What is Unschooling?
Ranked #1,293 in Education, #30,214 overall
What is unschooling all about?
After teaching for several years, striving to keep children engaged and focused on what he was trying to teach, John Holt realized that children learn best when the are learning what they want to learn. He also realized that this could not be accomplished in a traditional classroom setting.
He then went on to write many books about Homeschooling, started the magazine Growing Without Schooling and coined the term "unschooling".
Unschooling in the News
Photo Credit: Unschooling at the Brook on Flickr, Creative Commons
Homeschooler Painting on Flickr, Creative Commons
I am a teacher and an Educational Consultant. I unschooled my daughter until she entered 7th grade.
Homeschooling was the best educational experience my child could ever have had. She was able to study exactly what she wanted to study at any moment.
We were able to go in depth into some subjects just because she found it interesting and then go on to another subject when she was ready.
She never needed to be cajoled into doing homework or studying subjects that she already knew. She learned to direct her own education.
She made the decision to go to high school starting in 7th grade and will be graduating this year at the top of her class, a member of the National Honor Society, with friends all over the world.
She is completing second year college level calculus and physics (AP) and has been accepted at several colleges.
She was given the Outstanding Senior award and all this began with a solid foundation in homeschooling.
As a homeschooling parent, you work more as a facilitator than a teacher. We used the library, museums, National Parks, friends, the Internet, and many, many other resources to find answers to our questions.
Though I may not know how to do calculus or physics, I certainly know where to find out.
And so when someone asks if one parent can teach a child, I say yes and no, "It takes a village to raise a child" and the world is our village.
A Recovery Program for Homeschool Split Personality Disorder
Do you vacillate between child-led, developmentally appropriate, interest-initiated unschooling on one hand, and traditional, structured, academic-based education on the other? These mood-altering swings in methodology creep up unexpectedly on homeschooling parents and are often exacerbated by events beyond their control. I know. I am recovering from homeschool split-personality disorder.3 points
Moving away from public education
His personal experiences as a public school teacher made Holt one of the system's most effective critics, an influence that is ongoing because he inspired a movement which has continued since his death.1 point
Act NOW to Stop The "Education Begins at Home" Act
don't be fooled by what sounds like a homeschool friendly title.1 point
In defence of home schooling - The Irish Times - Tue, Apr 14, 2009
Perhaps the most enduring testament to how well home education has worked for us is this: A year after I left school, my two sisters became home educated too, and my brother has never gone to school. It is now five years since this madness began, and we wouldn't trade it for anything.1 point
Children Teach Themselves to Read | Psychology Today
In marked contrast to all this frenzy about teaching reading stands the view of people involved in the "unschooling" movement and the Sudbury "non-school" ...1 point
Growing Without Schooling
The Magazine started by John Holt
Growing Without Schooling is the title of a newsletter started in 1977 by the late John Holt. The last issue was published in 2001.
The newsletter earned a devoted following of homeschoolers over its twenty-four year history.
It was about people who, during some of their growing up, did not go to school, what they did instead, and how they made a place for themselves in the world.
Mostly, it was about people who wanted to take or keep their children out of school, and about what they did instead, what problems came up, and how they coped with these issues.
We Chose Unschooling..
John Holt coined the term Unschooling
As a teacher I have always strived to have all the children happily choosing to learn. One day I picked up What do I do Monday?
by John Holt. I read it cover to cover. I could make one or two children happily focused on what we were learning but never the whole class.
As my oldest neared kindergarten age I looked at overcrowded classrooms of 35+ students and I talked with Betsy Herbert of South Street School, a school for homeschoolers in Boulder Creek, California. I wanted my child to continue to learn naturally.
We moved to Boston and joined the unschoolers there. Though John Holt had died several years before, we met Pat Feranga and the rest of the folks at Holt Associates and felt like we were coming home.
Catherine Hughes taught us about the Daughter of the Bog at the Boston Museum of Science. We held starfish in our hands at the New England Aquarium. My daughter fell in love with acting and making costumes with the Puddlejump Players. She learned to read with Harry Potter.Though our children choose to attend school now, we know that it is a choice and thus they are still unschooling in a sense.
John Holt Was A Very Wise Teacher
- He believed in children.
- He gave voice to the unschooling movement.
- He started the magazine "Growing With Schooling".
