A Home School Philosophy of Education

A philosophy of education, or theory of education was discussed by men such as Plato, Socrates and Aristotle more than a thousand years ago and the discussion continues today. People such as Jean Piaget and Maria Montessori, have all contributed to the field of educational philosophy and learning theory. Educational philosophy is the study of both how individuals learn, but also what the best teaching methods are. As you may imagine, although philosophers have agreed on some points of educational theory, they also disagree on others. The home school theory of education is no different. Advocates of home schooling differ in their beliefs about the philosophy of education and the best way to educate children. However, one of the educational theory points that people who use home school generally agree on is that the public school system is not the best place to apply educational or learning theory, while the home environment is.

Modern Day Theory of Education

Just over two centuries ago, children by and large were taught at home or in a small community setting using the Bible and other limited materials with no regard to educational theory and those who received a more liberal and broad e[ducation were generally those of the upper, more wealthy class. However in the last 200 years, this educational philosophy has largely been replaced as innovators in the philosophy of education felt that children of all classes could benefit from a more broad application of educational theory and towards the end of the 19th century, public schools which taught a liberal arts curriculum (math, reading, geography, etc.) were established in many communities and compulsory attendance policies began to be more commonplace. But, it was not long before families became unhappy with the learning theory and educational philosophy that was being practiced in public schools and began looking for alternatives such as home schooling.

Arguments Against the Public School Educational Philosophy

People who choose to home school their children do so for many various reasons, they may want their child to have a curriculum that has a more religious basis, or they may feel that the school environment is too dangerous, or they feel that their child's needs are not being met with the philosophy of education that is advocated by their public school. They may also subscribe to the educational philosophy that they are their children's first and best teachers. Public schools tend to rely more heavily on a text based, standardized curriculum with pencil and paper tasks taking up the large majority of teaching time. This is not the theory of education that many parents and also some educators feel is in the best interests of the child. Although the learning theory behind each home school program is based on a slightly different educational theory or philosophy of education, most have the underlying belief that each child should be taught in the way that they learn best and that it is different for every child.

Overview of Basic Educational Philosophy and Learning Theory in Home Education

Classical Learning Theory: This philosophy of education advocates using classical literature and presenting the material using the Socratic Method. Teachers present abstract material which encourages students to think, discuss and debate to achieve a greater understanding. Many home school and a few public schools have adopted this approach with success.

Waldorf Theory of Education: This learning theory bases its philosophy of education on the assumption that there are 3 developmental stages of childhood. First children learn through doing in the primary grades, then through feeling in the middle grades and then through understanding. Emphasis in all grades is put on teaching practical skills, artistic activities, and innovative approaches and thinking. This learning theory emphasizes educating the whole child.

Montessori Method: Maria Montessori believed that children can be self-directed learners if they are given appropriate materials, tasks and information to build on. Her philosophy of education has been adopted not only by many home schoolers, but also by private schools and charter schools throughout the world. An important aspect of this educational philosophy is children's rights. Children learn differently from adults and should be treated differently.

Charlotte Mason Educational Philosophy: Charlotte Mason was an educator in the 19th and early 20th century. Along with advocating a philosophy of education that included giving all children, regardless of social class a broad education, she also proposed a learning theory that is still used by many home school advocates today. It is based on spiritual or religious principles and uses "living" books rather than text books which have been "dumbed down" to make them easier to read and understand. According to this educational theory education is seen not as an isolated part of life, it is life.

John Holt Theory of Education: While most of the other educational philosophy genres of our time involve some sort of curriculum or planning, John Holt advocates a method called unschooling. Unschooling is completely child-directed and has enjoyed some popularity in the last 40 years among parents and home schoolers. According to this learning theory children should be allowed to choose when, how and what they learn. This educational philosophy asserts that children are naturally curious and driven to learn about the world around them.
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