Mom Is Teaching

This week we’re delving into unschooling.

This method is a bit trickier to discribe, because it looks so differetn to everyone! Unschooling, or child-led learning, is style that really isn’t a style. Largely influenced by the writing of John Holt, unschooling is allowing the child the freedom to grow and explore at his or her own drive. There is almost no formal teaching done, no curriculum, lesson plans, work books, nothing. Unless, of course, the child asks for it. It takes a leap of faith. Faith that your children really do want to learn and grow, and that they will in their own time and with their own reasons. With unschooling the families just live their lives and let learning be a natural part of it.

Of course this style does not work for everyone. Some people prefer a structured and controled learning environment rather than the freedom allowed with unschooling. It can be a bit unsettling for those who are used to the planned education found in most public schooling. In fact a period of “de-schooling” is often required for parents and children to adjust.

From HoltGWS.com

This is also known as interest driven, child-led, natural, organic, eclectic, or self-directed learning. Lately, the term “unschooling” has come to be associated with the type of homeschooling that doesn’t use a fixed curriculum. When pressed, I define unschooling as allowing children as much freedom to learn in the world, as their parents can comfortably bear. The advantage of this method is that it doesn’t require you, the parent, to become someone else, i.e. a professional teacher pouring knowledge into child-vessels on a planned basis. Instead you live and learn together, pursuing questions and interests as they arise and using conventional schooling on an “on demand” basis, if at all. This is the way we learn before going to school and the way we learn when we leave school and enter the world of work. So, for instance, a young child’s interest in hot rods can lead him to a study of how the engine works (science), how and when the car was built (history and business), who built and designed the car (biography), etc. Certainly these interests can lead to reading texts, taking courses, or doing projects, but the important difference is that these activities were chosen and engaged in freely by the learner. They were not dictated to the learner through curricular mandate to be done at a specific time and place, though parents with a more hands-on approach to unschooling certainly can influence and guide their children’s choices.

Unschooling has become noticed rescently after radical unschooler Dayna Martin was seen on the Dr. Phil show as an example of homeschooling, though nearly all homeschoolers and unschoolers willtell you that radical unschooling is a rather extreme example of homeschooling. You can learn more about her and how her familiy works with unschooling at her site. http://www.unschoolingamerica.com/

Here are some sites dedicated to unschooling.

http://www.unschooling.com/
http://www.unschooling.org/
http://www.afamunschool.com/
http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/

Here are some great articles on unschooling.
What is Unschooling?
Radical Unschooling
The legacy of John Holt and the unschooling movement.
Unschooling: What it is and isn’t
Unschooling: What is it and is it right for you?

And here are some great groups online you can join to talk with other unschoolers.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlwaysUnschooled/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics/
http://groups.msn.com/unschooling
http://www.homeschoolzone.com/unschooling/

homeschooling, unschooling, radical unschooling, curriculum, no curriculum, John Holt, Method Madness Monday