Disclaimer: This article is about unschooling, NOT homeschooling. If you are a parent who took your child out of a school to teach him or her in your home, realize that this article is not about you. The parents discussed in this article do not instruct their children on any subject at all, and allow their kids to decide whether or not they seek education.
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While the White House continues to think of ways to reform education in the United States, some parents are taking matters into their own hands and "unschooling" their kids.
Unschooling has become a popular trend in education over the past few years. There were approximately 150,000 children who were "unschooled" in the U.S. in 2005, and the number continues to rise. Kids who are unschooled, versus those who go to an educational institution or are homeschooled, have an educational background that consists of very little.
They do not attend school, nor are they homeschooled. For the most part they stay home and are not encouraged to read, attend classes, or learn any type curriculum.
Parents allow their kids to do whatever they want, and they believe their children's natural curiosity will lead them to seek knowledge. Believers in unschooling argue that kids should be allowed to set their own educational pace, and pursue expertise on topics they find interesting and necessary.
Good Morning America recently covered a story on the Biegler family. Christine Yablonski and Phil Biegler of Westford, Mass., describe themselves as "radical unschoolers" who allow their teen daughter and son to essentially do whatever they want.
They do not go to school, and hardly open a text book. Their son has no interest in sports, mostly because he was never exposed to them.
So what do their kids do with all their free time? Does their natural curiosity motivate them to seek any type of knowledge at all?
"They might watch television," Yablonski said. "They might play games on the computers."
Her husband interjected and said they might read.
Yablonski isn't worried that her teen daughter knows nothing about algebra, or the fact that she stays up all night because "she's getting everything done that she wants to get done."
She continues to argue that if her daughter needed algebra, she would find the information herself. In other words, her daughter does not need any instruction. Yablonski also isn't concerned that her kids have no interest in attending college in the future.
Unschooling is not illegal in some states, including Massachusetts. As long as parents report back to local school authorities once a year, they are able to take their children out of traditional schools without having to home-school them.
Radical unschooling is inarguably irrational and harmful. Kids who are raised by "radical unschoolers" have a gigantic disadvantage in life. For one, they will grow up believing that everything in the world revolves around them and their interests.
Parenting expert Ann Pleshette told Good Morning America:
"This to me is putting way too much power in the hands of kids, something that we know kids can often find anxiety-producing, and it's also sending a message that they're the center of the universe, which I do not think is healthy for children."
Unschooled teens, like the Bieglers, usually don't know the difference between right and wrong since they do not face any consequences for their actions. For instance, the Biegler family doesn't believe in disciplining their teens.
Children who are unschooled will also have major issues with adulthood. What happens when they're on their own? Will they find work if they want to? It's fair to argue that the real world does not work that way. Chances are, they won't even be able to land a job without a minimal high school diploma.
Unschooling equates to irresponsible parenting. Those who are educated have a tremendous advantage, especially in times of economic disasters. The job market is extremely competitive, so why not encourage children to pursue knowledge instead of allowing them to stay up all night and play video games all day? Children are not mature enough to make their own decisions, and need direction from adults.
I discuss this story with Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks Show in the video below:
Comments
This article is purposely slanted against homeschoolers and unschoolers. I homeschool 5 of my 6 children. My oldest is a 16 yr old junior in college. She is a biochemistry major, with a music minor and on the Dean's list. My other 5 kids are above grade level in every subject. Two of them have learning and psychological challenges.
From contact with other homeschooled kids in three different states, I can tell you that while my oldest daughter is an exception, my other 5 children are in line with their homeschooled peers.
There is a difference between homeschooling and unschooling. The amount of difference depends on the family. There are as may ways to homeschool as there are homeschooling families.
MOST unschoolers are NOT like the couple described in the article. Unschooling is not letting the kids do whatever they want. It is a system of giving kids opportunities to learn hands on and from the world around them, instead of from text books.
Yvette, first I want to encourage you to calm down. Second, this column is labeled as commentary because I knew I would share my opinions regarding unschooling. Is there a slant here? Yes. I'm not trying to hide that.
With that said, this column is NOT about homeschooling. Homeschooling still provides some sort of direction and formal education, while unschooling puts too much power in the hands of children who do not know what is good for them. Most children are not self-motivated enough to seek their own knowledge. I'm being a realist here. Children need direction, and the Bieglers have failed to provide that very critical aspect of parenting.