- He believed that home is the proper base for the exploration of the world.
- He believed that children did not need to be coerced into learning; they would do so naturally if given the freedom to follow their own interests and a rich assortment of resources. This line of thought became known as unschooling.
Unschooling
Unschooling is a form of education in which learning is based on the student's interests, needs, and goals. It may be alternatively referred to as natural learning, child-led learning, discovery learning, delight-led learning, or child-directed learning.
Unschooling is generally considered to be a form of home education, which is simply the education of children at home rather than in a school. Home education is often considered to be synonymous with homeschooling, but some have argued that the latter term implies the recreation of school in the context of the home, which they believe is philosophically at odds with unschooling.
Unschooling contrasts with other forms of home education in that the student's education is not directed by a teacher and curriculum. Although unschooling students may choose to make use of teachers or curricula, they are ultimately in control of their own education.
Students choose how, when, why, and what they pursue. Parents who unschool their children act as "facilitators," providing a wide range of resources, helping their children access, navigate, and make sense of the world, and aiding them in making and implementing goals and plans for both the distant and immediate future. Unschooling expands from children's natural curiosity as an extension of their interests, concerns, needs, goals, and plans.
The term unschooling was coined by John Holt. An author of ten books on education, John Holt founded the unschooling magazine Growing Without Schooling.
“You cannot teach a person anything; you can only help him find it within himself.
~Galileo Galilei”
Philosophy of Unschooling
Unschoolers commonly believe that curiosity is innate and that children want to learn what is necessary for them to become competent adults. Some argue that institutionalizing children in what they term a "one size fits all" or "factory model" school is an inefficient use of their time because it requires every child to learn specific subject matter in a particular manner, at a particular pace, and at a particular time regardless of that individual's present or future needs, interests, goals, or any pre-existing knowledge he or she might have about the topic.
Many unschoolers also believe that opportunities for valuable hands-on, community based, spontaneous, and real-world experiences are missed when educational opportunities are largely limited to those which can occur physically inside of a school building.
Additionally, some unschoolers agree with John Holt when he says that "...the anxiety children feel at constantly being tested, their fear of failure, punishment, and disgrace, severely reduces their ability both to perceive and to remember, and drives them away from the material being studied into strategies for fooling teachers into thinking they know what they really don't know." Proponents assert that individualized, child-led learning is more efficient and respectful of children's time, takes advantage of their interests, and allows deeper exploration of subjects than what is possible in conventional education. Is Charlotte Mason Unschooling?
- Is Charlotte Mason Unschooling?
- Explore the ideas posed by Charlotte Mason. Does teaching using the Charlotte Mason approach exclude you from being an unschooler?
Unschooling and homeschooling Lenses
Squidooers, please feel free to add your homeschooling lenses to this list. You may also grab this plexo to add it to your lens. By adding it to your lens both our lenses will be updated each time someone adds a lens to the plexo.
John Holt and Growing Without Schooling
John Holt invented the word unschooling in 1977 wh more...3 points
Fun Books for a Lifetime of Learning
GWS Magazine - Unfortunately, Growing Without Scho more...2 points
John Holt and the Origins of Contemporary Homeschooling by Patrick Farenga
Far from being a new idea, homeschooling has grown more...2 points
Alternative Learning Systems & Experimental Education
Public schools perform much worse at edifying stud more...2 points
Revolutionary Homeschool T-shirts and Gear
Say it loud, say it proud: we homeschool and you s more...2 points
Homeschool FAQ
Do you have questions about whether you should hom more...2 points
Real World Learning
Real World Learning* Already homeschooling? This p more...1 point
Unschooling ROCKS!
I first heard about unschooling almost a decade ag more...1 point
Our Unschooling Journal
My 12 year old, Jasmine has been telling me that s more...1 point
Raise Children With A Wild Streak | An Unschooling Life
I enjoyed the whole article except this part; Surr more...1 point
The Lighter Side of Home Education
Given the recent media attention to the growing mo more...1 point
Organic Education
How we spend our time free from curricula and time more...1 point
Freechild Reading List on John Holt
This page is offered to honor the unschooling/ hom more...1 point
Common Objections to Homeschooling - The Natural Child Project
People, especially educators, who hear me talk abo more...1 point
Unschooling from an African-American perspective
Often it is said that Unschooling is more than a l more...1 point
An Unschooling Life - One Family's Journey To Unschooling
When my family sat down in 2006 to discuss the pos more...1 point
Essential body of knowledge
What do Unschoolers Learn?
