"de-schooling"
kiksbrd
Can anyone elaborate on their experiences with the process of "de-schooling" in the beginning stages of unschooling? I'm curious as my son (8), on many days since we've begun homeschooling, is resisting reading etc. he'd rather play with the dog and watch movies...though he is interested in checking the weather globally :)
Schuyler
Deschooling is the time when you step away from all expectations of any kind of academics. With unschooling that stepping away from academic learning continues, but at some point, when your son begins to be comfortable with the idea, you begin to invite him along to do things with you.
The general guideline for deschooling is a month for every year of schooling (remember you'll be deschooling, too) and that restarts every time you press him to do some kind of academics, every time you press him to read, every time you press him to do a little math, or ask how much would that make? you get to start the count all over again.
During deschooling act like it's summer vacation. Don't press for anything, play! Get down on the floor and play with the dog and your son. Rent movies about playing with dogs. Rent movies about whatever interests him. Watch the weather channel together, or not. Spend the next few months stepping away from all that is school.
To help with your own deschooling sign up for Pam Laricchia's newsletter ( http://livingjoyfully.ca/newsletter/ ) and read and think about what learning really is. Buy her book: http://livingjoyfully.ca/books/ and read a little bit each day and then, maybe read it again. http://sandradodd.com/help is another good place to read.
And "read a little, try a little, wait a while, watch." Don't go faster than you can handle, but don't go too slowly that he's 10 before you've really started unschooling.
Schuyler
________________________________
From: kiksbrd <kiksbrd@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, 5 February 2013, 12:44
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] "de-schooling"
Can anyone elaborate on their experiences with the process of "de-schooling" in the beginning stages of unschooling? I'm curious as my son (8), on many days since we've begun homeschooling, is resisting reading etc. he'd rather play with the dog and watch movies...though he is interested in checking the weather globally :)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
The general guideline for deschooling is a month for every year of schooling (remember you'll be deschooling, too) and that restarts every time you press him to do some kind of academics, every time you press him to read, every time you press him to do a little math, or ask how much would that make? you get to start the count all over again.
During deschooling act like it's summer vacation. Don't press for anything, play! Get down on the floor and play with the dog and your son. Rent movies about playing with dogs. Rent movies about whatever interests him. Watch the weather channel together, or not. Spend the next few months stepping away from all that is school.
To help with your own deschooling sign up for Pam Laricchia's newsletter ( http://livingjoyfully.ca/newsletter/ ) and read and think about what learning really is. Buy her book: http://livingjoyfully.ca/books/ and read a little bit each day and then, maybe read it again. http://sandradodd.com/help is another good place to read.
And "read a little, try a little, wait a while, watch." Don't go faster than you can handle, but don't go too slowly that he's 10 before you've really started unschooling.
Schuyler
________________________________
From: kiksbrd <kiksbrd@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, 5 February 2013, 12:44
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] "de-schooling"
Can anyone elaborate on their experiences with the process of "de-schooling" in the beginning stages of unschooling? I'm curious as my son (8), on many days since we've begun homeschooling, is resisting reading etc. he'd rather play with the dog and watch movies...though he is interested in checking the weather globally :)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Meredith
"kiksbrd" wrote:
It varies a lot. Ray was ebullient for the first few weeks after leaving school - thrilled that it was real, he was really "free" from the day in, day out misery and drudgery. After a few months I asked if he was bored at home - he was 13, and did the kind of "cocoon" thing that a lot of young teens do, spending an amazing amount of time sleeping and daydreaming and doing mellow things. He'd never been mellow before ;) He assured me that he was fine, he wasn't bored he was thinking - and that even if he was bored out of his skull he'd been bored at school and home was better. That was nice to hear.
Unschooling won't work very well if you bring school home, or schoolish expectations. Real learning doesn't look or feel like school learning most of the time. A good place to start reading and thinking about how learning happens in real life is here:
http://sandradodd.com/connections/
---Meredith
>**************
> Can anyone elaborate on their experiences with the process of "de-schooling" in the beginning stages of unschooling?
It varies a lot. Ray was ebullient for the first few weeks after leaving school - thrilled that it was real, he was really "free" from the day in, day out misery and drudgery. After a few months I asked if he was bored at home - he was 13, and did the kind of "cocoon" thing that a lot of young teens do, spending an amazing amount of time sleeping and daydreaming and doing mellow things. He'd never been mellow before ;) He assured me that he was fine, he wasn't bored he was thinking - and that even if he was bored out of his skull he'd been bored at school and home was better. That was nice to hear.
>> I'm curious as my son (8), on many days since we've begun homeschooling, is resisting reading etc.***************
Unschooling won't work very well if you bring school home, or schoolish expectations. Real learning doesn't look or feel like school learning most of the time. A good place to start reading and thinking about how learning happens in real life is here:
http://sandradodd.com/connections/
---Meredith
Summer on the hill with beans
My oldest is also 8 and I pulled him out of public school before
Halloween. He hasn't read since he left school. I think that its fine if
he doesn't for years. He HATED reading and was even starting to dislike
being read to. I think he really needs to recover from how much everyone
was pushing him before when he was in school.
He used to love being read to, and I think that if he had never been in
school he would be reading fine now or soon...but We set him back with all
the pushing.
Summer
Halloween. He hasn't read since he left school. I think that its fine if
he doesn't for years. He HATED reading and was even starting to dislike
being read to. I think he really needs to recover from how much everyone
was pushing him before when he was in school.
He used to love being read to, and I think that if he had never been in
school he would be reading fine now or soon...but We set him back with all
the pushing.
Summer
On Mon, Feb 4, 2013 at 9:44 PM, kiksbrd <kiksbrd@...> wrote:
> **
>
>
> Can anyone elaborate on their experiences with the process of
> "de-schooling" in the beginning stages of unschooling? I'm curious as my
> son (8), on many days since we've begun homeschooling, is resisting reading
> etc. he'd rather play with the dog and watch movies...though he is
> interested in checking the weather globally :)
>
>
>
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