Using unschooling in my business
jennifercroce37
I don't mean to flood this group with posts, but I HAD to share this. I run an organic home daycare and have a 21 month boy here today who was playing with the dot markers (they are like bingo markers). On his own he took the caps and put them on the corresponding markers while looking at me trying to say the name of each color. The look on his face when I encouraged him and acknowledged the great job he did was priceless. He did this activity over and over again and now is off doing something else. Obviously I took the markers out for him to color with, but he used them a different way to teach himself about colors. It was pretty cool to realize and see the power unschooling in action!
Take care,
Jen
Take care,
Jen
Sandra Dodd
-=- Obviously I took the markers out for him to color with, but he
used them a different way to teach himself about colors. -=-
I LOVE our pattern blocks. They're flat, stained wood "attribute
block," and for me, the "right way" to use them is to make patterns
radiating out from a central point.
Marty's "right way" was to make stacked designs, little sculptures.
Since then I've used them that way too, but I tend to make artsy
fences, so they're rows standing up instead or row lying flat. But
Marty's weren't on a plane that way. He was using them like blocks,
WHICH THEY ARE! But I saw them as flat shapes meant to be laid flat.
Maybe (I'm not sure) it's because of school, and getting in trouble if
I didn't use things the way they were supposed to be used. My mom was
that way too, when I was little. When she was older and all the kids
were gone she started being pretty good at using things "the wrong
way"--more creative ways. Maybe (I'm not sure) she thought part of
being a mom was training kids to use things "right."
Marty used bungie cords in the back of his jeep to keep the back
window plastic safe from other things back there. It's not "what
bungie cords are for," but I've used bungie cords in the house and in
the yard for ALL kinds of things his whole life, and so from his point
of view, they're to be used however the heck one wants to! So in that
way I think I've moved away from my upbringing.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
used them a different way to teach himself about colors. -=-
I LOVE our pattern blocks. They're flat, stained wood "attribute
block," and for me, the "right way" to use them is to make patterns
radiating out from a central point.
Marty's "right way" was to make stacked designs, little sculptures.
Since then I've used them that way too, but I tend to make artsy
fences, so they're rows standing up instead or row lying flat. But
Marty's weren't on a plane that way. He was using them like blocks,
WHICH THEY ARE! But I saw them as flat shapes meant to be laid flat.
Maybe (I'm not sure) it's because of school, and getting in trouble if
I didn't use things the way they were supposed to be used. My mom was
that way too, when I was little. When she was older and all the kids
were gone she started being pretty good at using things "the wrong
way"--more creative ways. Maybe (I'm not sure) she thought part of
being a mom was training kids to use things "right."
Marty used bungie cords in the back of his jeep to keep the back
window plastic safe from other things back there. It's not "what
bungie cords are for," but I've used bungie cords in the house and in
the yard for ALL kinds of things his whole life, and so from his point
of view, they're to be used however the heck one wants to! So in that
way I think I've moved away from my upbringing.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Pam Sorooshian
On 4/1/2009 8:35 AM, jennifercroce37 wrote:
and unschooling - there's one for you. In Montessori schools, equipment
is specialized and designed to be worked with in one specific way. The
kids get a formal lesson on how to use it, before they are allowed to
work with it.
And, notice I didn't use the word "play" in my description. They call
what the children do "work" - intended to remind the adults around them
that it is important and should be respected, but still it has a grim
sense to it.
I love those dot markers. My mom used to make paint rollers using old
roll-on deodorant containers, for her preschool. Those were really fun,
too.
Rosie just asked me to buy pattern blocks. Ours were lost in a fire in
our house 3 years ago and I didn't replace them.A few days ago, she was
trying to find crayons and we didn't have any. I was thinking that the
other things that were lost and I didn't replace were what you might
call the "preschool art supplies." We had a lot of it - colored tape,
ALL kinds of paper, glue of various kinds, lots and lots of doo-dads for
collaging, paintbrushes, different kinds of crayons and markers and
colored pencils, paints of various kinds. Boxes of buttons and dried
flowers and beans and rubber stamps and stencils.
