Fine materials developed for Christian and private schools are available to home educators. With the huge growth of the homeschool movement new materials are also being developed or adapted especially for use in home teaching.
These materials may be obtained in several basic ways:
- You may order texts and teaching aids directly from the publishers or through mail-order companies. Homeschool magazines regularly present advertisements of numerous suppliers of quality teaching materials.
- A home extension program offered through a local Christian school or church can provide teaching materials, testing and counselling. Materials, testing and guidance can also be obtained through correspondence courses.
Home educators can choose or combine elements of any of the following approaches:
- Traditional Textbooks. High quality textbooks are available from publishers. These cover each subject in depth and in a logical order of topics.
- Work-texts. Some publishers have combined textbook information with exercises in consumable write-in books.
- Classical Approach. Children progress from memory and learning skills to advance reasoning and finally expressive use of language to discuss their knowledge and beliefs. This is fast becoming the most popular trend in home education.
- Unit Studies. Theme centered units integrate information from several subjects. Language art and math need additional systematic teaching.
- Books & Life Experiences. Other than basic teaching in the three R's, much learning comes through reading good literature and nonfiction. Normal everyday activities also supplement book-learning and give it perspective.