Considering Unschooling
lbgjones
Hello,
We're new to homeschooling (in fact, the kids are still in public school and will be taken out April 24th) and I'm considering unschooling - but I'm having a hard time really understanding what it is and how to do it. I'm sure you have already had millions of posts regarding this topic, what should I search for to find those posts?
Also, as I'm sure you've also heard a million times, how do you get over your fear of the kids missing something or not keeping up with their grade level (in case they ever go back to school)?
Thanks so much!
Linda
We're new to homeschooling (in fact, the kids are still in public school and will be taken out April 24th) and I'm considering unschooling - but I'm having a hard time really understanding what it is and how to do it. I'm sure you have already had millions of posts regarding this topic, what should I search for to find those posts?
Also, as I'm sure you've also heard a million times, how do you get over your fear of the kids missing something or not keeping up with their grade level (in case they ever go back to school)?
Thanks so much!
Linda
Jeff Sabo
Linda -
Best wishes in your new journey! I assume that this decision was prompted by a desire that your children had to something other than public schooling, which is a hard decision for them, I'm sure.
You'll likely get a number of replies to your note suggesting things to read or places to start, so I'll let the others offer that help. That said, I do have three suggestions for you.
First, don't have too many expectations about the transition - what it will be like, how long it will take, how well your household will adjust, how permanent it will be. Like all changes, this one will have a life of its own - and you'll add exponential levels of stress if you have rigid notions about how the transition "needs" to go.
Also, you'll get a ton of advice and suggestions, but in my opinion you'll be happier if you don't focus on searching for the "right way to do it." Unschooling is both obvious and subtle, and there are so many variables that it is bound to look and feel slightly different in each family. There are fundamentals, philosophies, principles - but no road map for right and wrong.
Last, and most critically, have FUN. Learning in freedom is a wonderful journey, filled with many unexpected benefits if you can trust enough to let go and enjoy the ride. I wish you well!
Jeff
Best wishes in your new journey! I assume that this decision was prompted by a desire that your children had to something other than public schooling, which is a hard decision for them, I'm sure.
You'll likely get a number of replies to your note suggesting things to read or places to start, so I'll let the others offer that help. That said, I do have three suggestions for you.
First, don't have too many expectations about the transition - what it will be like, how long it will take, how well your household will adjust, how permanent it will be. Like all changes, this one will have a life of its own - and you'll add exponential levels of stress if you have rigid notions about how the transition "needs" to go.
Also, you'll get a ton of advice and suggestions, but in my opinion you'll be happier if you don't focus on searching for the "right way to do it." Unschooling is both obvious and subtle, and there are so many variables that it is bound to look and feel slightly different in each family. There are fundamentals, philosophies, principles - but no road map for right and wrong.
Last, and most critically, have FUN. Learning in freedom is a wonderful journey, filled with many unexpected benefits if you can trust enough to let go and enjoy the ride. I wish you well!
Jeff
--- On Wed, 4/1/09, lbgjones <lindajones@...> wrote:
> From: lbgjones <lindajones@...>
> Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Considering Unschooling
> To: [email protected]
> Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2009, 8:13 AM
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> Hello,
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> We're new to homeschooling (in fact, the kids are still
> in public school and will be taken out April 24th) and
> I'm considering unschooling - but I'm having a hard
> time really understanding what it is and how to do it.
> I'm sure you have already had millions of posts
> regarding this topic, what should I search for to find those
> posts?
>
>
>
> Also, as I'm sure you've also heard a million
> times, how do you get over your fear of the kids missing
> something or not keeping up with their grade level (in case
> they ever go back to school)?
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> Thanks so much!
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> Linda
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Tammy Curry
I would recommend reading John Holt, any of his books. Another one that I have been reading again is Homeschooling our children, unschooling ourselves. The unprocessed child: living without school. The authors of the last two escape me at the moment. Also, if you check in the links section you will find links to blogs and other websites such as sandradodd.com, joyfullyrejoicing.com and others that will help give you an outlook on unschooling. You can also do keyword searches in the archives for specific questions you have if you want to see what has already been posted.