Anyway - Rosie is 18 and missing the accumulation of all that stuff. I'm
going to buy her a big box of crayons today. And I'll order pattern
blocks. And I'll start accumulating all the cool preschool art supplies
again, to have available a good supply for the future grandchildren -
since I plan to someday be the grandma with the most fun house in the
world. <G>
I remember when Rosie was 4 or so and Roya was 10, thinking it was cool
that Roya still had an excuse to play with the "little kid" stuff and
have so much fun with it, because of having littler sisters. Rosie
doesn't have any little sisters, but she has no need of an excuse to
play with whatever she feels like playing with. She's a very mature 18
year old college student with a responsible job and a boyfriend. She
wants some crayons and pattern blocks.
I LOVE the way unschooled kids are growing up with such a childlike
playful enjoyment of things that other kids their ages would not even
remotely be caught dead showing an interest in.
I see it in all the unschooled young adults I know - not necessarily a
love for preschool art supplies <G>, but that childlike sweetness that
has survived within them.
Really, THAT is why we unschooled. Looking back I can see that that was
it - call it "love of learning" but that doesn't really get to the core
of it. It is more that an inner core of what it means to be human, a
love of LIFE, has been allowed to blossom instead of being destroyed.
And - whew - that was a lot to say about dot markers, huh? <G>
Being in daycare will never be like unschooling, but it can be better or
worse. It can crush that inner child-spirit in no time. So, I'm happy to
hear about it when a daycare provider is more enlightened.
-pam
> On his own he took the caps and put them on the corresponding markers while looking at me trying to say the name of each color. The look on his face when I encouraged him and acknowledged the great job he did was priceless. He did this activity over and over again and now is off doing something else. Obviously I took the markers out for him to color with, but he used them a different way to teach himself about colors. It was pretty cool to realize and see the power unschooling in action!fFor the person who wanted to know the differeneces between Montessori
>
and unschooling - there's one for you. In Montessori schools, equipment
is specialized and designed to be worked with in one specific way. The
kids get a formal lesson on how to use it, before they are allowed to
work with it.
And, notice I didn't use the word "play" in my description. They call
what the children do "work" - intended to remind the adults around them
that it is important and should be respected, but still it has a grim
sense to it.
I love those dot markers. My mom used to make paint rollers using old
roll-on deodorant containers, for her preschool. Those were really fun,
too.
Rosie just asked me to buy pattern blocks. Ours were lost in a fire in
our house 3 years ago and I didn't replace them.A few days ago, she was
trying to find crayons and we didn't have any. I was thinking that the
other things that were lost and I didn't replace were what you might
call the "preschool art supplies." We had a lot of it - colored tape,
ALL kinds of paper, glue of various kinds, lots and lots of doo-dads for
collaging, paintbrushes, different kinds of crayons and markers and
colored pencils, paints of various kinds. Boxes of buttons and dried
flowers and beans and rubber stamps and stencils.
Anyway - Rosie is 18 and missing the accumulation of all that stuff. I'm
going to buy her a big box of crayons today. And I'll order pattern
blocks. And I'll start accumulating all the cool preschool art supplies
again, to have available a good supply for the future grandchildren -
since I plan to someday be the grandma with the most fun house in the
world. <G>
I remember when Rosie was 4 or so and Roya was 10, thinking it was cool
that Roya still had an excuse to play with the "little kid" stuff and
have so much fun with it, because of having littler sisters. Rosie
doesn't have any little sisters, but she has no need of an excuse to
play with whatever she feels like playing with. She's a very mature 18
year old college student with a responsible job and a boyfriend. She
wants some crayons and pattern blocks.
I LOVE the way unschooled kids are growing up with such a childlike
playful enjoyment of things that other kids their ages would not even
remotely be caught dead showing an interest in.