Photo Credit: Homeschoolers can dress up every day!
on Flickr, Creative Commons
No matter what subject you decide to learn, what is important is learning how to learn. Alec Bourne stated, "It is possible to store the mind with a million facts and still be entirely uneducated."
John Holt says, "Since we can't know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead, we should try to turn out people who love learning so much and learn so well that they will be able to learn whatever needs to be learned."
As I spoke with my daughter, a senior in college who just aced her senior thesis in mechanical engineering, we looked back on her years of learning and successes and she confidently told me that no matter how the world changes, because she homeschooled, no because she unschooled, she knows how to learn. Whatever she needs to know she knows how to go about learning it. She just makes a goal, divides up her time and learns it.
There are more subjects and topics to learn than any one person could learn in a lifetime. So unschoolers say, just pick a topic of interest and start learning. How do you decide what your children should learn? Just ask them!
Many homeschoolers believe that if children are exposed to what the world has to offer, "they will see clearly enough what things are truly important to themselves and to others, and they will make for themselves a better path into that world than anyone else could make for them."
Children learn what they want to know.
-John Holt from How Children Learn
The Role of Parents
Parents of Unschoolers
When my unschooled children had questions or showed signs of interest in a topic, it was my role to help them find the answers. My experience as an adult made my role as facilitator essential to our homeschool experience. The parent's role in unschooling is accessing, navigating, and making sense of the world.
To find answers to questions or to just learn more about a subject, I read books and articles. We listened to books on tape, both fiction as well as non-fiction. I took the kids to museums and libraries where we could learn more. I kept a constant eye out for after school programs, classes offered by colleges and programs available through museums which might be of interest to my unschoolers. Because, as unschoolers, my children were free during the week, they had the opportunity to be cast in a movie, dissect human brains, and brainstorm exercises for NASA.
As unschoolers, we often talked about what they would like to be when they grew up and what skills they might need in order to accomplish that goal. When my daughter expressed interest in costume design, I helped her purchase cloth and together we learned how to make our own patterns. When my son expressed interest in knights and the Middle Ages, we made swords, chain mail and began to read about King Arthur, El Cid and Don Quiote.
As my children grew older, they began studying more and more on their own. They often read for hours and could get themselves to ballet class or other practices.
An unschooling parent's role is to facilitate learning. Often that means driving, finding classes, coordinating schedules, and looking up books and online resources. The job of an unschool parent can be compared to that of a soccer mom and PTO leader. It is fun, exciting, and busy.
The Best Unschooling Books
Vote for your favorite unschooling book or add another.
Photo Credit: Read Aloud on Flickr, Creative Commons
Photo Credit: Reading a Book on Flickr, Creative Commons
Which books on unschooling have you read? Vote up or down to show which books you have read and loved or hated. These are some of my favorite unschooling books. If there are any that you haven't read yet, be sure to read them and then come back and vote. These unschooling books will show you the possibilities, encourage you to take the leap into facilitating your children's freedom to learn. Read for inspiration...
Teach Your Own by John Holt
Teach Your Own is the classic book that presents John Holt's ideas and thought process as he came to the realization that the very best way for a child to learn is self-directed learning. This version has been updated by Pat Feranga with reference to today's new laws, new lifestyles, and a new generation of homeschooling parents. Teach Your Own is the book that launched the movement that has resulted in millions of children being taught at home by their own parents.8 points
What Do I Do Monday? (Innovators in Education) by John Holt
As a classroom teacher, I searched for ways to make learning fun and engaging for children. This book, What Do I Do Monday, was the book that lead me to the realization that children learn best when exploring their own interests. It is the one that made me realize that unschooling is the best way to help children learn.4 points
The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education by Grace Llewellyn
Written for teenagers, The Teenage Liberation Handbook explains to teens why school is a waste of time and that the only way to learn is to unschool.4 points
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by John Taylor Gatto
After thirty years of teaching in New York City's public schools, John Gatto came to the sad conclusion that "compulsory schooling does little but teach young people to follow orders like cogs in an industrial machine." Learn more! Learn what you would like to learn! Unschool!3 points
The Unprocessed Child: Living Without School by Valerie Fitzenreiter
Without ever going to school or studying from textbooks, Laurie, in this fictional tale, discovers that the world is open to her for learning all she ever dreamed.2 points
Homeschooling Our Children Unschooling Ourselves by Alison McKee
A classroom teacher decides to unschool her children. Come discover what that looked like on a daily basis and the outcome of this decision.2 points
Real Lives: Eleven Teenagers Who Don't Go to School Tell Their Own Stories
Read about the lives of 11 real teens who homeschooling, what their lives were like and how they learned...2 points
Socialization for Unschoolers
Socialization
Photo Credit: "socialization" and mainstream society
on BKMarcus
But what about socialization? If your children are unschooled, how will they learn socialization skills?
