In our school there will be no boring lectures, no politically-correct textbooks, no required courses, no graffiti-covered walls, no overcrowded classrooms, no high-stakes testing, no strict schedules, and no dress codes… But the whole world will be an open book as we run free to windsung poems, and we will rejoice as we explore the wonders of God's creation. [size=-1]Copyright 2000 by Teri Ann Berg Olsen[/size] All children have a natural desire to learn. Our main goal is to nurture this. Each child is an individual. He or she needs to learn according to his or her own style, and not have education forced on them. The term "unschooling" refers to any unstructured teaching method that enables children to pursue their interests in the context of daily life, helped along by the guidance of adults. There are as many variations of unschooling as there are families who practice it, ranging from relaxed homeschooling to radical unschooling. Children begin learning naturally from the day they are born. Babies and young children are naturally self-motivated and eager to learn. They are inquisitive and curious about everything, intensely interested in exploring the world around them. No formal instruction is needed. Parents can simply delight in being with their child and participating in his or her discoveries. Unfortunately, most people can't wait to send their kids off to school - and preschool - as soon as possible. However, early formal schooling (before age 8) is controversial and may even be detrimental. According to Dr. Raymond Moore, an early child development expert: "There's not one replicated study in the United States today that suggests that little children should be in school at 5 or 6. Not even one! There's not one replicated study today in the United States that even suggests that a normal child should be in kindergarten. The home is the best garden for the child, the average home, and the time has come when we should be strengthening the home instead of taking children out earlier." (Recommended Resource: Better Late Than Early, by Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore.) Just think of all the things that you learned how to do - including major milestones like walking and talking - before you ever went to school! In fact, it has been said that children learn more in their first five years than they do during the rest of their lives. This is because preschoolers do not separate learning from life. Anyone who observes young children will see that they are constantly learning. John Holt, an educational reformer who coined the term "unschooling," believed that children do not need to be coerced into learning. He noticed that they do so naturally if given freedom to follow their own interests and provided with a rich assortment of resources. According to Holt, children's innate curiosity prompts them to learn what they need to know when they need to know it. John Holt described the unschooling approach to education in his book Teach Your Own. Unschooling is basically a lifelong continuation of the more casual style of preschool education, in which children simply live and learn as they go, where school and life are completely integrated. The learning process is child-led, giving them complete freedom to choose what they will study, when, and for how long. Unschooling allows you to nurture your child's love for learning and foster the boundless curiosity that comes so naturally. There are many things that you can do to create an atmosphere of learning in your home and within your family. Half of it is just developing an awareness of the learning opportunities that present themselves. Every day is another opportunity to instill a love for learning that will last a lifetime. Just go with the flow. By starting out early and proceeding slowly and gradually, eventually you will find that you have covered everything that they need to know. The most important thing is to spend lots of time with them and give them lots of love, and the learning will come. Did You Know…? Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Frank Lloyd Wright, Albert Einstein, and other creative geniuses were mostly self-educated. Since they were not bound by convention, these individuals were able to make great discoveries simply by thinking "outside the box."
I agree that the school system is a mess, it seemed to me that alot of teachers judge children not on there ability to learn, but on there ability to be taught in that enviorment. sometimes its the brightest children who get left behind or put on drugs by the 'man'. what does worry me however is that many home schooled kids may be lacking in social interaction, and anyone who is, or is planing to homeschool there kids may want to take that into consideration.
that's what playgroups and extracurricular activities are for...me and dario want to homeschool our kids but let them choose activities where they can interract with other kids and make their own friends.
my daughter liked girl scouts, 4-H, and the public schools will usually let homeschoolers join the schools sports team. If there is any kind of Park-N-Rec club in the area then there is lots of intereaction there. Homeschool or unschooling doesn't mean kids turn into Rapunzel and get locked away from the world/society.
So true Squawkers. Why do people think that???? Ughhh..... I'm sure there are parents that homeschool that don't have their kids in social situations, but it's very rare. We just signed Sydney up for her "social activities". She's taking a cartoon drawing class and a trampoline class. Fun! Plus, she HAS to play with the neighbor girls everyday or it's the end of the world!!!
