Beginner Mini Guide 1: What Home Education Really Is

You’re most likely here because you're thinking about an alternative to school. Maybe school doesn't feel quite right or your child's struggling. Or maybe you’re just curious about an alternative approach.

Whatever brought you here, you’re in the right place.

I've created these mini guides to help you without overwhelming you. So you can get an idea about what home ed is and how it might work for your family.

Let’s be really clear: home education (often called homeschooling) isn’t school at home (despite what you've heard). You don’t need a classroom, a schedule, curriculums or lessons (unless you choose them!). In fact, there's no single path to follow or 'right' way to do it.

One of the best things about home ed is the freedom it gives you. You can shape learning around your child - what they’re curious about, how they like to learn and what feels right and works for them.

So, what does home education look like?

There's no single answer to this, which you might find a bit frustrating at first. School is a clear and easy path to follow. When you step away from it, it can feel overwhelming - suddenly all the decisions are yours. But once you start to explore and try things out, you'll see it's not as daunting as it first seems. In fact, it can feel incredibly freeing.

Families approach home ed in all sorts of ways, and you get to find the style that works for you. Here are some of the most common approaches:

• Child-led learning: Following your child’s passions, offering resources, guidance and encouragement along the way. It might include some planning and structure from a parent, or more of an unschooling approach.
• Unschooling:  Letting learning happen organically through everyday life experiences and interests. It may or may not include structure, it's an extremely flexible approach. See this post for more on unschooling.
• Specific approaches: Montessori, Waldorf and Charlotte Mason have more of a specific style and are very popular, especially in the primary years. You can easily find plenty of plans and resources online to help guide you should you prefer one of these approaches.
• Eclectic approaches: Mixing elements from different methods and philosophies to suit your family.
• Structured approach: If you prefer following a curriculum that aligns with your country’s school system, such as the National Curriculum in the UK, you’ll find plenty of resources online to support that. Many families begin this way for the structure and reassurance it offers, then ease into a more flexible style over time.
• Project-based or worldschooling: Long-term projects based on your child's interests at the time, or learning through travel and cultural experiences.

The beauty of home ed is that you can adapt as you go. It’s completely normal for families to change their approach over time, tuning into what their child actually needs instead of trying to stick to a fixed plan.

And most importantly...you don’t have to be a teacher to do this well. You already know your child better than anyone else and home ed allows you to really tune into them. When you know what excites them, what frustrates them and what helps them thrive, you have the ideal base to work from. That deep connection - your relationship - is the foundation for everything else (read here for more on this).

When a child feels safe, understood and supported, learning will naturally follow.

So take a breath - no one has it all worked out at the beginning (quite the opposite!). Home ed isn’t about getting it perfect or running a neat, orderly system like school; it’s about learning and adapting together as you go.

I created this website to help you. Home ed isn't an easy path, but it can be extremely rewarding for your whole family. I’ve put together a mix of easy-to-use ideas, practical tips and honest insights and reflections about what actually works (and what doesn’t). Whether you’re just starting out or looking for fresh inspiration, my website and newsletter are here to help you find what works for you.

And if you need any help or have any questions, then please feel free to get in touch at jo@thehomeedhelp.com