jennifer

I am considering taking my son out of school and teaching him at
home. The method of unschooling interests me very much. I would
appreciate any suggestions on how to make the transaction for my son
easy.
Thank you,
Jennifer

Fetteroll

on 11/8/03 7:08 PM, jennifer at haun107@... wrote:

> I am considering taking my son out of school and teaching him at
> home. The method of unschooling interests me very much. I would
> appreciate any suggestions on how to make the transaction for my son
> easy.

By transaction do you mean transition? You want the change from school to
home to go smoothly?

Or do you want transaction to mean the whole unschooling thing?

Is he having problems at school? What are his feelings about coming home?
How old is he?

He needs to feel that the things he likes about school, like friends and
sports, are still available to him. So it's helpful to have get togethers
with friends already set up when you pull him out so he sees the connections
with friends are still in place.

Do things with him. Go places. But give him time to veg too. He needs time
to recover from being told what, how, when to do and think.

> The method of unschooling interests me very much.

This is going to seem like a quibble but the point actually reaches into the
heart and soul of unschooling. Unschooling is not a method. It is a way of
life.

It isn't, as a method is, something we do to kids. It is an environment we
create around them.

It is a philosophy of life rather than a list of dos and don't. Which makes
unschooling much more difficult to explain to people. Part of the philosophy
of unschooling is to help kids be who they are. But that doesn't tell anyone
how to do it with their particular child. So it takes a lot of discussing to
help people figure out what "getting to know" and "being with" and "helping"
their kids means in both a general way and specific way for their family.

Joyce

jennifer

Yes, I did mean transition, lol. Pardon my slip of the tongue. He is
6 years old, in 1st grade and has had some behavior problems since
Kindergarten, but his father was unwilling to consider anything
besides public schooling. We are now divorced, and the behvior
problems (actually what I call boredom) are accelerating. He likes
to read, as long as you don't tell him WHAT to read, and he enjoys
math.. such as counting money... as long as it's not written on a
worksheet. I also have an 8 year old daughter who is doing well in
public school, and does not want to consider leaving, but I am
mentally preparing myself to take her out also just in case she
begins feeling neglected. I understand that it's not a "method" in
the strict sense of the word, but it's an alternative to the core
programs and curriculum that I've seen available, and fits our
homestyle more than anything. I'm a very relaxed mom: as long as
they're good to other living creatures, and not in danger, pretty
much anything goes in my house. I appreciate the correction :) and
the advice.
--- In [email protected], Fetteroll
<fetteroll@e...> wrote:
> on 11/8/03 7:08 PM, jennifer at haun107@m... wrote:
>
> > I am considering taking my son out of school and teaching him at
> > home. The method of unschooling interests me very much. I would
> > appreciate any suggestions on how to make the transaction for my
son
> > easy.
>
> By transaction do you mean transition? You want the change from
school to
> home to go smoothly?
>
> Or do you want transaction to mean the whole unschooling thing?
>
> Is he having problems at school? What are his feelings about coming
home?
> How old is he?
>
> He needs to feel that the things he likes about school, like
friends and
> sports, are still available to him. So it's helpful to have get
togethers
> with friends already set up when you pull him out so he sees the
connections
> with friends are still in place.
>
> Do things with him. Go places. But give him time to veg too. He
needs time
> to recover from being told what, how, when to do and think.
>
> > The method of unschooling interests me very much.
>
> This is going to seem like a quibble but the point actually reaches
into the
> heart and soul of unschooling. Unschooling is not a method. It is a
way of
> life.
>
> It isn't, as a method is, something we do to kids. It is an
environment we
> create around them.
>
> It is a philosophy of life rather than a list of dos and don't.
Which makes
> unschooling much more difficult to explain to people. Part of the
philosophy
> of unschooling is to help kids be who they are. But that doesn't
tell anyone
> how to do it with their particular child. So it takes a lot of
discussing to
> help people figure out what "getting to know" and "being with"
and "helping"
> their kids means in both a general way and specific way for their
family.
>
> Joyce

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/9/03 7:42:36 AM, haun107@... writes:

<< He likes

to read, as long as you don't tell him WHAT to read, and he enjoys

math.. such as counting money... as long as it's not written on a

worksheet. >>

I recommend reading at www.unschooling.com, the message boards, and also here:

http://SandraDodd.com/deschooling
and following some of those links

The younger they are, the easier it is. And since he can already read, you
shouldn't have many problems at all. Have fun with it! Smile and play a lot.

Sandra

Gary & Lisa Williams

> On Sun, 09 Nov 2003 Fetteroll <fetteroll@...> wrote:

> Unschooling is not a method. It is a way of life.
> It isn't, as a method is, something we do to kids. It is an environment we
> create around them.
> Joyce

I have spent the last week and this weekend reading and abosorbing lots of
unschooling info. All of Sandra's articles and stuff at the message boards
on unschooling.com. (I really encourage ALL here who are new to read all of
these articles and messages!)
But this comment you made Joyce is a great summary! I really like it..."It
is an environment we create around them." ...I'll be using this one! <bg>
Lisa in IL

Betsy

**He likes
to read, as long as you don't tell him WHAT to read, and he enjoys
math.. such as counting money... as long as it's not written on a
worksheet.**

Sounds like he's a good candidate for unschooling. Learning is
intrinsically interesting, if someone else hasn't flattened it into
worksheet form and foisted it off on you. <g>

**I'm a very relaxed mom: as long as
they're good to other living creatures, and not in danger, pretty
much anything goes in my house.**

That attitude will definitely help you unschool.

It's a bit harder to have one kid still in school, as you can't go on
far away field trips, or out of town if you have to pick one kid up at
3pm every day. The opportunity to sleep in is pretty much shot as well,
if, for example, you both need to be up and dressed to take your
daughter to school.

I wouldn't force your daughter to homeschool, but I would tempt her
mightily. <g>

Betsy