I can honestly tell you that I have friends that do homeschool, but very relaxed lots of literature...no textbooks....lots of hands on....but they would call themselves "unschoolers" because anything that does not look like regimented routine is "--un".
So, maybe a new term needs to be made for those who really are doing nothing and not expecting anything from their children because I know that my "unschooling" friends ARE indeed doing something.
Many people who use the Charlotte mason mode of learning are still doing something..yet the call themselves "unschoolers". Charotte Mason is geared I think around Unit Studies...so yes, some older children ARE allowed to choose what they study, but those studies are really topical---so student chooses Trucks--everything revolves around trucks! Counting trucks, reading non-fiction and fiction books about trucks, learning to draw a truck and perhaps a field trip to different areas of careers that involve trucks...
Even at a minimum, an "unschooling" parent needs to be working as a team with their chlldren... asking them to show or explain something productive that day or maybe even keep some sort of journal regarding what they discovered on their own.
This unschooling family is not the norm. There are as many ways to unschool or homeschool as there are familites. In the above response, the writer's tone is patronizing and offensive. The writer would be well-advised to research before publishing so that she is at least informed about the WHOLE picture, rather than form an uneducated opinion based on one singular situation. Have I seen unschooling families like the one she is using to paint the entire unschooling movement? You bet. Are there more like these than any other flavor of unschooling? Categorically, I'd have to say "No!" Having said that, unschooling is still homeschooling and for using her broad-brush method of expressing her opinion, the writer truly deserves all of this backlash and more.
Ana: I didn't think you were talking about the homeschool movement. You say so in your first paragraph. If parents take their kids out of school just leaving them to their own devices, that is not servicing them well. In fact school authorities, should be alerted because the parents are allowing truancy.
-=Unschooling is inarguably irrational and harmful. -=- I don't think "inarguable" means what you think it means. (Neither does "irrational" or "harmful.")
I'm sorry you posted this today without watching the follow-up this morning. You were many hours behind.
-=-Unschooled teens usually don't know the difference between right and wrong since they do not face any consequences for their actions.-=-
Do you know an unschooled teen in person? I know a hundred or more and they are much better behaved than average schoolkids of the same ages. I taught 9th grade too. I have three children grown who didn't go to school. They would never have written a judgmental article as you did above. They're goodhearted, thoughtful and compassionate.
-= What happens when they're on their own? Will they find work if they want to? It's fair to argue that the real world does not work that way. Chances are, they won't even be able to land a job...-=-
Quite incorrect. google unschooled te
Those are hardly "unschoolers" -- they are just anti-learners. Unschooling is derived from the idea that a top-down, authoritarian method of learning that every single US school has bought into is an inherently bad way of teaching children.
Unschooling is homeschooling, minus the fundamentalist Christian textbooks.
These people are simply nuts.
The end of mine should have said
google unschooled teens
Sorry it was cut off. This forum doesn't allow links, or I would've linked this morning's Good Morning America interview with the parents and with Patrick Farenga, and a page with lots of links to information on teens.
Ha! I love that irony. How harmful is the SCHOOLING trend? What kids go through in the public school system these days is painful to even think about.
An observation from somebody schooled in the 1950s and 60s when schools were places of education not daycare centres and teach to the test semi-prisons.
Ana, you really should learn something about a subject before launching into a jeremiad against it. Unschooling is a type of homeschooling and it is legal in all 50 states. Take the time to note how many unschooling parents have degrees in Education and then think about why that might be. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy swimming in your frigid, barren, and isolated Lake of Profound Ignorance.
The gap between the educators (ironic) who become unschoolers compared to the others who dont ike to face the school and isoloate themselves and their children. It gives room to those parents who are not capable to let their kids stay home and do nothing. I do know a unschooled child, he is lovely but lacks motivation and is clueless about fundamental commonsense,cant cook, no help around the house. I have kids in an alternative education system and acknowlege the problems in education but pulling your kids out is only a choice if you can offer a solution. My kids attend school and r have talents which they have stumbeld across during school fostering independence outside discoveries as a family. schools are scarey in USA and until some politcal change takes place it can be oppressive for kids. im in Australia,being involved,overcoming issues at school has given my kids amazing empathy, resilliance i have been there with them. Usch is a sympt of an individualist society concerned about themselves and their own rather than seeing society as a whole,to co-operate and encourage,develop a sense of altrusim.
