What is unschooolings?
Moms View Message Board: Parenting Discussion: Archive July-December 2004:
What is unschooolings?
I was wondering what is unschooling
I thought that I would start another thread so people would see it.
tia
I thought it was actually the same thing as home schooling.......maybe I'm wrong...........
I have no idea. I have been wondering the same thing.
It's child led learning. It's homeschooling, yes, but in a much less structured setting. It's different for all families. Some families don't require any particular subjects at all, they just let their child explore and learn about whatever he feels like that day. Others require a set amount of say, math and reading, and then the child is free to do as he pleases the rest of the day.
The point of it all is that all children are naturally curious and all want to learn and don't need a structured cookie cutter school or homeschool curiculum to do so. In fact, that hinders the whole process according to unschooling ideas. So, say Jenny loves horses and is obsessed with them. For as long as Jenny is obsessed, that's what Jenny studies. She might go to horse farms and groom them, or ride them, or clean out stalls. Her books will all be about horses, she will write about horses, she will learn math thru horses by figuring out how much food a horse needs and how much it costs to keep a horse, etc. Jenny will learn much better and with great enthusiasm if she's allowed to naturally feed her horse curiosity. It doesn't mean Jenny gets off free, it just means that her natural love/curiosity is fed to the very fullest by her parents who supply the horse info thru books and computer and field trips and the freedom to explore it all. Kids go thru these obsessions and interests all the time...it's all a natural learning process which sounds totally cool to me and if I had any sort of patience or selflessness I'd try it with my own children.
Lol Kate. Patience is learned so I started out with little and now have quite a bit. As for selflessness, bah! I unschool becuase I'm lazy and selfish.  No getting kids up for school or planning lessons. I get to watch them learn and engage in passions and get to become a life learner myself.
There are different ideas about unschooling. My family is pretty much a radical unschooling family. We have no curricullum, tests, subjects. The closest we get to school are the workbooks my daughter likes to pull out once in a blue moon, usually in the evening when we can cuddle on the couch and do them together. She pretty much follows her own interests. Insects for instance...Which at first when I was new to homeschooling I would try to harness by making up scrapbooking projects or worksheets but now I don't bother. She not only has her own interests but follows her own path to learn about them. What I will do however is make sure there are insect guides, magnifying glasses, bug houses, etc. so resources are there when she needs them. I'll also be ready when ever she wants help.
Concerns I've had about unschooling have been fairly typical. How will she learn math for instance? What about those things she doesn't want to learn but needs to? Where's the structure?
For Math I've learned that it can't be avoided. It's natural and easy. When my daughter spent six months with a minor obsession with spotting patterns and stringing beads I thought little of it. Then she came to me and counted to one hundred, not because she'd memorized it but because she was working through it by looking at the patterns and sequence involved. Neat.
As for what she doesn't want to learn...haven't found that yet. But I'm not concerned if we miss something. I'd rather her reach adulthood with her confidence in learning intact and be willing to dive in to anything she might have missed rather than try and make her learn (is that possible?) calculus or something and turn her off it or make her feel it's hard. We don't have grades so who cares? I'm shooting for life learners.
And structure...It sort of comes about of it's own accord. She gets up when she wants, watches cartoons, has breakfast. Plays until lunch. Afternoons we read, nap, play. Supper. TV usually and lately workbooks (she sees these as on the same order as dot-to-dots and colouring, just fun), bed when we get tired. So there's routine and structure but it's more what's evolved rather than what I've imposed.
Unschooling looks like a big summer vacation I guess. We have LOTS of toys, craft supplies, books, etc. I find it requires a lot of me and I've had to make big changes in my attidtude about parenting. It's made the value of play apparent to me.
Anyhow, I'd be glad to answer any other questions.
Do you ever have to take tests to make sure she is on track with her learning? Does she end up with a diploma in the end?
I should have added to that...I do that often and only type half of what I am thinking. LOL By tests, I mean like state tests or anything like that.
Vicki I was wondering the same thing. What kind of Diploma will she get
The one observation I have....
