What does unschooling look like because I think that's what I am doing...

[Mosaicmind]

Every year I plan, purchase, make schedules, get things ready and then BAMMO!!!! None of it happens. My schedule goes out the window, all the plans to do all this "neat" curriculum, and my idea of "school time" gets all rearranged. Now, don't be dismayed...my kids learn and are what I would consider average or above average. We just don't get what I think should be done--done each year. :glare:

 

For example: Nathan is only on lesson 28 of Saxon 87, Module 2 of General Science, and Lesson 8 of VFCR A. The rest of the kids are pretty much the same in their studies. Some days we don't even pick up a textbook, workbook or any curriculum I have bought.

 

Instead, the little boys (Caleb and Sam) color pics of planets, gladiator, or pull out an Usborne book which happens to be their favorite. Nathan will fiddle around with computer programs, write a story, read the Lightening Thief series, or watch the history channel. Sarah will sit and draw a picture from what she sees outside, read book after book, bake cookies, write a poem, or volunteer at church in the office.

 

Am I an "unschooler" or what:confused: I really am not quite sure what that means. Or maybe I am an eclectic schooler since we do history the CM way, workbooks for spelling and grammer, ect...

 

I don't know how much that it really matters except that maybe I would feel better knowing that I belonged somewhere. I feel though as if some of it works and other parts don't. I could be better at doing certain subjects purposefully and yet I have a hard time with that, not always but there are days and weeks.

 

How are some ways that you unschool? What can I do to make it better or work for us? I want us to be learning, but I have found that if my kids don't know they are doing school they learn a whole lot more iykwim?;)

[justasque]

Relax. I would say you are doing "eclectic schooling". You are picking and choosing from various approaches to the different subjects, and taking advantages of local opportunities when they arise. You are encouraging your kids to take initiative in their own education, by allowing them to explore various subjects using materials of their own choosing, within a carefully curated collection. You are reading widely about various educational approaches, so that you can take wisdom from many sources and craft it into a custom education for each of your dc, carefully customized to their interests, abilities, and age/grade level. You are putting the needs of the child before educational dogma. It's all good. ;)

[Corraleno]

I'd call it "relaxed eclectic." I wonder if you'd feel better about things, though, if you started from the more unschooly end of the continuum and then added in some structure, rather than buying a lot of curriculum and doing lots of scheduling and planning, and then always feeling behind because the schedule fell apart. For example, for science and history you could ask your boys what topics they want to study, then help them find the books and resources they need, help them think of projects related to those topics, etc. Then just choose one or two subjects (e.g. math & grammar) and focus on scheduling those. That way what you do accomplish will seem more like a purposeful, coherent plan, instead of the result of entropy, kwim?

 

Jackie

[Forget-Me-Not]

I don't know what to call it, but I don't feel quite so guilty now for doing some of it myself :D

[IsabelC]

I think you're absolutely right that the label isn't all that important. What is important, is whether it's working and you're happy with it. Are you comfortable and satisfied that your children are learning plenty with this approach? Or do you feel that they would benefit from firmer structure and/or guidance from you?

[NanceXToo]

Relax. I would say you are doing "eclectic schooling". You are picking and choosing from various approaches to the different subjects, and taking advantages of local opportunities when they arise. You are encouraging your kids to take initiative in their own education, by allowing them to explore various subjects using materials of their own choosing, within a carefully curated collection. You are reading widely about various educational approaches, so that you can take wisdom from many sources and craft it into a custom education for each of your dc, carefully customized to their interests, abilities, and age/grade level. You are putting the needs of the child before educational dogma. It's all good. ;)

 

:iagree:

 

Unschooling means that you don't force your kids to do ANYTHING. It's entirely interest led. You may suggest/encourage things. You may stock up on various things that may catch their interests. But you don't ever tell them "you have to do math," or "you have to use a curriculum for this" or "we must learn about that" or whatever- if they aren't interested, they don't do it. Period. If they are interested, you do everything you can to help them fully explore that interest.

 

What you're doing is relaxed eclectic, which is pretty much what I consider myself, too. It sounds great to me! :)

[Jenny in GA]

Call yourself what you want.

 

But no, you're probably not an unschooler.

 

I was listening to a CD from an unschooling conference a couple days ago. One of the points they spent a lot of time on was how her kids watched about six hours of TV a day. The mom said you "need to support your child's interests and passions" if you are an unschooler, and you shouldn't limit them. If you do, you're not unschooling.

 

At one point it was stated that the teen daughter had time for all this TV because she "didn't have to waste time doing chores."

 

The mother insisted that the kids "didn't do any math" until they were teens.