Harsh responses LOL!
I think the idea of "unschooling" --which is definitely bad branding-- has merit... For a certain type of child.
Basically, if you see your son/daughter reading outside of school; showing curiousity in different areas; or any other signs of self-motivation than perhaps "unschooling" --I really hate that term-- would make sense. However, if your kid will only read a book that is assigned to them, or has little intellectual curiousity, than "unschooling" --Still hate that term-- is probably a terrible idea.
While I don't agree with the idea of labeling it horrible, or any other absolute term, I think Anna's article has a good point; it's not the idea of "unschooling" --have I mentioned how much I hate that term?-- that is a bad idea, it boils down to the people involved. And the case in question brings up a number of valid concerns.
I agree with Bob....the type of education received in schools now is scary. How many schools in Norfolk and Chesapeake were caught assisting students in cheating on the SOLs? Not to mention that's all they ARE teaching IS the SOL. I volunteered for a reading program to get a glimpse into some of the public schools. They looked like prisons, they were small, dirty, crowded, and the kids looked like drones doing worksheet after worksheet. Pathetic. Yet the private schools are pretty much financially unattainable for a lower middle-class family or one with multiple children.
My choices are limited- I have three children and we live in a crummy school district because we bought the house to flip and then the housing market took a nose dive, so we're living in a less-than-ideal neighborhood. Our mistake, we know. But now we have to decide between poor/scary public ed or bank-busting private school. Crummy choice to have to make, but I would NEVER remove them from education altogether!
Ana you know nothing about unschooling. You only know what you saw in a heavily edited (massacred) segment on television. Your "commentary" is full of blanket statements and non-facts. Really, you should research your topic before writing about it. How can you even write a "commentary" about anything based on a 5 minute video? You are only contributing to the poor journalism that ABC highlighted so well this week.
I was wondering if the writer could name five instances inwhich she has used Algebra in her area of expertise? Is algebra or some other obscure measure of knowledge the validation of learning? Do you know who Verdi is and what he wrote? Do you know what herbs are beneficial to the heart? Do you own and manage your own restauraunt? Have you served your country in the miltary. These are just some of the pursuits of my children. Unschooling has allowed my children to venture into areas of interest and learn. The operative word is learn. Learn is partnered with interest, not just knowlege regurgitated for an orbriatry test which is really no measure how the children will suceed in life. As a person who has facilitated my children's learning process for almost 30 years, I can assure you they are productive members of society. I am sorry you are not more educated on the matter. You might not be so ingnornant in your assumption.
Sharon, so appreciate your comments and what you have done for your children. We have trusted the school (a private one at that, because, like others, we live in a school district with failing schools) to their best for our son. We did not feel "qualified" to teach him at home....but we should have. Since second grade we have known he "learned differently" and asked repeatedly for the school's input and partnership in assisting him in being successful (and not fit into their "box") -we even took him out for a year. If I had known more about unschooling and the ablilty to "legally" allow my child some freedom (with good guidance and input from engaged parents) in pursuing his particular interests as a part of his education (specifically the hands on, and experiential pieces) I would have jumped on it. At this point, because of his "different learning style" and disappointment with those who are supposed to be educating him (at 16, he recognizes their shortcomings and disinterest) the school is pursuing testing and even suggesting that he has very high functioning asperger's.....all because he learns differently, is smarter than some of his teachers (high IQ), and is pretty outspoken, in a respectful way (mostly) about his disdain for the current education system. Very frustrating-thanks for letting me vent-
btw-I fully understand my responsibility in this, and feel guilty for not doing more and being more outspoken in advocating for my son....I realized a little late that I trusted the educators and administration too much.
From my own sixteen yr old unschooled daughter in response to this:
"Unschooled teens usually don't know the difference between right and wrong since they do not face any consequences for their actions."
My daughter's response:
There are consequences to everything we do in life. I'm pretty sure that if I tried to cross the street at a cross walk when the sign said "don't walk", there would be consequences to my actions. Not everything in life needs to be about school.
