I need unschooling help?

[MellowYellow]

I am curious if there are others out there who are feeling the same way as I am or just those who can offer me advice. I really want to unschool, but there is a part of me that is afraid of failing my children. I love the idea of listening to their cues of what they are interested in and letting them go with it. I am just nervous that they will miss out on certain things that are important for them to function later on in life when they have jobs.

 

What if if they don't have an interest in learning different types of math? Won't that hurt them later down the road?

 

What if they don't want to learn grammar? Isn't beneficial to them to know what a noun or a verb is?

 

If they decide to go to college, don't they need to know how to write a detailed paper? I don't want them to have bad spelling or punctuation. What about test taking?

 

If i have a child who loves to ride their bike, or one who loves playing video games, or another one who loves hip hop dancing, do I just let them do those activities as long as they want? What about the academic aspect? Do I try and find a way to secretly teach them things about math and grammar while they are engaged in their passion, lol?

 

Are they really going to learn all they need to by reading about things they are interested in, writing stories about things they like, visiting museums, being out in nature, cooking, etc? This all sounds great, but I don't know if it is really enough.

 

There are so many things I am worried about. I know I am probably over thinking it. I just don't want to experiment with it and then see that it doesn't work and have them be so behind. It also doesn't help that my family isn't supportive. I can here them saying, "I told you so." They already think I am setting my children up for academic and social failures in life, ugh. I know they do not matter because my DH is 100% supportive and we need to do what is right for our family.

 

Sorry this is so long. I guess I am just looking for positive and helpful resources that will allow me children to excel in areas that they love. All I want in life are my children to be happy. I don't want to waste away their childhood years doing busy work that isn't going to help them in the future.

[Lily_Grace]

Have you checked out http://www.besthomeschooling.org ?

 

I think we're all worried that our kids are going to miss out on something, be it upper science labs or how to write a paper. With anything the key is to journal - keep a record of your journey so that you can reassess at any given time with more than the information that's currently in your head (usually overblown worries ;))

 

 

It's not exactly unschooling, but I really enjoyed the book Summerhill by A.S. Neill. It's the story of a free democratic school where children are in charge of learning. Very interesting, and it helps to show the natural rhythms that children go through.

 

We are not unschoolers, but it seems to be that children will learn what they need as long as they have three things:

1. the tools to explore. Whether it's math manipulatives or a fun grammar book for them to pick up, they need the tools there.

2. the exposure. They need to know what's out there. They need to see adults who are enthusiastic about learning and have a variety of interests.

3. the drive. When something is necessary, they will learn. If it's not necessary, if it's not important to them, they won't.

 

 

I do believe that unschooling works well for very driven children, but most kids fall better into a mix of structured and unstructured learning until they have developed a path and a commitment toward something.

[AngelBee]

I would love to unschool. My kids just aren't motivated. We tried too. That is when we switched to CM

/WTM.

 

And the have never been to regular school.

[Susan in TX]

I have been homeschooling for a long time and I've tried many different methods from unschooling to classical homeschooling and I have gone back and forth between having lots of structure and very little structure. I have now arrived at what I think is a happy medium: we "school" for the three R's and "unschool" the rest. This provides some structure to our days, assures me that my kids are learning the basics, and allows them plenty of time to explore their passions and learn things on their own.

 

I really got hung up with trying to fit myself into a homeschooling mold, but no one method really worked for us. It all fell into place when I accepted the fact that even though unschoolers would call my unschooling "school-at-home", and I wouldn't quite qualify as a "Well Trained Mind" homeschooler that that was OK. I could take from each method what worked for me and leave the rest.

 

Susan in TX

[Ellie]

I am curious if there are others out there who are feeling the same way as I am or just those who can offer me advice. I really want to unschool, but there is a part of me that is afraid of failing my children. I love the idea of listening to their cues of what they are interested in and letting them go with it. I am just nervous that they will miss out on certain things that are important for them to function later on in life when they have jobs.

 

What if if they don't have an interest in learning different types of math? Won't that hurt them later down the road?