There was this woman I met who went to an unorthodox school - sort of like a school with no grades. no red ink. Very expensive.
They never taught grammer. She never learned about periods or exclamation points. She didn't pick it up. They thought she would. The school never used red ink to correct writing. They never pointed out to her that she didn't know punctuation. She felt terrible she couldn't write correctly. (I can't either, but that is another story altogether.) She graduated high school not realizing she couldn't write correctly.
The teachers never pointed out she didn't know grammer. I guess they didn't believe in a negative comment. I have no idea...
So here she was going to be a school teacher at a masters level and she still didn't know grammer.
I hated grammer lessons. So boring.... But I remember a couple of things. I before I except after C. I think it was the most confusing thing.
I guess what I am saying is something people don't pick up naturally. They have to be directly taught. What it is is different from everybody. Some people writing is easy and for other like me it is not. There are alot of people who are learning disabled in one area like writing.
Feona I agree. I think there are great benefits to unschooling, child led learning is always great. However at some point they need some direct learning. For example we unschool in the summer, my schedule very closely matches the one above, they find a special interest project and we dive in. So this summer it was Washington DC, we made a shoe box thing, we researched it, we made a fact list, etc. Good solid learning, follwed with a field trip. None of my kids however care to learn their multiplication facts. There just is no other way to learn them than flashcards and no one picks that! But you need to know them, your daily life involves some very specific rote memorized math skills. Yes you can get by without them, but how much easier is it in the grocery when you KNOW the facts. So from my experinces there are still some things you have to just buckle down and make them learn, through repition and more repitiion.
KATE AND UNSCHOOL MOM
I posted under "welcome new moms". I love homeschooling and I have found the unschooling approach to be very beneficial.
This is a sensitive topic for me right now because my older daughter recently made a transistion from homeschool to public school. But I did post (I hope) and encourageing message under "welcome new moms" about our education experience.
AJ
I think the general concept of unschooling is a good one, but like Kaye I think there has to be some direct instruction at some point like basic math facts and such. Here's my real question though. This is NOT intended to start a debate..and I looking for a real answer because I am curious. Have there been any studies on how unschooling affects a child long-term? For example, at some point a child has to function in adult society that requires getting up on a schedule for a job, meeting deadlines on projects that may not be enjoyable or interesting, paying bills, etc. I am wondering how a child who has been completely unschooled handles such an environment. Even if the child/adult never has to work a paid job in the "real world", but is a SAHM there are still scheduled demands and you can't always "go with the flow." That would be my biggest concern about unschooling, esp. a VERY laid-back approach to it. It just seems like it can lead to general laziness and an attitude of "if it doesn't interest me I'm not gonna do it." I'm just wondering how unschooled kids and adults deal with scheduled societal stresses I guess.
I think home education can be a wonderful thing. Especially for gifted children who would otherwise be mainstreamed in a public school classroom. Thus, ending up bored. And, for those parents who cannot afford a prepatory/private ecucation for their children. I think Pam has a good question. I am just wondering if a choice for unschooling is a choice that one would adhere to for all children in the home, or does this choice to "unschool" depend on the needs of every individual child in the family. For example, what about the one sibling that thrives in structure. Or, what about those children who are not intrinsically motivated; rather extrinsically motivated? For the latter chid, would the educator (ie, mom) just let weeks go by with no learning? This is such an interesting topic. And, I will say that I admire the moms who seek to "go against the flow" to do what they feel is best for their children. Perhaps, this is why I swallow the monthly payment of private/prep. school for my dd and soon to be ds and then of course later my other dd. OUCH!!
Vicki - It differs depending on where you live but here, in my province, we only have to test her if the the dept. of education decides to challenge us. Otherwise we just write up an annual report. And no, no diploma. that's something any homeschooler has to deal with where I live as a prov. diploma is only availible to kids that go to school or take prov. correspondence courses. But a LOT of universities have made accomadations (an SAT score and portfolio for ex.) for homeschoolers and some (Harvard) actively recruit them, diploma or no. There's always the GED as well.