 

Apparently these kids are grown and doing well now. I enjoyed the talk, even though we don't unschool anymore.

 

That should give you an idea of what "unschooling" looks like.

[Retired]

You are not unschooling.. I know several unschooled. The kids are allowed to follow their "passion" The kids may never even pick up a formal math textbook. I know in one family the oldest never "studied math" except as it related to another subject then he would research to learn. The younger sibling fell in love with math and wanted textbook, (she started formal math at age 12).

 

I would but you eclectic. This is where I fall. We have curriculum but I don't worry when it may get done. I have found that my boys get interested in something they will learn quickly verses when I try to shove a math lesson a day (and then still reteach the same thing 6 months later because they really didn't want ot learn it.

 

My oldest seriously got a bug about wanting to learn science and went thought Apologia General and Physical Science in 2 months. He read and learned and retained and loved it. He is having other marathon time with Apologia Biology/Human Anatomy.

 

We cover all the normal subject we just don't have a "school year" They know what books/subjects must be complete for them to get credit. They figure out how they want to learn the subject.

 

I use to feel bad because this board seems to bring out the "elite, over achiever" homeshoolers :tongue_smilie:

 

But I am at peace with our home school. My oldest is planning on AP exam. He has self taught and its all his decision and plan. I don't' know if he will pass the exam but in my opinion my home school has been a success.

 

My goal was to have self motivated and lifetime learners. I believe I am accomplishing my families goals.

 

We are all different and you know your personality and that of your kids.

 

Find your goals for your family and don't compare with other.:D

[Mejane]

I'm glancing at the list of what your older children have accomplished and thinking you must be doing something right, whatever you want to call it. :)

[justamouse]

I'm glancing at the list of what your older children have accomplished and thinking you must be doing something right, whatever you want to call it. :)

 

 

that's exactly what I thought. :001_smile: Hey, if it ain't broke...

Edited January 5, 2011 by justamouse

[dirty ethel rackham]

This is not unschooling, this is unparenting. Life with no boundaries and no rules is not unschooling. We unschooled for my kids younger years (until I realized that adding baby #3 made me a bad, lazy unschooler.) We were very interest led, but that only works if you limit the influences the destroy creativity and intellectual curiosity, like unlimited access to media. So, we had no gaming systems, didn't watch broadcast TV during the day (only educational videos) and my kids had chores to be contributing members of the family.

 

So, our life was spent outdoors, going for nature walks, visiting museums, coloring, playing games, reading, reading, reading (lots of read alouds and lots of books for my kids on various topics that they found interesting.) We went to park days, museums, field trips because I needed the social outlet - I needed the adult interaction of other homeschoolers. Since my oldest taught himself to read, I didn't really use any organized curriculum until he was 7 (we had been homeschooling since he was 3.)

[Jenny in GA]

This is not unschooling, this is unparenting. Life with no boundaries and no rules is not unschooling. We unschooled for my kids younger years (until I realized that adding baby #3 made me a bad, lazy unschooler.) We were very interest led, but that only works if you limit the influences the destroy creativity and intellectual curiosity, like unlimited access to media. So, we had no gaming systems, didn't watch broadcast TV during the day (only educational videos) and my kids had chores to be contributing members of the family.

 

 

 

I think it's important to point out (especially to someone who's new learning about unschooling) that if you go to the Unschooling Yahoo Groups with over a thousand members ... if you listen to CDs from unschooling conferences ... if you read books or look at sites written by people who have grown children that were unschooled for many many years:

 

You WILL HEAR, very blatantly and strongly and often and with little exception:

 

1) Unschooling means no rules. (Yes, the woman who organized the Live and Learn Conferences for years said these exact words.

 

2) Unschooling works better when there are no bedtimes and no chores.

 

3) If you are limiting TV and/or video games, you are not supporting your child's passions, and therefore not unschooling (or, at the very least, you are severely hamping unschooling).

 

4) There is nothing wrong with a child who is 12 years old who does not know how to read.

 

 

Are there people who call themselves unschoolers who disagree? Sure. But in the unschooling community, among the vocal unschoolers, the "experts," the ones who have unschooled for over a decade -- to them, that is what unschooling is all about.

[stansclan89]

I think it's important to point out (especially to someone who's new learning about unschooling) that if you go to the Unschooling Yahoo Groups with over a thousand members ... if you listen to CDs from unschooling conferences ... if you read books or look at sites written by people who have grown children that were unschooled for many many years:

 

You WILL HEAR, very blatantly and strongly and often and with little exception:

 

1) Unschooling means no rules. (Yes, the woman who organized the Live and Learn Conferences for years said these exact words.

