or drawing a diagram of the
parts of a flower or listing ten facts that you recall are all valid
narrations. (from http://members.aol.com/PennyGar/intro.html)
See http://home.att.net/~bandcparker/cmlinks.html for an annotated set of links to the Charlotte Mason approach. For a great page with A-Z defined terms using the Charlotte Mason approach, visit http://homepage.bushnell.net/~peanuts/faq1.html.
Most Classical Educators agree that one of the main goals of classical education is to teach the individual to learn independently. If one "learns how to learn", that skill will follow them through life and be a great asset. See http://www.schoolofabraham.com/classical.htm, http://www.classicalhomeschooling.org, and http://home.att.net/~bandcparker/cchlinks.html for great sources of information on the various classical education approaches.
Christine Miller (www.classicalhomeschooling.org) wrote a concise statement describing the answer to the question "What is Classical Education?," as follows:
The core of Classical Education is the trivium, which simply put is a teaching model that seeks to tailor the curriculum subject matter to a child’s cognitive development. The trivium (www.classicalhomeschooling.org/trivium.html) emphasizes concrete thinking and memorization of the facts of the subjects in grade school; analytical thinking and understanding of the subjects in middle school; and abstract thinking and articulation of the subjects in high school. Subjects unique to Classical Education which help accomplish the goals of the trivium are:
(www.classicalhomeschooling.org/grammar/grammar.html)
the science of language usage
Logic
(www.classicalhomeschooling.org/dialectic/logic.html)
the science of right thinking
(www.classicalhomeschooling.org/rhetoric/rhetoric.html)
the science of verbal and written expression
Classical Christian Education is further characterized by a rich exposure to the history, art, and culture of Western Civilization, including its languages (Latin and Greek), its philosophy and literature (the Great Books of Western Civilization and the Christian tradition), and the development of a Biblical worldview with Theology in its proper place as the queen of the sciences.
Beth Parker (http://home.att.net/~bandcparker/methods.html) is another Classical Educator. Her description of Classical Education follows:
A classical education consists of three parts. The Grammar stage is characterized by memorization, classification, and the collecting of knowledge. Facts are squirreled away to be fodder for the later Dialectic stage, and the study of Latin is undertaken. Latin develops orderliness of mind and discipline of character, as well as building language and vocabulary skills. The Grammar stage is followed by the Dialectic stage, which is characterized by the development of abstract reasoning ability and the beginning of analytical thought. The study of logic commences, and the student begins to analyze and evaluate the great ideas of the ages. Logic further trains the mind and affords the student the skills he needs to properly assess what he reads. He also begins to inter-relate the bits of knowledge he has accumulated, determining the process of cause-and-effect and synthesizing the various branches of knowledge into a unified whole.
The Rhetoric stage begins when the student has begun to achieve success with the goals of the Dialectic stage. He begins to develop his own power of insight and the capacity to evaluate what he reads, and the ability to write and communicate his knowledge persuasively to others is a major goal. The training of the Rhetoric stage is intensively focused on reading and writing, particularly reading the Great Books and considering the ideas that are contained in them. The end of the Rhetoric stage is not the end of the student's education, but the beginning. From this point, he can begin to participate in "the Great Conversation" of the Western world. The classical training he has received should free him to debate the ideas of the ages from a position of knowledge, and it is hoped, a degree of wisdom.
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Interested to see how Charlotte Mason and Classical Education compare? Click here for an interesting take on the question: http://home.att.net/~bandcparker/methods.html |
Constructivism is "a philosophy of learning founded on the
premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct
our own understanding of the world we live in. Each of us
generates our own "rules" and "mental models," which we use
to make sense of our experiences. Learning, therefore, is
simply the process of adjusting our mental models to
accommodate new experiences." from
http://www.funderstanding.com/constructivism.cfm)
There are several guiding principles of constructivism:
- Learning is a search for meaning. Therefore, learning must start with the issues around which students are actively trying to construct meaning.
- Meaning requires understanding wholes as well as parts. And parts must be understood in the context of wholes. Therefore, the learning process focuses on primary concepts, not isolated facts.
- The purpose of learning is for an individual to construct his or her own meaning, not just memorize the "right" answers and regurgitate someone else's meaning.
Constructivism calls for the elimination of a standardized curriculum. Instead, it promotes using curricula customized to the students' prior knowledge. Also, it emphasizes hands-on problem solving. (Jacqueline and Martin Brooks, The Case for Constructivist Classrooms). Brooks and Brooks (1995) list five important principles for constructivist learning:
- Posing problems of emerging relevance to students.
- Structuring learning around primary concepts.
- Seeking and valuing students' points of view.
- Adapting curriculum to address students' suppositions.
- Assessing student learning in the context of teaching.
