1. Are All Homeschooling Methods Created Equal?
- Author
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Taylor-Hough, Deborah
- Abstract
For parents looking to see their children develop into the self-reliant, critical thinkers John Taylor Gatto described in his essay, "Against School," and other works, a combination of unschooling and the Charlotte Mason method would have the best chance of overall success. Research shows any method of homeschooling produces standardized test results 20-30 percentile points above public school results. Not all methods will produce the same level of subjective results such as maturity, leadership, and critical thinking, however. The modern homeschooling movement has a long and varied history which begins in the "hippy" movement of the 1960's, moves into the Conservative Christian population during the late 1970's and early 1980's, and then into the mainstream of society today. The motivations for homeschooling can be divided into two sub-groups: Idealogues (religiously motivated) and Pedagogues (academically motivated). These two groups are becoming more diverse as more families join the ranks of the homeschooling movement. The Charlotte Mason method found its way into modern homeschooling through Conservative Christians while unschooling developed in the Liberal Left. By combining both methods, parents can benefit from homeschooling pioneers in both realms of today's modern homeschooling movement.
- Published
- 2010