If they need those different types of math later down the road, they will be motivated to learn them.

 

What if they don't want to learn grammar? Isn't beneficial to them to know what a noun or a verb is?

Is it more important to be able to speak well, or to know which is a noun and which is a verb?

 

Mary Hood, who "invented" relaxed homeschooling, didn't teach any of her college-graduated 4 dc grammar when they were young. One of them needed to know it for a college entrance exam or something--I forget what, but it was at least high school age--so Mary took some time to teach grammar...a very short time. There are only 8 parts of speech and some thingummies like phrases and clauses.

 

If they decide to go to college, don't they need to know how to write a detailed paper? I don't want them to have bad spelling or punctuation.

If they decide they want to go to college, they'll be motivated to learn those things.

 

What about test taking?

What about it?

 

If i have a child who loves to ride their bike, or one who loves playing video games, or another one who loves hip hop dancing, do I just let them do those activities as long as they want?

Yes. Of course, I will assume that you have a certain level of structure in your home for things like household chores and responsibilities. Also, there may come a time when you feel the need to limit screen time. You may do that, because you're the parent.

 

What about the academic aspect? Do I try and find a way to secretly teach them things about math and grammar while they are engaged in their passion, lol?

Some parents do. :-) But you'd find that they pick up lots of math along the way anyhow, and grammar...well, as a parent you'd correct your dc's poor spoken grammar, yes?

 

Are they really going to learn all they need to by reading about things they are interested in, writing stories about things they like, visiting museums, being out in nature, cooking, etc? This all sounds great, but I don't know if it is really enough.

Yes. If they need to know more, they'll be motivated to learn more. And of course, I would expect you to do some field trips and whatnot so they learn about other things they might not have discovered on their own.

 

There are so many things I am worried about. I know I am probably over thinking it. I just don't want to experiment with it and then see that it doesn't work and have them be so behind. It also doesn't help that my family isn't supportive. I can here them saying, "I told you so." They already think I am setting my children up for academic and social failures in life, ugh. I know they do not matter because my DH is 100% supportive and we need to do what is right for our family.

Read John Holt. All of his books. I disagree with some of his thoughts on parenting and adult authority in general, but he makes some excellent points about how children learn and how they fail and all that.

[jar7709]

I found The Unschooling Handbook by Mary Griffiths very helpful for practical advice and experiences. We don't completely unschool but I share a lot of that philosophy. I also agree with PP that John Holt's books are great to explain the principles and ideals of unschooling.

Edited January 27, 2012 by jar7709

[littleWMN]

We don't unschool but are more relaxed than most posters here (from what I can tell). In times of crisis, we have unschooled and it went well.

 

This year we are aiming to do lots and lots of field trips - 2 to 4 a month - and we are having a blast and learning a lot!

[MellowYellow]

Thanks for all of the great advice!

[....]

MellowYellow, we do some unschooling/relaxed homeschooling. My 1st grader has been basically unschooling all year. When we go through our unschooling phases, there are a couple of things I do...

 

1. TV/video games go OFF during the day.

 

2. I start the school day by asking my older kids, "EXACTLY what are going to work on today?" They usually have a game plan. My daughter will say that she's going to write a small book on "How to Care for Pocket Pets" :tongue_smilie: or my son will be putting together a guidebook on "Reptiles of Brazil" (yeah, my kids are weird).

 

3. The 1st grader who has been unschooling this year - I just follow her lead on what she wants to do. She usually wants to do lots of math. She will also have these bursts of reading, where she will suddenly sit and read 10 books. :confused:

 

4. My kids need to spend alot of time at the library. Also, we will stop off at Hobby Lobby and pick up science kits, projects, etc.

[quark]

If they need those different types of math later down the road, they will be motivated to learn them.

 

 

Is it more important to be able to speak well, or to know which is a noun and which is a verb?