Tammy Curry, Director of Chaos
http://tammycurry.blogspot.com/
http://crazy-homeschool-adventures.blogspot.com/
"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in."
Rachel Carson
________________________________
From: lbgjones <lindajones@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, April 1, 2009 11:13:14 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Considering Unschooling
Hello,
We're new to homeschooling (in fact, the kids are still in public school and will be taken out April 24th) and I'm considering unschooling - but I'm having a hard time really understanding what it is and how to do it. I'm sure you have already had millions of posts regarding this topic, what should I search for to find those posts?
Also, as I'm sure you've also heard a million times, how do you get over your fear of the kids missing something or not keeping up with their grade level (in case they ever go back to school)?
Thanks so much!
Linda
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Tammy Curry, Director of Chaos
http://tammycurry.blogspot.com/
http://crazy-homeschool-adventures.blogspot.com/
"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in."
Rachel Carson
________________________________
From: lbgjones <lindajones@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, April 1, 2009 11:13:14 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Considering Unschooling
Hello,
We're new to homeschooling (in fact, the kids are still in public school and will be taken out April 24th) and I'm considering unschooling - but I'm having a hard time really understanding what it is and how to do it. I'm sure you have already had millions of posts regarding this topic, what should I search for to find those posts?
Also, as I'm sure you've also heard a million times, how do you get over your fear of the kids missing something or not keeping up with their grade level (in case they ever go back to school)?
Thanks so much!
Linda
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Debra Rossing
> I'm having a hard time really understanding what it is and how to doit.
Remember when your kids were about 2 or 3 years old - together, you
explored, asked/answered questions, played, spent time together with no
expectation of "visible" learning to happen - it was just living loving
Being...no quizzes, no "standards of learning", no grade levels. It was
a given that they'd develop in things like walking, talking, eating with
a spoon and fork, etc in their own way, at their own time. Project that
forward...that's unschooling. To paraphrase a song (Tae Kwon Leep by the
Frantics) Unschooling is not a road to a door but a path leading ever on
to the horizon. When you let go of the idea that there actually is
something they might miss or that there is something called a grade
level, then there's nothing to fear from them - in order to have a level
or to 'miss' something, there has to be the idea that there is a fixed
package of something that is required or necessary. If I need 2 eggs to
bake a cake and I only have one, I'm "missing" an egg. Ponder on the
thought that EVERY college has remedial classes in reading, writing,
math. 98% of all people entering college went to institutional schools,
they weren't homeschooled or unschooled. So, seems to me, even IF a kid
goes straight through public school, they may still end up needing
something if they choose to go to college, they've "missed" something.
Heck, there are probably things you know that I don't and vice versa -
did one of us "miss" something? Is there something "wrong" with that?
Or, rather, are we different people with different interests who held
onto those things that were of interest and/or useful to us. Also,
schooling has us trained to believe (a) there is indeed a set packet of
information bits that every person must absorb (b) that information is
an end in itself. They are both incorrect. Does every person need
calculus, physics, German, Asian history? Nope. Literacy and numeracy
(reading, writing, arithmetic) are TOOLS just like a food processor or a
hammer. And, in some cases, those tools are just one way to proceed
with a task. A century ago, information was transmitted on the printed
page and by word of mouth. That was pretty much all you had. Reading was
important. If you wanted to know what happened in the Civil War, you
read a book, and maybe (back then) tracked down those "old guys" in your
town who were there and talked to them about it. Now, can't find Civil
War vets around to talk to (unless you know some folks who are over 140
years old). And, yes, books about it still exist (and continue to be
written). But, that's not it - you've got documentary films, websites
full of photos, those same books on CD/tape...you can see and hear the
information, not just read it.
As far as the fear of missing something or not keeping up (keeping up to
what?) just in case they have to go back...do you continually base your
life in general on fear? Your kids might not live past next week, you
might not live past next week. Do you want to base your decisions today
on a fear of something that may or may not happen a year or 5 from now?
That's a great way to suck the joy from today when you have your kids
right with you. Carpe diem.