Brooks, Martin and Brooks, Jacqueline (1995) In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms, Alexandria, VA, ASCD. See also http://www.funderstanding.com/constructivism.cfm, and http://www.owu.edu/~mggrote/pp/construct/f_construct.html.
Also known as the “better late than early” approach to homeschooling. Raymond and Dorothy Moore are strong proponents of this approach. They wrote:
Should academic excellence be the goal of every homeschooling parent?
1) Scripture memorization 2) The Moore Formula three-point program
of work, service 3) Guided questioning 4) Observation skills 5) Building skill levels
(from www.moorefoundation.com) |
From the Harvey Bluedorn camp (a family of Classical Educators), we
read the following very interesting chart (http://www.triviumpursuit.com/articles/ten_to_do_before_ten.htm):
|
Ten things to do with Children before age 10 |
|
|
1. Reading & Writing |
Intensive Phonics; Copywork; start English Language Notebook |
|
2. Oral Narration |
Daily |
|
3. Memorization |
Bible; poetry; passages of literature; Greek and/or Hebrew alphabet |
|
4. Hearing & Listening |
Read aloud 2 hours per day from a variety of fiction and nonfiction; start History Notebook; timeline |
|
5. Family Worship |
Family Bible study morning and evening using grammar level questions |
|
6. Arts & Crafts |
Provide the time, space, and materials; develop creativity |
|
7. Field Trips & Library |
Start learning elementary library research; investigate the world |
|
8. Work & Service |
Schedule for chores; visit nursing home, etc. |
|
9. Discipline |
First-time obedience |
|
10. Play & Exploration |
Develop the imagination |
Eclectic ("build it yourself")
See http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/clayvessel/index.htm#what for a great essay on the application of "eclectic" homeschooling.
Foxfire (from http://www.foxfire.org/teachi.htm):
In the Foxfire Approach, learning environments are characterized by student involvement and action, by thoughtful reflection and rigorous assessment, by imagination and problem solving, by applications beyond the classroom for what is learned, and by meaningful connections to the community. In these classrooms, students build the ability to work collaboratively and assume responsibility for their own learning processes.The work teachers and learners do together is infused from the beginning with learner choice, design, and revision. The central focus of the work grows out of learners' interests and concerns. Most problems that arise during classroom activity are solved in collaboration with learners, and learners are supported in the development of their ability to solve problems and accept responsibility.
The academic integrity of the work teachers and learners do together is clear. Mandated skills and learning expectations are identified to the class. Through collaborative planning and implementation, students engage and accomplish the mandates. In addition, activities assist learners in discovering the value and potential of the curricula and its connections to other disciplines.
The role of the teacher is that of facilitator and collaborator. Teachers are responsible for assessing and attending to learners' developmental needs, providing guidance, identifying academic givens, monitoring each learner's academic and social growth, and leading each into new areas of understanding and competence.
The work is characterized by active learning. Learners are thoughtfully engaged in the learning process, posing and solving problems, making meaning, producing products, and building understandings. Because learners engaged in these kinds of activities are risk takers operating on the edge of their competence, the classroom environment provides an atmosphere of trust where the consequence of a mistake is the opportunity for further learning.
Peer teaching, small group work, and teamwork are all consistent features of classroom activities. Every learner is not only included, but needed, and, in the end, each can identify her or his specific stamp upon the effort.
There is an audience beyond the teacher for learner work. It may be another individual, or a small group, or the community, but it is an audience the learners want to serve or engage. The audience, in turn, affirms the work is important, needed, and worth doing.
New activities spiral gracefully out of the old, incorporating lessons learned from past experiences, building on skills and understandings that can now be amplified. Rather than completion of a study being regarded as the conclusion of a series of activities, it is regarded as the starting point for a new series.
Reflection is an essential activity that takes place at key points throughout the work. Teachers and learners engage in conscious and thoughtful consideration of the work and the process. It is this reflective activity that evokes insight and gives rise to revisions and refinements.
Connections between the classroom work, the surrounding communities, and the world beyond the community are clear. Course content is connected to the community in which the learners live. Learners' work will "bring home" larger issues by identifying attitudes about and illustrations and implications of those issues in their home communities.
Imagination and creativity are encouraged in the completion of learning activities. It is the learner's freedom to express and explore, to observe and investigate, and to discover that are the basis for aesthetic experiences. These experiences provide a sense of enjoyment and satisfaction and lead to deeper understanding and an internal thirst for knowledge.
Heart of Wisdom (from http://www.heartofwisdom.com/howcurr/):
The Heart of Wisdom teaching approach is for those who want to make the Bible the focus of all learning. It is a combination of several teaching methods: The Heart of Wisdom teaching approach is a combination of several teaching methods. Chapters in this section examine each: Charlotte Mason’s philosophy; Delight Directed Learning; The 4Mat System; Ruth Beechick’s Language Arts Methods; Integrated Unit Study Method; and Writing-to-Learn Philosophy (also called the Notebook or Portfolio Approach).
