Homeschool Philosophies Quiz

homeschool-philosophies-quiz

Try out our brand new Homeschool Philosophies quiz!  This version has a few philosophies that we revised to give you more accurate results.  We’ve also added in two new philosophies.

Find out how you score with Charlotte Mason Education, Classical Education, Montessori, Project-Based Learning, Reggio-Inspired Learning, Thomas Jefferson Education, Traditional Education, a Unit Studies Approach, an Unschooling Approach, and Waldorf Education.

Share your results in the comments.  Did anything surprise you?  Do you think it is accurate?

To see the previous version, click here.

Great books from history and literature should be used in place of textbooks.

Topical studies are a great way to learn.

Child-led learning is important.

Living books, projects, and activities are preferable to textbooks, workbooks, and worksheets.

Children should design their own curriculum.

Children should have long periods of uninterrupted time for child-led study.

Lessons that can be used with multiple ages and grades are best.

I prefer to purchase grade-level curriculum packages that are planned out for me.

Natural life experiences are where learning truly happens.

The parent's role is to help the child pursue his/her goals and interests.

Instruction should be language-based with little use of screens.

Incorporating many different subjects into one study is preferable.

Creative play should be emphasized in early childhood with no formal learning before age 7.

The parent's role is to inspire the child to learn rather than require him to learn.

Living books are a great tool for learning.

It is important to cultivate wisdom and virtue in our homeschool.

Social responsibility, empathy, creativity, and free thinking are important in my children's education.

Learning should be based on a child's interests.

Learning ideas are more important than memorizing facts.

Parents should model a love for learning, a love for work, a curious nature, and read a lot.

Learning to write clearly and use elegant language is important.

Children will learn when they are ready.

Education should include practical activities like household chores or handcrafts.

Children should redo work until it is excellent.

Education should be driven by a child's interests.

Exploring ideas from great thinkers is important.

Parents should study and read while the child studies and reads.

Learning is best done in larger blocks of time.

Short lessons with focused attention are better than big chunks of time.

Avoiding screens for children who are elementary age or younger is important.

Tests and grades should be given in elementary or middle school.

It is better to study a wide variety of subjects than to focus mainly on reading, writing, and math.

Our learning environment looks like a mini-classroom.

Tests and grades may hinder learning.

Children learn well in multi-age groups.

Topical studies help children make connections between subjects.

Children should spend lots of time outside.

Adults should search out answers together with the child rather than give answers.

Being able to transition into a public or private school classroom is important.

Expression through art and music is important in my homeschool.

A parent's role is to act less like a teacher and more like a mentor to help their children learn.

I want to use curriculum similar to what is used in public or private schools.

The child's learning area needs to be organized and aesthetically pleasing.

Children learn best by doing their own investigations in the world.

Projects are an excellent way to engage in deep, complex learning.

Great works of literature, art, history, and philosophy are important to study.

The parent's role is to facilitate the child's education and not to teach.

Art, music, gardening, and foreign language are important subjects.

Making things is an important part of learning.

Learning is best done in a clutter-free environment filled with natural light.

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294 thoughts on “Homeschool Philosophies Quiz

  1. Top three: Unit Studies (21), Unschooling (12), and Montessori (10)
    Not surprised.

    I worked in a Montessori preschool for several years before having my children. And I do love having our lessons “mesh” together, especially in the early years. I love the idea of unschooling, but I just couldn’t see it working for us.
    Bit surprised to see Charlotte Mason so low. I did like some of her philosophy, which is why we went with My Father’s World, as it has a CM influence, but there was a lot a didn’t like too.