Oh that sounds glorious I was a horrifically antisocial kid (now grown into a moderatly antisocial young woman), and public school didn't fuck all to change that, probably made it worse in fact. My social interaction was, and still is, done with people of my own choosing from a huge diversity of people. The way it is in 'real life' as opposed to the ridgid artifical enviroment of a school. Just because children have the chance to (or rather, not choice but to) hang out with their peers does mean they'll take it up. I've always prefered the company of adults and understood them. So being stuck with a horde of children left me bored and alienated. Couldn't see the point of making friends with them because I didn't believe we had anything in common. Never had that problem with after school clubs or whatever.
I have a problem with this one. See, let's assume I was homeschooled with these rules in mind. In the first grade, I'd immediatly choose not to study any math because I absolutly hated it (I really did, until 12th grade). I guess I'd be able to add, subtract and multiply by the time I graduate, but that's about it. Instead, I went to public school and studied math. It was tough, and I didn't like it. One day, after I learned all the annoying basics I realized that it was not useless. It all made sense once you had all the pieces. I now study math and computer science in university, and I love it. If I was not forced to study math, that road would have been forever closed for me.
If I was the parent of a child for whom I was trying to create/protect an environment in which they could direct their own learning (with my assistance/encouragement/suggestions - and with the same of other tutors/individuals whom they voluntarily chose) - i.e. an 'unschooling' environment - I honestly don't think I would stand in their way if they expressed a desire to attend public school. I might be saddened to learn it, and I would perhaps be worried that once they were registered in a public school, it would be considerably more difficult for them to extract themselves from the web of bureaucracy, but no ....I don't think I would consider myself justified in trying to stop them. In other words, if they really 'liked the spin cycle', I think I'd let them have it; then simply try to be there for them if they change their mind. One of my primary objections to schooling is that it is more-or-less 'compulsory' (..even if it's not enforced by the state, it's enforced by the parents). If, on the other hand, school is 'voluntarily chosen', this is not a cause for concern. P.S. With all due respects, I don't see anyone else in this thread referring to school as a 'brain-washing machine' (..although I certainly don't outright reject it as a descriptive term for schools - on brief analysis it seems somewhat crude). Also, if your fondness for school is based on its alleged 'social benefits' (it quite likely isn't , but in the case that it is), I politely suggest that you consider some of the arguments made in this thread (..if you had the time, and were feeling really bored ). -Sincerely
UNSCHOOLING </FONT> When most people think of homeschooling, they probably picture several polite and disciplined children sitting around a kitchen table diligently studying important dates in history, writing research reports, or memorizing multiplication tables. Because most of us grew up attending conventional school, we tend to think that education must take on that same format with which we became familiar. We have a hard time realizing that education can take place in many forms. Formal schooling was optional for most families until the "common school" movement, which began in the 1850s. By the turn of the century, this movement had resulted in compulsory attendance statutes nationwide. With the establishment of public schools, came the widespread belief that schools are essential for children to learn to function as citizens in modern society. While there was debate over the content schools should teach, there was basically no discussion of whether they were actually the necessity they had come to be seen. Homeschooling became a movement in the 1970s when John Holt, disappointed in the process of school reform, became a public advocate. Holt believed the necessary child-centered educational reforms could not take place in compulsory school. Holt used the word "unschooling" to describe the act of removing a child from school. Over time it became synonymous with "homeschooling." The meaning of the word has now come to refer to the specific style of homeschooling, emphasizing child-centered learning, that Holt originally advocated. The homeschooling movement has continued to grow since the 1970s. There are now an estimated 2 million homeschooled students in the United States. It is difficult to break homeschooling into categories based on the style of education, but it seems that unschoolers make up somewhere between ten and fifty percent of the homeschooling movement. (Griffith 1998) So What is Unschooling? Unschooling is not really an educational approach as much as it is a lifestyle. Unschooling recognizes that living life is the best source of education. Knowledge is gained through all sorts of activities, not just reading books and finishing worksheets (although that can be a part of unschooling, too). Basically, unschooling is allowing the learning to be directed by the learner. It allows the child to learn what, when, how, and where he or she wants, and for what reasons. Characteristics of the Unschooling Family Unschooling is different in every unschooling family. This is because every individual has his own interests and learning style. In fact, the experiences of children in the same family are often very different. Experiences may also change from day to day. Someone recently asked me what a typical day was like for us. All I can say