How did YOU decide which way to go school wise?

[Luanne]

What I am trying to ask is how did you come to a decision regarding whether to be neoclassical, traditional classical, or Charlotte Mason (or whatever your style) and how did you decide when choosing TOG, AO, or whatever? I am hoping I am making sense here.

[Friederike in Persia]

loved it, got dh on board, that was that.:party:

[Pata]

We started with Abeka and I wasn't happy, to many workbooks and not enough books. So a friend pointed me to Sonlight and I got a catalog. I really like what I saw, so we started Sonlight this year. From the start, I wasn't impressed with their LA and that started my journey of looking at the different philosophies. I read all the books my library had about homeschooling. The WTM seemed to be the only one that really fit me and my style. So now we seek to blend WTM with Sonlight!

[Bee]

I tried a little bit of almost everything.I knew I wanted something with lots of books for the children to read so I tended to lean toward curriculums and teaching methods that incorporate that.We've done textbooks,Sonlight,WTM,Waldorf,CM,and unschooling.I thought my children would offer me some opinions and insight as to what method they prefered but their answers and opinions are seldom clear.Usually the only feedback I get is "Whatever you want,mom".So I'm leaning toward following TWTM methods more closely next year,especially with my oldest child.But it's never completely one method over another.I use what works for us and I don't worry if I'm not following the method or the teacher's manual exactly.

[gandpsmommy]

I began reading about hsing when dd was in my womb! I knew that we would be hsers from before the time dd was conceived, but when she was three or four I felt a pressing need to really define for myself what our approach to education would be and to articulate some goals. We lived in a small university town with a large, diverse group of hsers, so the public library had a wide selection of books on the subject. I began reading any new book that I could find. I read about unschooling, unit studies, school at home, etc. And then, a friend recommended TWTM. I read it, and it resonated with me as none of the other books had. We tweaked it to meet our dd's needs, but we used TWTM as a starting point. This year, I had been feeling rather harried about all of the subjects we were attempting and how challenging it was to fit it all in. I happened to also buy The Latin Centered Curriculum, which I had heard about but never gotten around to reading. After reading it, I felt very strongly that truly classical education is the way for us. We plan to move to LCC in the fall. Or to mesh the two approaches in our own unique way. :001_smile:

[angela in ohio]

I had two weeks to prepare to homeschool my K dd when we pullled her out. I read everything in the library, and WTM struck a chord with me. I started out following it pretty closely, except that I couldn't afford much of the curriculum, so I had to use library resources and the internet to create math curriculum and a reading program.

 

As the years have gone by, I've read all of the CM books, read books on Montessori, read the Bluedorns site and book, started listening to CiRCE and Veritas conferences, pored over Christian classical school sites and materials, read LCC and Climbing Parnassus, and on and on and on... My biggest influences have been CiRCE and Veritas.

 

I've pretty much fused it all into what we do now.

 

I think as far as materials, I end up trying half of them and seeing what we like, LOL. A lot of them I can rule out quickly as (1.) not rigorous enough for a core subject, or (2.) too involved for a content subject.

[Trivium Academy]

In order of consideration: Abeka, Sonlight, WTM*, Charlotte Mason, LCC, Thomas Jefferson Ed, Veritas Press, looked at all curriculums that are even remotely classical, TOG*

 

I've read many books, but have only used WTM, Ruth Beechick, Ambleside/Mater Amabilis, and now Tapestry of Grace. My copy of WTM is about to be moved to a different shelf than my primary resource shelf. I may have read wide and learned about different curriculums and approaches but I haven't changed curriculum until I found what I was looking for. I thought I was looking for an approach to adopt but really I was looking for validation for how I already felt. So now I have more confidence to follow *our* approach and be okay if we're a CM/WTM/TOG/TJed/LCC blend to others.

 

Luanne, I know you're looking and I did the same thing, asked the board the same questions...maybe this will help you cut down your chase. I wish I would have known to do this from the beginning instead of getting wrapped up into each book like it was something enlightening that I had to read all the way through.

 

1. Identify how (and why) each subject is taught.

2. Identify the main thought which summarizes the book (curriculum).

3. Record your thoughts based on #1, #2.

4. Make a mock week using the ideas you like, assess what you can do without changing curricula. For example, you can change your teaching style or how much time you spend daily on a subject without changing curricula.

 

Each educational philosophy/approach has different reasons for how/why they teach each subject, although they be similar concerning why in the main subjects, sometimes the how to teach is different and that will make a difference to you.

 

Hey, I just noticed we have MORE smileys! Sorry, off subject.

[Soph the vet]

We were about to put our oldest in a new charter school that was classical. They recommended reading WTM which I did. It made so much sense to me, the chronological approach to history, the four year cycle, etc. A little more research sealed it for me to go classical and that I could do it at home.

[chiguirre]

Trial and error. I read the WTM and a ton of other hsing books, and while both WTM and CM have influenced my long term goals, what we actually do everyday is a product of practical experience. I do think this is due to the ages of my kids. When you're working with a first grader and a PK/Ker, a lot of the longer term elements of both WTM and CM don't come into play. You're working on learning to read and as much as I'd like to follow a guided path, each child needs what they need when they need it. I learned the hard way to be more flexible, back up, take a break from phonics and use a sight word reader for a while, pick up with phonics, etc. As stressful as that was for me, ds loved it and his stress is way down. Just when I think I've figured out ds, dd is following a different path. :scared:

 

I do think the reading I've done has pointed me on the right path. I know that I want to use living books as much as possible, but that textbooks (or step by step programs) work best for us (or maybe me) in skills areas. I do use narration and it works well for us. I'm going to introduce copywork and memorization next year and I'm pretty confident those will work for us as well. I sometimes wish I could just open the WTM to the first grade section and order one of everything, but that wouldn't be the best route for us. So, for now, I'm stuck with trial and error.