Deb R
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DJ250
The author of The Unprocessed Child is Valerie Fitzenreiter. :-)
~M
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Tammy Curry
Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2009 7:03 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] Considering Unschooling
I would recommend reading John Holt, any of his books. Another one that I
have been reading again is Homeschooling our children, unschooling
ourselves. The unprocessed child: living without school. The authors of the
last two escape me at the moment. Also, if you check in the links section
you will find links to blogs and other websites such as sandradodd.com,
joyfullyrejoicing.com and others that will help give you an outlook on
unschooling. You can also do keyword searches in the archives for specific
questions you have if you want to see what has already been posted.
Tammy Curry, Director of Chaos
http://tammycurry. <http://tammycurry.blogspot.com/> blogspot.com/
http://crazy- <http://crazy-homeschool-adventures.blogspot.com/>
homeschool-adventures.blogspot.com/
"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the
companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him
the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in."
Rachel Carson
________________________________
From: lbgjones <lindajones@lauregan <mailto:lindajones%40lauregans.com>
s.com>
To: unschoolingbasics@ <mailto:unschoolingbasics%40yahoogroups.com>
yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 1, 2009 11:13:14 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Considering Unschooling
Hello,
We're new to homeschooling (in fact, the kids are still in public school and
will be taken out April 24th) and I'm considering unschooling - but I'm
having a hard time really understanding what it is and how to do it. I'm
sure you have already had millions of posts regarding this topic, what
should I search for to find those posts?
Also, as I'm sure you've also heard a million times, how do you get over
your fear of the kids missing something or not keeping up with their grade
level (in case they ever go back to school)?
Thanks so much!
Linda
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.283 / Virus Database: 270.11.38/2037 - Release Date: 04/02/09
06:09:00
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
~M
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Tammy Curry
Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2009 7:03 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] Considering Unschooling
I would recommend reading John Holt, any of his books. Another one that I
have been reading again is Homeschooling our children, unschooling
ourselves. The unprocessed child: living without school. The authors of the
last two escape me at the moment. Also, if you check in the links section
you will find links to blogs and other websites such as sandradodd.com,
joyfullyrejoicing.com and others that will help give you an outlook on
unschooling. You can also do keyword searches in the archives for specific
questions you have if you want to see what has already been posted.
Tammy Curry, Director of Chaos
http://tammycurry. <http://tammycurry.blogspot.com/> blogspot.com/
http://crazy- <http://crazy-homeschool-adventures.blogspot.com/>
homeschool-adventures.blogspot.com/
"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the
companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him
the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in."
Rachel Carson
________________________________
From: lbgjones <lindajones@lauregan <mailto:lindajones%40lauregans.com>
s.com>
To: unschoolingbasics@ <mailto:unschoolingbasics%40yahoogroups.com>
yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 1, 2009 11:13:14 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Considering Unschooling
Hello,
We're new to homeschooling (in fact, the kids are still in public school and
will be taken out April 24th) and I'm considering unschooling - but I'm
having a hard time really understanding what it is and how to do it. I'm
sure you have already had millions of posts regarding this topic, what
should I search for to find those posts?
Also, as I'm sure you've also heard a million times, how do you get over
your fear of the kids missing something or not keeping up with their grade
level (in case they ever go back to school)?
Thanks so much!
Linda
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.283 / Virus Database: 270.11.38/2037 - Release Date: 04/02/09
06:09:00
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Jeff Sabo
One of the more practical hands-on books we found was Rue Kream's "Parenting a Free Child: An Unschooled Life." It really helped me realize it would all be ok, and addressed a lot of my initial objections/concerns.
--- On Thu, 4/2/09, DJ250 <dj250@...> wrote:
From: DJ250 <dj250@...>
Subject: RE: [unschoolingbasics] Considering Unschooling
To: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, April 2, 2009, 11:20 AM
The author of The Unprocessed Child is Valerie Fitzenreiter. :-)
~M
-----Original Message-----
From: unschoolingbasics@ yahoogroups. com
[mailto:unschoolingbasics@ yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of Tammy Curry
Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2009 7:03 AM
To: unschoolingbasics@ yahoogroups. com
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] Considering Unschooling
I would recommend reading John Holt, any of his books. Another one that I
have been reading again is Homeschooling our children, unschooling
ourselves. The unprocessed child: living without school. The authors of the
last two escape me at the moment. Also, if you check in the links section
you will find links to blogs and other websites such as sandradodd.com,
joyfullyrejoicing. com and others that will help give you an outlook on
unschooling. You can also do keyword searches in the archives for specific
questions you have if you want to see what has already been posted.
