a typical day/structure
Bonni Sollars
On a typical day of learning, I am pursuing my interests as much as my
children are. Structure comes when we get up, eat, straighten, and talk
about what each of us wants to do today. Then we write it down to see
how everyone's plans coincide chronologically. This works really well
for us. Although this has less to do with school in terms of, "Oh, I
want to learn about this subject and that subject today", and more to do
with it in terms of, (in my 14y.o.d.s.'s ongoing quest for more
information or experience in the area of architectural engineering)," I
want to go to the library" (to read about ancient architectural styles),
"then to the building supply store" (to buy some wood for the dog house
he designed and is building), "then I want to be home when dad gets home"
(to work on remodeling his bedroom according to his design). We do have
traditional learning materials, but they are not required, just available
for when they want to use them. For now the oldest three want to use
their math books, but I have showed them how to not be enslaved to them
by not feeling forced to go from chapter to chapter. I showed them how
to look through the table of contents or index, or to just read the
lesson-explanation and do a few problems. After p.s., this is hard for
them to accept. They seem to feel a need to do it like at school, even
though they are starting to understand why it isn't really necessary and
sort of a waste of time. For the first time in his life, my oldest is
realizing that math is something he can understand, although he always
wants to know what it has to do with geometry, since that is his biggest
interest math-wise. They really like the jokes we find on natural math
and gnarly math. My 7 y.o.d.d. hates traditional math, but somehow is
learning all about it without any workbook and even without games, (which
we were playing, but she's decided not to). She comes up with the most
amazing math facts, just from thinking and playing by herself. And she
can count without going one, two, three, four. She just glances at
something and can tell me how many of whatever are on it. She plays a
lot with the calculator, too. She's also teaching herself cursive, and
she loves to write letters, make cards and create books. We've only been
unschooling this year. The kids also participate in wrestling,
basketball, skateboarding and youth group. Usually one day a week we
watch a movie,go to the mall or swim. Sundays we go to church and visit
the cousins. They spend the night at friends a lot. It is really a
great life! Sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe that I have
stumbled on this great way of living. A lot of the financial problems we
have are working out with time and ingenuity, too, which helps my
dream-like state.
Bonni
children are. Structure comes when we get up, eat, straighten, and talk
about what each of us wants to do today. Then we write it down to see
how everyone's plans coincide chronologically. This works really well
for us. Although this has less to do with school in terms of, "Oh, I
want to learn about this subject and that subject today", and more to do
with it in terms of, (in my 14y.o.d.s.'s ongoing quest for more
information or experience in the area of architectural engineering)," I
want to go to the library" (to read about ancient architectural styles),
"then to the building supply store" (to buy some wood for the dog house
he designed and is building), "then I want to be home when dad gets home"
(to work on remodeling his bedroom according to his design). We do have
traditional learning materials, but they are not required, just available
for when they want to use them. For now the oldest three want to use
their math books, but I have showed them how to not be enslaved to them
by not feeling forced to go from chapter to chapter. I showed them how
to look through the table of contents or index, or to just read the
lesson-explanation and do a few problems. After p.s., this is hard for
them to accept. They seem to feel a need to do it like at school, even
though they are starting to understand why it isn't really necessary and
sort of a waste of time. For the first time in his life, my oldest is
realizing that math is something he can understand, although he always
wants to know what it has to do with geometry, since that is his biggest
interest math-wise. They really like the jokes we find on natural math
and gnarly math. My 7 y.o.d.d. hates traditional math, but somehow is
learning all about it without any workbook and even without games, (which
we were playing, but she's decided not to). She comes up with the most
amazing math facts, just from thinking and playing by herself. And she
can count without going one, two, three, four. She just glances at
something and can tell me how many of whatever are on it. She plays a
lot with the calculator, too. She's also teaching herself cursive, and
she loves to write letters, make cards and create books. We've only been
unschooling this year. The kids also participate in wrestling,
basketball, skateboarding and youth group. Usually one day a week we
watch a movie,go to the mall or swim. Sundays we go to church and visit
the cousins. They spend the night at friends a lot. It is really a
great life! Sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe that I have
stumbled on this great way of living. A lot of the financial problems we
have are working out with time and ingenuity, too, which helps my
dream-like state.
Bonni