Vanguard Parents

Topic

Methods & philosophy

Charlotte Mason, classical, Montessori, unschooling, eclectic — what each actually looks like on a Tuesday morning.

10 pieces on this topic

A timeline running from ancient to modern with a temple, a clock, a globe and a book marking the eras
Guide

Classical education explained — the trivium without the intimidation

Grammar, logic, rhetoric: what the three stages actually mean at the kitchen table, what a classical week looks like at each age, and whether you really need Latin.

24 Aug 2026

A wall planner beside a checklist with several items ticked off
Guide

Record keeping and portfolios — ten minutes a week, no dread

What to keep, what to bin, and a system that satisfies any state requirement in ten minutes a week — including for families who don't use a curriculum.

24 Aug 2026

A head in profile filled with brightly coloured connected nodes
Guide

Homeschooling a neurodivergent child — ADHD, autism and dyslexia at home

Why home education suits many neurodivergent learners, the accommodations that do the heavy lifting, and how to get assessed without a school behind you.

24 Aug 2026

Alphabet blocks and a spinning top on a floor near a sunny window
Guide

Homeschooling the early years — what a 3 to 6 year old actually needs

How little formal work is genuinely required before six, what to do instead, the readiness signs that matter, and how to resist the pressure to start early.

24 Aug 2026

Wooden alphabet blocks arranged on a floor beside a child and a sunny window
Guide

Montessori at home — what transfers from the classroom and what doesn't

The four ideas from Montessori that genuinely work in an ordinary house, the expensive materials you can skip, and how to run a long work cycle at home.

24 Aug 2026

A bench facing an open horizon at sunset, with a book left resting on it
Article

Deschooling — the month that makes everything else work

What deschooling actually is, how long it takes, what to do during it, and why families who skip it usually end up doing it later after a much harder month.

24 Aug 2026

Resource

Living books for science and nature study

What a living book is, the science and nature titles worth owning, and how to pair them with nature walks and a journal.

11 Jun 2026

Kids playing freely outside together
Guide

Unschooling, truthfully explained — when freedom works and when it doesn't

An honest look at unschooling: what it actually is, where it shines, where it fails, and how families do it without their kids drifting.

14 May 2026

Guide

The Charlotte Mason method: a deep dive for modern families

What Charlotte Mason actually taught — short lessons, living books, nature study, narration — and how to apply her ideas without being a purist.

13 May 2026

Guide

Choosing a homeschooling method — a parent's field guide

An honest comparison of the main homeschooling approaches — Charlotte Mason, classical, Montessori, unschooling, eclectic — and how to pick one.

1 May 2026

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