Homeschooling 101: What is unschooling?

May 21, 10:30 PMUnschooling ExaminerSara McGrath

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Unschooling is "not schooling." This literal translation, however, does little to explain what unschooling is. Perhaps, because the term begins with a negative prefix, unschoolers typically attempt to define unschooling by what it is not. The lack of a positive definition contributes to a multitude of misperceptions.

John Holt, the school reformer turned homeschooling advocate who coined the term, unschooling, did so in opposition to schooling (coercive teaching, rewards and punishments, compulsory learning, grades, tests, subjects, etc.) Unschooling, then, was not schooling. It was something else entirely. It was, in simplest terms, learning without school. Read more: What is Unschooling?

Unschooling, also refered to as life learning, is a philosophy of noncoercion. In practice, unschooling can manifest in any number of ways, from free play to structured activities, but always lacking coercive pressure.