With schools around the world going virtual this year due to Covid-19, many of us have found ourselves trying to navigate the world of teaching and homeschooling. There is radical unschooling and not-so-radical unschooling, which can make it difficult for the rest of the world to figure out exactly what it is. How does it differ from homeschooling? So what exactly is unschooling and is it the same as homeschooling? It’s not exactly an unschooling curriculum, but it may be just what you need to support your child’s learning in a holistic way. Unschooling respects the child’s opinions and encourages them to think for themselves, question the status quo and live now rather than preparing to live. It's part of human nature. But what exactly is unschooling? It’s a perfect fit for us. The term unschooling gives the feeling of the Gurukuls, the ancient Guru-Shishya system of India. Just like Homeschooling, Unschooling can be a completely different creature in one family than it is in another. 1. Reading more about unschooling, observing unschooling families, examining our own fears and deciding exactly what it is that is stopping us from unschooling… Doing these things can all help. [What is the definition of unschooling? And is it a viable alternative to preschool for your child? No, unschooling is not necessarily homeschooling. The unschooling philosophy is built on the premise that children are naturally curious, intelligent, and eager to learn, and unschooling parents trust this premise. If a child is daydreaming, then, rather than scolding him for wasting time, the parent trusts him, knowing that the daydreaming may be the precursor to a focused creative project like a painting or a novel. Although unschooling has a lot of names (delight-directed learning, child-led learning, even natural or life learning), it's all essentially the same idea. I craved simple at the time, ... Unschooling minimizes or eliminates the student/teacher dichotomy. If the unschooling philosophy were "Learning naturally except for ... then it could be Unschooling without going into cities. Maybe Peter Gray, John Holt and a couple of others. What am I going to get from this course? In her book Unschooling To University, my guest on this podcast, Judy Arnall, explores the path of 30 unschooled children who self-directed all or part of their education and were accepted by universities, colleges, and other postsecondary schools. Unschoolers don’t impose a curriculum on their kids. Upon hearing the word “homeschool” people conjure up a very specific image. So, what exactly is unschooling? This is just a representation of one family. 'Living with Wild Abandon' is an original bi-weekly column appearing every other Tuesday at Everything-Voluntary.com, by Breezy V. Stevens. Most have already graduated. Here’s my most recent attempt, from the introduction of my book, Free to Learn: The beauty of Unschooling is exactly that of Homeschooling… There are SO many different facets to it. And the term unschooling makes people think that it means not-learning, which is completely opposite the unschooling philosophy that children and people are always learning. It's legal in all 50 states, but what exactly is unschooling? You’ll hear inspiring and informative talks from a great line-up of speakers, you’ll be able to sit in on and participate in smaller circle chats, and you can ask questions to be answered during one of our FAQ panels. Unschooling is by no means the “easy way out”. I’ll start by addressing the second part of the question. It's exactly what it sounds like: home-based education that involves no schedule, no rules, no homework, no textbooks and no tests. Hi friends! Both of them had hated school. Basically, unschooling means that a child is getting an education by pursuing his or her interests in life. In ancient India, way before the British ships sailed our shores, the system focused on organic learning wherein the students used to pursue subjects they are skilled at. Also, note that I mentioned that I don’t believe it’s for everyone. Unschooling: An Alternative to Traditional Education. Over 24 lectures and 4.5 hours of content! Unschooling: The child directs his own education. What exactly is an unschooling conference? What is unschooling? Moms don't like lots of things. Unschooling is not really popular in our current society, because it's our cultural belief that children will not learn if we don't make them. Exactly how involved can parents be before it becomes home schooling? Unschooling or homeschooling is a way to offer freedom and flexibility while still giving your kids an education. I was just wondering how you go about having them tested through the state. Across Australia, around 20,000 families are homeschooling their children and the numbers are growing. Unschooling is allowing the child to learn by doing and living, choosing their interests and actively creating. It is labeled as a natural and real-world learning style by those families who use it. I have played around with the ‘unschooling’ concept, and my husband and I feel like this is exactly what our children need to thrive. The primary vision of unschooling is: Child Led Learning. Both of them fought with me. It is also thought of as a laid-back approach to learning or seen as not learning at all by some. Unschooling lets students explore the things that they are good at with incredible depth. If you’ve never been to an unschooling