 

Mary Hood, who "invented" relaxed homeschooling, didn't teach any of her college-graduated 4 dc grammar when they were young. One of them needed to know it for a college entrance exam or something--I forget what, but it was at least high school age--so Mary took some time to teach grammar...a very short time. There are only 8 parts of speech and some thingummies like phrases and clauses.

 

 

If they decide they want to go to college, they'll be motivated to learn those things.

 

 

What about it?

 

 

Yes. Of course, I will assume that you have a certain level of structure in your home for things like household chores and responsibilities. Also, there may come a time when you feel the need to limit screen time. You may do that, because you're the parent.

 

 

Some parents do. :-) But you'd find that they pick up lots of math along the way anyhow, and grammar...well, as a parent you'd correct your dc's poor spoken grammar, yes?

 

 

Yes. If they need to know more, they'll be motivated to learn more. And of course, I would expect you to do some field trips and whatnot so they learn about other things they might not have discovered on their own.

 

 

Read John Holt. All of his books. I disagree with some of his thoughts on parenting and adult authority in general, but he makes some excellent points about how children learn and how they fail and all that.

 

:iagree: Everything she said! But I do have difficulty putting this into practice. I made a priority list of things that need to be practiced often. Basically math, physics and languages. He chooses the math he wants to learn and the languages he wants to learn. His Dad chooses the science after consulting him. I structure the work, e.g. three math lessons, three physics lessons and three language lessons a week. He practices the piano too. Then after lunch, he's free the whole day. That's his unschooling time. He can do anything he wants save screen time (games) is limited to a max of an hour a day (usually only 1/2 hour). But he can watch documentaries or anything educational for up to 2-3 hours a day if he wants. He actually prefers to spend most of the free time reading.

 

We also follow a 3-week/1-week cycle. Three weeks of math/language/physics, and the one week afterwards is almost 100% unschooled.

[daybreaking]

I hope I don't offend anyone, but I thought I'd share a personal experience that probably reinforces many of the OP's concerns. My niece was unschooled all through her homeschooling. Though she was (and still is) very motivated, grew up without a television and was involved in a myriad of interest-based educational activities, she's repeatedly felt short-changed. Although she is outstanding in her knowledge of areas of interest and she is very self-directed when she sets her mind to a task, she feels her education was quite lacking in the basic academic areas. When she went to college, she was required to take remedial writing and remedial math courses before persuing her degree. Now that she has her own children, she's gone the complete opposite of her upbringing and is very structured, because she doesn't want her children to fare as she did.

[KristenR]

I have been homeschooling for a long time and I've tried many different methods from unschooling to classical homeschooling and I have gone back and forth between having lots of structure and very little structure. I have now arrived at what I think is a happy medium: we "school" for the three R's and "unschool" the rest. This provides some structure to our days, assures me that my kids are learning the basics, and allows them plenty of time to explore their passions and learn things on their own.

 

I really got hung up with trying to fit myself into a homeschooling mold, but no one method really worked for us. It all fell into place when I accepted the fact that even though unschoolers would call my unschooling "school-at-home", and I wouldn't quite qualify as a "Well Trained Mind" homeschooler that that was OK. I could take from each method what worked for me and leave the rest.

 

Susan in TX

 

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

Ditto on all of this. We definitely have structure so we don't fall in the unschooler mold but I prefer to incorporate as much of my child's interests and passions as well.

[MerryAtHope]

I hope I don't offend anyone, but I thought I'd share a personal experience that probably reinforces many of the OP's concerns. My niece was unschooled all through her homeschooling. Though she was (and still is) very motivated, grew up without a television and was involved in a myriad of interest-based educational activities, she's repeatedly felt short-changed. Although she is outstanding in her knowledge of areas of interest and she is very self-directed when she sets her mind to a task, she feels her education was quite lacking in the basic academic areas. When she went to college, she was required to take remedial writing and remedial math courses before persuing her degree. Now that she has her own children, she's gone the complete opposite of her upbringing and is very structured, because she doesn't want her children to fare as she did.

