New Mmeber
homeschool4good
Hello Everyone. We are new to your group and look forward to learning
all that we can from you about unschooling. We chose this method but
still have alot to learn about it. We took our 13 year old son out of
the public school last year as he suffered not only mentally but
suffered a head injury as a result of the children and the school
itself. We paln on keeping him home for good. Our concern however is
since our son was always an honor roll student and always kept on
task
will this method help him to continue to grow as the bright young man
he is? Since last year we have done everything together daily as a
family: trips, reading, etc. but we don't do sit down work (which is
something he does not enjoy and gets very bored). Is it fine to let
him explore his interest in animals and animals only? He wants to be
a vet when he's old enough and he studies this every minute! He likes
video games (non-violent) and loves to read just about everything! He
is not involved in sports or kid functions as we are still having a
hard time getting him to be around other children(he's very scared of
them). We do have him on-line talking to some other children that do
not go to school and that seems to be helping..slowly. We need to
hear
from unschoolers such as you, how a day of unschooling is, is there a
concern they won't learn, will they ever feel better about public
school kids and the such. Meantime we'll sit back and read the
postings and learn all that we can.
Thank-you!
Protecting Our Son Here In Connecticut
Kim & Kevin
all that we can from you about unschooling. We chose this method but
still have alot to learn about it. We took our 13 year old son out of
the public school last year as he suffered not only mentally but
suffered a head injury as a result of the children and the school
itself. We paln on keeping him home for good. Our concern however is
since our son was always an honor roll student and always kept on
task
will this method help him to continue to grow as the bright young man
he is? Since last year we have done everything together daily as a
family: trips, reading, etc. but we don't do sit down work (which is
something he does not enjoy and gets very bored). Is it fine to let
him explore his interest in animals and animals only? He wants to be
a vet when he's old enough and he studies this every minute! He likes
video games (non-violent) and loves to read just about everything! He
is not involved in sports or kid functions as we are still having a
hard time getting him to be around other children(he's very scared of
them). We do have him on-line talking to some other children that do
not go to school and that seems to be helping..slowly. We need to
hear
from unschoolers such as you, how a day of unschooling is, is there a
concern they won't learn, will they ever feel better about public
school kids and the such. Meantime we'll sit back and read the
postings and learn all that we can.
Thank-you!
Protecting Our Son Here In Connecticut
Kim & Kevin
[email protected]
In a message dated 3/8/03 3:37:07 PM, HOMESCHOOL4GOOD@... writes:
<< Is it fine to let
him explore his interest in animals and animals only? >>
It's fine for you to accept that he has a great interest in animals, and it's
great for you to encourage it by providing opportunities, resources and
freedoms. But exploring an interest in animals isn't going to be "animals
only." There will be history and geography and science just in the course of
his earning what lives where and why and how. There will be writing and
reading and math as things happen. And he'll probably come to know about
religious traditions and taboos regarding various animals, who eats what or
doesn't, and where and why; who wears bits and parts of which animals where
and why; what animals are endangered where and why, etc.
Nothing's "just" anything.
<<ur concern however is
since our son was always an honor roll student and always kept on
task
will this method help him to continue to grow as the bright young man
he is?>>
Try to forget all that.
But in one paragraph you say he always kept on task and in the next that he
doesn't like sit-down busywork. Instead of looking at what he's doing in
schoolish terms, try just seeing what he's learning and what makes him happy.
-=-We do have him on-line talking to some other children that do
not go to school and that seems to be helping..slowly. -=-
YOU have him online? Or he's online of his own choice?
It will help if you examine, as you get used to unschooling, who's doing what
to whom and who's deciding what for whom.
-=-We need to hear from unschoolers such as you, how a day of unschooling is,
is there a
concern they won't learn, will they ever feel better about public
school kids and the such. -=-
Read what's been written already at www.unschooling.com
and if you finish the good parts of that (meaning the parts you like)
you might look at sandradodd.com, where lots of articles and families'
websites are collected and linked.
Sandra
<< Is it fine to let
him explore his interest in animals and animals only? >>
It's fine for you to accept that he has a great interest in animals, and it's
great for you to encourage it by providing opportunities, resources and
freedoms. But exploring an interest in animals isn't going to be "animals
only." There will be history and geography and science just in the course of
his earning what lives where and why and how. There will be writing and
reading and math as things happen. And he'll probably come to know about
religious traditions and taboos regarding various animals, who eats what or
doesn't, and where and why; who wears bits and parts of which animals where
and why; what animals are endangered where and why, etc.
Nothing's "just" anything.
<<ur concern however is
since our son was always an honor roll student and always kept on
task
will this method help him to continue to grow as the bright young man
he is?>>
Try to forget all that.
But in one paragraph you say he always kept on task and in the next that he
doesn't like sit-down busywork. Instead of looking at what he's doing in
schoolish terms, try just seeing what he's learning and what makes him happy.
-=-We do have him on-line talking to some other children that do
not go to school and that seems to be helping..slowly. -=-
YOU have him online? Or he's online of his own choice?
It will help if you examine, as you get used to unschooling, who's doing what
to whom and who's deciding what for whom.
-=-We need to hear from unschoolers such as you, how a day of unschooling is,
is there a
concern they won't learn, will they ever feel better about public
school kids and the such. -=-
Read what's been written already at www.unschooling.com
and if you finish the good parts of that (meaning the parts you like)
you might look at sandradodd.com, where lots of articles and families'
websites are collected and linked.
Sandra
Mary Bianco
>From: "homeschool4good" <HOMESCHOOL4GOOD@...><<Is it fine to let him explore his interest in animals and animals only? He
wants to be a vet when he's old enough and he studies this every minute!>>
Wow, how fantastic. Sorry about his school experience but he seems to be on
the right track now. Do you have any idea how much math, language, science,
history and enjoyment he's going to get out of studying just animals??? I
say he's way ahead already and doing what he wants to do. Just trust him to
know what he likes and needs and let him go. Check out the archives from
this list and sit back and relax.
Mary B
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