Basic math facts - My experience is that no, my daughter (6) doesn't need direct instruction if you're thinking sit down lessons and such. She learned addition and subtraction with some dice and card games, fractions through baking and folding laundry (I supect the only reason she likes folding is because of the fractions she gets to point out). Multiplication and division are concepts she's playing with on computer games right now. But that's not to say I don't tell her stuff about math and help her but it's at her urging, very informal and not done with the idea of teaching her in mind. Basic math is something we use everyday, I'm not sure how it could be avoided and not learned. I feel the same about grammar. All I know came from reading, not school. This all takes for granted that schooled kids DO learn basic math and proper grammar. From what I've heard in news reports, articles and talking with friends, that isn't the case. Local universities now offer courses in foundation math and english to give kids what they didn't get in school.
Pam - we're a tiny minority in a minority so nobody's really studying us yet. From what I've read of others unschooling experiences though the kids do fine. When they get jobs, they adjust. They're usually pretty flexible kids who enjoy challenges, likely have been volunterring or working longer then schooled kids simply because they have more time. They also seem to have a lot of self-discipline. There are no external demands of school buzzers and exams to keep them in check so they develop that discipline from within. I think people assume (I did!) that if demands like school and bedtime are removed from kids they won't do a darn thing. I think that our experience has been with schooled kids and they often DO veg out and rest up when there are no demands. Watching my daughter though, it's just not the case. Every once in awhile there's a lazy day but I assume she needs it (slow times often come before big leaps). Most of the time she's inventing play, devising crafts, hunting bugs. I realized the other day that I rarely, if ever, hear the dreaded, "Mom, I'm bored!"
One other thing though. If I don't prepare my daughter to get up for the conventional 9 to 5 job, no sweat. There are a million unconventional jobs for her to work at. And I don't think my job as a mom is to prepare her for a future employer, it's to ensure she's a caring, responsible, confident person. I think if I do that, the employers will come knocking anyway.
This sounds really interesting to me & I can totally relate to your last comment!
(And I don't think my job as a mom is to prepare her for a future employer, it's to ensure she's a caring, responsible, confident person. I think if I do that, the employers will come knocking anyway.)
yes! What a great principal from which to parent/educate our children!
This sounds interesting but I am just wondering how they make that transition to structure in college and is this preparing them for college? At some point they have to know how to write a paper in proper structure for college english, they will have to take some very difficult math regardless of what they choose for their major and they will have to take courses that don't interest them in the least, will they be able to stick out those courses? College aside they will one day have to work by a scheldule and they will be corrected by their boss and will once again have to do things (even if they LOVE their job) that they don't like, will they have the skills they need for that? There are things out there they don't know about and if you aren't giving them a variety of taste how do you know that they wouldn't also be interested in those things? Also with the unschooling concept how do you raise your expectations (I'm assuming you are going to say you don't set any expectations), but I believe children will fill the goals set for them and it helps to show them how much they are capable of doing and helps them reach their full potential. I really am not against homeschooling, I think it is a wonderful thing if it is done correctly but I have always wondered about these things and just never asked.
But I have to respectfully disagree that your job is not to prepare them for future employment. If you are taking on the responsibility of homeschool that is exactly your job. I don't want a doctor because they are confident, secure, and have high self esteem I would choose them on their education and skill and that is true with most positions. I want my children to have a good education so they can choose from any of the jobs they would like to do, not be stuck at some dead end job they hate because they don't have the education they need to do what they really want.
These are just some questions that I've been thinking about, the concept sounds interesting and makes sense to a certain degree but I am wondering about the long term implications.
I must agree with Chrissy. (Cooperaveryben) Our primary job as PARENTS is to raise caring, responsible, citizens. The primary job of the EDUCATOR is to prepare them for the "real world" of college, and/or employment. As a parent who has chosen both, both are your responsibilities. Allowing children to direct their own learning is a noble theory, and, ideally, I believe aspects of that should be incorporated into every child's education...public, private, or homeschooled. And, I can see where it could work okay early on, but I have a hard time imagining it at higher levels. I also believe that structure, discipline, and just learning that sometimes you have to do what you don't want to do, are all important life-skills that are taught by a formal education. Like someone else said, however, I think it's great that you are exploring different ways of educating your children, and I'm sure you will come up with what you feel is best for YOUR child!
