"child-led" what?
Sandra Dodd
Pam Sorooshian explained the problem with the idea of "child-led learning" as a phrase, as a description of unschooling, or as a definition here:
http://learninghappens.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/unschooling-is-not-child-led-learning/
I went to link it to my site a couple of places, and thought about pointing out what I think its origins are, so we don't throw the nursing babies out with the bathwater.
La Leche League has long used the phrase "child-led weaning," to discourage moms from "leading" the weaning, or from looking at the calendar or the birthdays instead of at the child. When the child is done, then it's done or, for the more conservative, when the child is slowing down, that's the only time to consider beginning to discourage it.
Because so many unschoolers came out of La Leche League, I think (can't prove this but it seems right) that's why the phrase "child-led learning" cropped up independently in various places.
The problem is that it's not a good parallel. LLL doesn't talk about "child-led breastfeeding" or "child-led nursing." That, they're clear about, is the mom's job to facilitate and to embrace and understand and Get Right. If the mom doesn't figure out how to do it (the baby already knows, pretty much, but moms can be awkward and screw it up), it might not happen.
So with unschooling. If the mom doesn't figure out how to facilitate learning (the children already know how to learn, if they haven't been to school so long they have scars on their learning), unschooling might not happen.
So for weaning, I think "child-led" is great.
For nursing and learning, moms need to be at their best, on a team, but leading and managing, especially at first.
Sandra
http://learninghappens.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/unschooling-is-not-child-led-learning/
I went to link it to my site a couple of places, and thought about pointing out what I think its origins are, so we don't throw the nursing babies out with the bathwater.
La Leche League has long used the phrase "child-led weaning," to discourage moms from "leading" the weaning, or from looking at the calendar or the birthdays instead of at the child. When the child is done, then it's done or, for the more conservative, when the child is slowing down, that's the only time to consider beginning to discourage it.
Because so many unschoolers came out of La Leche League, I think (can't prove this but it seems right) that's why the phrase "child-led learning" cropped up independently in various places.
The problem is that it's not a good parallel. LLL doesn't talk about "child-led breastfeeding" or "child-led nursing." That, they're clear about, is the mom's job to facilitate and to embrace and understand and Get Right. If the mom doesn't figure out how to do it (the baby already knows, pretty much, but moms can be awkward and screw it up), it might not happen.
So with unschooling. If the mom doesn't figure out how to facilitate learning (the children already know how to learn, if they haven't been to school so long they have scars on their learning), unschooling might not happen.
So for weaning, I think "child-led" is great.
For nursing and learning, moms need to be at their best, on a team, but leading and managing, especially at first.
Sandra