[Nan in Mass]

TWTM seemed like a great way to learn in an unschooly sort of way. It takes advantage of the flexability of homeschooling and yet specifically teaches the skills my children will need to be able to continue to learn in college or on their own or to succeed in whatever jobs they pick in the future. Since then, I've occasionally looked at other stuff (so I have something to compare it to), but I know I'd never be able to do anything else. It would be too structured for us. We wouldn't be able to follow rabbit trails and find our way back and keep going. Nothing else is as flexable without needing lots of preparation on my part which I know I wouldn't do. I need TWTM's magic combination of open-and-go and go-fast-here-because-we-think-this-is-boring-but-go-deep-there-because-we-think-this-is-interesting and teaching academic skills like writing deliberately because we don't tend to pick them up easily.

-Nan

[rafiki]

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[Closeacademy]

I researched all the methods when I was in college. Over the years as my public library would get books on homeschooling--I read them. Once I had children I thought that I would do Charlotte Mason.

 

But through trial and error and listening to the needs of my dc, I have found ourselves in a mix of methods that work well for us and their learning styles and interests. :001_smile:

[Robyn]

When I first researched homeschooling, I was very drawn to John Holt's ideas and unschooling in general. In reality, it doesn't work for me, at all. I am the super-organized, plan-loving, list-making type. I read about Charlotte Mason and felt that it was a direction I could feel more comfortable with. When I read TWTM, a lightbulb went on. We loosely followed TWTM for K-2.

When I was pregnant with my youngest, I started reading about Waldorf, led there by the beautiful simple wooden toys.;) I decided to take a leap and tried Oak Meadow for the third grade, and it bombed. We ran back to the classical method. I can actually see the progress ds is making and it is so orderly and sensible. I am a book worm, so the concentration on real books makes so much sense to me.

I have decided to go with TOG for the 4th grade. After browsing through the samples and seeing the books they use, I am sold. I can't wait to get my hands on the first unit and am looking forward to scheduling our weeks, but knowing that the blueprint is already there for me. I love that I can fold my youngest in when he is ready to begin school and that it will take us through high school.

[Sue in WI]

When our oldest was only 3 months old, dh and I started researching about home schooling. When ds was 3 yrs old, I read WTM, and knew that was the method that we wanted to use.

[Beth in Central TX]

I decided the same way, with trial and error. I read TWTM first and really wanted to follow that approach. Then I read LCC and really wanted to follow that approach. After a few years, I finally found a balance of the two that works well for our family.

[Raders Fan]

First, I decided to homeschool using textbooks I had gathered over the years. Then a friend loaned me her copy of WTM, and that was it. We do pretty much everything by the book, except for Latin. We study two living languages instead.

 

Jennifer

[Maria/ME]

I would say "ditto" to those that posted their relaxed, as you go methods. I started the homeschool search early on, when dd was three. I have the end goal in mind, which looks a lot like relaxed classical...lots of living books. My end goal isn't college necessarily, either. It's a lifestyle that I want for my child. It's also led BY here. I don't work well w/too much scheduling, neither does my daughter. However, if we are too relaxed we falter. It's been a balancing act. I am happy gleaning from different methods. It's worked for us. If it doesn't, I move on. I think flexibility is key for us.

[ABQmom]

I started out Charlotte Mason and that was very good for my dc when they were young. When my oldest was in first grade, I read the WTM, and felt it gave me the structure and how to that I was looking for. I have slowly incorporated WTM in our schooling as the children have grown. We are probably a mix of the 2 methods now. I also discovered how much we love to read together, so I like curriculum that is literature based. It's a journey!

[ArwenA]

Started with Alpha Omega and had a BAD time. Then I read WTM which changed my life and I was set to homeschool. Not everything works for us and I'm working on relaxing and customizing my dc education but for the most part we're fairly WTMish.

[Jennifer in NH]

I read every homeschooling book I could find...then WTM...it seemed to "click". We may not be exactly by the book...I haven't had the urge to teach/learn latin yet. The book seemed to unify what I wanted to teach and gave me an order in which to teach it. It made much more sense to me to teach history from the beginning.

[Kimber]

I start with the most challenging, complex, thorough option available. Then I back off to where we really are.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I read several different books when we started out. I chose to base our homeschool on TWTM because it meshed the closest my idea of an excellent education. We use the basic outline and add, subtract, or tweak based on our children's strengths and weakness and our own beliefs. So far it is working great!

[OneRoomHomeSchool]

2 years of trial and error and ALWAYS coming back to the same thing. Traditiona Christian textbooks with a touch of classical mixed in. It's just what works here.

[Lori in MS]

I started out doing Five in a Row and loved the unit study idea and the love of reading that it developed but wanted a more systematic approach. THen I read about Charlotte Mason and loved a lot of her ideas as well, particularly narration.

 

Then I read the Welltrained mind. I was very impressed but totally overwhelmed with how to implement it. Then I found My Father's World which is a systematic unit study in chronological order with a lot of Charlotte Mason flavor. I'm happy. It's also all planned out in a fabulous teacher's manual with a huge book list in the back.

[mcconnellboys]

I haven't ever decided on a label. I just "do" school in the way that works for us - the past of least resistence. I'll leave it to someone else to label me,

 

Regena

[hsmom]

I am not actually one type or the other. More like the "eclectic" approach. I use whatever fits my child. In some things it might be more literature based, others hands on. I just do what fits.

[BizyPenguin]

...because the work gets done that way. Period. Curriculum searching and lesson planning is not my thang. I just want the work to get done. If we can be a little creative during the process, great, but our basics get done best when we follow the traditional method.