Lesson 2: Creating a Personal Philosophy
What is an eclectic homeschool?
Eclectic homeschooling is what most parents eventually settle into-not necessarily by design, but because it is comfortable and structured homeschooling gradually relaxes into this mode. It is a mixture of the structured and the unstructured.
So much of the learning we do is also a part of any good home life. A child might practice fractions while making cookies. A walk in the park might turn into an unexpected lesson plan on baby birds. A trip to the store teaches children to use a scale. When we live in a state that requires strict records, we begin to notice those little informal lessons, so that we can record them.
Eclectic homeschooling works well for most children who have special needs but don’t require extensive structure. Parents can spend focused time on reading, math, handwriting and disability skills. At the same time, they can minimize the amount of time spent in formal lessons, which is helpful for the child who finds it hard to concentrate or who is ill.
In an eclectic homeschool, a parent might start the morning structured. A reading lesson is followed by a math lesson. Then the parent might have a history craft and a science experiment, followed by physical therapy. Then, after a break, the parent and child might go for a walk and see what lessons develop-this is unstructured. Next, the child might want to go to the library to learn about crickets, because she saw one on her walk and it interested her. This is also unstructured, since it wasn’t planned. Afterwards, she may decide to write about her findings or draw a picture of the cricket. Now the child is leading the learning, exploring her own world in her own way. The parent may guide the process discreetly by asking questions, or planning the walk to go past a certain spot, but in general, it is the child’s interests that lead the remainder of the day. This is a relaxed homeschooling method for parents who feel secure enough to trust chance in some areas. The parent is certain that specific skills were taught and yet has given the child a chance to learn that knowledge is something to be gained for its own sake.
Before starting on an eclectic path, consider which subjects you want to structure and which you want to leave to chance. Plan to cover the structured subject whenever everyone is most fresh. Most parents choose to do the structured part of the day first, but others like to get off to a slow start and gradually settle into structure. It is difficult to do math in an unstructured way, so you may want to plan your math to be structured, as well as early reading lessons. Most other subjects can be handled either way, depending on your goals.
If you are being monitored, be sure to record all your unplanned learning moments. Give them fancy names that sound good on a time sheet. Gardening is botany. Cooking is home economics, math or nutrition. Playing with blocks? How about architecture or geometry? Writing letters to Grandma is English. Physical therapy is gym class. You get the idea. Everything-almost-counts in homeschooling. Once you master the art of assigning academic titles to everyday life, you will be able to enjoy your time together with your children.
