Help!
Ren Allen
"Unschooling is NOT avoiding
books or structure, some children demand structure. "
Yes, BUT (there's always a caveat, isn't there?:) if a child has
only had scool work, and doesn't see the learning in everything,
then I think it's important to help them heal from that and find the
learning in all of life.
Also, structure does NOT equal schoolwork!! Not by any stretch. So
many parents get caught up in that trap. Yes, some kids adore
structure to their days. What this means is helping them plan,
coming up with their own guideline for the day, so they know what is
happening. Just because a child likes to have things planned out,
or "structured", doesn't mean they need lessons.
Some children love workbooks. I have a radically unschooled dd that
loves pulling out "schoolwork". But it's done on her own terms, when
she chooses it and she knows that she can learn from everything in
life. She doesn't see it as some superior method of learning, or as
something she's missing if it's not done.
If you're new to unschooling, I suggest looking at your days as
summer vacation. Have a vacation for a few months, try to not learn
ANYTHING and just have fun. If you get to July and haven't learned
anything new, please write me because you'll be the first person to
ever have that happen.:)
Unschoolers understand that true learning is interest driven. Until
there is a need for information, it's silly to try and get it into
one's head. We trust that our children love to learn and will learn
the unique things they need for their own life's journey in their
own time.
Ren
books or structure, some children demand structure. "
Yes, BUT (there's always a caveat, isn't there?:) if a child has
only had scool work, and doesn't see the learning in everything,
then I think it's important to help them heal from that and find the
learning in all of life.
Also, structure does NOT equal schoolwork!! Not by any stretch. So
many parents get caught up in that trap. Yes, some kids adore
structure to their days. What this means is helping them plan,
coming up with their own guideline for the day, so they know what is
happening. Just because a child likes to have things planned out,
or "structured", doesn't mean they need lessons.
Some children love workbooks. I have a radically unschooled dd that
loves pulling out "schoolwork". But it's done on her own terms, when
she chooses it and she knows that she can learn from everything in
life. She doesn't see it as some superior method of learning, or as
something she's missing if it's not done.
If you're new to unschooling, I suggest looking at your days as
summer vacation. Have a vacation for a few months, try to not learn
ANYTHING and just have fun. If you get to July and haven't learned
anything new, please write me because you'll be the first person to
ever have that happen.:)
Unschoolers understand that true learning is interest driven. Until
there is a need for information, it's silly to try and get it into
one's head. We trust that our children love to learn and will learn
the unique things they need for their own life's journey in their
own time.
Ren
Sylvia Toyama
"Unschooling is NOT avoiding
books or structure, some children demand structure. "
Yes, BUT (there's always a caveat, isn't there?:) if a child has
only had scool work, and doesn't see the learning in everything,
then I think it's important to help them heal from that and find the
learning in all of life.
****
Ah, Ren, that's just what I wish I'd had the presence of mind to say to my sister on Monday. She just started homeschooling her kids, and I was sharing how important I think deschooling is. She said 'yes, but the kids are asking me when they're going to start learning something.' I reminded her that life is learning, all the time. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to suggest she announce summer vacation today.
Sylvia
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books or structure, some children demand structure. "
Yes, BUT (there's always a caveat, isn't there?:) if a child has
only had scool work, and doesn't see the learning in everything,
then I think it's important to help them heal from that and find the
learning in all of life.
****
Ah, Ren, that's just what I wish I'd had the presence of mind to say to my sister on Monday. She just started homeschooling her kids, and I was sharing how important I think deschooling is. She said 'yes, but the kids are asking me when they're going to start learning something.' I reminded her that life is learning, all the time. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to suggest she announce summer vacation today.
Sylvia
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ruth
if a child has
only had school work, and doesn't see the learning in everything,
then I think it's important to help them heal from that and find the
learning in all of life.
****
I agree with this. My dd now aged 11 had a terrible time adjusting after coming out of school and could only do school type things. It has taken her 4 years to be able to do things in a different way and now she is a very motivated child who learns by lots of means not just workbooks or sheets e.t.c. She hardly looks at workbooks anymore but it was a confidence thing with her.She was worried she would not learn the "right things". Now she knows there is not right or wrong learning and all learning is learning she has blossomed. As a by product of letting go of the schooly work she discovered she is a very good artist and spends a lot of time each day drawing and painting.
Ruth
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only had school work, and doesn't see the learning in everything,
then I think it's important to help them heal from that and find the
learning in all of life.
****
I agree with this. My dd now aged 11 had a terrible time adjusting after coming out of school and could only do school type things. It has taken her 4 years to be able to do things in a different way and now she is a very motivated child who learns by lots of means not just workbooks or sheets e.t.c. She hardly looks at workbooks anymore but it was a confidence thing with her.She was worried she would not learn the "right things". Now she knows there is not right or wrong learning and all learning is learning she has blossomed. As a by product of letting go of the schooly work she discovered she is a very good artist and spends a lot of time each day drawing and painting.
Ruth
____________________________________________________________________________
This email and all attachments have been electronically scanned by Kingston
Communications' email Anti-Virus service and no known viruses were detected.
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Manisha Kher
--- Ren Allen <starsuncloud@...> wrote:
missing if it's not done.
school. She went to preschool 2 mornings a week, but
that wasn't very schoolish.
Anyhow, we bought Miquon Math workbooks for her when a
friend of ours was selling them. We never asked her to
do any worksheets. She did a few when the books were
new and then they were put away till 2 days ago. Then
she pulled them out and did many pages in the
afternoon and late at night. I mentioned to dh that
she seems to be treating them the same as she treats a
new computer game. Then last night she pulled out the
workbook again and we did a couple pages. Then I
turned to a page that she didn't like and she said, "I
don't like this game, I want to find another one." So
she does really think of them as a game or just
another interesting activity. I think this is a very
different attitude from one that a kid who's been
schooled and done tons of worksheets would have.
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> Some children love workbooks. I have a radicallysuperior method of learning, or as something she's
> unschooled dd that loves pulling out "schoolwork".
> But it's done on her own terms, when
> she chooses it and she knows that she can learn from
> everything in life. She doesn't see it as some
missing if it's not done.
>I have a 6 year old who has never really been to
school. She went to preschool 2 mornings a week, but
that wasn't very schoolish.
Anyhow, we bought Miquon Math workbooks for her when a
friend of ours was selling them. We never asked her to
do any worksheets. She did a few when the books were
new and then they were put away till 2 days ago. Then
she pulled them out and did many pages in the
afternoon and late at night. I mentioned to dh that
she seems to be treating them the same as she treats a
new computer game. Then last night she pulled out the
workbook again and we did a couple pages. Then I
turned to a page that she didn't like and she said, "I
don't like this game, I want to find another one." So
she does really think of them as a game or just
another interesting activity. I think this is a very
different attitude from one that a kid who's been
schooled and done tons of worksheets would have.
__________________________________
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