Is 13 1/2 too late to start unschooling?
DeeAnn
Ds is 13 1/2. We "unschooled" and didn't know it until he started ps
school. We homeschooled kindergarten because he was already reading,
writing, multiplying, etc. and the teachers flat out told us he would
be bored stiff. We did send him to ps for 2 years and realized that
was definitely not the best thing for our family. Since then, we've
used Abeka and BJU. Last year we tried unschooling for a few months
but he felt he needed more structure and even got teary that he felt
he didn't know how to study anymore. This year we went back to
books but I still feel like he's restricted and there's so much, esp.
history that he wants to study, that maybe we should unschool again.
He is concerned with not learning everything he feels he should
learn, like different grammar terms, science facts, math, etc. and
yet he wants days, like today, where he reads literature, draws, does
math, internet and playstation. Do I mix it up, letting him have
days like today and then on days he feels the need for structure, use
the books? I mean, is that basically the unschooling, letting him
decide that day what to do?
DeeAnn
school. We homeschooled kindergarten because he was already reading,
writing, multiplying, etc. and the teachers flat out told us he would
be bored stiff. We did send him to ps for 2 years and realized that
was definitely not the best thing for our family. Since then, we've
used Abeka and BJU. Last year we tried unschooling for a few months
but he felt he needed more structure and even got teary that he felt
he didn't know how to study anymore. This year we went back to
books but I still feel like he's restricted and there's so much, esp.
history that he wants to study, that maybe we should unschool again.
He is concerned with not learning everything he feels he should
learn, like different grammar terms, science facts, math, etc. and
yet he wants days, like today, where he reads literature, draws, does
math, internet and playstation. Do I mix it up, letting him have
days like today and then on days he feels the need for structure, use
the books? I mean, is that basically the unschooling, letting him
decide that day what to do?
DeeAnn
Wife2Vegman
--- DeeAnn <deeannsplace@...> wrote:
doing nothing at all, spending the whole day at the
library, or playing nintendo all day. :-)
If he wants the structure, the books, and the ability
to pursue his interests, there is no reason why he
shouldn't.
But let him set the pace, decide when to pull the
books off the shelf, choose what books he wants to
use, and what he will study. My 14yo wanted to learn
algebra, and asked me for something to use, so she
picked out the Keys To workbooks, and I think she has
done a couple.
You might point out to him that sometimes pursuing an
interest leads to learning in many different ways, and
textbooks are usually the *least* helpful. You might
ask him instead of what subjects he wants, what ideas
or things interest him.
I found that reference books and real books (those
written about one subject or one aspect of a subject),
instead of textbooks, seem to be better suited to
unschooling (and real life). We have encyclopedias,
Eyewitness books, Wildlife guides, DK books...my 14yo
just pulled the English Handbook down to look
something up.
Last night my 5yo was comparing the skeletons in the
Eyewitness Skeleton book to the pictures of the
animals in the Mammals book, cuz he wanted "to see
what they looked like with their skin on, and their
skin off".
But these are books that we all use, not just the
kids.
HTH,
=====
--Susan in VA
WifetoVegman
What is most important and valuable about the home as a base for children's growth into the world is not that it is a better school than the schools, but that it isn't a school at all. John Holt
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> I mean, is that basically theAs long as some of the choices for the day include
> unschooling, letting him
> decide that day what to do?
> DeeAnn
>
>
doing nothing at all, spending the whole day at the
library, or playing nintendo all day. :-)
If he wants the structure, the books, and the ability
to pursue his interests, there is no reason why he
shouldn't.
But let him set the pace, decide when to pull the
books off the shelf, choose what books he wants to
use, and what he will study. My 14yo wanted to learn
algebra, and asked me for something to use, so she
picked out the Keys To workbooks, and I think she has
done a couple.
You might point out to him that sometimes pursuing an
interest leads to learning in many different ways, and
textbooks are usually the *least* helpful. You might
ask him instead of what subjects he wants, what ideas
or things interest him.
I found that reference books and real books (those
written about one subject or one aspect of a subject),
instead of textbooks, seem to be better suited to
unschooling (and real life). We have encyclopedias,
Eyewitness books, Wildlife guides, DK books...my 14yo
just pulled the English Handbook down to look
something up.
Last night my 5yo was comparing the skeletons in the
Eyewitness Skeleton book to the pictures of the
animals in the Mammals book, cuz he wanted "to see
what they looked like with their skin on, and their
skin off".
But these are books that we all use, not just the
kids.
HTH,
=====
--Susan in VA
WifetoVegman
What is most important and valuable about the home as a base for children's growth into the world is not that it is a better school than the schools, but that it isn't a school at all. John Holt
__________________________________
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Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes
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