Photo by Okra Amps on Unsplash
If you’re new to homeschooling you’re probably getting dizzy learning about homeschool styles. There’s Charlotte Mason, Classical, Steiner, Montessori, unschooling and traditional just to name a few. You’re probably also wondering which one will be “right” for you and your child.
Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s probably all of them and none of them! The seasoned homeschoolers who are reading this are probably all giggling in agreement now. One of the big lessons you learn after a few years of homeschooling is that children and families are not a “one-size-fits-all” product.
You’ll probably find that ideas and approaches from various different methods work for you and your tribe and that’s totally OK. You need to find your own vibe and go with it. It’ll take a bit of time and experimentation, but if you go with the flow instead of trying to shoehorn yourself and your kids into your ‘ideal’ image of a homeschool, you’ll be fine and your kids will eventually thank you for it.
When people ask me the question in the post title, I tend to say “eclectic” but sometimes I say that I’m and unschooler for everything but English and maths. Probably eclectic it the more accurate answer and, from my observation, it’s probably true for 90% of homeschooling families.
One element in that eclectic mix that sometimes comes out in my little neck of the homeschool woods is the Charlotte Mason vibe. I can’t ever see myself as 100% true to her methods/philosophy and I rarely, if ever, hang out on Charlotte Mason forums and groups but I do find myself doing Charlotte Mason-esque things at times. Actually, some of them I’ve been doing long before I ever heard of her.
One of them is narration. We started reading to our children when they were very small (actually from the time they were a dot, really). Both my husband and I don’t believe in blindly reading something – we will read and then ask the child to retell what we’ve read. Sometimes, we’ll ask questions to see how well they’ve understood what we read.
When I first heard some Charlotte Mason buzz which included the word “narration” I thought I had discovered something truly exciting. But I had a huge letdown when I realised that it was just what I’d been doing all along. My “clever” homeschool hack wasn’t mine after all—it’s a well-known teaching method! It was a double whammy!
So, what homeschool style does Milestone Maths fit?
The Charlotte Mason crew will be happy that Milestone Maths is also a no-nonsense, twaddle-free zone.
The Montessori mob will appreciate the thoughtful use of our one required manipulative (Sumstix, aka Cuisenaire Rods) and the child-centered approach.
The traditional tribe can stop the search for supplementary drills to cover “the basics” because Milestone Maths does that and a whole lot more. It is fully self-contained and comprehensive.
The unschoolers who want a small safety net of formal maths can find it in our core lessons that often encourage children to discover more for themselves through hands on experimentation and real world problem solving.
While no single approach can be “one-size-fits-all,” Milestone Maths is designed to work with a range of different teaching and learning styles. The curriculum speaks directly to the student, treating them with respect and never resorting to baby talk. This means even the early levels are perfect for older kids who need remediation.
Our mission is simple: to make maths simple for you and your children. We never assume the parent has the time or expertise to teach maths, so our curriculum is fully self-contained and easy to use.
What homeschool style do you follow? Let us know in the comments! Then, if you haven’t already, check out our product pages to see if Milestone Maths can make maths simple for you.