    Your Results:

    Score for Charlotte Mason: 5
    Score for Classical Education: 8
    Score for Montessori Education: 10
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 0
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:0
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: -3
    Score for Traditional Education: -13
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 21
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 12
    Score for Waldorf Education: -10

  2. Score for Charlotte Mason: 23
    Score for Classical Education: 19
    Score for Montessori Education: 23
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 20
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:23
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 11
    Score for Traditional Education: -9
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 23
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 13
    Score for Waldorf Education: 23

  3. I haven’t heard of many of these. My DD started in Montessori, and 2 years of Public school and then I got tired of all of the BS. I thought we were mostly unschooling. I have not heard of Project- based or Reggio or Unit Study. We just do what we do.
    Score for Charlotte Mason: 9
    Score for Classical Education: 14
    Score for Montessori Education: 15
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 21
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:16
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 11
    Score for Traditional Education: -20
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 19
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 13
    Score for Waldorf Education: 4

  4. My top three are:
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 23
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 16
    Score for Charlotte Mason: 19
    This is totally accurate for me. Unit studies are my most favorite and Charlotte Mason and Unschooling are my fall back. It was hilarious to get a negative 16 on traditional schooling. 🙂

  5. Score for Charlotte Mason: 14
    Score for Classical Education: 17
    Score for Montessori Education: 6
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 6
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:16
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 6
    Score for Traditional Education: -3
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 3
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 9
    Score for Waldorf Education: 11

    Not even sure what Reggio-Inspired is. I was already aware I we are eclectic. Probably because we are still deschooling and learning about homeschooling and what will work best for us. I still lean towards traditional classroom style because it’s what I know best. My answers have changed a lot, however, since taking the quiz in June.

  6. Score for Charlotte Mason: 13
    Score for Classical Education: 9
    Score for Montessori Education: 14
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 9
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:9
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 0
    Score for Traditional Education: -19
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 21
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 12
    Score for Waldorf Education: 9

    I love how Traditional was -19 🙂

  7. Score for Charlotte Mason: 16
    Score for Classical Education: 11
    Score for Montessori Education: 21
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 11
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:17
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 14
    Score for Traditional Education: -9
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 14
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 16
    Score for Waldorf Education: 16

  8. Score for Charlotte Mason: 12
    Score for Classical Education: 6
    Score for Montessori Education: 15
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 18
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:12
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 9
    Score for Traditional Education: 14
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 16
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 11
    Score for Waldorf Education: 0

    Interesting, indeed. Looks like I may have some projects coming my way.

  9. These results were right on target with our philosophy of what we have named worldschooling/homeschooling/unschooling. It’s very eclectic because we do not agree with traditional learning. I was a public school teacher prior to homeschooling and even then I had constant collisions with how the system wanted us to teach. Learning at home allows us the freedom to choose to learn in any way, anytime, and anywhere! We love it. However, I do agree that the fundamental of reading, writing, and math are a must for everything we learn. Our top 4 results were: Classical Education, Montessori Education, Project-Based Learning, and Unschooling Approach. Traditional Education scored the lowest and that is exactly how we feel about it.

  10. Score for Charlotte Mason: 0
    Score for Classical Education: 12
    Score for Montessori Education: 6
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 3
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:3
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 0
    Score for Traditional Education: -1
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 3
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 9
    Score for Waldorf Education: 6

    Definitely going to have to do more research.

  11. My top three were Charlotte Mason (21), Classical (19), and Montessori/Unschooling (tied at 17). Pretty accurate as I strive to mostly be Charlotte Mason and Classical in our approach.

  12. Here are my results! This has really opened up my eyes to what I want to start my LO with when he gets old enough! Thank you!

    Score for Charlotte Mason: 16
    Score for Classical Education: 20
    Score for Montessori Education: 17
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 15
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:21
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 21
    Score for Traditional Education: 6
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 14
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 14
    Score for Waldorf Education: 20

  13. Score for Charlotte Mason: 13
    Score for Classical Education: 23
    Score for Montessori Education: 20
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 17
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:19
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 21
    Score for Traditional Education: -13
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 21
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 21
    Score for Waldorf Education: 15

    I agreeed with my top 4, definitely my new way of teaching and thinking!

