What Is a Homeschool Philosophy?

Have you wondered what a homeschool philosophy is? In this article, I’ll explain my homeschool philosophy and why I think you need one, too. Additionally, be sure to watch the video that’s further down this page.

Before we go further, I want to introduce myself. My name is Jackie, and I’m the founder of HomeSchool ThinkTank. As a long-time homeschooling mom, licensed physical education teacher, and certified life coach, I’ve brought my education and experiences together to share my homeschooling philosophy with you.

p.s. Click here if you’re looking for information about other homeschooling styles and philosophies.

What Does It Mean to Have a Homeschool Philosophy?

If you had asked me what my homeschooling philosophy was a decade ago, I would have looked at you like a deer caught in the headlights. I’m guessing you feel the same way, too. If that’s how you feel, don’t worry.

By the end of this article, I hope you understand that a homeschooling philosophy is important because it’s your roadmap to homeschooling your children more effectively. A homeschool philosophy will help you decide how you want to approach homeschooling and it will help you prioritize what’s most important each day.

I’m going to help you understand my philosophy of homeschooling and that will help you understand what it is and why it’s important. However, before we discuss my homeschool philosophy, let’s clarify the definition of philosophy and the definition of homeschooling.

Video: My Homeschool Philosophy

Definition of Homeschooling

In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, homeschooling is defined in the following ways.

1. “To teach school subjects to one’s children at home.”
2. “To teach (one’s children) at home.”

Definition of Philosophy

The fourth definition of the word philosophy in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary best suits our purposes.

• The word philosophy means “the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group.”

Definition of Homeschool Philosophy

Now, let’s combine the definitions of the words homeschool and philosophy.

The term homeschool philosophy isn’t found as one word in the dictionary. As the founder of HomeSchool ThinkTank, I’m combining the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definitions to create a new definition for homeschool philosophy.

• Homeschool philosophy means the beliefs, concepts, and attitudes about teaching one’s children at home.

I’ve intentionally left the words “school subjects” out of the definition because some homeschool families don’t believe in teaching school subjects similarly to how the school system educates children. While some home educators follow a traditional approach that mimics the public school system, there are many different methods of homeschooling one’s children.

Homeschool Philosophy Defined

While I’ve defined the term homeschool philosophy, I’ll explain it a bit more.

When I speak about your philosophy of homeschooling, I’m simply talking about the way that you think about homeschooling and how this way of thinking applies to your family and your children’s education.

Education Philosophy vs Homeschooling Philosophy

I want to take a moment to note that I believe that an educational philosophy is different than a homeschooling philosophy. There are many different educational philosophies that a homeschooling parent could use to educate their children from home.

On the other hand, I believe that homeschooling is a lifestyle and that there are many considerations to take into account. Clearly, you’ll want to consider your approach to your child’s education, but homeschooling extends beyond “schooling” into other areas of your life as well.

Click here to learn more about other educational philosophies and approaches to homeschooling.

Our Homeschooling Philosophy: Five Pillars to Homeschool Success

My homeschooling philosophy revolves around five core pillars.

1. You
2. Connection
3. Community
4. Education
5. Fun

While this philosophy is simple, the experience it took to create it was hard-earned. Let’s dive into the philosophy I share through HomeSchool ThinkTank.

You Matter: The First Pillar

As a homeschooling parent, it is vital that you take care of yourself. Believe me, I learned this the hard way. Like many parents, I was so busy taking care of my kids and household, that I put my own needs on the back burner.

While neglecting yourself may be sustainable for a while, putting your own needs on hold will eventually catch up with you. This can lead to frustration, resentment, and burnout.

If you want to homeschool for years and be happy, you must take care of yourself. I’ve been a burned-out homeschool mom, and I ultimately found life coaching. Through life coaching, I learned how to manage my mind and take better care of myself. This ultimately led me toward becoming a certified life coach, and I now help other homeschool parents through my life coaching and homeschool consulting services.

As a homeschooling parent and certified life coach, I can tell you that life coaching can have a tremendous positive impact on your ability to succeed at homeschooling your kids.

Click here to learn about my homeschool consulting and life coaching services.

Connection Before Curriculum: The Second Pillar

When my children were young, nearly everything I did revolved around connecting with them. This was natural and wasn’t something I consciously thought about. However, as my kids approached school age and we began our homeschool journey, my focus began to shift toward curriculum.

Over the years, I became so focused on completing each day’s “school work” and curriculum that I allowed this to interfere with my connection with my kids. At times, I pushed them beyond their developmental level, which sometimes led my daughters to tears.

Ultimately, I realized that I was harming my relationship with my children. In addition, when my kids were upset, they weren’t learning the material at hand. This experience led me toward a more relaxed homeschool lifestyle: one where I focused on connection before curriculum.

Through HomeSchool ThinkTank, I frequently share the mantra: Connection Before Curriculum.

Community Matters: The Third Pillar

I believe that to fully enjoy homeschooling, you should be part of a local homeschooling community. As a parent, it is helpful to have other like-minded parents to gather with. In addition, your children will greatly benefit from having peers who are educated in a similar way and who have a lifestyle comparable to their own.

When you are part of a local homeschool group, you’ll schedule playdates, educational activities, and field trips with other homeschoolers. There is a saying, “You become like the five people that you spend the most time with.” So if you want to continue homeschooling, then you’ll want to have friends who also homeschool their kids.