Tammy Curry, Director of Chaos
http://tammycurry. <http://tammycurry. blogspot. com/> blogspot.com/
http://crazy- <http://crazy- homeschool- adventures. blogspot. com/>
homeschool-adventur es.blogspot. com/
"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the
companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him
the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in."
Rachel Carson
____________ _________ _________ __
From: lbgjones <lindajones@ lauregan <mailto:lindajones% 40lauregans. com>
s.com>
To: unschoolingbasics@ <mailto:unschooling basics%40yahoogr oups.com>
yahoogroups. com
Sent: Wednesday, April 1, 2009 11:13:14 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Considering Unschooling
Hello,
We're new to homeschooling (in fact, the kids are still in public school and
will be taken out April 24th) and I'm considering unschooling - but I'm
having a hard time really understanding what it is and how to do it. I'm
sure you have already had millions of posts regarding this topic, what
should I search for to find those posts?
Also, as I'm sure you've also heard a million times, how do you get over
your fear of the kids missing something or not keeping up with their grade
level (in case they ever go back to school)?
Thanks so much!
Linda
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.283 / Virus Database: 270.11.38/2037 - Release Date: 04/02/09
06:09:00
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Jennifer Croce
>One of the more practical hands-on books we found was Rue Kream's "Parenting a Free Child: An Unschooled Life." It really helped me realize it would all be ok, and addressed a lot of my initial objections/concerns . <I just ordered this book from Rue and can't wait to read it. I have to pick up one of John Holt's books from the library this weekend that I requested and am currently reading Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv.. It is a nice adjunct to learning about unschooling. He writes about how unstructured play and connection with nature is important to health and mental well being. The more I learn about unschooling the more I feel sad about what our culture and society thinks is important and what we have become.
Jen
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Meredith
--- In [email protected], "lbgjones" <lindajones@...> wrote:
Worrying about keeping up with grade level can really sabotage unschooling (and other kinds of homeschooling too). It may help to look at all the other things y'all have time for - time together, time to do fun things in the middle of the week, time to stay up all night talking or painting or looking at the moon, time to watch an entire miniseries on DVD. All the things you gain from not being tied down to a schedule and a curriculum vastly outweigh the potential of a few weeks of hassle getting "up to speed" If they ever go back. And a few weeks is likely all it will take. School plods and reviews and plods some more.
---Meredith (Mo 7, Ray 15)
> how do you get over your fear of the kids missing something or not keeping up with their grade level (in case they ever go back to school)?*****************************
Worrying about keeping up with grade level can really sabotage unschooling (and other kinds of homeschooling too). It may help to look at all the other things y'all have time for - time together, time to do fun things in the middle of the week, time to stay up all night talking or painting or looking at the moon, time to watch an entire miniseries on DVD. All the things you gain from not being tied down to a schedule and a curriculum vastly outweigh the potential of a few weeks of hassle getting "up to speed" If they ever go back. And a few weeks is likely all it will take. School plods and reviews and plods some more.
---Meredith (Mo 7, Ray 15)
[email protected]
>One of the more practical hands-on books we found was Rue Kream's"Parenting a Free Child: An Unschooled Life." It really helped me realize it would
all be ok, and addressed a lot of my initial objections/concerns . <
And Rue will be featured and answering questions at the Northeast
Unschooling Conference in Massachusetts in August!
Kathryn
Come to the Northeast Unschooling Conference August 27-30, 2009 in
Wakefield, Massachusetts _www.northeastunschoolingconference.com_
(http://www.northeastunschoolingconference.com/)
**************Worried about job security? Check out the 5 safest jobs in a
recession.
(http://jobs.aol.com/gallery/growing-job-industries?ncid=emlcntuscare00000003)
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