ben2edge

Hi, I'm new to the group and in our 2nd yr. hsing. I am wanting to
start unschooling. What I want to know is, if my dc want to work in a
math book does this count as unschooling? Yes, I know I will have to
resist the "why don't ya'll work in your .....books a bit", but if
they come to me wanting to do work, shouldn't I help them w/ it?? For
example,I completely cut out all "spelling drills", etc. for this yr.
and my oldest, wants me to give her spelling tests. I say okay, but
we always get caught up in other things and it's forgotten by the end
of the day.(Not on purpose, just living our lives) Is this the wrong
approach? Should I take time out to do this "schoolish" stuff w/
them??
I guess what I am afraid of is once I really let go, (and when I'm
done w/ something, I'm really done) that if they want this type of
learning I'll fall of the wagon and slip back to the "school" type
hsing.
Help, is there a Dear Abby out there for this question????
thanks
b2e

Mary Bianco

>From: "ben2edge" <ben2edge@...>

<<Is this the wrong approach? Should I take time out to do this "schoolish"
stuff w/ them??>>



I look at workbooks just like I do any other kind of book. If my kids want
to read it or "do it" then that's fine. I would never make my children do
workbooks any more than I would pick out a book I liked and "make" them read
it. My one daughter happens to love worksheets. She asks for them so I go to
the puter and find them for her. My son will ask for some occasionally too,
but not as much as her. Of course now she's on a no worksheet kick and
that's all fine by us. It's all child led, and if my child wants to do it,
then they do.

Mary B


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kayb85

For
> example,I completely cut out all "spelling drills", etc. for this
yr.
> and my oldest, wants me to give her spelling tests. I say okay, but
> we always get caught up in other things and it's forgotten by the
end
> of the day.(Not on purpose, just living our lives) Is this the
wrong
> approach? Should I take time out to do this "schoolish" stuff w/
> them??

What if you said, "Ok, I'll give you a spelling word and then you
give me a spelling word." Make a game out of it. She can look
through the dictionary trying to find a word that she really thinks
will trip you up.

Sheila

Fetteroll

on 11/15/02 10:13 PM, ben2edge at ben2edge@... wrote:

> but if
> they come to me wanting to do work, shouldn't I help them w/ it??

Yes, but maybe look at it as you would helping an adult who couldn't get out
of the house on his own. Wouldn't you answer his questions and do some
activities he'd like help with? You'd have to help him get to things he
wanted, get books for him. The difference is you wouldn't have that little
voice in your head that kept pressuring you "I have to get him to *this*
point in his understanding." So when you hear that voice urging you to get
your kids to some point that *you're* comfortable with, let go. Let *them*
determine the point they need to get to for now. Your job is to make sure
there's a variety of things running through their lives that they could
choose new interests from if they needed to.

Joyce

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/15/02 8:15:01 PM, ben2edge@... writes:

<< What I want to know is, if my dc want to work in a
math book does this count as unschooling? Yes, I know I will have to
resist the "why don't ya'll work in your .....books a bit", but if
they come to me wanting to do work, shouldn't I help them w/ it?? >>

If they came to you with a coloring book, wanting help, would you help them?

If they came to you with a maze book, or a puzzle book, would you help them?

Would you press them to do the coloring pages or the maze JUST LIKE the
directions said? Would you ask them each day if they had worked in that
coloring book, and would you press them to FINISH that coloring book?

<<does this count as unschooling?>>

Very soon you need to stop counting.

"Is this going to be on the test?"
"Is this going to count?"

Those questions are from and of school. Let them go.

<<For example,I completely cut out all "spelling drills", etc. for this yr.
and my oldest, wants me to give her spelling tests.>>

For this year?
You might start spelling drills again "next year"? Does next year begin in
January? July? August?

If your children believe that this unschooling is for one single year, they
will not behave or settle into it the same way they would if you treated each
day as today, a good day, a peaceful learning day. If they see it as another
count-down day in "this year," you won't get the results you want.

-=- wants me to give her spelling tests. I say okay, but
we always get caught up in other things and it's forgotten by the end
of the day.(Not on purpose, just living our lives) Is this the wrong
approach? Should I take time out to do this "schoolish" stuff w/
them?? -=-

Who is to make the test list? How about a piece of paper on the wall
somewhere, the refrigerator, the bathroom mirror, where anyone can add words
to the spelling list?
How about the wall right across from the toilet. Everyone, resident or
visitor, will know the spelling words probably without a test.

-=-I guess what I am afraid of is once I really let go, (and when I'm
done w/ something, I'm really done) that if they want this type of
learning I'll fall of the wagon and slip back to the "school" type
hsing. -=-

Either you really let go or you're in danger of relapse.
Your danger of relapse will be smaller IF you really let go.

Saying "I have let go now" isn't credible if you have one hand on the rope
and the other on a workbook.

-=-Help, is there a Dear Abby out there for this question????-=-

Yes. www.unschooling.com has lots of them.

Sandra

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