A classical homeschooling education focuses on teaching children though grammar, logic and rhetoric and is designed to correlate with a child's developmental stages. Children through the age of 12 are given concrete information and learn to listen, read, write, observe and gather information about about basic scientific principles as part of the grammar stage.
Homeschoolers who are of middle school age are taught through logic and are encouraged to discover why things happen and draw their own educational conclusions. In the rhetoric stage, typically taught to high-school aged children, students learn to express their thoughts and findings to others and begin to research new ideas.
Traditional, or structured homeschooling, resembles a classroom education with children working on specific school subjects each day. Parents use a teacher's manual and give their children regular assignments and tests to track their learning. Traditional homeschooling methods may be adapted for advanced learners or for families who prefer to delay education. Some families choose to use a computer-based program to provide traditional instruction, as well. This type of homeschooling is typically done on a schedule, either similar to a public school calendar or as part of a year-round education.
Unit studies are used by homeschooling families to incorporate all of the school subjects into a single theme. Units can be adapted for children of all ages and families are able to spend as much or as little time on a single topic as is desired. Children are often able to help select a unit of interest and may be allowed to learn in the manner they prefer, with one child choosing to read texts about the unit, such as historical fiction or biographies about the American Revolution, while another child may choose to complete hands-on lessons, such as recreating a famous battle.
Unschooling focuses on a free education, meaning that all learning follow's the child's interests and curiosity. Unschooling has no school schedule or selected curriculum and the homeschooling parent follows the child's lead for educational decisions, providing materials and outside exploration opportunities for the subjects that the child is interested in. The child is encouraged to maintain an open mind towards constant learning and the family uses every event as a learning opportunity, providing mentoring and new opportunities for the child whenever possible.