 

I think it's definitely a concern to consider, and there are other variations that can work too. I haven't unschooled for skills-based subjects (math, writing, etc...), but I have for science. I have one child who picks the books and decides what to do each day--read, do experiments, journal, nature journal, etc... Occasionally if nothing has been written for awhile I'll ask for a journal entry, but other than that my only requirement is for a minimum of 30 minutes spent on science. This child excels within this very loose structure.

 

Other times I've been more "relaxed" than "unschool-ish," by letting my children pick projects, rabbit trails, books and so on for history. I like to have a basic structure but we all tweak here. :001_smile:

[Alicia64]

Just my .02. . . but I'm a "check-the-box" kind of teacher. I teach grammar -- because, yes, I think it's very important -- writing, math, SOTW etc.

 

(I had terrible grammar instruction as a kid and I've repaired some of the holes, but as a professional writer, I could have had a better career w/ a better grammar background.)

 

However, Dh is super into science and he can unschool the boys in science beautifully. They visit the science center regularly and he flows with the boys' interest. He's excellent at it. In fact, he's taught me more about unschooling than books on the subject.

 

But could he unschool in writing, grammar or history? No way.

 

And that's a take on unschooling that I haven't seen. . . where a topic or two is unschooled (and child led so to speak), but other topics are check-the-box.

 

Alley

[ebunny]

IME, 'un'schooling(as envisioned by John Holt) is tougher than homeschooling. The unschooling parent needs to put in considerable effort to discover what a child really likes to do or where his/her interests lie.

 

Which means that it can take a while. Of course, if the children are self driven, you'll know it right away, but if they aren't...it can be long before something will click.

 

Most of the home educators in India are 'un'schoolers. And i've seen the philosophy taken to it's radical form too-where children are encouraged to follow their own interests- even if they choose to play video games all day. And it's different for each family I've seen.

 

IMO, the most important aspect of unschooling is that parents have to be completely and utterly prepared...mentally, to unschool. If you're the sort that worries if they'll be at grade level, then it probably might be counter productive.

 

We follow structured learning 4 days in a week, and the rest of the week is unschooled. I've observed that with absolutely no structure, and complete unschooling, DD felt, for a lack of a better word, rudderless. This arrangement works for us.

 

I agree with the PP's. Read all the books by John Holt, then you can make an informed decision. And you can always make changes to adapt to your children and learning environment.

[Iucounu]

I hope I don't offend anyone, but I thought I'd share a personal experience that probably reinforces many of the OP's concerns. My niece was unschooled all through her homeschooling. Though she was (and still is) very motivated, grew up without a television and was involved in a myriad of interest-based educational activities, she's repeatedly felt short-changed. Although she is outstanding in her knowledge of areas of interest and she is very self-directed when she sets her mind to a task, she feels her education was quite lacking in the basic academic areas.

As it was practically guaranteed to be. This is a big reason that many who start with unschooling, especially radical unschooling, later switch to more structure. Even motivated children don't usually self-provide strong academic foundations, and believing that they will naturally do so is a happy fantasy.

[Pen]

I think unschooling may work well for some children--but I think probably not for most, simply because they do not know what they may likely need to know, or even what exists in the world to be learned, even if the child is a very self directed motivated child. If the child is not self directed and very motivated, then I think unschooling is even less of a good option.

 

On the other hand, a blend of required/directed work along with a chance to pursue special interests in more depth can, I think, be excellent. Also it is possible to do things like to require writing, but to allow a child to pick the topic. Or to designate a time for a unit study approach, but to allow the child to pick the focus for the unit study, and for the parent to then facilitate and make sure that the learning is happening.

 

It is also possible to choose programs that allow more or less self direction by a child, and more or less direction from the parent, depending on the child's needs.

 

In any case, I think what the child really needs should be the determining factor. Does unschooling fit a particular child or not?

[Ellie]

IME, 'un'schooling(as envisioned by John Holt) is tougher than homeschooling. The unschooling parent needs to put in considerable effort to discover what a child really likes to do or where his/her interests lie.

 

Which means that it can take a while. Of course, if the children are self driven, you'll know it right away, but if they aren't...it can be long before something will click.