My unschooled child owned his own home and his own business by the time he was 20. This is a child who didn't learn to read or write until he was well into his teens. Had he been in a traditional school, he would have been labeled LD and would have spent years recovering like his dad did.
Sue-amen-see my post above!!
Unschooling isn't for most kids, and it is probably better for kids who are 10 years old and older and have good reading, writing, and at least some math skills. The kids have to be self motivated and show a determination to satisfy their curiosity by researching their interests and doing projects around them on their own. I know three successful unschoolers: one is a second year linguistics student at U of Pgh; the second is a pre-med and plays harp with the Pgh Symphony; and the third is deciding to go to Sarah Lawrence, Chatham U, and Evergreen State in Washington--all have offered scholarships to study drama. My kids would have played video games all day if I unschooled them, so they weren't unschooling matieral. But there are kids who are self-directed.
For FACTS about what unschooling is check out: serendipitymama blogspot dot com dated 4-20-10.
Your article is not based on any fact. Only a commentary about a 5 minute segment of another journalist.
To Online Poker Examiner:
All kids are curious about the world around them and explore it in as much detail as their parents allow ... keyword allow. Many parents prohibit intense exploration because it is messy, time consuming, and often necessitates parental help and supervision. And such curiosity continues throughout childhood, young adulthood and beyond, as unschooling parents have discovered, unless that love of learning is squashed by school's restrictions, limitations, and hours of homework. Learning then becomes a chore, to be done for the sole purpose of earning a good grade, to facilitate entrance into college. Unschooled kids find that by pursuing their passions, they touch on many different subjects and see how the world is interrelated. They may not have math notation mastered, but they understand the concepts behind them, because they use them in their daily lives.
It's very clear, from this commentary and the comments here and on abc's website, that critical thinking was not taught in our schools. People like to spout common misconceptions without doing their own research. In the age of the internet that is a shame, with the world literally at our fingertips.
You wrote: "Parents sit back, relax, and allow their kids to do whatever they want."
I am an unschooling parent and I assure you this is not true. Sitting back is not in any way a common activity for me. I am with my children all day, and we are playing, exploring, reading, estimating, researching, planning, asking questions, living, laughing, talking. We do projects, take trips, observe nature, play sports (sometimes of our own design), and solve all kinds of real-life problems together.
Because our relationship is so good, and because it is based on mutual respect, when I share my experience and opinions about life choices, my children listen to me. They consider what I've said and ask questions. They may still want to do something differently, but we come up with a solution we can all live with and enjoy.
You seem to think that the kids are "in control," but in fact we are truly living and learning together in a way that is hard for traditional parents to unders
@Jon,
Saying that every child is intellectually curious is ludicrous, and by saying this you're using the same broad brush Anna is catching criticism for. Every person is different --yes upbringing and environment play a major role i development, but they are not the only factors-- and what makes a person intellectually curious isn't simply less structured education --nor does this inhibit critical thinking; it's different for every child. As I said, you should examine where your child will excel; for some it's "unschooling", for some it's homeschooling, and for some it's public schooling.
Saying every child would benefit from "unschooling" is asnarrow-minded as what you're blasting Anna for.
These people mentioned in the article seem retarded or too lazy that's all (I hope all unschooling parents are not like that). In the above mentioned cases Even if their kids are inclined towards a particular path of learning , who will guide them in this situation. I think Public schools are an important part of social and intellectual development.
I can't leave links but the history of the term unschooling with a backup video is at sandradodd dot com slash unschool slash the term or you could google origin of unschooling. It was before my time, but it does have a history. Radical unschooling wasn't before my time. The adjective was added to distinguish between unschooling sort of and unschooling completely.
As to the idea that not all people are intellectually curious, when do you think that goes away? A lot of unschoolers think it's school that kills interest in learning. But let's say that's not true--what good will twelve or thirteen or seventeen years of school do for someone without any intellectual curiosity?