is that in unschooling there are no typical days. Every day is different as the children grow and their interests change. One common characteristic of unschooling families is that there are lots of opportunities to explore and experiment. Some families have an abundance of materials labeled as educational – books, toys, games, art supplies, maps, etc. Other families might choose to use things around them. They might use everyday household items or their own back yard, or community resources like libraries or museums. Most families probably use a combination of both. Whatever the case, unschooling children need access to what interests them. It is also important to have adults as models and facilitators of learning. A teaching degree is totally unnecessary. The adults must simply be models of learning in the way that they live. The adults in the family should be naturally curious, asking questions and seeking answers. I’m sure you’ve heard the adage, "Parents who read have children who read." Children who see their parents reading for pleasure will most likely grow to enjoy reading as well. This is one way adults model learning for the unschooling child. Unschooling parents are also facilitaors. They must be prepared to hear thousands of questions and be willing to answer or help find answers. Does the Unschooler Really Learn? One last characteristic of the unschooling family is trusting that the child will learn. This is probably the most difficult aspect of unschooling and is mostly due to our own experiences with conventional education. It seems impossible to us that learning can occur anytime, and anywhere. But just remember your child as a busy toddler, into everything. It is that same curiosity which drives unschooling children to learn about the things that interest them. Of course there is still that nagging worry over whether your child will learn everything he or she needs to know. What about all of those subjects taught in school? The truth is that what they learn will probably not be easily categorized into traditional subjects like social studies, mathematics, and the like. For example, a child baking cookies learns to follow directions, measuring, fractions, reading temperature settings and timers, heat convection and conduction, and division and subtraction as he shares the cookies with his siblings. How do you categorize this activity? Is it home economics, reading, mathematics, or physics? In unschooling, the lines between subjects are blurred. Any activity may cover several subjects at one time.
I'm not trying to "convert" you away from unschooling, but have you looked into charter schools? I go to a charter school. It's small (180 students), peaceful (there has only been one fight at school in the entire four years I've been there), the teachers are really awesome, they actually know what they're talking about, and they don't just repeat what they read in a book. I mean, they teach to the curriculum, but for example, they don't tell people that Christopher Columbus was some glorious hero, but about the huge number of people that were killed when he brought diseases over from Europe, and other very frightening stuff he did. The classes are very small. I'm a senior, and the entire graduating class this year is something like 18-20 people. Last year, it was 10, the year before, it was 6, and the year before, I think 4. My school is only in its fifth year of running, and the first year, there weren't any seniors! Lol! Anywho, charter schools are really awesome. I get a LOT of one-on-one time with the teachers, they know our names and interests, they pay attention to your educational needs, and it's like a mini Hippie commune! My school is also the number one school in the county, scoring higher on the exit exams than even the local private schools. Just lettin' ya' know that there are public schools out there that aren't full of gangs, violence, cliques, and slack-jawed yokels whose career wouldn't go past working at McDonald's.
squawkers7 thanks for giving folks a peek at unschooling info. We have been an unschooling family since the 80's and I can't imagine a better way to live! What amazing kids I have; they have taught me so much over the years!
I got this in a long e-mail this morning....it seemed to come from "The Teaching Home" magazine. . An Excellent, Well-RoundedEducation The reason Christians want their childrento be well educated is so that they have the skills and knowledge to better serve God and others, as well as to appreciate and enjoy God and His creation. • You can provide your children with a variety of real-life experiences that build the background knowledgefor academic learning as your children accompany you throughoutthe day during many real-life situations. (Classroomteachers have to work hard to create simulations of these experiences.) • Because you know your children better than anyone elseand have the deepest concern for them, each ofyour children can better have his unique needs met. • You can recognize and accommodate your child's readinessto learn new concepts, his abilities or difficultiesin various areas, his personal interests, and his tendenciesto learn best by methods that incorporate more sight, sound,touch, or movement. • You can show relationships between facts learned in all subject areas as well as previously acquiredinformation. This integration of knowledge can help your childrento better understand and remember what they are taught. • You can make available extra educational resources, reference materials, and supervised Internet searches. • You can use your child's curiosity, needs, and intereststo motivate learning, and you can stimulate newinterests through reading, conversation, questions, and familyactivities. • Children have more time to explore new interests and tothink within the efficient, yet flexible scheduleyou can create at home.
