by Cathie Berglund
Aug. 3, 2026
The obvious first step when you are getting started on your homeschooling journey or planning your next school year is to choose your curriculum because CURRICULUM = EDUCATION. Correct?
Not necessarily. Curriculum is the material that you use to build your family’s school year, but you need a blueprint and a vision for what your homeschool day will look like before you know where to begin shopping for the supplies you will need.
Knowing your “why” (educational philosophy) and your “how” (homeschooling method) will help you choose your “what” (curriculum).
Determining a few foundational principles—a philosophy of education and a basic approach to school subjects—will give you an idea of where you are going, but you don’t have to have all of the answers to these big questions on day one. You can figure things out and refine your strategy as you go along.
Insights from seasoned home educators and wisdom from God’s Word can help you get started on both of these topics, but for this article, we will concentrate on the practical application of how to approach your school day–your homeschooling method. (For amazing insights on developing your family’s educational philosophy, I highly recommend The California Homeschool Manual by Susan Beatty and Karen Woodfin Middleton.)
When deciding on your homeschooling method (also known as a pedagogy), you might want to consider what you want your homeschool day to look like and what rhythms your family naturally falls into:
Reading books in the mornings?
Lessons first, then lots of time outdoors?
Read-alouds and discussion?
Child-led discovery and fun family projects?
So, before clicking the “BUY” button on the curriculum website, take some time to consider your answers to these questions and then research a few of the approaches we have gathered here in light of how they might work for your teaching style (because if it doesn’t work for mom, it won’t work for the family).
Traditional/Conventional Textbooks
If you obtained your education from a campus-based public or private school, this is the method that you are likely most familiar with. Many publishers have developed a full line of teaching materials to cover every school subject, which include student textbooks, teacher guides, tests for evaluation, and lesson plans. Some traditional programs are written for teachers in classrooms, but many were written with the home educator in mind.
If your student is a self-learner, this method can be a great place to begin, but some subjects may require a bit more parent involvement. In the same way, if you’re feeling uncertain of where to begin your homeschool journey, these curriculum programs can be a great starting point.
Classical Education
Classical education organizes the goals of thinking and communicating clearly into the three natural stages of development in a child’s life—the Grammar stage when they are learning how to learn, the Logic stage when they are developing the skills of reasoning and comparing facts learned during the Grammar stage, and the Rhetoric stage when students learn to apply abstract thinking to the skills they’ve obtained so far.
This educational model incorporates the liberal arts subjects of literature, Latin, philosophy, fine arts, and reading the great books of Western Civilization to introduce truth, beauty and goodness into a child’s educational journey. All of these components come together in Socratic discussion, a dialogue between teacher and students designed to promote critical thinking, especially during the Rhetoric stage.
Charlotte Mason Homeschooling
Charlotte Mason (1842 - 1923) was a British educator who believed in the capability of each child to deal directly with ideas and knowledge directly rather than being just a blank slate onto which a teacher imposes dry facts or a boring curriculum. Ms. Mason’s approach to learning is summed up in her saying that “Education is an atmosphere, a disciple, a life.”
She taught that by creating an atmosphere of learning in which children are introduced to great ideas in books, fine arts, and the study of nature, a child’s habits and character are trained at home, and their relationships with authors, artists, their family, and God are fostered for life. This methodology includes spending a lot of time in nature and reading living books (many of which are available at your local library) rather than textbooks.
Unit Studies
This integrated approach to education unites many school subjects (literature, history, science, language arts, math…) around a common theme or project with the goal of recognizing that knowledge is interrelated. You can build your own unit study or purchase a unit study curriculum that digs deep into a topic, such as character traits, animals, a historical era, an industry, or any theme that is of interest to your child or your family.
Unit studies incorporate the history and scientific background of a topic into many school subjects through reading fiction, non-fiction, and biographies and using a variety of hands-on projects for students of all ages. You may find that your local library is a great resource for this methodology as well.
Eclectic Homeschooling
As the name indicates, this approach to your homeschool day is a mixture of these strategies (or the myriad of other methods such as Montessori, Waldorf, roadschooling, the delight-directed approach, etc.) that allows you to fine-tune your plans and integrate your teaching style, your child’s learning style, and your family’s needs.
As a home educator, you have the freedom to use a variety of resources, books, field trips, projects, and events to individualize an education for your children. You may begin a “perfect” plan, but then find that a different strategy works better for one or two subjects. Keeping this flexibility in mind can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed by the countless options available.
It is my experience that most homeschoolers become at least a little bit eclectic over their years of homeschooling. Seasons change. You learn from your child. You grow in confidence. So, while you are learning what works best for your family, please keep in mind that there is no rule that says you must stick with a curriculum or an approach that causes more tears than cheers, from moms or students.
Remember, the goal is that one day each individual child will continue building on the foundation that was laid at home.
All your children shall be taught by the LORD,
And great shall be the peace of your children.
-Isaiah 54:13 (NKJV)
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Cathie Berglund is the Exhibits Coordinator for CHEA. She and her husband homeschooled their two, now grown, children through high school. Cathie's homeschooling years sparked a love for the study of God’s Word, for reading and teaching literature, and for encouraging families in their own homeschool journeys.
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