 

Most of the home educators in India are 'un'schoolers. And i've seen the philosophy taken to it's radical form too-where children are encouraged to follow their own interests- even if they choose to play video games all day. And it's different for each family I've seen.

 

IMO, the most important aspect of unschooling is that parents have to be completely and utterly prepared...mentally, to unschool. If you're the sort that worries if they'll be at grade level, then it probably might be counter productive.

 

We follow structured learning 4 days in a week, and the rest of the week is unschooled. I've observed that with absolutely no structure, and complete unschooling, DD felt, for a lack of a better word, rudderless. This arrangement works for us.

 

I agree with the PP's. Read all the books by John Holt, then you can make an informed decision. And you can always make changes to adapt to your children and learning environment.

Having read all of John Holt's books and most of his newsletter, I would disagree with you wholeheartedly.

 

Unschoolers (who are homeschoolers, BTW) don't spend their time looking for things to engage their dc. They live life and bring the dc along, and when the dc develop interests, they let the dc pursue those interests on their own, only "helping" if necessary.

[Iucounu]

Unschoolers (who are homeschoolers, BTW) don't spend their time looking for things to engage their dc.

Strewing involves looking for things to engage a child.

[Momling]

I'm not unschooling, but if I wanted to head more in that direction, I'd so something like what my kids old montessori school did -- and set limits that the kids could be free within.

 

For instance, each child chose what they were going to work on for each subject in the morning circle and that's what they did. The teacher provided the materials and the kids chose what was important and relevant for them. I really liked that model. Sure, my first grade daughter spent an incredible amount of time on volcanoes and even longer on flags and pin maps, but she was exploring a lot of different concepts as she was working on those topics. And it was okay that she spent months on division and hardly touched the addition works... she surely has those skills now!

[ebunny]

Having read all of John Holt's books and most of his newsletter, I would disagree with you wholeheartedly.

 

Unschoolers (who are homeschoolers, BTW) don't spend their time looking for things to engage their dc. They live life and bring the dc along, and when the dc develop interests, they let the dc pursue those interests on their own, only "helping" if necessary.

 

They *strew* educational items. It isn't a term coined by John Holt, but Sandra Dodd, a Radical Unschooler. What I meant to say was that unschooling is not as 'hands off' as many parents make it out to be.

[Walking-Iris]

I love the idea of unschooling and I adore AS Neill and John Holt. I however don't have a lot of good opinions about Sandra Dodd or radical unschooling. So I'll keep them to myself.

 

For the OP--I would suggest a more relaxed/eclectic style of homeschooling (unschooling is homeschooling---I can't wait until people thinking it's something completely different will die a quiet death---we don't say we're doing the trivium, or Charlotte Mason, or WTM etc--we say we're homeschooling---unschoolers are homeschooling).

 

That's what works well for us -relaxed/eclectic. We have structure--there are certain things I want done daily. There are yearly goals in place. But where unschooling comes into play for us is I don't feel like a slave to any philosophy or curriculum---I pick and choose and change around what I like from various places. That would be crazymaking for some---some just want it all laid out and scripted. I'm okay going off on tangents. Some want to be "done" by summer or a certain date. I don't believe we're ever "done"---there's always another book, or project, or activity. Some feel "behind" if they aren't at a certain page or chapter by spring---I feel like it can always get picked up and done.

 

It also depends a lot on how your children learn best. When I first started reading about unschooling I couldn't stand the thought of using workbook type programs...but then along comes my oldest ds who thrives with those things. He's on cloud nine if he gets to do a crossword or fill in the blank. I don't get it---but I grin and bear it because he's learning. So I give him workbook style books for some things.

 

I had to stop reading radical unschooling boards because the criticism about using these "curriculum" was ridiculous. I find it completely insulting to tell a stranger they are not doing something right because they decide to use something and try to structure their child's day. I also don't agree with children not having basic rules/chores and limited media time. I think if you were to allow your child to play video games all day because that was what they wanted---you may be in for some struggles. I think parenting and homeschooling are all about bringing order out of chaos. And you can do that in a way that allows children to follow interests and passions, while at the same time learning the things they really need to learn to be well balanced little people. And learning grammar and math etc can be fun and creative!!