  14. Score for Charlotte Mason: 8
    Score for Classical Education: 11
    Score for Montessori Education: 13
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 1
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:10
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 21
    Score for Traditional Education: 23
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: -6
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 6
    Score for Waldorf Education: 5

  15. CM, Montessori and Unit Studies were my top 3 scores however I’m not sure what to do with that information. I would like to start some formal teaching next year for my son who would be about kindergarten/1st grade.

  16. The results for me are so unbelievable. My top results were unit studies and unschooling… thirdly, Charlotte Mason. I was not a fan of Ambleside Online, so I’m totally blown away that Charlotte Mason would be in my top three. lol I have no idea how to unschool. I was raised in public school. I should be able to do unit studies, though, and that totally aligns with what I believe in, so it makes sense that I would have that in my top results, but the other two are mind-blowing to me. lol

  17. Score for Charlotte Mason: 3
    Score for Classical Education: 3
    Score for Montessori Education: 6
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 12
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:6
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 0
    Score for Traditional Education: -6
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 9
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 9
    Score for Waldorf Education: 3

  18. Score for Charlotte Mason: 19
    Score for Classical Education: 9
    Score for Montessori Education: 23
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 18
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:21
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 4
    Score for Traditional Education: -16
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 25
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 15
    Score for Waldorf Education: 12

  19. Score for Charlotte Mason: 16
    Score for Classical Education: 20
    Score for Montessori Education: 23
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 16
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:23
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 10
    Score for Traditional Education: -6
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 16
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 23
    Score for Waldorf Education: 18

    this was a great exercise thanks! will help greatly as I start to formulate what homeschooling looks like for me and my family =)

    righto, off to do some research, many of these I have NO clue on 😉

  20. Score for Charlotte Mason: 6
    Score for Classical Education: 4
    Score for Montessori Education: 11
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 5
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:12
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 5
    Score for Traditional Education: -3
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 9
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 12
    Score for Waldorf Education: 1

    Looks pretty eclectic to me! It amuses me that my unschooling score is as high as some of the others—shouldn’t that be an oxymoron? But more likely it reflects the fact that my kids started out in Montessori and one of them needs an almost traditional structure while the other does better with almost complete unschooling. A challenging combination, but Follow The Child!

  21. Very interesting! A lot of my scores seem relatively high

    Score for Charlotte Mason: 14
    Score for Classical Education: 18
    Score for Montessori Education: 17
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 21
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:21
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 0
    Score for Traditional Education: -3
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 19
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 21
    Score for Waldorf Education: 10

  22. Classical, unit studies, unschooling. Generally consider myself eclectic. Very accurate. Unschooled subjects/topics where there was lots of interest, tied everything together as units, and always read and discussed great works of literature and philosophy.

  23. Score for Charlotte Mason: 21
    Score for Classical Education: 20
    Score for Montessori Education: 19
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 18
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:19
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 21
    Score for Traditional Education: -5
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 25
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 17
    Score for Waldorf Education: 15

    So, Unit Studies, CM, & Thomas Jefferson.

  24. Score for Charlotte Mason: 17
    Score for Classical Education: 19
    Score for Montessori Education: 8
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 16
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:16
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 11
    Score for Traditional Education: -12
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 17
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 14
    Score for Waldorf Education: 6

  25. Project based at 21, with Montessori and Unschooling tying with 19. This was really inspiring. I’ve been stressing about what to do when I go back to homeschooling my 8 and 13 year olds in the fall (I’ve been working outside the home the last 3 years), and this really helped me get a clear picture of what I want that to be like for them. I’m really excited now!

  26. *****Score for Charlotte Mason: 9
    Score for Classical Education: 3
    Score for Montessori Education: 3
    *****Score for Project-Based Learning: 9
    ***Score for Reggio-Inspired:6
    ***Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 6
    Score for Traditional Education: -3
    ***Score for Unit Studies Approach: 6
    ***Score for Unschooling Approach: 6
    ***Score for Waldorf Education: 6

  27. I took a similar test 1 year ago to help me decide on Educational philosophies for my child. My top choices then were classical, unit studies, and Montessori. after spending a lot of time and doing thorough researches on all of the different philosophies I decided against classical for my child. In fact I chose Charlotte Mason with unit studies and a little Thomas Jefferson. I’m guessing there may be something wrong with the wording choices in the questions or evaluation of the tests because my answers this time around should have reflected My latest decisions. I’m wondering what the answers to each of the questions would be according to this test for someone who would be purely Charlotte Mason unit studies and Thomas Jefferson. I realize there Are places which philosophies overlap still I feel it is not showing accurate results or adequately taking those overlaps into consideration. Hoping for some feedback. Thx!

