Flexible Home Education
This is really a very broad definition, and really all methods of home education are flexible, but essentially this is a situation where learning is partly done using a curriculum or set of texts or workbooks, partly without, and with lots of flexibility built in. Although it is difficult to define, it is probably the most common model used by home educators.
Children follow their own interests and are encouraged to set their own pace and take responsibility for their own learning as much as possible. A set curriculum and/or a series of pre-defined staged learning exercises are used for some subjects, no special programme is followed for others. The need for a more structured approach to some learning arises when, as is often the case, children choose to spend little time on what the family have decided are important 'core' subjects, like maths perhaps.
In a flexible learning situation there is usually a lot of time devoted to visiting museums, historical sites, theatres, workplaces and so on, with these activities integrated into learning about related topics which are not necessarily compartmentalised into subject areas. Because only a minority of time is spent using set texts or worksheets, it is very important that there is good access to a variety of resources, such as books, the internet, CDs, even radio and television, that will allow children to adequately pursue the self-directed part of their learning.
The Pros
- It is easy to adapt to suit the lifestyle of the family or to take different approaches to the education of children according to their personalities and interests
- Structured learning can be introduced or expanded as children get older and their plans for the future require specific subject education. It is easier for them to adapt if they have had experience of this type of learning from the outset.
- Children are allowed to become self-sufficient in much of their learning without the risk that they will ignore areas that are important to the family
- Parents who feel less confident about teaching some subjects can appreciate the support of an outside structure
- There is less pressure on children to meet pre-determined goals or standards than with a more structured approach
- Maximising the time when children are free to pursue things that interest them keeps them from becoming bored or disinterested
The Cons
- Some children need structure to learn, a lot of flexibility doesn't suit everyone
- Parents can become worried that they are not 'doing enough', especially when they are culturally accustomed to measuring progress empirically
- There will be no recognised certification or 'evidence' of the amount a child has learned or achieved via unstructured learning
- It may not be easy for children to integrate easily back into school if this becomes desirable
- There is likely to be pressure and criticism from friends and family members who either do not understand or who disapprove of this approach to learning.