There seems to be an assumption that in unschooling there is no discipline or structure. It may not look like what a schooling family has or does but it's there. I'm not a permissive parent, we practice positive discipline in our house. Actions have consequences. There's also lots of modeling (or at least I'm working towards this ). We may not have imposed bedtimes but when my DH or I need to get enough sleep for an early day we go to bed early. So self discipline is something we practice ourselves so our kids have an example. I've seen my daughter develop self discipline as a result. She gets dressed without prompting in the morning, takes her dishes to the sink without asking, shares the care of the pets, manages her money. She has a lot of freedoms that other kids don't but we are always there to offer guidence and support.
Because we don't have school type lessons does not mean we lack discipline. Because she doesn't have a fixed schedule most days does not mean her days are chaotic and lack structure. Because her education and much of her day is led by what she wants does not mean he doesn't do what she doesn't like sometimes. Except she might not think of it that way...She would consider picking up her Lite-Brite toys just something she does so she has them next time, not something she has to do regardless of whether she likes it or not. It's not a matter of like or dislike but of being aware of the consequnces of not doing it.
As for giving my kids variety - not a problem. My house, like most unschooling homes I think - is packed tight with games, toys, books, movies, and lots of other resources (we're renovating the currently unusable basement this fall just to have somewhere to keep all the stuff!). Our car gets a workout going to museums, festivals and libraries. One thing about following an interest, you never know where it will lead. A viewing of Disney's Hercules led to greek myths, constellations, ancient weapons, computer games which had Catherine mapping and developing compass skills, eventually to ancient egypt and contructing ramps and levers, exploring area by bulding pyramids, mummies, insects, I can go on. And it's all retained so well too. When the Olympics came on this August Catherine and I would talk about Greece and obscure things we'd learned last summer would pop up unforgotten. Kids in school get exposed to alot but much is forgotten or eventually disliked.
As for getting stuck in dead end jobs without an education...I don't want that for my kids either. But they are getting an education and it's an education that more and more employers recognize and many universities find attractive. One point though. A trend I've noticed in the HSing communities I'm a part of is HSing and unschooling teens taking college and university courses starting at 16 or younger. I'm not sure why there's an impression that they might find the formal work hard or be unwilling to commit to it.
As for the real world, that's where my kids are now. To me, school is an artificial construct that takes learning out of the context of real life, repackages it and forces it on a child without letting them know how it really fits into the real world. If my daughter were going to school she's be learning about graphing n a year or two. For the most part the lessons would be worksheets and class activities that don't relate to what she'd experience in real life. At home she's using tally marks in a scribbler to keep track of what she's feeding computer pets, putting pegs in a Lite-Brite, cross stitching, exploring my music (which I can't read myself yet but oh well, I'll figure it out) from my choir, all of which involve graphing skills and reading graphs. None of this is abstract or hard, all of it is fun and she may end up with a more fundamental understanding and awareness of graphing than many school kids. I'm off track.
The real world as it pertains to college and work? I don't think there's really any problem. I think the assumptions made about difficulties she might have are false but I can understand the concern as they're the same concerns I had once. I already see in her the foundations of responsible behaviour and ability to commit that will serve her well whatever path she takes.
This is a great discussion! I talk a lot about unschooling to other unschoolers but this is really interesting because it gives me a chance to examine and challenge my own ideas. I may not agree with some of you but I certainly enjoy the chance to share opinions and see this from a different perspective.
