Homeschool Style

[ReadingMama1214]

I think I recently saw a book recommended that provides a quiz to hep you discover your homeschool style. Does such a book or quiz exist?

[Coco_Clark]

Kathy Duffy? http://cathyduffyreviews.com/general-book-reviews/102-top-picks.htm

[Coco_Clark]

I've taken about a million such online quizzes. I always find I'm the "style" of whomever created the quiz. :p

 

Kathy Duffys book was actually helpful, however.

[Mom22ns]

I like Cathy Duffy's book for the school style, teaching styles, and student types. I always find I am a mesh and don't strongly learn toward any one style, but I still enjoy them. 

[ReadingMama1214]

Thanks! I think it was Cathu Duffys book!

[waa510]

Cathy Duffy's 101 book (no idea on 102) has a quiz in the beginning of her book as well as some really good questions to chew on. It lists all the different major homeschooling styles like CM, Classical, Unschooling and quizzes you on what you'd like your homeschool to look like.  I was just starting to conceptualize what our family's homeschool would lean towards at the time so the quiz and questions were really helpful in getting me to see what I was going for. I think it's always easier when you have a clear goal and philosophy in mind when choosing curriculum. 

[....]

Do some googling, too.  I've seen learning style/homeschool style quizzes linked on different blogs.  It seemed like The Homeschool Diner had a big thing about different homeschooling methods.

 

Here's one I found just now:   http://eclectic-homeschool.com/what-kind-of-homeschooler-are-you/ 

 

Hmmm...  I took that quiz and it said I score high for Charlotte Mason and Waldorf.  

[FO4UR]

If you really want to know your HSing style, spend the summer reading an armload of books.  A little quiz isn't going to cut it.

 

 

For the Children's Sake

The Well-Trained Mind

Better Late Than Early

Ruth Beechick's The 3 R's

How Children Learn

When Children Love to Learn

 

After reading that list, you will form some opinions, and you won't need a quiz to know what style of HSer you are.

[FO4UR]

Do some googling, too.  I've seen learning style/homeschool style quizzes linked on different blogs.  It seemed like The Homeschool Diner had a big thing about different homeschooling methods.

 

Here's one I found just now:   http://eclectic-homeschool.com/what-kind-of-homeschooler-are-you/

 

Hmmm...  I took that quiz and it said I score high for Charlotte Mason and Waldorf.  

 

 

I took the quiz, and I scored 23 for Charlotte Mason and 23 for Classical Education.  No surprise.

 

The issue is that I don't think you can know how to answer many of those questions if you haven't previously thought about it.  IOW - I think if you take the quiz before and after reading an armload of books on education, you will get different answers.  The "before answer" will reflect your own education, not necessarily what you want for your children. jme.  ymmv.

[ReadingMama1214]

If you really want to know your HSing style, spend the summer reading an armload of books. A little quiz isn't going to cut it.

 

 

For the Children's Sake

The Well-Trained Mind

Better Late Than Early

Ruth Beechick's The 3 R's

How Children Learn

When Children Love to Learn

 

After reading that list, you will form some opinions, and you won't need a quiz to know what style of HSer you are.

Thanks for the list! The question was for a friend who is planning to start homeschooling this coming year. I also wanted to find some articles on the importance of play in Kindy. She seems a bit like she is about to charge ahead into pretty focused academics with a student who won't turn 5 until February of Kindy. I think some of the books you listed discuss that as well?

[....]

Thanks for the list! The question was for a friend who is planning to start homeschooling this coming year. I also wanted to find some articles on the importance of play in Kindy. She seems a bit like she is about to charge ahead into pretty focused academics with a student who won't turn 5 until February of Kindy. I think some of the books you listed discuss that as well?

 

If you need a booklist, there are a ton of great homeschooling books out there that cover different approaches.  Your friend could spend a year reading!  

 

I've really enjoyed:

 

Homeschooling with Gentleness: A Catholic Discovers Unschooling (she summarizes a lot of John Holt's ideas in this book and it's a short read)

The Latin-Centered Curriculum 

Educating the Wholehearted Child

The Unschooling Handbook

A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning

[Ellie]

There are a number of educational philosophies, and I don't think there's a true test to help you figure out which one you are. :-) I think it's good to read any original works and go with the one that appeals the most to you. For example, read all of John Holt's books (unschooling), Charlotte Mason's books, the Well Trained Mind; borrow someone's KONOS or the Weaver or the Prairie Primer (unit studies). Read a couple of Beautiful Feet Books study guides (originally the Principle Approach, but some have said newer guides are more Charlotte Mason). Read Greenleaf Press's comments about history.

 

There are also teaching *styles*. I'm somewhere between lecturing and letting kids figure it out. :D I'm definitely NOT a follow-the-script-all-day kind of teacher.