conference, you are in for a life-changing experience! What Is Unschooling? I’ve written a few gentle parenting blogs now and it’s been lovely seeing so many people interested and asking questions about the way we do things in our family. In contrast to relaxed homeschoolers, unschooling parents place full trust in their child to determine what knowledge she does and doesn’t need. Defining what it is by what it isn’t. Defining Unschooling. Maybe the home educator would feel more comfortable with a curriculum or outline to follow. Contrary to common perceptions of radical unschooling, unschooling parents … It doesn't mean "explore what interests them except for things mom doesn't like." Unschooling, as radical as it is perceived as today, was the first original form of education. This course is designed by someone who is doing exactly that. “Unschooling is under the umbrella of homeschooling. We first met Magdalena, Witold, and their son Julius in Bali in 2017, and also spent time with them in Malaysia and Singapore in 2019. I thought I would do a thorough post about where our parenting philosophy comes from, and why our choice to choose home education and the way we parent are two inextricably linked processes. Or do all 3! Many learned reading, math, science and history through practical applications such as family bible studies or storytimes, planning for and building improvements around homes and farms. But what exactly is unschooling and could it work for your tot? Some people have a horrible opinion of unschooling because they have seen people take it to a place they are not comfortable with. “It was too much like school,” they said. Children learned at home through their daily routines with families and communities. I use both words to describe what we did in our family. While most kids are gearing up to head back to school, some are doing the exact opposite. You can do an internet search, ask a friend who homeschools, or call the local school to figure this out. I had curriculum and a plan the first two years. Unschooling has rave reviews by those who choose it as a homeschool method. Here are some steps to unschooling with your i’s dotted and your t’s crossed: Find out exactly what the laws are in your area. So what exactly is unschooling? Which, when you think about it, is exactly how children first learn to learn as infants and toddlers. Thus, going back to the roots is what few educational experts are considering these days. We fell into unschooling. Rather, the kids get to pursue their own interests. Home Education Accelerator Program for Homeschoolers and Unschoolers. This is because unschooling does not dictate a particular learning methodology. Unschooling is creating an environment for safe exploration where chidren can discover what works for them. First, a disclaimer — I am no expert in unschooling. You may see this type of learning referred to by a variety of names: child-led, child-directed, interest-led, delight-directed, natural and organic to name a few. Send her mail. Here are three factors that fans of unschooling often mention as key to their decison. In fact, there aren’t really experts. Halfway through the 2nd year we were completing the basics only and I was reading about unschooling. Unschooling vs Homeschooling: It can look like kids exploring the world around them as they go for a walk in the wood! Unschooling, child-led learning, free learning, interest based education, child-delighted learning–whatever you choose to call it, this book explains what unschooling is (and isn’t) in easy-to-understand terms while holding your hand as you walk the unschooling pathway. It’s also worth noting that this aspect of unschooling can be enormously appealing to students who have learning disabilities. Unschooling is all about unstructured learning, led by a child following their key interests and fascinations. Also, finding a support group when we feel accepted and encouraged as we explore new ideas, somewhere where we can ask questions… This can be a flexible guideline they abide by or could be a much more strict breakdown or what will happen in a given week. Christina Clemer Montessori Teacher and Writer. As you start learning about unschooling, one of the first questions that often comes to mind is “What exactly IS unschooling?” Such a seemingly innocent question, but it can be a challenge to answer, let alone to do so succinctly. After all, you can’t go blindly about unschooling and expect to … Unschooling students learn through their natural life experiences including play, household responsibilities, personal interests and curiosity, internships and work experience, travel, books, elective classes, family, mentors, and social interaction. Q3: What exactly is unschooling? Unschooling is an informal learning that advocates learner-chosen activities as a primary means for learning. Advocates for unschooling have deliberately shied away from the word homeschool. Author: Laura Monteverdi Breezy is a long-time radical unschooler, an advocate for children's rights, a crazy dog lady, a crafter in various mediums, a lover of all things tropical and beachy, and the designer of 'EVC in Color'. It allows the child to focus on their individual interests as opposed to a a curriculum determined by an education “authority”. Which is exactly what was appealing about it when we decided to pull our oldest three out of public school five and a half years ago–and never look back.