Summary:
An Overview of homeschool models and philosophies
-School at Home: formal lessons, structure, and texts that are done at home similar to what is done at traditional school. Common for people to start out with this model then they evolve to find what works best for them.
-Unschooling is the other end of the spectrum. Unschooling doesn't mean kids aren't learning, but they aren't using a formal curriculum or structured methods to learn. They often use life lessons to learn and specific interests to guide learning. Unschooling looks different for different people.
In between these two ends of the spectrums are lots of other options. The two models that I loosely feel are very popular are the "relaxed" or "eclectic" models.
In the middle are a lots of philosophies that people follow to teach their children:
Classical Style: based on the trivium and more academic/rigorous. The Well Trained Mind is an excellent resource to check out but don't be intimidated by it. https://amzn.to/2z0ZLQ0
Waldorf: focuses on more natural minded learning and developmental stages
Charlotte Mason: child centered, shorter lessons, nature study (sometimes combined with Classical style)
Montessori: independent work, can transfer to home environment
Project Based Learning: using a specific theme to learn all subjects. Good for kids who want to dive deep into a topic.
You can google any of these philosophies or look for FB groups to learn more about them.
**These models give parents a framework to use but NOT required to use any of them! They are just a tool to use. Don't feel forced to "label" yourself anything!
SEA Homeschoolers is an excellent and active FB group for secular homeschooling that discusses all these styles and philosophies. I highly recommend this page and participate often. https://www.facebook.com/groups/seahomeschoolers/