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JenPre
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| Posted: March 23 2011 at 7:45pm | IP Logged
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I know this may be a little early to start as our daughter is "only" a year old but....
Just recently my husband and I had a conversation that began with the various problems (many many problems) that the public schools in our state have been going through as well as the increasing bullying problems seen nationwide. And then it led me to the homeschooling topic.
I have always felt called to homeschool....my husband was big on the needing "socialization". But the other night when I brought it up he was very much in favor!
Now again, our daughter is only a year old so who knows what God has in mind for our family in the coming years but it's good to know that this is a very strong option. So I immediately did what I always do...went to our local library and looked for homeschooling books 
I checked out a book on Charlotte Mason but they didn't have too many others. Does anyone have any recommendations on other books to read? I mean methods of homeschooling. How did YOU decide if you would follow the CM method or unschooling or whatever method you use in your homeschool?
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Jen
Mommy to Marie-Therese born 12/4/09
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Aagot
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| Posted: March 23 2011 at 9:10pm | IP Logged
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I wish I had started as early as you are in looking at method. Elizabeth Foss' Real Learning, Education in the Heart of the Home, and Laura Berquist's Design Your Own Classical Curriculum were very helpful. I also liked reading Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola just for inspiration.
hope that helps,
Aagot
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SusanMc
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| Posted: March 23 2011 at 9:16pm | IP Logged
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Jen,
I started researching homeschooling while my first was still in the womb! I just absorbed and read as much as I could get my hands on. You can find all of Charlotte Mason's books online at Ambleside Online I believe. Then I delved into Montessori (Elizabeth Hainstock is a great start) and Classical (Well Trained Mind and Creating Your Own Classical Curriculum). I scanned the box curriculum providers and for now have decided that I'd rather build our own as my two sons are so close in age that many of their subjects will be simultaneous so a boxed curriculum would only serve to unnaturally divide their studies unecessarily.
But the best advice I've encountered here and in real life is to RELAX when it comes to starting the schooling itself. I struggle to focus on the fact that the most important thing I can do for my child's educational future right now is just to simply allow his natural curiousity to grow and not squelch it by trying too hard to keep pace where I think we "ought" to be. (He will be four in May by the way.)
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Mom to two dear sons, '07 and '08.
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Nat B
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| Posted: March 24 2011 at 6:14am | IP Logged
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This is our fourth year of homeschooling, and we are unschoolers. I've tried a bit of this and that, but we always seem to fall back into unschooling days. I find my children are so much happier and more relaxed and get so much more learning done when they are following their own interests and doing it when they are ready (instead of when I am ready for them to do it). For example, my almost 9yo son doesn't like to write, so he has taught himself to touch type, and can type 30wpm without looking. He also just typed his first story, and is so proud of it he has printed several copies to show everyone. If I had told him to do creative writing he would have fought me and then done a minimal amount to get by. This is just an example of why unschooling works for us.
I do require chores, meal times, bedtimes etc - we are not radical unschoolers.
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Natalie
dd 10, ds 9, ds 4, ds 2, ds 1
Trusting God Each Day
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mamaslearning
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| Posted: March 24 2011 at 7:26am | IP Logged
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Looks like most books are covered above. I would add to check into your state's requirements. I do not have to submit anything for review, but if I lived in a state that was more regulated I might do things a little more formal.
I started researching when my oldest was about a year old as well. You will go through phases/stages, so don't get hung up on sticking with one method.
Get involved with local home school lists, attend informational meetings, and ask to borrow books from more seasoned parents. Some other things to read are Mortimer Adler, curriculum approaches, Kolbe, and Socratic.
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Lara
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JennGM
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There's a delightful new book on unschooling The Little Way of Homeschooling. I'm almost done reading through my copy. I'm not an unschooler, but I am enjoying the book.
And Lost Tools of Learning by Dorothy Sayers is a must-read.
I was like you, I enjoyed reading about the different philosophies to flesh out what spoke to me and our children. I am particularly drawn to Charlotte Mason and some of Maria Montessori, especially the younger years. You're at a good time to do this. Just remember, at some point you have to draw the line on the research and just dive in.
The books I have found helpful on my journey:
Charlotte Mason:
::When Children Love to Learn edited by Elaine Cooper
::Books by Catherine Levinson
::Of course, reading Charlotte Mason's own words, but people recommend starting with Volume 6, because it's a summary of her work and intentions.
::I did enjoy Karen Andreola's book, the title escapes me at the moment.
Montessori:
For Montessori, I second Hainstock, all 3 of her books. Her Essential Montessori is really good in understanding the controversies of different interpretations of Montessori Method.
I wouldn't worry about being purist in materials and environment, but understanding some of the key elements of her philosophy to apply in the family.
::Barbara Curtis's books are very good. There are many choices out there. I recommend you hit your library for some good reading and save money!
::I love reading Maria's original ideas for the religious life in The Child in the Church and The Mass Explained for Children.