Let's take a look at socialzation in conventional schools. Children are segregated by age with a low ration of adults to children. Children rarely interact with professions other than teaching or school administration. This lact of exposure to the community in general may not be a very healthy social environment.
Parents of unschoolers believe that their children benefit from interaction with people of diverse ages and backgrounds in a wide variety of situations.
Adults who encounter unschooled children often find them to be more mature than their schooled counter parts. They are comfortable conversing with people of all ages. It is believed that this results from the wide exposure they have to people of all walks of life.
But what about socialization?
The first picture is of a classroom where the children are seated quietly listening to the teacher. There is no social contact between the children. Many school systems are even eliminating recess. The second picture is of a group of homeschoolers learning together. They are socializing while learning.
Photo Credit: School Children in Classroom Available on Allposters
Photo Credit: Homeschooling on Flickr, Creative Commons
Very well meaning family, friends, and even strangers will ask "But what about socialization?" How do you respond? Here is a list to help new families with this looming question:
Socialization is one of the best reasons to homeschool.
Something that always surprises those who fisrt encounter unschoolers is how well they are able to interact with people of all ages. Rather than turning children into the stereotypical social misfits, the positive socialization of homeschooling is one of the big advantages to homeschooling.6 points
Homeschoolers spend more actual time out in society.
If you think of socialization as preparing children for the real world, unschoolers have the advantage of spending much of their time interacting with people of all ages, races, and backgrounds.5 points
Homeschooled children certainly not isolated; in fact, they associate with--and feel close to--all sorts of people.
As homeschooled children take part in their communities on a daily basis they are often found helping out with community projects. Children who are able to work to improve their communities have good self-esteem, feel positive about themselves and those around them and function effectively as members of adult society.5 points
Many people are homeschooling because of socialization reasons.
Homeschooled children are usually found in social situations where there is a high ratio of adults to children where modeling of good social behavior comes from a wide variety of caring adults rather than their inexperienced peers.4 points
To Unschoolers, Learning Is As Natural As Breathing
College admission for Unschoolers
College admission
There are many different ways for unschoolers to present their credentials in order to get into college and even get scholarships. Here are some of your options:
- Unschooling- Citizendium
- Unschoolers have been admitted to most universities (including Ivy League schools). The article Homeschooling: Back to the Future? states that in the absence of a transcript or high school diploma, applicants can submit samples or a portfolio of their work, letters of recommendation, and CLEP and Stanford Achievement Test scores.
Some universities consider unschoolers to be an asset because they tend to love learning, be self-motivated, and know what they want to get out of their college experience. According to Johnathan Reider, an admissions officer at Stanford university, speaking of home educated students in general, The distinguishing factor is intellectual vitality. These kids have it, and everything they do is responding to it. - Links to Unschooling Blogs
- All about unschooling
- College Considerations for Unschoolers
- "I know a lot of unschooled kids who have gone to college - each has done it in their own way. " - This article discusses the many different options unschoolers have for gaining entrance to the college of their choice.
- Alger Learning Center - Umbrella school for Unschoolers
- Washington State Approved and Nationally Accredited Private School - Providing educational alternatives, and assistance and enthusiastic support for Homeschoolers, Unschoolers, and other independent learners, since 1981.
- Unschooled Teens Go To College - Life Learning Magazine
- Non-stressed-out, non-coerced teens who have been allowed to be self-directed and have been supported in all their interests will bring their whole selves to bear on whatever challenges they face. And maybe they'll even end up doing what you hoped they would!
