Description
People who feel drawn to the philosophical ideals of unschooling often ask how to unschool. While acknowledging that each family approaches the unschooling lifestyle from a unique standpoint, I offer the details of my family’s experiences, along with specific advice for meeting legal requirements without sacrificing your ideals.
(See What is unschooling?)
Let's imagine a life without school! In the absence of school, what do children do? They play. They do what brings them joy. They do what calls to them. They do what they need to do to get from point A to point B, learning useful skills along the way. Let's imagine a life of unlimited possibilities!
The unschooling approach to life, in general, describes the way we learn naturally when left to pursue our own personal interests. As unschoolers, we own our interests–our passions, dreams, and goals–and also the responsibility for pursuing and attaining them. We respond to our desires. We go after our dreams with enthusiasm.
Unschoolers acknowledge that
- We learn all the time;
- All learning has value; and
- We learn best by our own motivation, in our own ways.
Unschooling parents and their children live and learn together, helping each other, making discoveries, solving mysteries, and sharing adventures. Ready to have some fun?
Topics Include
- Natural learning
- Deschooling
- The learning environment
- Learning experiences
- Recordkeeping and legal requirements
- College and career
- A multitude of resources
Buy now: Available through Lulu Marketplace, Unschoolers' Bookstore, and The Unschooler's Emporium.
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Comments
This book tackles a very interesting topic. While unschooling is unconventional now, it may become more popular as people discover it.
The writer has a great way of explaining unschooling and how it will benefit your children.
As a school choice mom I an always reading books about alternative methods of education. I am looking forward to reading this.
Congratulations Sarah, on your new book!
While I applaud the lofty concept that unschooling leaves "children free to pursue their own interests and learning", I have to wonder how unschooling can help the UNMOTIVATED learner. I have a shockingly lazy -yet brilliant- child, with no interests whatsoever. IQ over 140, but will he play? Too much work. Go outside? Ew. He would rather sit on the floor and stare at four walls than do ANYTHING. Homeschooling made ME the bad guy, "forcing" him to do evil tasks like READ or -god forbid- WALK! Museums, games, pools, music--NOTHING appeals to him. Unschooling turned me into a drill sargeant (in his eyes). I became the wheedler, the nagger, the cheerleader, the slave driver -- forcing him to notice his surroundings against his will. The constant battles were not worth the damage it was doing to our family. Now he goes to traditional school so that he is not trapped with me 24 hours a day, viewing me as source of all his misery. Let him hate the teachers at school instead.
"Doesn't work for all kids": That doesn't sound like fun, nor does it sound like unschooling. Perhaps you misunderstood the overlying concepts of non-coercion, enjoyment, and flexibility? I hope your child doesn't hate his teachers. That doesn't sound like an improvement to the situation. Perhaps you could think of another approach?
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