more unschoooling musings
Ren Allen
"I've only been deschooling for a few months and the kids are still
very young, so I'm sure there's hope for me to learn to trust that
they will learn what they need when they need it, without me hovering
and worrying."
Part of really getting unschooling, is you don't worry anymore. I
don't try to "gently expose" my kids to academic subjects of any
kind, I DO try to expose them to as much of LIFE as possible.
Do math and reading surround us? If not, why would we need to learn
them? If so, how could a child NOT learn it? That which we use in
every day life becomes something we learn about and use. If your
child learns reading and math concepts through fingerplays and
dancing, more power to her/him!!
Play is powerful, more powerful than most realize. It frees the mind
to imagine, dream and create. A mind that can imagine is far more
useful than a mind filled with knowledge. Trust your children.
Ren
very young, so I'm sure there's hope for me to learn to trust that
they will learn what they need when they need it, without me hovering
and worrying."
Part of really getting unschooling, is you don't worry anymore. I
don't try to "gently expose" my kids to academic subjects of any
kind, I DO try to expose them to as much of LIFE as possible.
Do math and reading surround us? If not, why would we need to learn
them? If so, how could a child NOT learn it? That which we use in
every day life becomes something we learn about and use. If your
child learns reading and math concepts through fingerplays and
dancing, more power to her/him!!
Play is powerful, more powerful than most realize. It frees the mind
to imagine, dream and create. A mind that can imagine is far more
useful than a mind filled with knowledge. Trust your children.
Ren
Danielle Conger
=== Ren wrote: Part of really getting unschooling, is you don't worry
anymore. I
don't try to "gently expose" my kids to academic subjects of any
kind, I DO try to expose them to as much of LIFE as possible.
Do math and reading surround us? If not, why would we need to learn
them? If so, how could a child NOT learn it? That which we use in
every day life becomes something we learn about and use. If your
child learns reading and math concepts through fingerplays and
dancing, more power to her/him!!
Play is powerful, more powerful than most realize. It frees the mind
to imagine, dream and create. A mind that can imagine is far more
useful than a mind filled with knowledge. Trust your children.
=====
ARGH! Yeah, well, tell that to my dh, would ya? Because we just had that
argument last night, and it wasn't pretty. GRRRRR.....
Just when I think he gets it, he launches into one of these, "How are
they going to get exposed to it..." trips. And this happened, no lie, 10
minutes after my oldest (7) who really likes playing with numbers and
math in the car, says, "Mama, I want to do some written math. Can you
write down some math puzzles for me?" Duh, hello! Natural desire right
there, and he's sitting there telling me it's impossible.
Turns into he's not worried about her math "now" but he is worried that
she's not reading. Grrrrr......
Turns out the same thing that makes me confident makes him crazy: we
both know she *can* read, but is choosing not to. I know that she's
smart and curious and that when she's ready to do it, she will and no
amount of pushing is going to change that. He actually had the nerve to
use the word "lazy" last night, then claims he only said it because I
backed him into a corner.
Gosh, I'm mad. I really need to stop typing now.
--Danielle
http://www.danielleconger.com/Homeschool/Welcomehome.html
anymore. I
don't try to "gently expose" my kids to academic subjects of any
kind, I DO try to expose them to as much of LIFE as possible.
Do math and reading surround us? If not, why would we need to learn
them? If so, how could a child NOT learn it? That which we use in
every day life becomes something we learn about and use. If your
child learns reading and math concepts through fingerplays and
dancing, more power to her/him!!
Play is powerful, more powerful than most realize. It frees the mind
to imagine, dream and create. A mind that can imagine is far more
useful than a mind filled with knowledge. Trust your children.
=====
ARGH! Yeah, well, tell that to my dh, would ya? Because we just had that
argument last night, and it wasn't pretty. GRRRRR.....
Just when I think he gets it, he launches into one of these, "How are
they going to get exposed to it..." trips. And this happened, no lie, 10
minutes after my oldest (7) who really likes playing with numbers and
math in the car, says, "Mama, I want to do some written math. Can you
write down some math puzzles for me?" Duh, hello! Natural desire right
there, and he's sitting there telling me it's impossible.
Turns into he's not worried about her math "now" but he is worried that
she's not reading. Grrrrr......
Turns out the same thing that makes me confident makes him crazy: we
both know she *can* read, but is choosing not to. I know that she's
smart and curious and that when she's ready to do it, she will and no
amount of pushing is going to change that. He actually had the nerve to
use the word "lazy" last night, then claims he only said it because I
backed him into a corner.
Gosh, I'm mad. I really need to stop typing now.