Ana,
Sorry, you are off the mark on this one. My 'unschooled' family is grown. 29 y.o. daughter is college graduate and project manager for a non-profit health program, 26 y.o. son with master's in molecular biology is a research scientist at a large university and youngest son is finishing his B.A. in business. Their schooling consisted of a daily journal, 5 math lessons by the end of the week and music. Reading was encouraged but the most important thing was love of learning. That's why I started. By second grade school was sucking the desire for learning from my daughter so we pulled her out and never looked back. My kids still get along and we continue go on long trips together (now with their significant others) and they get up each day looking for new things to learn about. We never for a moment regret our schooling choice. Check out John Taylor Gatto or the Colfax family story. Sure, there are some bad 'unschoolers' but have you checked out the public school parents
@Sandra Dodd
I'm curious why you (and Jon) suspect that intellectual curiousity is a learned trait? It doesn't just appear or disappear, some poeple are intellectually curious, while others simply are not: Other wise there is no expalining intellectual curiousity in public school kids, or the absence of it in "unschooled" kids. Intellectual curiousity is part genetics, part environment, and part education.
And of course succesful "unschooled" people would say that public school kills intellectual curiousity; just as successes from public school would claim the reverse.
A final thought is on the topic of when the author has needed Algebra: It's not about "needing" Algebra, it's about not closing doors and exploring all avenues available to you. I'm not for or against "unschooling", but one arguement I could make against it is that by only studying things that interest you, you may be missing out on your life's calling and limiting your experiences.
@ Online Poker Examiner.... All children ARE born intellectually curious, well before they can speak or understand language. That is how they learn to hold up their heads, reach, roll, coo, laugh, crawl, stand, walk, talk, run, jump, count......how many babies, toddlers, and pre-school age children have you met who WEREN'T endlessly curious and energetic?
Unfettered and allowed to develop, that curiosity grows in ways school cannot begin to keep up with (I say this as an often-bored public schooled person, and as the mother of two seldom-bored, insatiably learning children).
If a toddler keeps being told "no" and "not now" when they explore, they may learn to not allow their curiosity free reign. If they are told what to do all day in school, they may be too tired and apathetic to explore, off-hours (as an adult with a grueling workload might not have time or energy for hobbies).
In order to understand unschoolers, one must first truly get to know some.
forgive my spelling and typos in my previous comment, it's late, I write for a living, and my eyes are extremely tired!
@Online Poker Examiner:
"Studying only things that interest you" isn't very limiting for people who are interested in EVERYTHING. I don't believe there is much chance of "missing out on your life's calling" when you spend your time doing what calls to you.
People who worry about kids "only" learning what they are interested in are envisioning people who have had the joy of learning beat out of them one way or another, I think. It simply has not been a problem for us. We run out of time long before running out of things we want to learn about.
Also, "if your kid will only read a book that is assigned to them, or has little intellectual curiousity <sic>" then perhaps whatever school experience they have already had is the problem. Those would be the very children I'd expect unschooling to work best for, helping them to regain their interest in learning.
-=-I'm curious why you (and Jon) suspect that intellectual curiousity is a learned trait?-=-
I don't think I wrote anything that would cause you to suspect that. I think all children are curious, and that some children have it squashed, by mean parents, shaming friends and relatives, too much teasing, or school.
Some kids' curiosity survives. Mine did. Friends all around me were going limp and blank-eyed, though, by junior high, and two killed themselves.
I have not seen any unschoolers without curiosity and a joy in learning. I taught public school. I have spoken at three dozen homeschooling conferences. I'm not basing this on a small sample in any way.
My 9 year old spent the day mapping out the characters in the Illiad - because it interests her. She wants to understand who was who, who might be real, and who wasn't. She is learning civics (why was there war? who won? can a war truly be won?), geography (where is Troy? Where are the Dardenelles?), history and reading, using the computer and drawing.
Then she spent an hour multiplying fractions. Curiously amused that "x" can also mean "of" (ie 1/2 x 1/2 is same as 1/2 of a 1/2). Not a text book or worksheet in sight. Hard to understand why/how this is so threatening to so many people....
Now she is singing ABBA songs while pretending to be a cat (slightly disturbing, LOL). Lighten up, learn because you want to, and it will be fun and effortless.
Quite the opposite, regarding intellectual curiosity. I believe all human beings possess it at birth, and are inherently curious about learning about the world around them and how it works. Until it gets squashed, as Sandra said. I can't claim to be a teacher, nor can I claim to have spoken at unschooling conferences. But I know that in my home, my kids find the whole world fascinating. Yes, they have areas of interest, but they are interested and engaged when visiting museums, aquariums, and historical sites that are out of their immediate areas of interest.