Bible First (academics are important but secondary)
http://www.angelfire.com/ne/meandmyhouse/led.html
(Sonlight, Charlotte Mason, Great Books approach, Robinson)
From http://www.wdn.com/trust/ims/Mont.htm:
Montessori teaching today aims to duplicate the first
environment of Dr. Montessori, by following such laws of
nature as: "Observation," "Individual Liberty," and
"Preparation of the Environment." These three Montessori
principles guide the teacher to "control the environment, not
the child"; to look at the child as an "unknown entity" and
allow its true nature to freely emerge.
Montessori teaching is therefore a way of
being committed to these three fundamental laws of nature.
This special way of being allows the child to freely emerge
according to its own true nature; its "normalized" being.
Montessori teacher education is an "inner preparation" to
become aware of these principles so that they can be put into
practice with children. The idea of "control the
environment, not the child" must be employed, and this
requires a particular care in controlling one's own
"personality".
Harvey Bluedorn made the following prediction regarding the school-at-home approach (from http://www.triviumpursuit.com/articles/suggested_course_of_study.htm):
If you try to follow a classroom model in your homeschool –
dragging in
the desks and chalkboard, conforming to a one-size-fits-all
scope-and-sequence method, following a rigid bell-ringer
schedule, and
the like – you will probably buckle under the burden. That
kind of
schooling does not fit well in a homeschool environment. Rare
is the
pair of parents who have the time and the talents to bear
such burdens.
It will truly test your determination to homeschool. The
great strength
and advantage of homeschooling is that it releases you from
the burdens
of the classroom and invites you into the natural schooling
environment
of one-on-one tutoring in your own home.
Homeschoolers are raising a generation of custom-built
children – no
factory models here. We want to keep it that way.
Scout School (from http://www.geocities.com/cherokeegs/ScoutSchool/):
Using Scout badge requirements for supplementing home-school curriculum
These badge requirements will provide a myriad of ideas you can use in your home school curriculum. All activities can be done by both boys and girls. The outline gives a very brief description of what the requirement entails, so you will have to get the appropriate book in order to do the requirement properly. Also, some requirements are mandatory and others are optional for certain badges, so again you will need the book.
Socratic / Padeia (found at http://www.funderstanding.com/paideia.cfm).
The Padeia plan is built on the understanding that education serves to prepare individuals for (1) earning a living, (2) citizenship, and (3) self-development. With that in mind, here is the plan's proposed framework:
GOALS Acquisition of organized knowledge; Development of intellectual skills (learning skills); Enlarged understanding of ideas and values.
MEANS Didactic instruction; Coaching, exercises; supervised practice; Socratic questioning and active participation.
AREAS Language, literature, fine arts, math, natural science, history, geography, social studies; Speaking, listening, calculating, problem solving, critical judgment; Discussion of books (not texts) and art performances.
Autism, dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, blindness, deafness, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, serious illness. See http://www.kinderstart.com/educationdaycarechildcare/homeschooling/specialneedschildren.html
Unit Studies
Unschooling (child-led, delight-directed)
Compiled by Harvey Bluedorn:
(http://www.triviumpursuit.com/articles/early_academics_and_unschooling.htm)
Unschooling, In Their Own Words
The Unschooling Method (John Holt) seeks to provide an
unstructured and
unguided environment of books and resources. Parents 1)
provide a model
of interest in learning, 2) involve their children in their
own adult
experiences, 3) surround them with a rich environment of
resources, 4)
make themselves available to answer questions and suggest
things to
help the children to explore their own interests. Here, in
the words of
the proponents of unschooling, are definitions for the term
unschooling:
SOURCE #1: Unschooling Undefined, by Eric Anderson
http://www.olin.wustl.edu/Staff/bradford/unschool.html
. . .Where unschoolers differ from other homeschoolers is the
extent to
which we let children be responsible for their own education.
.
.Unschoolers believe that the natural curiosity of a healthy
child,
given access to a rich environment, will lead the child to
learn what
he or she needs to know. . .Child-driven learning is
fundamentally
active. Children are doing things because they have taken
responsibility for carrying out the actions needed to fulfill
their
desires. Unschooling is centered around the idea of learning,
with the
student as the center of action and the source of activity,
rather than
on the idea of teaching (with the teacher as the center of
action and
the source of activity). . . .The child learns that if he
wants
something to happen, he has to make it happen. . .Unschooling
families
do not set up miniature classrooms, with time set aside for
studying, a
parent playing the role of teacher, formal lesson plans and
imposed
curricula. Beyond that limit, we differ in how much order we
try to
lend to the learning process. "Radical" unschoolers impose
little or no
structure, though books and such are available to act as
guides. Others
allow children to learn what they wish, but provide strong
organizational assistance to help the children reach their
goals.