World Schooling
Unschooling College
Photo Credit: Worldschooling
on Stranger in a Strange Land Newsletter
Eli was unschooling with us in Boston years ago. He was unschooling high school and was an inspiration for those of us who wondered what the possibilities were for our children when they got to that age.
Now I find that Eli not only unschooled college but that he has coined a new, more friendly term, worldschooling. He is now worldschooling and blogs about it online. Be sure to check it out:
- Eli Gerzon - Writer, Traveler, Worldschooler | Worldschooling
- Eli Gerzon's travel newsletters; speaking and writing on education, travel, and homeschooling; travel tours and photos.
How do you homeschool?
What does your homeschool classroom look like?
Photo Credit: Unschoolers on Flickr, Creative Commons
Photo Credit: Unschooling Classroom on Flickr, Creative Commons
As unschoolers, the world is our classroom! Each day we go out to explore. We learn through observation, interest and a search for knowledge. Do we succeed? Yes! Unschoolers enjoy life, learning and can get into college if that is the path they choose!
Little New School
Video of a School for Unschoolers
- LITTLE NEW SCHOOL
- Very amazing film on a off beat School near Copenhagen.John Holt, the great pedagogue, called it his dream school.You will love seeing the passion of the teachers and the children.
Criticisms of Unschooling
Fears about Unschooling
Photo Credit: Holding a Turkey Chick
on Flickr, Creative Commons
1. The following are common opinions and concerns of people who are critical of unschooling.
2. Most children lack the foresight to learn the things they will need to know in their adult lives.
3. There may be gaps in a child's education unless an educational professional controls what material is covered.
4. Because schools provide a ready-made source of peers, it may be more difficult for children who are not in school to make friends and develop social skills than it is for their schooled peers.
5. Because schools may provide a diverse group of both adults and students, it might be more difficult for children who are not in school to be directly exposed to different cultures, socio-economic groups and worldviews.
6. Some children are not motivated to learn anything, and will spend all of their time in un-educational endeavors if not coerced into doing otherwise.
7. Not all parents may be able to provide the stimulating environment or have the skills and patience required to encourage the student's curiosity.
8. Because they often lack a diploma from an accredited school, it may be more difficult for unschooled students to get into college or get a job.
9. Children who direct their own educations may not develop the ability to take direction from others.
The Homeschool Decision
Fears about Unschooling
Photo Credit: Holding a Turkey Chick
on Flickr, Creative Commons
When you are considering unschooling or even homeschooling your childrenconsidering unschooling or even homeschooling your children, what are you most concerned about? Each of the following statements or fears are probably on the minds of most parents who are considering unschooling their children. It can be a relief to know that the opposite is actually the case.
Unschooled children are well socialized, can get into the college of their choice and easily find ways to learn whatever presents itself as of interest or a need.
If you have ever felt any of these fears rest assured that reality has shone that these fears are unfounded.
Here is a list of the most common fears parents have when considering unschooling their children. If you agree with the statement, vote up, if you don't agree, vote down:
Children will not be interested in and thus not learn what they need to know to live as adults.
0 points
There may be skills lacking or gaps in their education unless a set curriculum is followed.
0 points
Children may not learn how to become friends or learn good social skills outside a classroom full of children their own age.
0 points
Children won't be directly exposed to different cultures, socio-economic groups and worldviews.
0 points
Children will spen years wasting their time in un-educational persuits.
0 points
Parents may not have the skills to teach their children or have the creativity to engage their children.
0 points
Without a deploma or credits, unschoolers might not be able to get into college or get a job.
0 points
School, Homeschool, or Unschool
Children who are homeschooled exhibit no disruption in academic or social development, however, to make homeschooling work, parents must make the time commitment, the money commitment, and the lifestyle commitment to provide that academic environment for the child at home.
Homeschooled children have above-average social and psychological development through their exposure to many different age groups and other activities to boost their social development.
Do you or would you homeschool your children?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes, homeschooling or better yet unschooling is the best.
whiteskyline says:
Absolutely, what you have termed unschooling, I would term true education.
Posted September 04, 2011
keepingitsimple says:
I homeschool my daughter. She struggled in school as the teacher pushed through lessons; trying to keep her agenda running smoothly. Now my daughter works at her own pace. Pleased to say she still remembers units from the beginning of the school year.