Edited January 29, 2012 by Walking-Iris

[....]

I love the idea of unschooling and I adore AS Neill and John Holt. I however don't have a lot of good opinions about Sandra Dodd or radical unschooling. So I'll keep them to myself.

 

For the OP--I would suggest a more relaxed/eclectic style of homeschooling (unschooling is homeschooling---I can't wait until people thinking it's something completely different will die a quiet death---we don't say we're doing the trivium, or Charlotte Mason, or WTM etc--we say we're homeschooling---unschoolers are homeschooling).

 

That's what works well for us -relaxed/eclectic. We have structure--there are certain things I want done daily. There are yearly goals in place. But where unschooling comes into play for us is I don't feel like a slave to any philosophy or curriculum---I pick and choose and change around what I like from various places. That would be crazymaking for some---some just want it all laid out and scripted. I'm okay going off on tangents. Some want to be "done" by summer or a certain date. I don't believe we're ever "done"---there's always another book, or project, or activity. Some feel "behind" if they aren't at a certain page or chapter by spring---I feel like it can always get picked up and done.

 

It also depends a lot on how your children learn best. When I first started reading about unschooling I couldn't stand the thought of using workbook type programs...but then along comes my oldest ds who thrives with those things. He's on cloud nine if he gets to do a crossword or fill in the blank. I don't get it---but I grin and bear it because he's learning. So I give him workbook style books for some things.

 

I had to stop reading radical unschooling boards because the criticism about using these "curriculum" was ridiculous. I find it completely insulting to tell a stranger they are not doing something right because they decide to use something and try to structure their child's day. I also don't agree with children not having basic rules/chores and limited media time. I think if you were to allow your child to play video games all day because that was what they wanted---you may be in for some struggles. I think parenting and homeschooling are all about bringing order out of chaos. And you can do that in a way that allows children to follow interests and passions, while at the same time learning the things they really need to learn to be well balanced little people. And learning grammar and math etc can be fun and creative!!

 

 

:iagree:

 

I just can't knock unschooling (or any other form of homeschooling). In every homeschooling situation, you have to take in consideration the needs of the child and the family. Also, there may be a year when unschooling or relaxed homeschooling is what the child/family needs. On the reverse side, there may be a year when the child/family just needs to use a workbook program (we spend a year traveling once and everybody just used CLE). You just have to do what's best for each situation.

 

I also don't feel like the radical unschooling movement is actually unschooling (the way it was originally described). Kids still need parents, boundaries and goals.

[zenjenn]

I think several members have had some good insights about blending unschooling and traditional education.

 

Also another thing to keep in mind is the child's age. If I recall your oldest child is 6 or 7? When you are dealing with kids that young, I actually think unschooling can work pretty seamlessly regardless of the child. PreK-2ndish is a time where exploration and being interest-led can work, even for the basics.

 

But after a point, except for a few exceptionally self-driven children, I frankly don't see how it can work without closing doors or creating obstacles on paths the child might choose later in life. Exploring mathematics at the very earliest level can work with counting games and cooking, but there is a point where improvement will not happen without doing math problems daily, and VERY few children will do this of their own accord.

 

Nothing that is truly invested in learning is likely to cause irreparable damage, and I think the post by the member who pointed out their family member who had to take remedial math and writing in college illustrates that. Someone can always learn a topic later when it interests them (and I don't necessarily buy the hokum that everything is easier to learn as a child. I've taken classes as an adult and when the interest and maturity is there, learning comes easily.)

 

However, my feeling is it really doesn't take that much time to invest in the basics, even if you unschool many topics, so that there isn't an embarrassing obstacle to everything else later on.

 

Now some kids will be interest-driven enough to get their 3 Rs in a self-driven way, so I would never say total unschooling is not for everyone.

