We're eclectic - semi-unschooling don't know a better way to describe it! I am just thankful when we actually get stuff done on any given day! This is our 3rd year and I really love it. It adds a lot of chaos but I know it's the best for my kids.

We are also in our 3rd year at home.

We started with a curriculum (Moving Beyond the Page) but I had serious issues with their maps - they were terribly inaccurate! - so I got mad and we have been eclectic since then. We tend to change as we need to, either out of boredom, or out of the need to fill a gap. We have used lapbooks, field trips, computer games, computer schooling, text books, and unit studies.

Currently, we are using Singapore and Kahn Academy for math, Time 4 Learning for "core" subjects (including more math), Real Science 4 Kids for science and Story of the World for History. However, we have been leaning heavily on Time 4 Learning (because I'm lazy at the moment) and haven't covered science or history in a few weeks. I know, from past experience, that after our Thanksgiving break, we will more than likely drop T4L for a while and focus more on history and science. We don't tend to take a lot of time off from school - we get bored too easily!

I have also found that we cannot do a "leveled" curriculum b/c the kids function at different levels depending on subject - and they will move rapidly through some subjects, but more slowly through others.

We are early risers, so we tend to get up, get ready for the day, "do school" and are usually finished by lunchtime. We often have outings after lunch (about 2x a week) and other times we'll do "fun stuff" - like history or an art project.

We also lack music, so I am more focused on learning about music -when we remember! I like the Core Knowledge series of books (killer deal on used copies from Amazon!) to help me with things like art and music. We are looking to get a piano or weighted keyboard in the next year so the kids can start piano lessons.

I'm sure there's more, but that's what comes to mind at the moment!

Oh - and we love it most days! Our favorite part is the ability to meet each kid where they are and take them forward with little to no slogging through "known" material.

We use a loose classical model. I'm pretty laid back about most things, but my girls are learning to diagram sentences and will use correct grammar. It works well for us to have some structure.

After 20+ years of homeschooling I feel like we have done everything! We have had great years and we have had difficult years with moving, complicated pregnancies, job loss, etc. I have learned that in all things God is faithful!!!

I love the philosophy of Classical curriculum and incorporate as much as I can, but the rigor of it just does not fit in with our lifestyle.

We are not laid back...we are go getters! Learning is fun and challenging. It is exciting!

I am very strict but tons of fun!

We do as much school all together as we can.

I am a fan of Konos type learning and love great books.

Math and writing gain high priority but History is our favorite subject.

We spend a good amount of time on religion as well.

For my older students I rely on On-line programs more.

I find that the older that they get the more creative I must become and the more strict. That sounds like an oxymoron but the truth is, as it gets harder, it takes more effort to keep attitudes high and commitment strong.

My first two got into the college of their choice and did very well on standardized tests. My third graduate has a reading disability but is still maintaining a 3.9 in the nursing program. I say this not to brag but to encourage that we are doing some things right.

I never regret this decision! It is the best thing we have ever done as a family.

We're definitely eclectic, some of the stuff is sit-down work, some of it is un-schooling, I'm a fan of unit studies. The only thing I get firm on is the writing and maths in the morning, then it's pretty much what he wants to work on. He's only 5.5 so we're still in the baby stages. Just started in November! Still getting our groove on. lol

I am not sure how long we have been homeschooling. As long as I have had kids I have wanted to homeschool, and I have been teaching them since they were born. There has not been a line drawn between not homeschooling and homeschooling. We learn as much as we can whenever we can. We also don't use grade levels. They may be learning at one level in math and a different one in reading. For electives such as science, history, etc we are doing them together as a family.

My son is 4 and my daughter is just about to turn 6. My son has been working on learning how to read and has started sounding out some words on his own. What I have used so far for teaching them both is the book, "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons". I love it because when you finish the book your child should be reading at a 2nd grade level. My daughter is now at a 5th grade level. The book worked very well for us, and is working great for my son who I thought would have a harder time. Guess I was wrong.

We have a loose schedule each day. After breakfast we read the Bible together and do our math lessons. After lunch we do any electives. We don't do our lessons at the same time each day. It works for us because if we are going to say ballet that day we can do our lessons before we leave, or do them in the afternoon and skip our elective. Also, if we need to we are free to play after Bible and do math a little later. I just try hard to get Bible and math done before lunch, but at what time doesn't matter to me. For the afternoon electives we do all the work together.

