My Eclectic Homeschool

A little intro to who I am. How I became an eclectic homeschooler, and an invitation for you to share with me.

After three years of homeschooling, I am still finding my own "style". When I first started homeschooling my oldest, I was too scared to even think about what homeschool philosophy I was going to use.

I never meant to homeschool. Actually, I always think of myself as "the reluctant homeschooler"! Homeschooling was just not an option I wanted to consider. When my oldest was kindergarten age, my husband and I began to think that formal school settings may not be the best option for our son. I began to look at homeschooling, and decided to try it for one year.

I definitely used an eclectic method. Kindergarten is not very formal anyway, so I gathered some workbooks, computer programs, and lots of good books and we were off!

It went pretty well, so I decided to give it another year. This time I was also homeschooling my 13-year-old nephew who had dyslexia, had failed 7th grade, and whose mother (my sister) was dying of cancer. Needless to say, it was a rollercoaster year. I continued with the eclectic method. Using different sources really helped me figure out what would help my nephew best. We used the internet, computer programs, textbooks from a secondhand store, library books, creative projects, and many other small sources to cobble together a patchwork of a curriculum.

It must have worked. My nephew returned to public school this year, did not have to go into any special education programs, and passed 8th grade!

I gave homeschooling one more year.

This year I have used a curriculum for the first time, just for math. I needed help! I have enjoyed it. Mostly, though, we continue the eclectic route. I schooled all 3 of my kids this year.

What homeschooling method do you most closely associate with? Do you unschool? Are you a traditionalist? Do you take from everything, building an eclectic school? What works for you? What intimidates you?

Let me know. I look forward to hearing from you!