 

2) Unschooling works better when there are no bedtimes and no chores.

 

3) If you are limiting TV and/or video games, you are not supporting your child's passions, and therefore not unschooling (or, at the very least, you are severely hamping unschooling).

 

4) There is nothing wrong with a child who is 12 years old who does not know how to read.

 

 

Are there people who call themselves unschoolers who disagree? Sure. But in the unschooling community, among the vocal unschoolers, the "experts," the ones who have unschooled for over a decade -- to them, that is what unschooling is all about.

 

 

I would call this radical unschooling.

 

What you are doing I would call Relaxed schooling. We do basically the same thing. I have schedules for me because they make me feel better. I like making schedules but I don't like having to be so scheduled. They aren't dated and we get around to it sooner or later. Or get sick of that subject and move on to the next.

[MotherGoose]

IMHO, I don't see how watching TV 6 hours a day benefits anyone, even if it is "educational TV," and I cannot imagine having no rules for my children. I do like the "follow your passion" aspect of unschooling though, and surely do not seek to recreate a schoolroom in my house. My dd4 has such a passion for learning, as do all 4 year olds, and I want to preserve that precious gift.

[secular_mom]

Can we PLEASE not go to that place where everyone disses un-schooling and/or radical un-schooling?

I'm asking nicely.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I guess the unschooling movement changed a lot since John Holt died. This is NOT the unschooling I knew when I first started homeschooling. I still call it unparenting, but that is me.

[secular_mom]

This is not unschooling, this is unparenting. Life with no boundaries and no rules is not unschooling. We unschooled for my kids younger years (until I realized that adding baby #3 made me a bad, lazy unschooler.) We were very interest led, but that only works if you limit the influences the destroy creativity and intellectual curiosity, like unlimited access to media. So, we had no gaming systems, didn't watch broadcast TV during the day (only educational videos) and my kids had chores to be contributing members of the family.

 

So, our life was spent outdoors, going for nature walks, visiting museums, coloring, playing games, reading, reading, reading (lots of read alouds and lots of books for my kids on various topics that they found interesting.) We went to park days, museums, field trips because I needed the social outlet - I needed the adult interaction of other homeschoolers. Since my oldest taught himself to read, I didn't really use any organized curriculum until he was 7 (we had been homeschooling since he was 3.)

It only worked for YOU when YOU limited influences that you believe destroy creativity and curiosity.

I don't think any one type of education will work for every one or every family.

I don't think homeschooling is for everyone, I don't think classical schooling is for everyone, and I don't think unschooling is for everyone. Just as I don't think public school is for everyone or private school is for everyone.

[gaillardia]

Golly, does that mean I'd better excuse myself from the unschoolers forum? :lol:

This is not me:

Unparenting.

No rules.

Child led.

Child's pace.

No structure.

No "do your math before you unschool."

 

Right now my kids are doing these things: watching mythbusters, or taking a nap, or writing, or reading, or something about programming a computer game, or taking care of a kitten.

I also think eclectic relaxed may be what you could label yourself, mosaicmind. :001_smile:

I love the resources SWB lists in the book, I try to follow/use a good bit of what she suggests regarding all the subjects, but I don't think I would call our homeschooling style classical.

:001_smile:

[sibbis]

I use to feel bad because this board seems to bring out the "elite, over achiever" homeshoolers :tongue_smilie:

...

 

My goal was to have self motivated and lifetime learners. I believe I am accomplishing my families goals.

 

We are all different and you know your personality and that of your kids.

 

Find your goals for your family and don't compare with other.:D

 

This is great. I'm going to post it on my mirror so I remember it! My heart is relaxed eclectic but I keep trying to fit into other molds to "keep up." Gotta trust the process and my family more!

[Mosaicmind]

So many differing ideas on what "unschooling" looks like. It looks like I am more eclectically relaxed. Not that it really matters about the label but I just was curious.

 

Honestly, I don't see how you could allow a kid to do essentially what they wanted to do without any rules or direction. I have seen kids like this who are ps and hsed and it isn't pretty.

[Jenny in GA]

 

Honestly, I don't see how you could allow a kid to do essentially what they wanted to do without any rules or direction. I have seen kids like this who are ps and hsed and it isn't pretty.

 

And that's what these unschoolers will point you to you: Those are schooled children. Unschooled kids are a different breed and don't have that problem.

 

They also point out that any studies on things like sleep habits, TV viewing, whatever ... those studies weren't done on unschooled kids, so the findings or recommendations don't apply to them.

 

It does seem that many kids who were raised this way are doing quite well now.