I see it in all the unschooled young adults I know - not necessarily a
love for preschool art supplies <G>, but that childlike sweetness that
has survived within them.
Really, THAT is why we unschooled. Looking back I can see that that was
it - call it "love of learning" but that doesn't really get to the core
of it. It is more that an inner core of what it means to be human, a
love of LIFE, has been allowed to blossom instead of being destroyed.
And - whew - that was a lot to say about dot markers, huh? <G>
Being in daycare will never be like unschooling, but it can be better or
worse. It can crush that inner child-spirit in no time. So, I'm happy to
hear about it when a daycare provider is more enlightened.
-pam
Sandra Dodd
-=- Rosie
doesn't have any little sisters, but she has no need of an excuse to
play with whatever she feels like playing with. She's a very mature 18
year old college student with a responsible job and a boyfriend. She
wants some crayons and pattern blocks.-=-
Same with Holly. She's been doing a lot of Shrinky Dink art and
giving it to her friends.
Holly has two jobs, a boyfriend who turns 25 next week, and she was
listening to "Rainbow Brite" and "Zoobilee Zoo" themesongs yesterday.
Those associated with schools and traditional parenting could look at
Holly or Rosie and say "immature," but they would be as wrong as any
wrong could be.
People who "decide" what they like by doing what will not be made fun
of by others aren't deciding much at all. They're deciding to let the
crowd make their decisions for them. That's not a mark of self
knowledge or maturity. It's some kind of slide-through-life-without-
living-it move.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
doesn't have any little sisters, but she has no need of an excuse to
play with whatever she feels like playing with. She's a very mature 18
year old college student with a responsible job and a boyfriend. She
wants some crayons and pattern blocks.-=-
Same with Holly. She's been doing a lot of Shrinky Dink art and
giving it to her friends.
Holly has two jobs, a boyfriend who turns 25 next week, and she was
listening to "Rainbow Brite" and "Zoobilee Zoo" themesongs yesterday.
Those associated with schools and traditional parenting could look at
Holly or Rosie and say "immature," but they would be as wrong as any
wrong could be.
People who "decide" what they like by doing what will not be made fun
of by others aren't deciding much at all. They're deciding to let the
crowd make their decisions for them. That's not a mark of self
knowledge or maturity. It's some kind of slide-through-life-without-
living-it move.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Jennifer Croce
-=-Being in daycare will never be like unschooling, but it can be better or
worse. It can crush that inner child-spirit in no time. So, I'm happy to
hear about it when a daycare provider is more enlightened. -=_
I am aware that daycare is like school, it is an outside learning environment. Fortunately from the help of this group I am becoming an "enlightened daycare provider" and can work on providing an unschooling environment. I now understand that I don't need to have a set curriculum to teach the children in my care. Today's example with the dot markers showed me that. A lot of the personal work I am doing is around being aware of and recognizing these wonderful moments. I need to work hard on letting go of structure and preconceived ideas of how children should learn. I am realizing that unschooling is a lifestyle that I need to practice in every aspect of my life which includes my daycare business.
Thanks,
Jen
________________________________
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
worse. It can crush that inner child-spirit in no time. So, I'm happy to
hear about it when a daycare provider is more enlightened. -=_
I am aware that daycare is like school, it is an outside learning environment. Fortunately from the help of this group I am becoming an "enlightened daycare provider" and can work on providing an unschooling environment. I now understand that I don't need to have a set curriculum to teach the children in my care. Today's example with the dot markers showed me that. A lot of the personal work I am doing is around being aware of and recognizing these wonderful moments. I need to work hard on letting go of structure and preconceived ideas of how children should learn. I am realizing that unschooling is a lifestyle that I need to practice in every aspect of my life which includes my daycare business.
Thanks,
Jen
________________________________
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Sandra Dodd
-=-Fortunately from the help of this group I am becoming an
"enlightened daycare provider" and can work on providing an
unschooling environment.-=-
It can be friendlier, for sure. It can be more relaxed, for sure.