--Danielle
http://www.danielleconger.com/Homeschool/Welcomehome.html
>
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/17/2004 7:27:46 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[email protected] writes:
Part of really getting unschooling, is you don't worry anymore. I
don't try to "gently expose" my kids to academic subjects of any
kind, I DO try to expose them to as much of LIFE as possible.
I don't think this is strictly true, and I want to point it out before
people who are prone to worrying decide they couldn't possibly unschool.
I think getting unschooling is knowing in your heart that one doesn't need
academic subjects to grow, learn, be happy, and have successful (whatever that
means) lives.
Most of us worry, even after doing this many, many years and having a happy,
intelligent kid in front of us. Homeschooling in general is an amazing leap
of faith in a society that tells us that Education is supposed to be done by
Professionals. In unschooling, you're not only trusting yourself (hard
enough!), but your kids!!!! I mean, who the hell does that. Part of being an
unschooler is worrying, and being an early unschooler (even if you're living it
every day and KNOW it's working) means probably having moments where you feel
like screaming, "What am I doing to my kids' lives?!"
I am certain that parents who have late readers worry, even if they know in
their hearts that it will come. It doesn't mean you're not getting
unschooling. Or that you don't trust your child. We still live in a society that has
many expectations of us, and occasionally we'll buy into them, albeit briefly.
The worry isn't all-consuming, and after you do it for a while, when it does
come up it's surprising. But all parents worry sometimes. Doesn't mean you
don't get unschooling.
Kathryn
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected] writes:
Part of really getting unschooling, is you don't worry anymore. I
don't try to "gently expose" my kids to academic subjects of any
kind, I DO try to expose them to as much of LIFE as possible.
I don't think this is strictly true, and I want to point it out before
people who are prone to worrying decide they couldn't possibly unschool.
I think getting unschooling is knowing in your heart that one doesn't need
academic subjects to grow, learn, be happy, and have successful (whatever that
means) lives.
Most of us worry, even after doing this many, many years and having a happy,
intelligent kid in front of us. Homeschooling in general is an amazing leap
of faith in a society that tells us that Education is supposed to be done by
Professionals. In unschooling, you're not only trusting yourself (hard
enough!), but your kids!!!! I mean, who the hell does that. Part of being an
unschooler is worrying, and being an early unschooler (even if you're living it
every day and KNOW it's working) means probably having moments where you feel
like screaming, "What am I doing to my kids' lives?!"
I am certain that parents who have late readers worry, even if they know in
their hearts that it will come. It doesn't mean you're not getting
unschooling. Or that you don't trust your child. We still live in a society that has
many expectations of us, and occasionally we'll buy into them, albeit briefly.
The worry isn't all-consuming, and after you do it for a while, when it does
come up it's surprising. But all parents worry sometimes. Doesn't mean you
don't get unschooling.
Kathryn
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
pam sorooshian
On Oct 17, 2004, at 6:11 AM, KathrynJB@... wrote:
<www.NHEN.org>
Serving the entire homeschooling community since 1999
through information, networking and public relations.
>National Home Education Network
>
> In a message dated 10/17/2004 7:27:46 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> [email protected] writes:
>
> Part of really getting unschooling, is you don't worry anymore. I
> don't try to "gently expose" my kids to academic subjects of any
> kind, I DO try to expose them to as much of LIFE as possible.
>
>
>
> I don't think this is strictly true, and I want to point it out before
> people who are prone to worrying decide they couldn't possibly
> unschool.
>
> I think getting unschooling is knowing in your heart that one doesn't
> need
> academic subjects to grow, learn, be happy, and have successful
> (whatever that
> means) lives.
>
> Most of us worry, even after doing this many, many years and having a
> happy,
> intelligent kid in front of us. Homeschooling in general is an amazing
> leap
> of faith in a society that tells us that Education is supposed to be
> done by
> Professionals. In unschooling, you're not only trusting yourself (hard
> enough!), but your kids!!!! I mean, who the hell does that. Part of
> being an
> unschooler is worrying, and being an early unschooler (even if you're
> living it
> every day and KNOW it's working) means probably having moments where
> you feel
> like screaming, "What am I doing to my kids' lives?!"
>
> I am certain that parents who have late readers worry, even if they
> know in
> their hearts that it will come. It doesn't mean you're not getting
> unschooling. Or that you don't trust your child. We still live in a
> society that has
> many expectations of us, and occasionally we'll buy into them, albeit
> briefly.
>
> The worry isn't all-consuming, and after you do it for a while, when
> it does
> come up it's surprising. But all parents worry sometimes. Doesn't
> mean you
> don't get unschooling.
>
> Kathryn
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
<www.NHEN.org>
Serving the entire homeschooling community since 1999
through information, networking and public relations.