Homeschool methods from classical to unschooling
A homeschool method is a set of beliefs about how kids learn, and a style of day that follows from them. The best known are classical, Charlotte Mason, unschooling, unit studies, Montessori, and traditional textbook learning. Many families end up borrowing from two or three of them, which is usually called eclectic homeschooling.
You don't have to pick one before you start. Here's what each looks like on an ordinary morning.
Classical
Classical education follows three stages, often called the trivium. Young children memorize and absorb facts in the grammar stage. Middle schoolers learn to reason and argue in the logic stage. High schoolers learn to express ideas well in the rhetoric stage. Much of the modern homeschool version traces back to Dorothy Sayers' 1947 essay "The Lost Tools of Learning."
At the table it looks like memory work, history taught in order from ancient times, a lot of reading of old books, and often Latin.
Charlotte Mason
Charlotte Mason was a British educator who died in 1923. Her approach uses "living books," real books written by one author who loves the subject, in place of textbooks. Lessons are short. After a reading, the child tells it back in their own words, which is called narration. Nature study, art, music, and poetry are part of every week.
At the table it looks like a short reading, a child retelling it, and an afternoon outside with a sketchbook.
Unschooling
John Holt coined the word in the 1970s. Unschooling lets a child's interests lead. There's no set curriculum, and the parent's job is to provide books, materials, experiences, and help when asked. Some families unschool completely. Many unschool some subjects and teach reading and math more directly.
At the table it might not look like school at all. It looks like a kid building a chicken coop and learning measurement because he has to.
Unit studies
A unit study teaches several subjects through one topic. A month on the ocean covers science, geography, reading, writing, and art. It works especially well with siblings of different ages, since everyone can study the same topic at their own level.
Montessori
Based on the work of Maria Montessori, this approach uses hands-on materials, child-led work, and a prepared space where a child can choose activities on their own. At home it's most common in the early years.
Traditional
Textbooks and workbooks, one per subject, working through them in order. It's what most parents remember from school, and it's easy to plan and easy to see progress. Some kids thrive on it. Some find it dry.
Eclectic, which is where many families land
You've probably met the family who started out fully classical and three years later has a Charlotte Mason reading list, a traditional math workbook, and a science unit study on the kitchen table. That's normal. Methods are ideas to borrow from, and your kids will show you which ones fit.
Start with whatever makes sense to you, and pay attention to what your kids light up for.