  28. Score for Charlotte Mason: 17
    Score for Classical Education: 13
    Score for Montessori Education: 18
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 0
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:17
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: -5
    Score for Traditional Education: 1
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 14
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 8
    Score for Waldorf Education: 5

  29. Your Results:
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 17
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 17
    Score for Classical Education: 13
    Score for Charlotte Mason: 11

    I think the questions on “great books” is misleading this score for Classical. I’m usually high on those other 3, but not Classical.

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  31. This was very interesting and I believe a bit eye opening. I’m beginning my second try at homeschooling this time with my 9yr old son, several years ago I tried with his sisters we did OK, but I wasn’t confident to continue. I’m super excited now, and he is in need of some self paced tailored studies, he is gifted and public school even though tried just wasn’t cutting it for him!

    My results were…
    Classical Education: 9
    Montessori Education: 11
    Project-Based Learning: -7
    Reggio-Inspired:13
    Thomas Jefferson Education: -1
    Traditional Education: 8
    Unit Studies Approach: 9

    I’m surprised I scored so high for Reggie and negative for Project Based, but seeing the scores remove my self doubt and confirmed my desire to create a learning environment he loves, using different methods to really challenge him and encourage him to want to learn and explore again.

    Thank you for this information!

  32. Score for Charlotte Mason: 14
    Score for Classical Education: 8
    Score for Montessori Education: 15
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 17
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:17
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 0
    Score for Traditional Education: -14
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 14
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 21
    Score for Waldorf Education: 11

    Unschooling has always seemed to line up best for me, thanks for the quiz!

  33. Score for Charlotte Mason: 12
    Score for Classical Education: 13
    Score for Montessori Education: 10
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 16
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:19
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 14
    Score for Traditional Education: 6
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 19
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 13
    Score for Waldorf Education: 8

    I feel this is pretty accurate for our family although I have no idea what a Reggio inspired School looks like so I need to look that up! well I love the idea of unit studies and doing projects, and I know my kids learn really well that way, I haven’t made the switch to completely teaching that way yet because it takes a lot of extra planning to incorporate everything and that is why I fall back to having more of a curriculum.

  34. Score for Classical Education: 12
    Score for Montessori Education: 15
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 18
    There we go

  35. My top 3:

    Score for Charlotte Mason: 13
    Score for Project-Based Learning: 14
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 23

    My kids are more delight directed than unschool. They let me know what they are interested in and we go from there with planning. Their learning styles have changed over the years and I go with the flow 🙂

  36. Unschooling = 21
    Montessori = 19
    Project-Based Learning = 18

    I think these are quite accurate! I was surprised though, I am having a hard time wrapping my head around some of the unschooling concepts. I found it funny though that I scored negatively on “Traditional Schooling”, probably why I am so reluctant to bring my kid to school LOL.

  37. Project Based 23, Charlotte Mason wq and Unschooling 20. Interesting as I am going with Unschooling at this stage, later on Project Based might come into it. Not sure on Charlotte Mason, I will read more.

  38. My highest score is for a style ice never heard of! New research project. Lol
    Score for Charlotte Mason: 15
    Score for Classical Education: 15
    Score for Montessori Education: 18
    Score for Project-Based Learning: -1
    Score for Reggio-Inspired:19
    Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 18
    Score for Traditional Education: -7
    Score for Unit Studies Approach: 18
    Score for Unschooling Approach: 15
    Score for Waldorf Education: 17

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