Kolleen

>Joyce writes:
>No, unschooling isn't free form homeschooling. It isn't just absence of
>curriculum. It's helping a child learn what he wants to learn, trusting that
>what he wants to learn is what he needs.

Agreed, and I think its the *helping* part that becomes the issue of
debate in any unschooling group. We all tend to have our different
definitions of the same word.
And *trust* should be more of the focus and key word to concentrate on as
parents.

>
>There are many things that will help kids learn, but that doesn't make those
>things unschooling. There are fun ways for a parent to imposing knowledge
>that kids aren't asking for but that doesn't make that technique
>unschooling.

/me nods in agreement.

Did you ever try to explain unschooling or democratic schooling and the
response becomes "Oh I always try to make learning fun with my child!"
(said with a big smile)

Sometimes the best one can do at that point is just say 'How nice' and
walk away.

When the student is ready (parents included) the teacher will be there.
Thats why unschooling sometimes 'sings' to a persons insides and
sometimes it goes right over their head. Of course sometimes it hits a
sore spot, but thats another issue.

Kolleen