More formal home education

[maverick]

If you actually want to do some teaching at home then don?t feel intimidated by those who strongly advocate the child-led, autonomous style of home education.
Some home educators prefer a more formal style using text books, ready made curricula etc. and that?s perfectly ok, too. Most home educators end up somewhere near the middle of the two extremes, style-wise.
It?s simply not true that left to their own devices all children can and will teach themselves to read, write and count eventually, even in a book-filled household.
I recommend the book 'Educating Your Child At Home by Jane Lowe and Alan Thomas, published by Continuum. It?s a clear and considered, authoritative guide to home education in the UK - useful and reassuring for parents still contemplating the step or for those just starting out. Also, there is the HE organisation www.heas.org.uk which provides advice and support, contact lists, publications and so on..

Yes, this is true, IMO most HE-ers do fall somewhere between two extremes and there have been instances that people have felt a little 'attacked' because they use workbooks or a curriculum.

IMHO workbooks, although we don't use them here, can be useful, especially in the early days if you've just de-registered a child from school and are feeling a little lost.

The beauty of HE is that it offers the freedom to find a style of education that best suits the family

We do a mixture, some times child led other led by me.

Often I'll start off doing something I want to "teach" my son, and then we will end up doing something he wants to learn.