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Hi Jeanne,
I haven't really considered the term 'de-schooling' for some time since we have been homeschooling for awhile, but I think your right!  I will get The Teenage Liberation Handbook, I've been meaning to for awhile!  It is so funny how things come around!  My older daughter (14YO) has done well with a curriculum, and I will leave it up to her this year if she wants to follow a path, or etch out her own.  She has an anxiety disorder and is pretty much worried about getting a good education!  I don't have to push her very hard!  My 10yo OTOH, will fare much better if she is allowed to chose what she learns.  I tried and tried for a couple of years to get her to learn her multiplication tables.  I made flash cards for her, bought her favorite character math books, but being forced into it, I can see how her brain has resisted.  So I finally gave up and then one day, not to long after, she just started spouting answers to multiplication problems, she just learned it one month on her own!  I guess it is hardest for me to just "let go" and let them do their own learning!  But I sincerely believe now that children's brains do not learn when they are forced! 
Sorry this is so long!  I am just anxious to start letting my kids really learn!
Thanks for listening!
Kim
 
Message-----
From: Lewis' <jlewis@...>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, August 03, 2000 7:20 AM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] de-schooling

Hey Kim,

What you are describing sounds like you have to "de-school" them.  Have you
read  "The Teenage Liberation Handbook".??.. your girls might be ready  to
read that for themselves.

I read it twice and now I gave it to my 11 year old to read so he can
understand the unschooling way better--in terms of options and ideas.   .
We have always been child-led but for my kid...he needs some direction.
This year since he is technically doing upper middle school /high school
level work , I told him we would be more hands-off.  It will be more
directed my him as to what he wants to study.

Each year I have him sit down and do a list of things he might want to
investigate or study..... we don't stick to it but its a starting point.
When we run out of ideas or get bored we try to remember what was on the
list to see if its sounds interesting or not and go from there.

In the meantime,,, we just "live"  !!!!.  Between activities, the dog, the
house, the shopping, the meal prep,visiting our friends, volunteer work,
the laundry, field trips and our huge appetite for books and  going to the
library....

We have been mostly "unschoolers" for years but have in just the past few
years gone to a more text approach for math only.

It takes time to come up with your own family's rhythm.

Good luck
Jeanne in Wisconsin



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