Unschooling and de-schooling are just that, getting the public system out of your child so you can start homeschooling anew. It’s not meant to last forever. You will need to plan what your students will be learning, curriculum, breaks, etc.

Unschooling was first coined by author John Holt back in the 1970’s, as an alternative to schooling. Its described as delight-driven learning, child-led learning, interest-led learning, fun-schooling, life-experience learning, relaxed homeschooling, child-centered learning, and passion-driven learning.

See: How To Prevent homeschool Burnout

This style blends multiple approaches together and  works better for most families than ascribing to a single defined style. 

You might choose to do both unit studies and have a hard curriculum.

Read the homeschool article titled:

What Is a Unit Study? | How To Use a unit Study | Homeschool 101

This style introduces creative play! It integrates the natural world into all aspects of education.

It de-emphasizes academics and focuses on age-appropriate learning, such as art, music, gardening, and learning diffrent languages. These are considered key focuses in the elementary years.

No textbooks are used in the first several grades and no formal grades are assigned during the elementary years; instead children are assessed by progress made.

This style puts a heavy emphasis on using high-quality literature, which Mason calls “living books,” to teach children. She believed that education should involve the whole person, not just the mind.

Education is “an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.”

Which translates to:

• The abundant use of narrative literature
• Plenty of time spent outdoors exploring
• The development of an appreciation for art, music, and nature
• Journalling, narration, dictation, and copywork

This is a more classical style like the Waldorf.

It involves a child-centered approach that values each child as a unique individual. Creativity and curiosity are encouraged, which leads students to value knowledge and seek it out for themselves.

“Self-regulation” is a key goal of the Montessori philosophy of education, meaning the ability of a child to regulate his or her conduct in a way that is appropriate to the situation. The Montessori method views a child’s classroom as a preparatory environment for the biggest classroom of all: life.

Roadschooling involves the ability to learn wherever you want.

Students are able to use the landmarks and attractions they encounter as a means for educational enhancement and exploration.

It involes:

Unscheduled and impromptu learning experiences

The ability to integrate travel with the subjects and themes they are learning about

A desire to help children make connections between educational material and the world around them.

Worldschooling allows you to make homeschool into a global adventure! For families who want to experience and interact with the world around them.

It involves:

Desire to travel

Introducing children to the wider world

A holistic approach

A preference for experiential learning

A need for flexibility

A desire to understand and become sensitive to other world-views