"Unschooling equates to irresponsible parenting" Way to talk trash about my mother, Ana. Are we going to have to take this outside?
"Jasmine says:
'Unschooling equates to irresponsible parenting' Way to talk trash about my mother, Ana. Are we going to have to take this outside?"
I love when people threaten violence from behind a keyboard. It makes it so much easier to spot the coward with nothing of substance to say.
"Rachel says:
This is one of the worst articles I've ever read. This is effectively a recap of the GMA segment. I would venture a guess that the author didn't so much as Google 'unschooling'. Are you an Examiner or a Mindless Regurgitator?"
In case you haven't noticed, many blog authors paraphrase, quote, and link to other articles that they think may be of interest to their readers. This happens on pretty much every website out there, from this one all the way to CNN and ESPN. It's nothing new, and it's even happening on a more frequent basis now that everyone and Jasmine's mother has a blog and/or personal website.
"Linda Wyatt says:
…Also, 'if your kid will only read a book that is assigned to them, or has little intellectual curiousity <sic>' then perhaps whatever school experience they have already had is the problem. Those would be the very children I'd expect unschooling to work best for, helping them to regain their interest in learning."
That's not a case for unschooling, that's a case for homeschooling. Pull them out of school and set them up on a home study course that combines their school's curriculum with what they are interested in. It's important to get a well rounded education rather than just concentrating on one field of study. Heck, even colleges make you go through 2 years of GE units before you can start to go nuts with your major classes for the final 2 years.
"DW - tyt army member says:
Sorry, you are off the mark on this one. My 'unschooled' family is grown. 29 y.o. daughter is college graduate and project manager for a non-profit health program, 26 y.o. son with master's in molecular biology is a research scientist at a large university and youngest son is finishing his B.A. in business. Their schooling consisted of a daily journal, 5 math lessons by the end of the week and music…"
That sounds like the very definition of homeschooling, DW. You assigned work that needed to be completed by the end of the week. That just described every single week for me while I did independent study and homeschooling.
I believe that our current education system is so flawed that almost any alternative would be preferable. I cannot understand why so many kids are registered each year, voluntarily surrendered to a system that we all know will reject about half of our children as "Dropouts", and most of the remaining half will be required to take remedial classes upon college entry.
We have somehow been convinced that our decisions as parents can be overridden by law or subject to public debate.
They are OUR children, we have the Right and the Responsibility for their education.
The benefits of keeping you kids at home, even not educating them, far outweigh the detriment of a public education.
No bullies, No peer pressure for sex, drugs, or criminal behavior, No pedo teachers or coaches, No disinterested teachers, No class determination, No authoritarian programming, No labels (ie special needs), No Texas textbooks, No unqualified medical diagnosis or recommendations, etc, etc.
Chris L. - I love it when people without a sense of humour assume everyone else is lacking one too.
The hypoceisy in some of these comments is laughable! You are railing on people that are anti-unschooling as narrow-minded, and then go on to rail against public schools as the devil incarnate. While i admit that the public school system has many problems, the same can be said for unschooling. It's like a gun; in the right hands there is little danger, but in the wrong hands it can be a deadly weapon. Again, I'M NOT AGAINST UNSCHOOLING!
There is also a lot of people talking in terms of "I think..." or "in my house", that's fine, and you are obviously one of the responsible parents guiding your children's education
And as for intellectual curiousity; i think many of you are confusing intellectual curiousity with curiousity. Of course children are curious, they are sponges learning new things daily, but some are only interested in sports or video games or dating when they reach school age,and this has nothing to do with their schooling.
A final point on being well rounded: How many of you were forced to try something that you ended up liking? leaving children to their own devices is fine for some, since they will choose to be well-rounded, but as the GMA piece shows this is not always the case, quite a few will just elect to play video games and watch tv. Once you bypass something it's very hard to go back to it.
Also, how many of us do what we think we are going to do in life? even at high school sand college age people are still "finding" themselves, and this is why General Education is so important, so you don't close any doors on yourself.
