Eclectic homeschooling is a homeschooling approach that involves the use of several different kinds of homeschool curriculum and resources to create an educational program. While other families may use packaged curriculum to complete a particular grade level, eclectic homeschoolers prefer to use separate methods for each subject or age group.http://www.homeschool.com/approaches/Eclectic.asp

Families who practice eclectic homeschooling describe its advantages as including:

• Freedom to select a curriculum or method that best suits each child
• Flexibility when it comes to scheduling and lesson planning
• Lower cost than purchasing a complete grade curriculum from a provider
• Having more control over the kinds of resources that are used
• The ability to teach multiple subjects at once, such as with unit studies and lapbookshttp://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/teacherslounge/styles/marilyn.php

Because eclectic homeschoolers use many different resources to put together a curriculum, it is very important that they plan a budget carefully before purchasing supplies. Planning should also include outlining course objectives and goals for each child. This will help the family to select materials that will best meet these standards.http://www.homeedmag.com/INF/OH/oh_ecl.cur.html

Parents who are interested in pursuing eclectic homeschooling can find many websites on the Internet that explain how to get started and that offer printable materials that can be used in daily lessons and scheduling. Some of these include the following:

• Eclectic Homeschool Online: This website presents regular newsletters with suggestions and tips for homeschooling parents. Almost 3000 reviews of different curriculum resources are provided as well as articles about how to make the most of homeschooling. Links to free printable lesson plans and a user forum are also offered on the site. The administrators run the site from a Christian perspective, so secular homeschoolers will want to read the information carefully before downloading any of the resources.http://www.eclectichomeschool.org/

• The Homeschool Mom: The Homeschool Mom features links to free organizing forms for lesson planning, daily schedules and school year outlines. United States homeschooling support groups are listed and the site also provides free printable resources and worksheets for use.http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/

• Homeschool.com: Billed as "The #1 Homeschooling Community", Homeschool.com has information about many of the major curriculum providers and information for those are who new to homeschooling. Regular newsletters, podcasts and an extensive homeschooling resource guide are also available.http://www.homeschool.com/