Posted March 26, 2011
Attic_Wench says:
Been there, done that. Have been homeschooling for over 24 years. Our youngest is 19, still at home and learns something new every day. Next step, unschooling as grandparents when our first grandchild arrives this summer. The internet has caused an explosion in homeschooling which is grand indeed. I now blog about our experience at Guerrilla Homeschooling.
Posted January 24, 2011
HarmonyArtMom says:
We have homeschooled officially for the last 14 years. The two oldest have already graduated from high school and one from college. The other two are in high school now and we mix formal and project based methods for a great mix.
Posted November 24, 2010
No, I don't feel capable of teaching my children.
Unschooling: Is this legal?
- HSLDA: Homeschooling Advocates since 1983
- Home School Legal Defense Association is a nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms.
Picture Books about Homeschooling
Most picture books speak of taking the school bus, happenings in the classroom or school class fieldtrips. Homeschoolers need a few books that champion homeschooling. Please add to this list if you know any that I have missed.
Shouldn't You Be In School? by Angelina Hart
We all choose to homeschool for a variety of reasons. Some for religious reasons, some political, some of us use curricula and others unschool. Yet the one thing we all have in common is that when we move through our day during what most people consider to be 'school hours' we are faced with the same question: 'Shouldn't you be in school?' This book strikes a humorous chord with all of us that attempt to find creative ways of answering, ignoring, overlooking, informing, defending or explaining o...2 points
I Am Learning All the Time by Rain Perry Fordyce
I Am Learning All the Time by Rain Fordyce tells the story of a 5 1/2 year-old who is just learning what it means to homeschool. He looks at this neighborhood friends as they start to school while showing what he is learning at home. Whether your child is homeschooled, unschooled or schooled this book teaches understanding and similarities. I Am Learning All the Time creates confidence in your children no matter what your family's educational choice.1 point
Unschooling on eBay
Links to Homeschooling Lenses
Each of these links will lead you to great homeschooling sites.
Please add your Homeschooling Lens to the plexo. The more links to your lens the higher your lensrank.
John Holt: Unschooling
Unschooling is learning based on the student's interests, needs, and goals. Parents are facilitators rather than teachers, helping their children to find resources for learning rather than being teaching a canned curriculum.4 points
Real World Learning
Real World Learning* Already homeschooling? This page will give you resources for making your family's experience richer. * Considering homeschooling? I hope the resources here will help you make the decision. * Know someone who is planning to homeschool? You might want to check out What About Socia...2 points
Harry Chapin's Flowers Are Red Song Illustrates Why We Unschool
Lyrics and thoughts on the song by Harry Chapin, Flowers are Red. The song reflects unschooling ideas and values.2 points
Homeschooling
I am building this lens to help other homeschoolers and get to know other homeschoolers.You will see one section where you can add your own homeschool website and another section where you can add great resource websites that you find.I would also like to see some talk in the guest book on how your...1 point
The Lighter Side of Home Education
Given the recent media attention to the growing movement of home-education, I thought it might be a good idea to straighten out a few misconceptions. One of them is that we do-it-ourselves parents are all a bit intense and serious. This couldn't be further from the truth. In fact the whole home-ed e...1 point
Organic Education
How we spend our time free from curricula and timetables.1 point
Homeschool Planning
One of the most focused on areas of homeschooling is planning the schedule. Making lists, setting goals, plotting out the year ahead. Some people need detailed plans to work off of, some prefer a more spontaneous approach. Yet most homeschoolers love having a plan of some kind. Even if it is just pl...1 point
Creek and Mesa Blog
My family and I live far from the busy, rushing river some call "mainstream." We, in fact, live along a lazy, trickling creek folded into a valley in the mountains of North-Central Arizona. This place we call home is bursting with wild and wonderful life year-round. We unschool, garden, make art, play music and enjoy 100% off-the-grid power.0 points
Well-Trained Mind: Grade Nine
In this lens you will find a list of all the resources we pulled together for our ninth grade year. We are a homeschooling family that combines The Well-Trained Mind approach or Classical approach to homeschooling with many of Charlotte Mason's educational methods. We are using Tapestry of Grace pla...0 points
Harmony Art Mom's 11th Grade=An Eclectic Mix
I have been busy working on this lens to try to get it up and visible for all of you moms who email me about homeschooling for high school. This topic is one that I find very little talked about in the blog world. Searching out curriculum and answers for my high school age boys has been pretty stres...0 points
Homeschooling in the News
What is it like to homeschool?
