As a responsible parent if you feel that schools of today do not have the ability to challenge the minds of children, then you can home school your child? There are several methods that you can make use of in teaching them at home. Charlotte Mason method: Charlotte Mason was a British educator who developed an effective education philosophy for home schools. Her philosophy consisted of real life experiences of various kinds along with a curriculum that should be based on fine arts language and literature. There should be no fixed curriculum and preference should be given to narration and books.

Charlotte emphasized on reading good books and spending a lot of time in nature. If you follow the mason method then your child should not be given homework in the elementary years because narration and reading by the child will give immediate result. It is better to motivate your child to perform well through love and admiration instead of grades and competition. Classical method: This is the most natural model of education.

It is very effective, as it is something that matches reality. Parents who want to give their children knowledge of Greek and Latin as well as liberal arts can use this method. Studies should begin with grammar, along with dialect and rhetoric knowledge. This method is for people who want to make their child follow an education model that is biblical.

Waldorf method: This method is the creation of Rudolf Steiner, who was an Austrian scientist and thinker. According to him, a child mind will stay alive only when they are able to relate what they learn with experiences in their life. There should be a broad curriculum and all the subjects should be taught in a balanced manner with practical and creative activities. There should be no academic content in the kindergarten level and no grades at primary level, just an evaluation at the end of each school year.

Children must be introduced to subjects through experience and once they start exploring a subject then the concept will become clearer. A lesson book should be prepared by the children to keep a record of daily experiments and experiences along with conclusions reached. Creativity and freethinking should be given utmost preference. Montessori Method: Dr.

Montessori propounded this scientific method that can be used to bring out the best in your child. This method stresses on the fact that in the course of teaching small children, the environment should be the only factor to be controlled and not the child. They should be given the freedom to understand their surroundings and learn from them. As a parent, you can conduct experiments using suitable technology along with materials that can be used by children for self-learning. This will ensure their harmony with the environment along with self-discipline and love for learning.

Unschooling method: This method is for parents who want to trust their children on learning what they want in their own timetable and interest. Parents, who do not give preference to grades or the need of a particular curriculum, can make use of this method. There is no homework, textbooks or constant nagging for children. They are made to choose their interest areas on their own and are given full freedom to learn and grow.

Unit studies method: In this method studying is done in units. You can take up a topic, be it history, music or food and you can teach this to your child by integrating language arts, maths, social studies and science if it is applicable. You can encompass all the subjects pertaining to schools through the study of one topic. School at home method: In this method you can set up a school at home in a more traditional manner. The set up can be in the style of a public school with a proper curriculum, grading and portfolio making system. Eclectic home schooling methods: This method emphasizes on education being child oriented.

Parents try to select and use the best method to teach. They try to look at different methods of home schooling and take something from each approach to form their own philosophy.

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