-= I now understand that I don't need to have a set curriculum to
teach the children in my care. -=-
But you weren't teaching him. Does day care usually have "a set
curriculum"? Is playing and being happy not enough?
-=- I am realizing that unschooling is a lifestyle that I need to
practice in every aspect of my life which includes my daycare
business.-=-
Things I've learned from the years in La Leche League and unschooling
have changed the way I see everything, but it doesn't mean I'm
"unschooling" everwhere and all the time. It means that I see the
world differently, and that's been good! But nothing will make
daycare the very same thing as unschooling at home with one's own
family.
I don't want to discourage you from changing the way you are with kids
in your care, if you want to. That sounds great!
What I want to discourage is the idea that creating an alternative
learning environment in a daycare situation is identical to
unschooling one's own children at home.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
"enlightened daycare provider" and can work on providing an
unschooling environment.-=-
It can be friendlier, for sure. It can be more relaxed, for sure.
-= I now understand that I don't need to have a set curriculum to
teach the children in my care. -=-
But you weren't teaching him. Does day care usually have "a set
curriculum"? Is playing and being happy not enough?
-=- I am realizing that unschooling is a lifestyle that I need to
practice in every aspect of my life which includes my daycare
business.-=-
Things I've learned from the years in La Leche League and unschooling
have changed the way I see everything, but it doesn't mean I'm
"unschooling" everwhere and all the time. It means that I see the
world differently, and that's been good! But nothing will make
daycare the very same thing as unschooling at home with one's own
family.
I don't want to discourage you from changing the way you are with kids
in your care, if you want to. That sounds great!
What I want to discourage is the idea that creating an alternative
learning environment in a daycare situation is identical to
unschooling one's own children at home.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Jennifer Croce
-=-But you weren't teaching him. Does day care usually have "a set
curriculum"? Is playing and being happy not enough?-=-
I believe playing and being happy is enough, unfortunately the powers that be (the Department of Early Education and Care which is the state agency that licenses me) does not. There are regulations that require curriculum and it is only getting worse. New regulations and a Quality Rating Scale are in the pipeline that will require licensed providers to be much more regimented and structured. If you are not licensed it is illegal to run a daycare in MA so I have to follow the rules.
-=- What I want to discourage is the idea that creating an alternative
learning environment in a daycare situation is identical to
unschooling one's own children at home.. -=-
I don't think this would ever be possible since the children I am caring for are not my own children and this is not their home, therefore it is going to be a different experience for them. I am simply stating that I see how I interact with the children and the environment I create differently since I am trying to live an unschooling lifestyle. Since I run a business out of my home and my own children are going to be here at the same time as the daycare children the two are going to overlap, but the experience with my own children and those of the daycare children will naturally be different. I realize my daycare is an alternative learning environment and therefore can never truly be an unschooling experience. I expect that both my own children and the daycare children will benefit in different ways from my approach.
Thanks,
Jen
________________________________
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
curriculum"? Is playing and being happy not enough?-=-
I believe playing and being happy is enough, unfortunately the powers that be (the Department of Early Education and Care which is the state agency that licenses me) does not. There are regulations that require curriculum and it is only getting worse. New regulations and a Quality Rating Scale are in the pipeline that will require licensed providers to be much more regimented and structured. If you are not licensed it is illegal to run a daycare in MA so I have to follow the rules.
-=- What I want to discourage is the idea that creating an alternative
learning environment in a daycare situation is identical to
unschooling one's own children at home.. -=-
I don't think this would ever be possible since the children I am caring for are not my own children and this is not their home, therefore it is going to be a different experience for them. I am simply stating that I see how I interact with the children and the environment I create differently since I am trying to live an unschooling lifestyle. Since I run a business out of my home and my own children are going to be here at the same time as the daycare children the two are going to overlap, but the experience with my own children and those of the daycare children will naturally be different. I realize my daycare is an alternative learning environment and therefore can never truly be an unschooling experience. I expect that both my own children and the daycare children will benefit in different ways from my approach.
