What makes an Eclectic education so powerful?

Eclectic means deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources. A good analogy is a smorgasbord of delicious things to eat. One can pick and choose what your body and palate prefers.

The other morning, I was marveling at how diverse my children’s education is. Tenike had decided to write some paragraphs from the beautiful classic ‘Little Women’. She practised her handwriting and enjoyed the rich English from Louisa May Alcott’s timeless masterpiece. That was Tenike’s English for the day.

The power of Eclectic Schooling:

1. CHOICE: One can pick and choose what you want to do that day. For moms and children who enjoy diversity, eclectic homeschooling is wonderful. We have a number of math books, worksheet options and the brilliant Junior Saints curriculum. We can get game ideas from Junior Saints and explain new concepts using their neat, well-planned work. I love how I can get fresh creative ideas when I feel stuck in a rut.

2. FRESH NEW DAYS: Every day looks different. Even when we work on a project over a number of days, the day’s activities are different and varied. 

3. BEATS THE BOREDOM: Children are more motivated to learn when they are interested in what they are learning. So, I give my children a choice of subjects that they can work on. Afrikaans or English? Science or History? Sometimes, I show them the work and say this is a fun experiment or would you like me to read you this story?  When they have chosen what they will be working on, they co-operate better. 

4. INVOLVES YOUR CHILDREN: Eclectic homeschooling asks more input from your children. By involving children in decision-making, they feel more mature and responsible. They take ownership of their studies and will even come forward with their own ideas!

5. NO DEADLINES! Eclectic homeschooling is not bound by timelines. We can do assessments and assignments when we choose. What I really appreciate of the Junior Saints program, is that there are no hard and fast deadlines. The years can meld into each other. You can work faster with your children if you see their capacity is bigger. Gifted children can continue to next levels. Nothing holds them back! Or, one can work at a slower pace and take breaks when needed.

6. MIX AND MATCH: One can supplement work with various resources or watch online videos. One can type a story or illustrate one. Eclectic homeschooling allows for a wide-variety of educational methods and mediums. I think children living in the fast-paced technology age as we are now, need to be able to use technology, apps and multimedia. They need to know how to make presentations in various formats and programs. To practice all this, they need time! And eclectic homeschooling affords children this time.

7. TAILOR-MADE EDUCATION:

Eclectic homeschooling is tailor-made education. One can really look through a vast array of resources and find what works best for your family.

We have enjoyed eclectic homeschooling for the past 11 years and will continue to use this approach in the future. Junior Saints is one of the excellent resources that I make use of!

Email info.juniorsaints@saintsburg.com  for more information regarding the Junior Saints program.