Not all homeschooling is the same. Each homeschooling adapts to a different style and uses different curriculums from each other. Are you planning to enroll your kids in homeschooling? Check out the 5 types of homeschooling and find the right one for the kids!
Classical homeschooling has a unique concept where the entire education system is divided into three: grammar, logic, and rhetoric.
In grammar, the students are expected to learn the theory and the groundwork. After they’ve learned the grammar, students learn problem-solving in the logic stage. In the logic stage, the system gives the students problems to learn to solve them using the groundwork they’ve learned during the grammar stage. Finally, in the rhetoric stage, students apply the logic they’ve learned to their skills.
The classical method has been proven to be effective for years. Students also learn many things, from reading to language. Unfortunately, not a lot of homeschools in Indonesia apply this method.
Homeschooling Style 2: Montessori
Montessori is a teaching style that gives the students freedom of learning using blocks and tools for some time (usually three hours). Students are given the freedom to explore the tools provided by the teacher and let them “solve” or “create” something new using those tools. Of course, the teachers do not interrupt the students and only “guide” them indirectly using the blocks. By having the students explore the blocks, teachers incorporate the full-sensory experience and learn using every aspect of their bodies.
Due to the learning style, it is uncommon for teachers to tailor lesson plans individually for the students. However, it is not easy to find homeschools in Indonesia where the teachers actually [practice Montessori. Private schools commonly use the method. It is not easy for parents to find teachers who have been fully certified to practice the Montessori teaching style.
Read More : Online Learning at Jakarta Academics
Homeschooling Style 3: Eclectic education
Eclectic education, or relaxed style, literally lives up to its name. The whole purpose of eclectic education is educating the children, and that’s it. It doesn’t matter the curriculum or the teaching style; as long as the child is educated, everything does not matter.
Eclectic education is a favourite among some people, especially homeschooling methods where the parents teach the children by themselves. Parents would usually share their ideas freely or through some games, not minding how the knowledge is conveyed. The only time when a lesson is “unrelaxed” is when the teacher is teaching a math formula. Even if that’s the case, the teaching style is still “relaxed” because the teacher might be adapting a different style from yesterday’s teaching method.
Eclectic education is perfect for those who prioritize freedom and has many resources. The teacher practising the homeschooling style should also be flexible.
There are, however, drawbacks of eclectic education. It does give lots of options, but it can be overwhelming for those who are not accustomed to it. The teacher should also be able to mix teaching styles well. If not, it can end up in a disaster. The drawbacks of the relaxed homeschooling style show that only teachers with excellent teaching knowledge should use this method. Or else, it will become a disaster.
Homeschooling Style 4: Unschooling
People tend to think that relaxed and unschooling teaching styles are the same. The concept is similar, but unschooling tends to be more liberal than eclectic education.
Unschooling does not mean that we do not educate the children. Unschooling is a concept where students can learn from anything and anywhere. Children can learn when they cook when they read, or even when they play video games. The concept of unschooling is not fixated on the traditional classroom learning style, hence the name “unschooling.”
However, it does not mean that teachers do not participate in the learning process. Teachers participate by facilitating the learning materials. For example, the teacher makes sure that the video game played by the student is in line with the material. However, the teacher does not inform the student; instead, they let them find out by themselves.
Unschooling is another method that parents mainly do. Unschooling gives freedom, flexibility, and diversity needed for parents to teach their kids individually. It also allows the parents to adjust to the children’s needs. However, the parents should also make sure that there is no knowledge gap between them and their children.
Homeschooling Style 5: Non-Formal Schooling
Last but not least, we have the non-formal homeschooling style. Non-formal is the most common method used by many homeschoolers in Indonesia, as it incorporates a set of organised and structured learning objectives. The homeschool has the freedom to pick the curriculum that suits their students’ needs the most.
Non-formal, the homeschooling style used by Jakarta Academics, can be seen in many homeschoolers not without reason. It is the most universal teaching style children can adapt quickly.
What makes non-formal great is the flexibility it offers. Homeschool can be more flexible and creative compare to formal schools. Students can choose their subjects, learning hours including the location that comforts them the most (distance learning). The teacher can also incorporate other teaching styles, such as hybrid learning or independent learning, in the classroom. That’s what Jakarta Academics does. There is plenty of freedom in non-formal schooling without us realizing it.
Conclusion
Homeschooling is getting its spotlight, and it is not without reason. Not only does it suit our current condition, but students have also been proven to perform well when they attend homeschool. Homeschooling in Indonesia might not be a familiar concept, but don’t let it stop you from getting the best homeschooling education for your kids.