Thanks,
Jen
________________________________
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Pam Sorooshian
On 4/1/2009 11:44 AM, Jennifer Croce wrote:
if you are able to articulate to them the value of free play and delayed
academics, to any extent at all.
It isn't unschooling - but it is a good thing for lots of kids who will
never unschool.
I came to unschooling through the early childhood education route -
through learning about developmentally appropriate curriculum and the
value of delayed reading instruction. I feel like I took all that stuff
to its logical conclusion - unschooling. I'm always happy to hear about
daycare providers who are supporting these things.
-pam
> I don't think this would ever be possible since the children I am caring for are not my own children and this is not their home, therefore it is going to be a different experience for them. I am simply stating that I see how I interact with the children and the environment I create differently since I am trying to live an unschooling lifestyle.Also, jennifer, you can have a good influence on the children's parents
if you are able to articulate to them the value of free play and delayed
academics, to any extent at all.
It isn't unschooling - but it is a good thing for lots of kids who will
never unschool.
I came to unschooling through the early childhood education route -
through learning about developmentally appropriate curriculum and the
value of delayed reading instruction. I feel like I took all that stuff
to its logical conclusion - unschooling. I'm always happy to hear about
daycare providers who are supporting these things.
-pam
diana jenner
> I came to unschooling through the early childhood education route -In hindsight, so did I ;) Working full-time, opposite DH's work schedule,
> through learning about developmentally appropriate curriculum and the
> value of delayed reading instruction. I feel like I took all that stuff
> to its logical conclusion - unschooling. I'm always happy to hear about
> daycare providers who are supporting these things.
>
we had part-time in-home childcare for a few months. The young girls LOVED
working for us because their only commandment was to play with Hannah in our
stead :)
Some unschoolers who have to fill out state forms use ideas from here:
http://sandradodd.com/unschoolingcurriculum.html
maybe the phrasing will work with your forms? :) I'm sure it will help in
communicating with parents.
A book to recommend to any not-gonna-be-an-unschooler skeptic is Better Late
than Early http://www.moorefoundation.com/ - it's not in *my* library, I'm
more of a "better naturally than ever forced" kinda gal ;) but I know many
folks who've read it and given their young (though older than AP standards)
children great freedoms.
~diana :)
xoxoxoxo
hannahbearski.blogspot.com
hannahsashes.blogspot.com
dianas365.blogspot.com
On Wed, Apr 1, 2009 at 2:38 PM, Pam Sorooshian <pamsoroosh@...> wrote:
>
>
> On 4/1/2009 11:44 AM, Jennifer Croce wrote:
> > I don't think this would ever be possible since the children I am caring
> for are not my own children and this is not their home, therefore it is
> going to be a different experience for them. I am simply stating that I see
> how I interact with the children and the environment I create differently
> since I am trying to live an unschooling lifestyle.
>
> Also, jennifer, you can have a good influence on the children's parents
> if you are able to articulate to them the value of free play and delayed
> academics, to any extent at all.
>
> It isn't unschooling - but it is a good thing for lots of kids who will
> never unschool.
>
> -pam
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Jimi Ann
I purchased this book years ago (Better Late than Early) and it tremendously helped (until we changed direction, that is). We didn't do formal phonics and reading with my two oldest, and they are both avid readers and self-learners. We started out learning naturally, in everyday life. (I guess we all do that when the children are very little, and then, with some, all of a sudden they hit school-age, and they stop.) Great read. I didn't really connect it with unschooling, though, as it does seem to recommend more structure and routine. Still a good read, though. Jimi Ann
> A book to recommend to any not-gonna-be-an-unschooler skeptic is Better Late
> than Early http://www.moorefoundation.com/ - it's not in *my* library, I'm
> more of a "better naturally than ever forced" kinda gal ;) but I know many
> folks who've read it and given their young (though older than AP standards)
> children great freedoms.
> ~diana :)