Karen

I am loving the idea and philosophy of unschooling but having a hard time wrapping my
brain around how to make it work for us. I live in WV and we are required to have our home
schooled children tested each year or submit a portfolio for review and approval. This year I
pulled my daughter out of public kindergarten. We are doing unschooling (I think). I have
been letting her take the lead and interject with materials or how to find answers when I can.
For the portfolio I have been keeping samples of her work and a blog about her day. In the
beginning I was okay with this. Now the weather is turning nicer and she just wants to be
outdoors exploring and doing dramatic play. I am finding it harder to document anything
from the day. I am worried about next year and how to approach this. How can I still keep
the unschooling way and conform to the necessary requirements? What about test taking
skills, report writing or science lab reports? I am confused. Can anyone help me see the
whole picture. I just want to do right by my kid. thanks.

Ren Allen

~~I live in WV and we are required to have our home
> schooled children tested each year or submit a portfolio for review
and approval.~~

I looked at the laws for WV breifly and it looks pretty dang easy.
There are no attendance laws if you simply declare yourself a
homeschool (double check anything I write because I don't live there)
and the portfolio looks really easy too.

I found this:
~~Annually, either: 1) administer a standardized test, or 2) have
certified teacher evaluate portfolio of work, 3) assess progress by
other means agreeable to superintendent, or 4) participate in state
testing program.~~

So it looks like you could just take pictures of whatever she is
finding fun and interesting and make a scrap book or something. Find a
teacher that is unschool friendly and it should be simple.

Ren
learninginfreedom.com

carenkh

~~I am worried about next year and how to approach this. How can I
still keep the unschooling way and conform to the necessary
requirements?~~


I found it helpful to think about "how can I make the requirements
conform to our life?" rather than how to make our lives conform to the
requirements. We have it super-easy in NC, we have to keep attendance
and test once a year, but the test is for our records only; there's no
grade they have to achieve or anything. I could have taken this VERY
seriously, and had my kids prepare for the test in as unschooly a way
as I could think of - and instead, the test is NO big deal. I don't
use the suggested timer, and I help when they ask. It's one more piece
of paperwork we have to do to homeschool legally here, so we'll jump
through that hoop. Valerie Fitzenreiter, author of The Unprocessed
Child, came to speak at an unschooling conference here, and she said
she would have taken the test for her daughter!

So, live your life as joyfully as you're able, take lots of pictures -
playing outside? Nature, science, math, english if you talk at all.
Dramatic play? English, and depending on her characters, history,
empathy, nurturing... the possibilities are endless!

I didn't see where science lab reports were required... especially for
a five year old! ;) Just live each day as it comes, they are each
precious.

peace,
Caren