Has your family developed a home education philosophy? A common sensation grips both novice and veteran home educators when they encounter the vendor hall at the annual convention: panic! Row after row of eager vendors touting the essential benefits of their products often unintentionally confuse, overwhelm, and frustrate. The sheer magnitude of home education choices can be stupefying. Textbooks, DVDs, maps, CDs, cassette tapes, workbooks, flashcards, VHS tapes, art supplies, lab equipment, and even bread-making supplies are all for sale! Even the most prepared parents sometimes find themselves purchasing materials that do not meet the needs of their children nor do these materials accomplish the objectives of their home education philosophy. Knowing your family’s philosophy of home education can give you clear vision while you confidently peruse the multiple resources in wonder and excitement.
Although the number of home education methods is considerably less than the number of resources available to implement these methods, there are several approaches from which to choose. Your family’s home education philosophy is simply how you think about education — that is, your system of motivating beliefs, concepts, and principles. In determining your philosophy, consider the following 10 questions:
- What do we believe about education?
- What do we believe about our children?
- What do we believe about our role as parents?
- How do each of our children learn?
- What parental experience is necessary?
- What knowledge will we seek?
- What character traits are most desirable?
- How much control over content and time will we exercise during each phase of the journey?
- What overall goals do we hope to accomplish?
- How will we execute our dreams?
Such weighty questions are not easily answered. Significant reflection, research, and discussion over time will eventually reveal your family’s unique vision for educating your children. A universally correct answer does not exist; each family must personalize the final goals and execute accordingly. Can you verbalize your home education philosophy?
To get you thinking, here are some selected authors who propose five differing philosophies of education:
John Holt advocates unschooling as a home education philosophy
Charlotte Mason believed living books were important to education
Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer systematize classical education
Oliver Van DeMille endorses leadership home education
Diane Lockman explains the simplicity of authentic classical homeschooling
Each author is highly respected within the home education community. Proven observations and solutions that effectively challenge and shape students (and parents!) serve as testimony to the validity of these authors’ approaches. Some might avoid certain books labeled as liberal or conservative; however, exclusive reliance on labels can rob us of the gems revealed in each book. One common theme of each author is love of learning, so take a look at the home education philosophy of each and then compare it to your family model to see where you fall on the spectrum.