I should post a few links too shouldn't I? D'oh! For those interested www.sandradodd.com has a whole slew of articles on unschooling and related topics. Sandra is a former teacher (there are lots of former teachers who unschool for some reason) and mother of three older kids. WWW.unschooling.com is really great as well with archived articles, links and a great message board. I do believe it's down at the moment though which is causing me terrible withdrawl pains. My favourite magazine is Life Learning at www.lifelearningmagazine.com which covers life learning, natural learning and unschooling and offers all it's back and current issues FREE for downloading!!! It's great stuff. For reading there's the godfather of unschooling, John Holt (another former teacher), John Taylor Gatto (teacher again), "The Unprocessed Child" by Valerie Fitz...something. Search the title on Amazon - it's her account of unschooling her daughter.
Any of those resources can explain unschooling better than me I think.
I support and applaud your decision. My daughter is in public school for the first time this year(after pre-k, k, and 1st homeschooled) and my four year old is homeschooled with me. We do not unschool completely. Our approach is labeled eclectic. Which means we use whatever works! LOL www.eho.org But we have definitely used "unschooling" as well. I enjoy unschooling. Often, it develops into a whole unit of study!
It sounds like you do an amazing job. Thank you for answering some of my questions, I re-read my post and I think I sounded a little harsh....I don't need to be posting first thing in the morning...not a morning person. Anyway, I believe we all do what is best for our children and I think taking an alternative route is noble, if homeschooling is done well it is a great thing.
And this is why I love this board so much! Everyone here is VERY respective of eachothers feelings and beliefs!!
Haven't had time to post onto this conversation because I have had the flu.... but I wanted to add..
My sister hated school....always slept in and skipped often. She dropped out in grade 11. She got a job at a pet store where she proceded to come in late and tell off her boss. Needless to say, she lost her job. She lost another job the same way. Then she left home at 17. She realized that to pay her rent she had to keep her job. Therefore, she did everything she could to keep her fast food job at the local mall. She went on to work in a clothing store in the same mall. Then Hallmark cards. She eventually managed her own store. She is now a business analyst and makes over $3000 per month!
So I think that a lot of stuff you need to get along in this world doesn't necessarily need to be taught in some kind of structured setting. You learn things as you need them.
That being said....I also think that for every parent and child there is a different "right way" to do things.....we are all so different and our circumstances are all so very diffent too!!
I am pretty sure so far that unschooling is for me and my kids!!
fiona
My borthers dropped out too! One out of frustration with administration, one just because it wasn't what he wanted. They both looked at it as an opportunity, spent awhile in low paying jobs, then traveled (one did guided elephant tours in Thailand )and then both got their GEDs when they were ready and went on with their education. One's an aircraft mechanic and the other does metal work for a national helicopter company and both earn big salaries. For them, school was in the way and they had the sense to recognize it and dump it.
It's funny how much your background shapes your views. In my family it was a given that learning happened all the time and school was more just something you did because the gov't said you had too. I think that's why being drop outs never blocked my brothers from what they wanted to do and why I've chucked the idea of school for my kids altogether.
And I agree Fiona about finding our own right way. Sometimes I think everyone should be unschooling, it's just the best way right? Of course I have to smack myself and admit it's only the best way for us because of the mix of personalities, experiences and circumstances in our family. For the next family down the road, it might be a very poor fit.
Coopaveryben - I didn't think you were really harsh, more challenging an idea that you had concerns about. I enjoyed responding.
You are amazing! It takes so much diligence to maintain a CONSTANT learning atmosphere in your home. I think, perhaps, you are probably much more challenged than your children! I love the idea of homeschool...just don't know if it is best for my children. What brought you to that decision (that it is what is best for your children). OH- and is "unschooling" the same as the "principal approach"?
I really don't find it hard at all Monica. It's one of those things that once you get the ball rolling, it just takes off on it's own. I don't need to point things out or make them educational, my kids are just used to turning things over in their minds all the time. A video game or seemingly mindless TV show can spark interests and questions. The discussions that were sparked by watching "6 Millions Years BC," or a Tropicana orange juice commercial. People think of learning as work but once you make the shift to the other side of the looking glass (there's the real hard work) it's easy and always happening.
