| There is a wide variety of home education | | | | These materials typically recreate the school |
| methods and materials. Many home education | | | | environment in the home, and are typically based |
| families base their work on a particular educational | | | | on the same subject-area expectations as |
| philosophy such as: Classical education (including | | | | publicly-run schools, allowing an easy transition into |
| Trivium, Quadrivium) Waldorf Education Charlotte | | | | school if desired. They are among the most |
| Mason education Theory of multiple intelligences | | | | expensive options for the home-educated, but |
| Montessori method Others use a broad | | | | are easy to use and require minimal preparation. |
| combination of ideas or allow the child to develop | | | | The instructional guides are usually extensive, with |
| their own motivation, through what is known as | | | | step-by-step instructions. These programs may |
| Unschooling. | | | | include standardized tests, and remote |
| Because home education laws vary widely | | | | examinations to yield an accredited privately-run |
| according to individual government statutes, official | | | | school diploma. |
| curriculum requirements vary. | | | | Student-paced learning Similar to All-in-one curricula |
| Unit studies Unit studies teach most subjects in | | | | are learner paced curriculum packages. Often |
| the context of a central theme. For example, a | | | | times called paces, these workbooks allow the |
| unit study of Native Americans could combine | | | | student to progress at an individualized speed. |
| age-appropriate lessons in: social studies, like how | | | | They allow the student to master concepts |
| different tribes live now, and lived prior to | | | | before moving on to the next subject, instead of |
| colonization; art, such as making Native American | | | | being held back by the speed of the teacher and |
| clothing; history of Native Americans in the U.S.); | | | | other students or rushing forward for the same |
| reading from a special reading list; and the science | | | | reasons. Prices vary widely depending upon the |
| of plants used by Native Americans. The following | | | | publisher. |
| unit-study subject could change to some other | | | | Community resources Home educators take |
| broad topic of study. | | | | advantage of educational programs at museums, |
| Supporters say unit studies make excellent use of | | | | community centers, athletic clubs, after-school |
| student time by combining several fields into one | | | | programs, churches, science preserves, parks, |
| study time, and permit students to follow | | | | and other community resources. Secondary |
| personal interests. Unit studies also permit children | | | | school level students often take classes at |
| of different ages to study together. For example, | | | | community colleges, which typically have open |
| in a Native American unit, a 10th-grade student | | | | admission policies. |
| might make a deer-skin coat for an art project, | | | | Eclectic curricula The majority of today's |
| while a 1st-grade student might make | | | | home-educated use an eclectic mix of materials. |
| construction-paper tipis. | | | | For instance, they might use a pre-designed |
| Home educators often purchase unit-study guides | | | | program for language, arts or mathematics, and |
| that suggest materials, projects and shopping lists, | | | | fill in history with reading and field trips, art with |
| and supplement them with specialized curricula for | | | | classes at a community center, science through a |
| maths, and sometimes reading and writing. | | | | homeschool science club, physical education with |
| Special materials Special materials focus on | | | | membership in local sports teams, and so on. |
| skill-building. Individual subject materials usually | | | | Unschooling Unschooling is an area in which |
| consist of workbooks, sometimes with textbooks, | | | | students are not directly instructed but |
| and an instructional guide. Many specialized | | | | encouraged to learn through exploring their |
| subjects are only available in this form. | | | | interests. Also known as interest-led or child-led |
| Special materials are frequently used for math | | | | learning, unschooling attempts to provide |
| and primary reading. | | | | opportunities with games and real life problems |
| Critics say that some parents over-focus on skills | | | | where a child will learn without coercion. An |
| while excluding social studies, science, art, history | | | | unschooled child may choose to use texts or |
| and other fields that help children learn their place | | | | classroom instruction, but it is never considered |
| in the world. | | | | central to education. |
| All-in-one curricula "All-in-one" curricula, sometimes | | | | Advocates for unschooling claim that children learn |
| called "school in a box", are comprehensive | | | | best by learning from doing. A child may learn |
| packages covering many subjects, usually an | | | | reading and math skills from playing card games, |
| entire year's worth. They contain all needed books | | | | better spelling and other writing skills because he's |
| and materials, including pencils and writing paper. | | | | inspired to write a science fiction story for |
| Most such curricula were developed for isolated | | | | publication, or local history by following a zoning or |
| families who lack access to public schools, libraries | | | | historical-status dispute. |
| and shops, or are overseas. | | | | |