In addition to having a local community, I believe it is helpful to be part of an online homeschooling community. Through an online community, you can gather ideas that you can then share with your local homeschool group. When you join HomeSchool ThinkTank’s online community, you’ll also have the opportunity to get coached and ask questions about homeschooling.

Education Elevates: The Fourth Pillar

As a former physical education teacher and a longtime homeschooling mom, I have concluded that there is a significant difference between education and schooling.

While children are educated in various ways through the school system, I don’t believe that schooling is necessary for a well-rounded education. Throughout HomeSchool ThinkTank’s website, podcast, and coaching program, I share that educating your children is about providing opportunities to help them learn.

Your child’s education is about helping them learn what is needed to succeed in life and in ways that further develop them as human beings. If you can separate schooling from education and learning, this will help you succeed at homeschooling your kids. Be open to the different approaches to homeschooling and use a method that is effective for your family.

Have Fun Daily: The Fifth Pillar

If you want to homeschool for years to come, strive to integrate fun into your daily homeschool routine.

Have fun connecting with your kids. Go on fun outings with homeschooling friends. If you want your kids to develop a lifelong love of learning, then strive to make education fun.

Clearly, not every moment of every day is going to be fun. There are things that just need to be done, and there will be frustrating moments. However, when you aspire to integrate fun into your daily routine, you will be more likely to succeed with homeschooling.

Homeschool ThinkTank’s Philosophy Recapped: 5 Pillars to Homeschool Success

I believe the philosophy I share through HomeSchool ThinkTank will guide you toward homeschool success.

1. You: Take care of yourself.
2. Connection: Connect with your kids.
3. Community: Gather with other homeschoolers locally and online.
4. Education: Focus on education rather than schooling.
5. Fun: Strive to integrate fun into your daily routine.

If you use these five pillars as your roadmap, I believe that you are well on your way toward homeschooling your kids successfully.

Why You Need a Homeschooling Philosophy

While most parents don’t have a homeschooling philosophy from the beginning, I think it’s important to create one for your family. While you may choose to use the philosophy I created for HomeSchool ThinkTank, you might decide to create your own. At any rate, the homeschooling philosophy you use will help guide you on your homeschooling journey.

For example, if you were to use HomeSchool ThinkTank’s philosophy, you would make decisions and take actions based on the five pillars. Are you taking care of yourself, or would this overwhelm you? Can you connect with your kids through this activity? Are you building community? Is it educational? Is it fun?

If you couldn’t answer “Yes” to at least one of these questions, then you might reconsider a decision that you are about to make or an obligation that you have previously committed to.

Your Philosophy of Homeschooling

If you choose to create your own philosophy around homeschooling, consider the following:

• The reasons you homeschool your kids.
• Your values and priorities.
• Educational goals.
• Your knowledge about how children learn.
• The beliefs you have about education.
• Your lifestyle.
• The style of homeschooling you prefer.
• Your role as a homeschooling parent.
• The vision you have for yourself, your children, and your family.

There may be other considerations, as well. However, this list will help you consider important factors as you create your own homeschool philosophy.

More Reasons to Create Your Own Philosophy for Home Education

Here are a few more reasons to have a homeschooling philosophy.

• Save Time: You can save time by avoiding homeschool curriculum or activities that don’t align with your philosophy.
• Save Money. You’ll save money by not spending your resources on educational items or activities that don’t fit into your long-term vision for your homeschool family.
• Have More Fun. Yes! Homeschooling can be fun. Your children do not have to follow a traditional method of education or do online school Monday through Friday. Core subjects like social studies and language arts can be taught through experiential learning opportunities, innovative homeschool curricula, unit studies, and various other homeschooling methods.

My experience, education, and observations of both successful and not-so-successful homeschooling families led me to create the philosophy of homeschooling that I share through HomeSchool ThinkTank.

Hopefully, this article has been helpful to you. Furthermore, I hope that you’ll create your own home education philosophy or adopt ours.

Helping You Through My Homeschool Blog and Podcast

One of the many reasons that I blog and share the HomeSchool ThinkTank Parenting Podcast is to help homeschooling parents like you avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made throughout my years as a homeschooling parent.

I also want to help you replicate my homeschool successes. While I’ve done some things well, there are many things I could have done better.

Rather than keeping my experiences to myself, I prefer to take the lessons I’ve learned to help other parents succeed in homeschooling their own children. Overall, I strive to share guiding principles that you can use on your homeschool journey.

Whether you have younger or older children, it’s never too late to consider your philosophy and create your roadmap to homeschool success.

Click here to learn more about me.

Discover Articles About Other Educational Homeschooling Philosophies & Homeschool Styles

• Charlotte Mason Method
• Classical Education
• Eclectic Approach
• Montessori Method
• Nature Schooling

Click here for a comprehensive article about other educational philosophies and homeschool styles.

Helpful Articles, Videos, & Podcast Episodes for You

• Self-Care for Moms
• Read the Great Books
• Homeschool Curriculum
• Books About Homeschooling
• Your Beliefs About Homeschooling

Podcast Episode: Why You Need a Homeschool Philosophy

*Note: our philosophy has expanded since this episode was recorded. A new podcast episode is forthcoming.

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