(Assistance can take the form of lessons, or workbooks, or
even
assigned projects.) Some families use curricula for some
subjects
(often math) but are freer with others. Most try to squeeze
learning
out of the activities of everyday life.
SOURCE #2: Defining Unschooling, by Pam Sorooshian
http://www.comenius.org/chn/netnews/unschool.htm
. . .A better way to state the unschooling position is that
children
should not be forced to learn something against their will. .
.
.Unschoolers trust children to choose to learn and they
recognize that
the deepest and most satisfying learning comes about when
someone is at
least fascinated with, if not passionate about, a subject. .
.
.Unschooling does mean that parents have consciously decided
to leave
many, most, or all decisions about what and how to learn up
to the
learner. . .Unschoolers believe that there is so much that is
worth
learning and so many ways to learn anything that there is no
good
reason to force anyone to learn certain materials at certain
times or
in certain ways. Across this spectrum, unschoolers are
distinguished by
their high degree of confidence that children will benefit
from being
allowed tremendous amounts of freedom to choose their own
educational
paths.
I believe that we learn best when we, not others, are
deciding what we
are going to try to learn, and when, and how, and for that
reasons or
purposes; when we, not others, are in the end choosing the
people,
materials, and experiences from which and with which we will
be
learning; when we, not others, are judging how easily or
quickly or how
well we are learning, and when we have learned enough; and
above all
when we feel the wholeness and openness of the world around
us, and our
own freedom and power and competence in it. What then do we
do about it? How can we create or help create these
conditions for learning?
John Holt, from What Do I Do Monday
John Holt's ending in the book "How Children Learn" is a good
definition of unschooling. "Birds fly, fish swim, man thinks
and
learns. Therefore, we do not need to motivate children into
learning by
wheedling, bribing or bullying. We do not need to keep
picking away at
their minds to make sure they are learning. What we need to
do, and all
we need to do, is bring as much of the world as we can into
the school
and classroom (in our case, into their lives); give children
as much
help and guidance as they ask for; listen respectfully when
they feel
like talking; and then get out of the way. We can trust them
to do the
rest."
SOURCE #3: What is Unschooling?, by Earl Stevens
Then what is unschooling? I can't speak for every person who
uses the
term, but I can talk about my own experiences. Our son has
never had an
academic lesson, has never been told to read or to learn
mathematics,
science, or history. Nobody has told him about phonics. He
has never
taken a test or has been asked to study or memorize anything.
When
people ask, "What do you do?" My answer is that we follow our
interests
- and our interests inevitably lead to science, literature,
history,
mathematics, music - all the things that have interested
people before
anybody thought of them as "subjects."
Waldorf
http://www.fortnet.org/rsws/waldorf/faq.html
What is unique about Waldorf education? How is it different
from other
alternatives (public schooling, Montessori, unschooling,
etc.)?
The best overall statement on what is unique about Waldorf
education is
to be found in the stated goals of the schooling: "to produce
individuals who are able, in and of themselves, to impart
meaning to
their lives".
The aim of Waldorf schooling is to educate the whole child,
"head,
heart and hands". The curriculum is as broad as time will
allow, and
balances academics subjects with artistic and practical
activities. Waldorf teachers are dedicated to creating a genuine love of
learning
within each child. By freely using arts and activities in the
service
of teaching academics, an internal motivation to learn is
developed in
the students, doing away with the need for competitive
testing and
grading.
Some distinctive features of Waldorf education include the
following:
• Academics are de-emphasized in the early years of
schooling.
There is no academic content in the Waldorf kindergarten
experience
(although there is a good deal of cultivation of pre-academic
skills),
and minimal academics in first grade. Reading is not taught
until
second or third grade, though the letters are introduced
carefully in
first and second.
• During the elementary school years (grades 1-8) the
students
have a class (or "main lesson") teacher who stays with the
same class
for (ideally) the entire eight years of elementary school.
• Certain activities which are often considered "frills" at
mainstream schools are central at Waldorf schools: art,
music,
gardening, and foreign languages (usually two in elementary
grades), to
name a few. In the younger grades, all subjects are
introduced through
artistic mediums, because the children respond better to this
medium
than to dry lecturing and rote learning. All children learn
to play
recorder and to knit.
• There are no "textbooks" as such in the first through fifth
grades. All children have "main lesson books", which are
their own
workbooks which they fill in during the course of the year.
They
essentially produce their own "textbooks" which record their
experiences and what they've learned. Upper grades use
textbooks to
supplement their main lesson work.
• Learning in a Waldorf school is a noncompetitive activity.
There are no grades given at the elementary level; the
teacher writes a
detailed evaluation of the child at the end of each school
year.
• The use of electronic media, particularly television, by
young
children is strongly discouraged in Waldorf schools.