Homeschooling is working very well for us. If we are having an off day we take the day off. we school year 'round so if we miss a few days we can make it up during the summer. Right now we are set to finish math up in April so I think we may take a couple weeks off here soon and maybe take a trip to visit someone. I love that we can do things like that.

Y'all are amazing! this is my 2nd year in homeschooling and we use the Lifepac Curriculum from Alpha omega. I have to have the structure of the units to feel like i am in control, but I have noticed this year I add to what they are doing or change the lesson to suit us! I have 4 children ages 10,9,6 & 3 and I teach 3 levels of math and Language arts, and we do our science, art, history, music and PE together. I try to keep it structured and get most of our schooling done in the morning so we have the afternoons for electives or cleaning(they hate that lol) I Never in my life thought i would homeschool my children but due to the education cuts in a lot of states they closed the school down we were attending & we found it better then cramming them in an already full school and i am really not liking how the public school system has changed with the no child left behind. I absolutly love seeing my children learn and do well.

Eclectic here too. We use Mammoth Math for math and Reading Eggs for reading/phonics/spelling. We rely on our local library and community resources (zoo, botanic gardens, etc.) for the rest. It helps that my son is a voracious reader so he teaches himself so much just through reading. We've done a few unit studies for social studies/science as well, and are involved with a co-op that gives us a lot of exposure to different subjects (and kids!). I'm thinking of using Five in a Row next year just to add a bit more structure in. We also are lacking in phys ed and music... hoping to focus on both of those more over the summer and maybe do piano lessons at some point. (Getting *me* exercising more would automatically help with the phys ed!)

We have been homeschooling for 7 years.
We are structured with reading, spelling, writing, and math, and we do them daily year-round, taking breaks as needed. We move according to each child's abilities. My 11yo would be finishing up 5th grade in public school. She's still working on 4th grade math, but she's years ahead in reading. I haven't assessed her yet for the year, but I'm guessing she's at least on a 9th grade level.
My almost 8yo is between 1st and 2nd grade in both reading and math. I started him later. Unlike his older sister, he had absolutely no interest in sitting still and holding a pencil when he was 6yo. So I didn't force it, and we did other things instead. When he started asking if he could learn to read and write, we started reading and writing.
My 5yo is just now showing an interest in "doing school" with her siblings, so we have just begun Letter of the Week at starfall.com.
With everything else, we're more "unschooling". Since they are naturally curious about the world around them, they learn a lot on their own. My 18yo daughter bought an old set of encyclopedias from the library and gave it to my 11yo daughter for Christmas. She inhales them! She also reads through my old nursing and anatomy textbooks for fun.

At this time, I am also having to keep a 3yo entertained, and I am still breastfeeding my 1yo. Once everyone is weaned and potty-trained, I plan to devote more time to history and follow a more formal curriculum there.

ETA--I love Google and my iPhone! Everytime the children ask me a question that I don't know the answer, it's right there at my fingertips! I love going back and looking through our google searches at all the crazy things we've looked up.

We tried a few different methods but school at home worked best for my daughter. She has bipolar and a structured curriculum is better, she needs to know what to do when and what's expected of her. She also is a perfectionist and doesnt want to learn something unless she is tested adn passes with 90% or more right.

that being said, it was tough with lots of tears when she was younger because she didnt always pass the tests with high grades, but being homeschooled we sat and went over her answers, i showed her how to study and such. Now she's in a distance high school and is flying thru with straight A's in honors/ap classes. She wants to take the SAT tests for college. She's a self starter and really wants to work on getting her schoolwork done, even the parts they dont ask her to turn in.

we still look up silly things on the internet, or have discussions thru out the day on different subjects, one day we went yard-saling and i had her print the maps, use the gps on 'follow me' and tell me how to get where. we had her give us turn by turn directions on how to get where we were going and home again so now she knows the town she lives in. We also have lots of pets, Live in the woods in the country and have chickens and ducks, so nature/science is an everyday learning experience.

If we'd had more kids, my style would have depended on their learning style, im not opposed to eclectic or other type of homeschool syles at all. I think homeschool is the best if you tailor it to how your child learns.