Am I challenged? Yes, but it's in the most enjoyable way. Watching my daughter question everything has sharpened my previously weak critical thinking skills and opened me up to finding interests in the weirdest places. Hear about a study in a news report that makes a certain claim? I now track down and read the study if I can to see what I can make of it. Need the wiring in the car looked at? I'll stand beside the mechanic if he'll let me and get him to explain how the wiring works. I don't really find much boring anymore.
I came to homeschooling from a concern that school would kill my daughters curiousity. It took 6 months of reading and talking on message boards and the like to realize I really wanted to unschool (I had to get over the idea that it was a weird, hippy freak idea ). Once I decided that it just fit perfectly and I began to realize that it fit with my idea of how learning happens (all the time and best when done with joy). I also realized my family had done some. When I was 9 my parents took us out of school in early spring and we drove across Canada. They took the school work but almost done of it was done. I still have vivid memories of that and what I learned but nothing of the first part of that school year. Okay, I'm lazy too. I could see unit studies or school-at-home being waaaay too much work and the few times I tried to sit down with Catherine and do work failed miserably.
"Principal approach"? Like instead of the rule a rule of no throwing in the house a principal of doing nothing that could harm someone or their possessions? If so, I think that more a parenting thing but definately something I'm working towards. Unschooling was like coming home for me, the positive discipline and non- coersive parenting ideas that are often attached to unschooling are where I really have to work. My first instinct is usually to yell but I'm getting closer to where I want to be. I'm not sure that's what you meant though.
I am a homeschooler. This is my second year. My children are age 8 and 9. We are working on a 4th grade curriculum with lots of extra projects.
I respect the unschooling methods but rely mainly on a regular curriculum Monday-Thursday. Friday we leave open for field trips, art projects, etc.
There are times when we get into a subject and my kids get so interested in the topic that I run with it. We drop everything else so they can learn more about a subject.
If I understand unschooling correctly this is a large aspect of it. I think that is great!
My kids are currently reading "The story of the world". We started on Egypt and mummies and they wanted more information. We mummified a chicken. We dug up Egyptian artifacts. We made hieroglyphics. What was supposed to be a two day study turned into three weeks. This is what I love about homeschooling. You are not limited on curriculum. Maybe my children will be scientists when they grow up. Maybe they will travel to Egypt. Maybe they will just love history. The fact that they were able to learn more about a topic when they wanted to is a huge benefit of homeschooling.
Unschoolmom I look forward to hearing more about your methods. I am still fairly new to the process of homeschooling. The only thing I know for sure is that pulling my kids from public school was the best thing I ever did. I wish I had done it sooner!
Yvonne
I applaude both of you for your courage to step out! I am somewhat flirting with the idea of homeshchooling my children. I just feel so inadequate. (did I spell that right...LOL!!) I am unorganized and struggle to maintain the amount of structure in my home to bring at least SOME peace. I honestly don't feel as if I could pull it off. Then, I would end up putting my kids back in their current private/prep school because I failed. I looked at some homeschool curriculum and all the advanced algebra freeked me out even more. I don't know how to get enough info. to have an idea of the challenge of homeschool. Where did you guys first turn?
YJJA- what cur. do you use?
unschool mom-
I know you may say to disregard the curr. that freeked me out, but what about when/if my children begin to "run with" math and I am unable to feed that interest without a curr. that helps me to teach them?
Monicamomof3 there are so many curriculum choices including videos, tapes, even long distance learning that can help you once you reach a subject you feel uncomfortable teaching. I used Abeka last year but this year I have a little bit of everything. The choices are endless and can be a bit overwhelming at first. It doesn't take long to get used to it though.
My daughter struggled through public school. Every night I worked with her for hours. She got straight A's but with a lot of hard work. Now we spend 4 hours a day and she doesn't struggle. Why? because if she doesn't get it we cover it until she does. My son is the opposite. He would be in grade 3 in public school. He reads at 6-7 grade level. In public school they kept giving him "free time" instead of challenging him. Now he works on his level.