Some of you say your kids are well-rounded, that's great, but those are YOUR KIDS, not every kid will be well-rounded. A few examples do not make the general consensus, just like public schools cannot be deemed failures based solely on the dropout rate, in both cases you need to taske the good with the bad
Quite the opposite, regarding intellectual curiosity. I believe all human beings possess it at birth, and are inherently curious about learning about the world around them and how it works. Until it gets squashed, as Sandra said. I can't claim to be a teacher, nor can I claim to have spoken at unschooling conferences. But I know that in my home, my kids find the whole world fascinating. Yes, they have areas of interest, but they are interested and engaged when visiting museums, aquariums, and historical sites that are out of their immediate areas of interest.
@Jon
Again, you state, "I believe", belief in something doesn't make it true. If your opinions on public school and parents were correct then how do you figure all of the people whho go to public school and have little parental intervention having intellectual curiousity?
Intellectual curiousity is made up of a number of factors including genetics and education (yes being exposed to something can make you very curious about studying it deeper) as well as environment.
Because of the 1000 character limit, I'm going to break my comments up.
>>This article is about unschooling, NOT homeschooling
**This article is not about unschooling. It's about some pretty major misconceptions of what unschooling is, apparently based only on a very brief and heavily edited segment on Good Morning America.
>>Unschooling has become a popular trend in education over the past few years.
**Unschooling is not a trend and has been around a lot longer than a few years. John Holt coined the term unschooling in the 1970s, but of course children learned without school long before John Holt was born.
>>Kids who are unschooled, versus those who go to an educational institution or are homeschooled, have an educational background that consists of very little.
**Very little what? Very little learning? No.
>>For the most part they stay home
**They stay home when they want to stay home. To infer that means they hardly ever leave the house is completely illogical.
>> and are not encouraged to read, attend classes, or learn any type curriculum.
**They are encouraged to do what interests them, which may include reading, attending classes, or following a curriculum.
>>They do not go to school, and hardly open a text book.
**Assuming that you have only the GMA clip to work with here and have not talked to the Yablonski-Bieglers personally, how do you know whether they hardly open a textbook? And what if they've never opened a textbook? Are textbooks really a font of accurate and vital information? That could be something interesting to examine. There's an article on Roger Ebert's Journal titled, "The Texas School Book Repository" that could be a good place to start.
>>Their son has no interest in sports, mostly because he was never exposed to them.
**This was JuJu Chang's implication. Does that make it true?
>>Unschooling is not illegal in some states, including Massachusetts.
**Unschooling is a form of homeschooling. Homeschooling is legal in every state in the US.
>>As long as parents report back to local school authorities once a year, they are able to take their children out of traditional schools without having to home-school them.
**This is inaccurate. For more information on the case law governing homeschooling in Massachusetts, please see mhla.org.
>>Radical unschooling is inarguably irrational and harmful.
**I know Sandra addressed this, but I think it's important to note that just saying something doesn't make it true, and that clarity, precision, and honesty are important components of good writing.
>>Kids who are raised by "radical unschoolers" have a gigantic disadvantage in life. For one, they will grow up believing that everything in the world revolves around them and their interests.
**Again, what are you basing this on? The opinion of a 'parenting expert' who was asked to comment on something she'd likely never heard of before? It's nonsense.
>>Unschooled teens, like the Bieglers, usually don't know the difference between right and wrong since they do not face any consequences for their actions.
**Unschooled teens do not face *arbitrary* or *made up* consequences for their actions, but they do not live in an alternate reality where their actions do not have any consequences.
Is it right or wrong to write an article without doing any research? Is it right or wrong to put inaccurate information about two teenagers on the internet?
What you didn't see thanks to the media: "Regarding what’s on the cutting-room floor, here’s a note from Christine, the teens’ mom: “What wasn’t included – Shaun discussing his extensive knowledge of mythologies with Juju, all of the footage of us next to the RV showing the map of the US & explaining our 2 month trip across the country, our trip to Australia (they asked for photos & we emailed them a bunch from our trips over the years), Kimi’s trip to France without us, at the age of 10!), Kimi’s Japanese Culture class & Shaun’s 3 sword fighting classes at Guard Up. So much knowledge that was discussed & explained to GMA staff, yet never shown on-air. Frustrating, to say the least!”
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