::This is now interpreted as the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Reading through some of those books (and taking training) has helped me apply in our 3 Rs, family life, and our spiritual life. The two best books to start in understanding the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) are Listening to God with Children and The Good Shepherd and the Child. Moira Farrell has written Home Catechesis manuals available at Our Father's House.
Other Reading:
And don't forget to read some of the Catholic homeschooling books. There are some great books, some are out-of-print, but readily available from friends or used books (like Cathswap or here on this forum).
::Maureen Wittmann has three titles (see her sidebar):
A Catholic Homeschool Treasury
The Catholic Homeschool Companion
For Love of Literature
::And Kimberly Hahn and Mary Hasson wrote Catholic Education: Homeward Bound: A Useful Guide to Catholic Homeschooling
::I started subscribing to mater et magistra when I just had the little ones.
::And not exactly philosophy, but to answer that socialization question, do read Haystack Full of Needles.
I know I'm straying a bit from pure philosophy of education, and I would add to your reading list Church's teaching on education, and more on the liturgical year, so that all this can be synthesized into family learning.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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JennGM
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Oh, and this isn't a philosophy, but unit studies is a different approach, and Five in a Row (FIAR) is a popular approach for the young ones.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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JenPre
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| Posted: March 24 2011 at 12:26pm | IP Logged
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Oh wow! Thank you ladies! So many great resources/places to begin. To be honest I have NEVER read any books on homeschooling...simply this forum and some blogs. So what I feel like I need to do at this time is to read some methods/philosophy to see what would be a good "fit" for our family.
I am very excited about this and looking forward to seeing where God leads us. I'm off to go check out so many of these great ideas!
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Jen
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Erin
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Jen
What a great decision to start reading and researching now I started reading homeschool books when I was a teenager; I remember reading John Holt, Raymond Moore, Mary Pride, the Colfaxes and Maria Montessori. These books all had an influence but I think today my top recommendations to read would be:
1. Real Learning, by Elizabeth Foss
Catholic, gentle.
2. How to Homeschool, by Gayle Graham
Makes homeschooling practical, doable and achievable.
3. Homeschooling with a Meek & Quiet Spirit, by Terry Maxwell
This book was a watershed moment for me. I helped me be a much better parent. Every now and then I give myself a 'boost' by re-reading.
4. A Charlotte Mason Companion, by Karen Andreola
I love this book! Inspiring, the best of Charlotte Mason.
(My dd17 is currently reading this, commenting on how much she can see I have been influenced by KA  )
5. Educating the Wholehearted Child, by Sally Clarkson
I actually don't own this book but if I had found it earlier on I could have saved dollars by not buying many others. Explains so many ideas and philosophies.
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Erin
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Barbara C.
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The first homeschooling book I always recommend is "So You're Thinking About Homeschooling" by Lisa Whelchel (Blair from The Facts of Life).
This book is made up of composite stories about different types of homeschooling families. It addresses the reasons and methods, but because it's in a story format it's not as dry as many "intro to homeschooling" books. It's just a fun read.
I would just read, read, read. I started reading up when my oldest was about two. And I went through stages where I got really excited by all of the possibilities that homeschooling can afford and got in the mindset of "I'm going to teach my child EVERYTHING." Thankfully, by the time she was school-age I had a second child and a third on the way and I realized that no one can know, learn, or teach EVERYTHING.
Before you can choose a method(s) you have to discern what your goals and priorities are for your child's education. For instance, I want my kids to have a basic preparation for college and developed critical thinking skills but I also want them to have lots of time to explore on their own. So, I do a mix of classically-inspired formal work and unschooling.
And then you have to take a hard look at the temperaments of you and your kid(s). I couldn't handle full-time unschooling...I am just not good with the spontaneity it sometimes requires. (I am not good at going with the flow.) And if I tried full-on classical, which seems like way too much, I would constantly feel burnt out. Yet I admire elements of both and have adapted them to the rhythms of our family life.
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Barbara
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JodieLyn
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And remember that you aren't restricted to one method. You can mix them.. whether it's combining two (or more) for everything or doing math by one method and history by another (other things other ways?).. you can do what fits your family.
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All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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JuliaT
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Jen, I think it is a very good idea to start reading now about homeschooling and which method might appeal to you. I started reading and researching when my oldest was 10 months old! I am happy that it worked out that way as I had time to really read things over. There was no time pressure.
I just want to give you a word of advice that when you are reading about hs methods, keep in mind, not only of which ones appeal to you but also which ones would work best for your chil's learning style. Now, it will be hard to do this now when she is only one but keep this in mind as she becomes older. When I started learning about the various methods, Classical Education stood out to me. I knew that this was what I wanted for my kids. I have since learned that my kids don't learn well this way so we have melded CM, CE and unit studies into an interesting mix that works well for us.
Enjoy your reading time!
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Blessings,
Julia
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4Real Forums : Philosophy of Education
Topic: Methods of Homeschooling