Photo Credit: Bunny Girl
on Flickr, Creative Commons
- The Anti-Schoolers
- Benny's parents aren't home-schooling in the traditional sense, by hewing to a curriculum, nor are they strictly "unschooling," that is, following the teachings of John Holt, a progressive educator who promoted a child-led learning movement that is a wildly democratic subset of the home-schooling world. Rather, theirs is an ad hoc, day-by-day exploration into what it means to be a stay-at-home parent and child in an accelerated culture like New York.
"Home-based education...
Magazines for Unschooling
Live Free Learn Free
Photo Credit: Kids in the Rocks
on Flickr, Creative Commons
- Life Learning Magazine
- Let Life Learning Magazine help you discover how to employ self-directed, life-based learning in your own life and/or that of your child.
Unschoolers can Receive a Diploma
Alger Learning Center is for Unschoolers around the World
Photo Credit: Unschooler Graduates!
Unschooled up to 7th Grade, Graduated Outstanding Senior, Majored in Mechanical Engineering Headed to Grad School!
There are times when society in general demands paperwork and grades, credits and diplomas. This is what Alger Learning Center offers to unschooling families across the US and around the world. Your children learn in any way they so choose and Alger Learning Center helps to document that learning and puts it into the format required to be accepted into college, army or for job requirements.
I have personally spoken with the director and found this institution to be very friendly and helpful to unschoolers. They offer a variety of services to meet whatever level of comfort you need. I highly recommend checking out Alger Learning Center which is dedicated to freedom in learning and unbridled education, while supporting independent learning, homeschooling, and unschooling.
- Alger Learning Center K-12 Homeschooling & Unschooling Assistance
The Alger Learning Center and Independence High School was founded in 1981 to provide students with creative educational alternatives while empowering them to take charge of their own lives and learning.
Our educational philosophy is grounded in the belief that learning is an ongoing, lifelong experience. We strongly believe that students deserve trust and the basic freedom to make choices, to put ideas into action, and to grow and learn according to their own learning style(s) and goals.
Homeschoolers Love to Walk in the Woods
Kindergarten in the Woods
- German Kindergarteners Answering Call of the Wild : TreeHugger
- If you've ever wished you could play outside all day, running through forests and playing in the mud until the sun went down you just may be fascinated to learn that there are kindergarten schools in Germany that now eschew classrooms in favor of the forest floor, and head outside to learn all day, come rain or shine.
And while schools and parents in some countries push their kids to read, write, and surf the Web earlier and earlier in an effort to sharpen their skills for an increasingly competitive global economy; these kids get to sing songs, build fires, roll around in the mud and kick back in their "wald sofa" of tree stumps and twigs.
All told it seems there are about 700 Waldkindergarten, or "forest kindergartens" throughout Germany, with kids discovering the world in a different fashion.
Intriguingly, there's a tiny high school in the woods of Northeastern America, inspired by Thoreau, that's taken a similar approach with kids who might otherwise have dropped out or found themselves in trouble of one form or another.
Unschoolers can find some great ideas on these Lenses!
Homeschool vs. Public Schooling Debate
Blogging about Homeschooling
- The Stigma of Home Schooling | Blissfully Domestic
- Here in the suburbs, failing to put your four-year-old child in preschool is right on par with locking her in the car on a 100-degree day and going
- UK Unschoolers Blog Ring
- This is a blog ring for unschooling and radically unschooling bloggers in the United Kingdom, so that we can easily find each other, link to each other's sites, and share our unschooling journeys.
Results of Unschooling
Did we make the right decision?
Photo Credit: Unschooling in Costa Rica
Because we chose to homeschool, we were able to visit volcanos in Costa Rica, learn algebra using Cuisenaire Rods and read hundreds of books that public schooled children never have the time for.
- Results of Unschooling: My Daughter turns 21
- On September 21, I spent the day with my oldest daughter at her college. As she turned 21 I look back at the choices we made and the results of those choices.
