Comparison Guide to Home Education Approaches

	The Classroom Approach	The Applied Approach	The Life Approach
Other names	"Traditional Education"	"Eclectic"	"Unschooling" or "Relaxed Homeschooling"
What is education?	The students take in information, usually by textbook or lecture. The children will give the information back via a project or test. This is run mainly like a public school.	Emphasis in application of knowledge. A student who can complete a math sheet on subtracting money should be able to make change in the store. Of course, not all information is so readily applied to life. Age, development, and 'readiness' of the child is always kept in mind.	Education is accomplished by developing a student's interests. Proponents of this approach believe that the skills of life will be learned as the student develops and grows, being allowed to discover life at his or her own pace. Specific skills are not usually targeted, but will be focused upon as needed.
Role of the teacher	The teacher's main job is to get the students to achieve a set of standards, usually imposed by a higher authority. Whether students achieve these standards is the primary indicator of teacher effectiveness.	The teacher is very important because he knows the student better than anyone else. This approach gives the teacher the power to discern where students need help and how to give it to them.	The teacher is primarily a resource to the student. It is her main job to create an atmosphere of learning and to be a learner as well. Beyond that, it is difficult to define the teacher's role, because every teacher is so different in this approach.
Role of the student	The student's role is the same as the student's in public school. The student is expected to perform assigned tasks in a timely manner.	The student is an individual to be treated in an age-appropriate manner. This comes from a belief that the student will better learn a new concept if he is walked through it and then allowed to do it or apply it, rather than just being told about it.	The student will model the teacher's life as an effective learner. Thus, the student will become an effective learner. The student is seen as a naturally curious learner who will learn in the proper environment.
Role of the curriculum	In this approach, curriculum is geared towards accomplishing the pre-set standards. Rarely will the curriculum address issues outside these standards.	Curriculum is seen as a means to an end, not as the end itself. It is used in a manner that is best for the student. Actual curriculum choices can make the teacher's job easier or harder. An age-appropriate flexible program is best.	There is usually no curriculum. If a curriculum is used, it is generally used for reading and math only.
Pros & Cons	Possible high standardized test scores in the early years, Teacher has little input in the curriculum, Students may simply master the test rather than the material, Students often become bored, Students who do not fit the curriculum may feel inferior, Students learn "factoids" rather than the big picture.	Student's individual needs are met, Student gains confidence, not being compared with others, Better and longer retention, Education becomes a practical part of life, Possible low standardized test scores in the early years.	Students are aware of interest and abilities, Students develop thinking skills and become independent thinkers, Little pressure on teachers, Possible low stadardized test scores in early years, Opinions vary as to whether or not students will learn all they need.
Method(s) that best fit the approach	Traditional, Robinson, Classical Education	Unit Studies, Charlotte Mason Method, Waldorf Education, Montessori	Unschooling