Whether you are new to homeschooling or have been homeschooling for years, you will find you align with certain ideas or styles. It may affect how you structure your school days, the curriculum you choose, or how you decide what content to teach your children. You may even draw from multiple philosophies of education and blend those in your homeschool. The beauty of homeschooling is the ability to combine the elements you love into your home education environment to create the perfect space for learning.

This blog post identifies six popular styles of homeschooling, plus a homeschool-style quiz to help you determine your style.

In this blog post:

Classical
Charlotte Mason
Montessori
Traditional
Unschooling
Waldorf
Homeschool style quiz

Classical

The classical homeschool method is based on the philosophies of the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers. It focuses primarily on reading, writing, thinking, and speaking skills. This method emphasizes logical reasoning, and students learn primarily through literature, rhetoric, and ancient history.

Students may learn through subjects like philosophy, history, and current events. In families with a Christian faith, this may include studying the Bible as a primary text. The goal is for students to develop a self-discipline of learning and reflection.

This method of homeschooling focuses on three stages of learning, called the Trivium: Grammar (ages 4-9), Logic (ages 9-12), and Rhetoric (12-17). The Grammar stage involves learning and memorizing facts. The Logic stage applies reasoning to the knowledge learned. The Rhetoric stage teaches wisdom and judgment.

Charlotte Mason

The Charlotte Mason style of homeschooling emphasizes reading high-quality literature and using education as an atmosphere to develop the whole child. Named after British educator Charlotte Mason, who taught at the turn of the 20th century, this philosophy also encourages time outdoors and the appreciation of art, nature, and music.

Charlotte Mason practices include narration, copywork, nature study, and literature – termed “living books” – meaning that the literature resonates with children and inspires thought about the text even after they are finished reading it.

Charlotte Mason lessons are designed to keep children engaged. They are short in length and seek to develop a love for literature and the skills of expression and articulation through narration. Curriculum is often a bundle of books that can be mixed and matched and may overlap different grades.

Montessori

Montessori homeschooling emphasizes hands-on, play-based learning. This method encourages children to take responsibility for their learning and uplifts each child’s personality. Children are allowed to learn at their own pace and discover their interests independently.

This method values curiosity and creativity and encourages children to follow their unique learning interests. It maximizes freedom and flexibility in learning. It encourages collaboration among students, plus problem-solving, creative thinking, and the freedom to choose between learning activities.

Montessori uses an environment to set the stage for learning. Often, books and toys are set out where children can choose between different activities to learn and play with. Materials are chosen to match the abilities and interests of the child.

Related: Open-Ended Play Must Haves

Traditional

Traditional education is traditionally used in public and private schools. The idea behind a traditional education model is that the purpose of learning is to pass on the skills, facts, and knowledge necessary to learn to be a part of society.

In a traditional model, the focus is on the teachers, not the individual student. Teachers choose what to teach and how to teach it. It often implements traditional coursework, such as textbooks, workbooks, or other established curriculum. It uses a rigid structure that provides students with structure and order.

Unschooling

Unschooling is an informal way of learning that uses real-life experiences like play, household responsibilities, interactions with others, travel, and more for learning. Unschooling is the opposite of a traditional learning environment. It is a lesson-free way of learning that prioritizes the child’s interests above all else, believing this allows for more meaningful learning and greater understanding.

Unschooling is, in some ways, a response to traditional learning methods. Instead of learning facts in a traditional setting that have no personal meaning, through unschooling, children are learning meaningfully as they solve problems and sort out the things they are experiencing in their own lives.

Waldorf

Waldorf education has the goal of educating the whole child – mind, body, and spirit. It de-emphasizes academics, focuses on age-appropriate learning, and does not use textbooks in the early years. It focuses on learning through play, exploring, and the natural world. This style focuses on subjects like art, music, gardening, and foreign language.

The Waldorf method believes that young children learn best through practical activities, and encourages imagination and play. It emphasizes the seasons and the natural rhythm of the world.