 

What you might want to do is unschool as long as it's working, and if at some point the progress does not appear sufficient to you as a parent in a certain area, add some structure to that area, kwim? For example, I pretty much unschooled my eldest when she was in 1st grade... except for math and a short daily phonics lesson. Maybe 45-60 minutes total of structured schooling a day. Now she's in 3rd, things are more structured across the board, etc.

Edited January 29, 2012 by zenjenn

[beaners]

Having read all of John Holt's books and most of his newsletter, I would disagree with you wholeheartedly.

 

Unschoolers (who are homeschoolers, BTW) don't spend their time looking for things to engage their dc. They live life and bring the dc along, and when the dc develop interests, they let the dc pursue those interests on their own, only "helping" if necessary.

 

Whether or not it is what was written by any founding individual in the "movement," the relatively successful families I have seen use the interests of their children as a jumping off point to develop the skills they consider necessary. A very wide variety of families self-identify as unschoolers. If that is what they call themselves, I'll take their word for it.

[zenjenn]

A very wide variety of families self-identify as unschoolers. If that is what they call themselves, I'll take their word for it.

 

That's part of the issue, right, trying to determine what "unschooling" means. It can mean anything from chaotic lack of education, to living in a Montessoriesque wonderland house where there is a lot of guidance and direction in the school day.

[....]

to living in a Montessoriesque wonderland house

 

:smilielol5:

 

So....you HAVE been in our house...:tongue_smilie:

 

I'm actually building a bookcase this morning to hold all the Usborne books that are taking over the house. Open the cabinet and try to find a frying pan...Usborne books. :lol: Sit on the couch...Usborne books fly up out of the cushions. :rofl:

 

We're the only house in the neighborhood with graduated cylinders on the kitchen counters.

[BlsdMama]

http://truevineherbs.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/charlotte-mason-unschooling-and-school-at-home/

 

I feel the need to add that I do not believe you can school for three weeks and unschool for one. That isn't unschooling, it's vacation. Children formally schooled and then given freedom from that schedule don't think our act the same.

 

I know a family (well) who are complete unschoolers. I LOVE their kids. Their family is INCESSANTLY curious. It is a curiosity that cannot be faked. It can't be formulated. It is their whole life, it is a way they live. After watching them in action for two years I can finally see that unschooling can work, but it isn't a "school" thing, it's a whole life thing.

[MellowYellow]

I loved reading all of these answers. Thank you.

[momto2Cs]

I have been homeschooling for a long time and I've tried many different methods from unschooling to classical homeschooling and I have gone back and forth between having lots of structure and very little structure. I have now arrived at what I think is a happy medium: we "school" for the three R's and "unschool" the rest. This provides some structure to our days, assures me that my kids are learning the basics, and allows them plenty of time to explore their passions and learn things on their own.

 

I really got hung up with trying to fit myself into a homeschooling mold, but no one method really worked for us. It all fell into place when I accepted the fact that even though unschoolers would call my unschooling "school-at-home", and I wouldn't quite qualify as a "Well Trained Mind" homeschooler that that was OK. I could take from each method what worked for me and leave the rest.

 

Susan in TX

 

I know this is a slightly older thread, but still a really good one!

 

As to the bolded above, I keep thinking that this is how we should do it, but then I get myself caught up in the worries of what-if. I backed off this week, and I swaer that as a result, we got more done!

[NittanyJen]

I have one kid who probably could have unschooled, and one who thrives with structure.

 

I primarily school influenced classically, but I do this: I give my kids a couple of hours of freedom in the afternoon to do something school-related of their own choosing, and 'school-related' has very wide latitude. It can include biking, riflery, Legos, art, music, building with Wedge-it's, snap circuits, extra science experiments, woodworking, etc. recently, DS11 has chosen to investigate the civil rights movement through extra fiction and non-fiction reading and videos. DS8 is using his alternative energy snap circuits.

 

I don't want to school two different ways at once, but this way they both get a shot at discovering self-directed, interest based learning, too.