Unschooling News
A Very Relaxed form of Homeschooling
- Homeschooling is Not Progressive-Friendly Because it Allows An Awful Lot of Choice
- Goldstein, well, she's peeved about folks like writer Astra Taylor who has a print essay in N+ about her experiences with unschooling under super-hippie parents, as well as Taylor's explorations of off-beat education options such as Albany's Free ...
- Too cool for school
- Allowing children to be themselves, learning only what is relevant to them is the basis of 'unschooling'. Jessica Sutton spends a morning with the Higgison family to see how it works Ashhurst's Jane Higgison is adamant her three children can have a ...
- Winnacunnet Budget Committee candidate profiles (at large)
- The $17000-per-year-per-student cost of the high school, athletic programs/J-ROTC, and home-schooling or ?unschooling.? If you are elected, how do you plan to address these issues? Since colonial times, parents enjoyed choice of a variety of low cost ...
- Facebook: The newest cyber learning platform
- So, keeping in mind the wide reach of Facebook, I thought of starting a free ?unschool? that will provide after-class lessons and engage students and others in drawing, design and art. That was how InkLink came about. Unschool is a term coined by me to ...
Follow me on Twitter
- evelynsaenz
- aka evelynsaenz
- 1,427 followers
- 858 following
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- Raccoon Unit Study... http://t.co/VYKa5btc
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- Squirrel Unit Study with a sprinkling of acorns... http://t.co/NEbE5tSk
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- Here is a a science site that my 15 year old really likes. It is a great site for those who already understand... http://t.co/K1jnQxCd
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- An amazing collection of hands-on unit studies and educational activities... http://t.co/UN4Yc9Dq http://t.co/bw6R4Oox
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- An amazing collection of hands-on unit studies and educational activities... http://t.co/UN4Yc9Dq
How has John Holt and unschooling affected your life?
Tell me about your experiences with homeschooling or unschooling.
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Li-Li-ThePinkBookworm
Dec 25, 2011 @ 5:03 pm | delete
- Fantastic work with this lens. You showed the reasons for unschooling in a logical manner and gave plenty advice on the various issues that people ask about. Thank you for creating such a great resource for any potential unschoolers.
Li Li
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JMaltman
Oct 15, 2011 @ 6:51 pm | delete
- It absolutely inspired us, and brought together what we had been thinking about doing and gave it a name. Now we're connecting to the online community and made it to our first conference. Our son is still pre-school age, but this is definitely the route we're taking with life, and loving it.
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whiteskyline
Sep 4, 2011 @ 4:18 pm | delete
- I have written some on this, in my own way, on a lens here. I for one feel that John's term unschooling, is actually real education. I would go further to say, in my observation, that the essence of this 'unschooling', is the way to true success in life, which contains more than just money.
Following one's interests is the only way to fly in my book, and my belief is that we are ALL genius in our areas of passions and interests.
As much as the advisors may suggest against a child playing a sport all day or a musical instrument, that they need to study to get a job, all the greatest achievers couldn't have accomplished their gifts to the world in any other way :)
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celeBritys4africA
Jun 27, 2011 @ 11:03 am | delete
- A great step, always difficult to decide pro.
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wordstock
Apr 1, 2011 @ 10:18 am | delete
- We are just starting with homeschooling in the 5th grade. Wish I had the courage to start earlier. I'm not sure about unschooling but you have provided a lot of information to digest. Angel blessed.
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Look Who's Twittering about Unschooling
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- MoniseLSeward
- 7. Meet the needs of individual children and families through long-term listening and response+ #UnSchool #education #parents
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- MoniseLSeward
- 6. Aim for a consciousness-raising education that centers all humans’ responsibility for other humans+ #UnSchool #education #parents
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- MoniseLSeward
- 4. Provide space for contemplation, deep study, long-term projects, and flexibility+ #Unschool #education #parents
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- blogdiva
- RT @missturman: @blogdiva it sure is! one of the best choices I ever made. #unschool
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- missturman
- @blogdiva it sure is! one of the best choices I ever made. #unschool
Meet the Author of this Homeschooling Lens
We happily unschooled for years.
Opportunities for learning abound. Just open your mind and look around.
Discussing Homeschooling
Come write about homeschooling on Wizzley, a fun and easy place to express your opinion:
by Evelyn_Saenz
My passion is teaching and finding ways to teach children in fun, hands-on, creative ways. The unit studies I make on Squidoo reflect my view that learning... more »
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