The Disney characters that personify each homeschool method

This is intended to be a light, tongue-and-cheek article to warm the hearts of Disney addicts, nothing more. The different angry widowers, stepmothers and kidnappers posing as parents are in no way reflective of the sort of parent who chooses each homeschool method.

School-at-home method

Cinderella has a schedule and a to do list.

She might be given a report card that came in the prepackaged curricula and means absolutely nothing because there is no one in her grade to compete with.

She has a big 'if' hanging over her head about doing fun things because it is hard - if not to say impossible - to stay on top of such a thorough, in depth, all inclusive curricula.

The Classical method

In 'The Well-Trained Mind' Susan and Jessie Wise explain the importance of reading, particularly in the early stages of the trivium. Belle is a model of all the phases of the trivium:

• grammar - she knows more than anyone in her village, bar her father perhaps
• logic - when she spurns Gaston 
  
• rhetoric - when she reasons with the villagers (though they don't listen because they are ignorant, superstitious peasants who never got classically educated)

In the end she choose to marry the library - ahem - I mean the Beast. She is the perfect of example of a successful classical scholar - she achieves a house with a library and statues or busts of classical heroes. 

The Charlotte Mason method

Can you think of a better heroine for modeling nature walks? She even has a sketchbook to draw trees, animals and flowers!

Like Charlotte Mason, Jane is a Victorian and believes in the value of education.

 two students

She loves beauty wherever she finds it, even in the soul of a half naked, snaky-haired barbarian. She has a high appreciation for art. In the end she embraces nature walks in a new way!

Montessori

Aurora's learning atmosphere is entirely wooden. All of her toys are either practical tools like brooms or natural fibre manipulatives - which could only be afforded by royal backing!

She seems to wander the woods for gobs of time unattended. Self directed studies.

The fairy godmothers act as facilitators to Aurora's education, keeping a warm tone.  They show her the utmost respect.

She also takes risks. Sharp, pointy objects are not hidden from her, she must learn the real life consequences!

Steiner/Waldorf method

Milo Thatch, the character who discovers Atlantis, is the perfect Steiner/Waldorf archetype.

He is a brilliant linguist and cartographer - in some ways very similar to Rudolf Steiner in the sense of having more than one interest/specialty.

Milo Thatch works for the Smithsonian but who is also open to the idea of finding Atlantis and is in touch with his creative side. He's open to the spiritual/mystic.

Unit studies

Although her response to a book might suggest she's never seen one before and is more into hands on learning, her musical education is to be envied. Clearly her education is coming in bursts of one off projects. For example, the concert she misses in the first part of the film.

The easily-distracted Ariel definitely has a variety of experiences which might count as unit studies.  She is self directed but has opportunities to socialize and use teamwork.

She is not tied to a set curricula with loads of bookwork. She is free to follow her interests!

Eclectic method

Her mother mixes and matches to see what works. She tries several different approaches - scrubbing the castle courtyard, being chased through scary woods, poisoned apples.

Snow White is highly individualized, with a unique personality and specialist future.

In short, she is an eclectic homeschooler! In the end, her character and variety of experiences qualifies her to be the queen.

Unschooling

She directs her education and has a well-developed sense of what she wants and needs.

The unschoolers who seem most successful and verbal about their unschooling seem to be real wildneress-lovers living in the backwoods. They have acres of forest to explore.

Rapunzel has a lot of freedom to experiment and take risks (once she runs away from the evil witch who in this metaphor personifies traditional school).

Her strength of will drives the plot and brings happiness to her true parents.

Crisis schooling during the coronovirus outbreak

It's a plot twist even A.A. Milne couldn't have thought of!

Everyone's scariest teacher throwing loads of resources at you and expecting you to suddenly become an educational expert overnight.

And there you have it - the different homeschool styles personified in Disney characters!