Episode 9: Homeschooling Methods Part 2
By: Jamie Gaddy and Homeschool.com
Episode Info
Hello everyone and welcome back to Episode 9 of the Homeschool and Loving It podcast. Today I’m podcasting from Tennesee – -where I’ve taken a car load of youngins to camp. So, bear with me if you hear outdoor sounds – – or even the occasional kid screaming as they run by!
Anyway – We’re glad you’ve joined us today – as we chat about Homeschooling Methods and how to easily implement them into your homeschool.
Last week we talked about Montessori homeschooling, as well as the Reggio Method and the Moore Formula. If you’re interested in any of those homeschooling methods – you’ll want to check out that podcast and get the scoop on those! This week we’ll talk about the School-at-Home, Multiple Intelligences, and the Classical method!
So. Let’s get started. The School at-home approach is often called traditional homeschooling since it takes on a similar form as traditional education in America. The school at home is often what many beginning homeschoolers choose simply because it is very familiar to what they have known from the school system.
Traditional homeschoolers often use the lecture style of teaching and will rely heavily on a regular daily schedule. It’s also common for traditional homeschoolers to use regular tests and quizzes to track progress and many will align their homeschool studies to what the local school system is studying.Also, some families use the school-at-home approach, but make up their own lesson plans and find their own learning materials.
The advantage of this style is that families can know exactly what to teach and when to teach it. That can be a comfort when you are just starting out, sothis method is great for new homeschoolers or those very concerned about “getting it right.”
The disadvantageis that this method requires much more work on the part of the teacher/parent and the lessons are not always as much fun for the children.Studies have also shown that this method has the highest burnout rate for parents. Statistics show that many homeschoolers often migrate away from this method after they’ve gained confidence in their homeschooling abilities.
The good news is that the school-at-home approach is typically pretty easy to implement and the resources available for those using this method are quiteextensive. Planning can be easier as well since the curriculum is often accompanied by a full-year plan.
The Multiple Intelligences Approachis an approach developed by Howard Gardner and Harvard University’s project zero. The basic fundamentals of this method are that everyone is intelligent in his or her own way and that learning is easiest and most effective when it uses a person’s strengths and not their weaknesses. We often hear this quote in conjunction with the Multiple Intelligences Approach – – “If you judge a fish by how well it can climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking it is stupid.” So often we miss the mark in this area by placing expectations on our children that are simply a bad fit.
Within the Multiple Intelligence Homeschool Philosophy, most homeschoolers have found success by naturally emphasizing their children’s strengths and automatically tailoring their teaching to match the child’s learning style. Successful homeschoolers also adjust their learning environment and schedule so that it brings out the child’s best.
There are several categories that are often used in determining a child’s strengths
- Verbal-linguistic (or Word Smart)
- Logical-mathematical (or Logic Smart)
- Naturalistic (or Nature Smart)
- Interpersonal (or People Smart)
- Intrapersonal (or Self Smart
- Visual-spatial (or Picture Smart)
- Bodily-kinesthetic (or Body Smart)
- Musical-rhythmic (or Music Smart)
Gardner discovered that most often people have two or three kinds of intelligence or “smarts.” This combination is what sets each individual up for success and the homeschool parent’s responsibility is to nurture these intelligences.
It’s best to avoid teaching to only one type of intelligence/or labeling a student by one. Students can change over time, and even develop an unexpected type of intelligence. That’s why it is good for teachers to expose students to all the possible abilities in order to discover their unique tendencies.
Note: Multiple Intelligence approach is *NOT* the same thing as learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic). Learning styles involves the various senses to take in information. Multiple Intelligence theory is about how the brain processes information.
The advantages of this homeschool method are obvious, the student can develop and pursue learning with the modality that best fits their intelligences. Using their strengths can give them the tools necessary for success!
The disadvantages of this method often lie in the difficulty of discovering a students intelligence modes.
Links to several multiple intelligences tests:
Multiple Intelligences and Learning Style Test
The Classical Homeschooling Method uses a three-part process to train a child’s mind. True classical homeschooling has been used to educate for centuries. However, over the past several decades schools and homeschoolers have found the importance of returning to this historical method.The instructional style is based on a method developed by Latin writer Martianus Capella in the Middle Ages and popularized during the Renaissance period. The original purpose of classical education was to create a uniform way of teaching all human knowledge.In fact, the overall goal is to get children thinking for themselves! The Classical Method of homeschooling is a very literature and language-based method of learning!
The three parts of study that classical homeschooling uses is referred to as the Trivium model. In each stage of the trivium, there is a distinct focus. In the elementary level, there is the grammar stage. This is focused on the foundational principles of learning and relates more to concrete terms and relates more to memorization and repetition. Simply put, in the elementary years a core foundation of knowledge is built in the subject areas of math, language, social studies, and science. In addition, an emphasis is put on Latin learning throughout the school years.
The second stage of the Trivium is the Logic or Dialectic Stage… and this assumes that students are moving from concrete thinking to a more analytic approach. At this point, students should begin to ask questions, compare and contrast ideas, and make connections between various aspects of their understanding. The keyword during this stage is “why”, and students are encouraged to dig deeper to find the answer.
The final stage of the Trivium is referred to as the Rhetoric Stage, and this stage builds on the previous two stages. Students combine the concrete understanding they acquired in elementary with the reasoning skills they developed in middle school to be able to articulate and their opinions and reasoning with debate and writing skills. Students in high school will be intent on refining all aspects of communication including writing skills, public speaking, politics, and even economics.
The advantages of this homeschooling method are historically proven. Most of the founding fathers of our country were educated using these principles. And, if you haven’t read their histories, they were highly educated men… knowing several languages was a common quality in addition to being well versed in all of the other core subjects.
Homeschool Curriculum for the Classical Method is also readily available and of high quality, which makes it fairly simple to implement a Classical Education in your homeschool.
If you are wanting to know more about the types of curriculum that align with each of homeschool styles – check back at the end of July – because we’ve got an article piece coming together that should be a great help!
Thanks for joining me today, and I hope you have an amazing week…
As always – – with grace and joy – – Jamie
About the Series
Where'd my instruction manual go??? I know we've all wondered that about parenting and homeschooling! Join us as we chat about the big stuff and everything in-between! Helping homeschoolers with practical teaching tips to find all they need to Homeschool and Love it!!