For us it was the best thing we have ever done for our kids. It IS a lot of work but the benefits are huge.
Yvonne
Yvonne - I've heard about mummifying chickens! Right up my daughter's (6) alley. She loves Egypt and dead things...We watched a ground squirrel decompose last year and once I told her last month what the local taxidermist really did she's been eager to go see. My morbid little girl . 'Course she came by it honestly as I was avidly watching horror movies by the time I was 7. But I think it was getting to see the bugs that came that she really loved.
Monica - There's a bunch of ways to approach more complicated things like higher math without curricullum if you eventually choose an unschooling route. I don't have any skill in higher math (I used to think I just didn't get math, now I know I really like doing it, my problem is that my brain flips numbers so I often come out with some wacky solutions) but I'm working at it myself. There are some really good and simple books that can help a person build a good foundation and that's what I think a lot of us are lacking. Too many abstract workbooks, too little play at stringing beads into patterns or sitting down with a book of logic puzzles. I also have a husband and father who are much more knowledgable about math so I can send my kids to them. Alternately, use your community. Who do you know who could act as a mentor in this area? And, if your child has a real interest, why can't he work at it himself? I really found that when I stepped aside and stopped trying to teach, my daughter took up the slack and began to learn. As long as I can preserve that (and let he know the resources she needs to research something), I'm confident she could tackle any subject that catches her interest.
Unschooling mom....don't you think it's wierd that unschooling.com boards would be down right now with the back to school thing going on? This is right when I really need to be reading there..with all of Eliah's friends starting preschool but not him.....
I am not doubting our choices in any way, but I feel better reading messages from people who are making similar choices.....
But the boards have been down for WAY TOO LONG !!!!
fiona
Fiona - LOL! I know!! I can't get my unschooling fix. But... here's the unschooling email list site thingee http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UnschoolingDiscussion/
There are lots of great discussions on that list.
Oh-I am on that, but I never go there....think I will.....
fiona
Fiona - It's up!!! Finally Unschooling.com is back up. If you see me there (I post under dawnofns there) give me a wave.
Unschoolmom--I'm not too worried about your daughter learning what she needs to learn. You write very well and intelligently. I've had e-mails from young high school graduates who were at the top of their class that had the worst punctuation, grammar, etc. Going to school does not mean you will have all the tools that you need in the real world. You sound to me like you pretty much have it together--smart, conscientious, loving.
I homeschooled my youngest ds his last 3 years of HS because he hated public school. He has ADD so he would spend all day at school then come home and spend all evening finishing the work he should have done at school and doing homework. We had no life, couldn't go to church on Wednesdays. We were all miserable. Tenn requires 4 hours of learning time a day and 5 days a week. I figured that I could have him do 4 hours of school work and be done with it. Not knowing any better we used quite a bit of mainstream curriculum. But as we got into it, we started finding things he was interested in and we'd go with that. Sometimes I'd pick up a college lit book and read a Poe story then he would want to read more. We got off on the Hobbit and read every book, saw the cartoon version of the movie, and then the first couple of the movies. He graduated before the last one came out. He got interested in Chinese food and down that road we went. I kept him into some book curriculum but I didn't do much with tests because they freaked him out. But after he'd do his reading or math or whatever, we would discuss it time and time again. It was really cool when he started telling people about stories he'd read in his history which was a providential history about the Christian beginnings of our great country and God's interventions. It is the most amazing thing to watch the light bulb go on when he finally figured something out.
I have a 3 year old dd now. I had always thought that I would homeschool her. She is so cool and outgoing. I just don't know that I will now. She goes to Mothers Day Out 2 days a week at our church and absolutely loves 'going to school'
But no matter what my dh and I decide to do, it is not a life's final decision. You can always take them out and homeschool or test them later and send them to school. You just gotta do what's best for that child.
Good luck and God bless you for the wonderful job that you are doing with your daughter.
Oh that's too funny-you are dawnofns. I know who you are!! I rarely post there unless I have a problem to work out!! But I will say Hi!!
fiona
|
Members
