Un-schooling

There are all kinds of people in this world, and I don't agree with MANY of them (especially when it comes to parenting styles: choices in discipline, religion and education being the top ones.)
But as long as the children are not being abused, I feel like it's really none of my business. A parent has the ultimate right to raise their child in the way they see fit, and it doesn't really matter if I agree with them or not.
That's what I think :)

If people are really doing that we're moving to that "third world" status even faster than I thought. That's just plain lazy and irresponsible.

Unschooling is not the same as neglecting your children. What you are describing is neglect, and that is not what unschooling is about at all. Those who say "I'm not teaching you anything; you are totally on your own" are not true unschoolers. They are just lazy.

Unschooling is the idea that life should not be separate from learning. Learning happens no matter what you are doing; whether you are playing video games or playing in the backyard, children are learning, exploring, and keeping their natural and innate curiosity about the world. It is about trusting that your child will learn through unconventional methods, such as learning about biology and life science through growing a garden in the backyard. They learn how to write by writing their own stories; and they learn about math by creating a grocery store and using Monopoly money to count out change. If they decide one day that they want to learn about dinosaurs, then their parents will take them to the library and check out every book about dinosaurs there are, and they have the freedom to spend as much time as they want learning about dinosaurs (often with their parents learning right next to them). Rather than following a set curriculum that dictates what they learn about, they think for themselves what they are interested in and their parents create an environment where that learning happens. It could also be considered "child-led" learning. But learning is always taking place, just not in the classroom setting, and not with a curriculum that dictates what they will learn and when.

If you truly want to learn more about unschooling, there is a great book out there called "The Unschooling Handbook: How to Use the Whole World as Your Child’s Classroom" by Mary Griffith. She homeschooled both her daughters using the unschooling method, and both of them are now adults and "productive members of society" as you put it. It can be a great method of homeschooling for those families who choose to do it, because their children ARE educated (and socialized); they just don't use traditional means to get there.

Unschooling is NOT letting kids play video games all day. It is a movement involving exposing children to the world - parks, museums, zoos, etc and learning as you go. So you would go star gazing - and cover (depending upon the child's age) - what is a star, the optics of the telescope, what is the universe, the history of astronomy, physics etc. You would go to the museum and learn about mammals or dinosaurs or evolution or Renaissance painting. You would go to the supermarket and learn about math. Most unschoolers belong to a group of similarly minded parents who have strengths in areas they don't and who provide playtime and socialization.

I am not a home schooler or radical unschooler. I just personally think unschooling is as valid as lots of those canned curricula people feed their kids around the dining room table instead of out in the world. And no, I have no idea how universities are able to assess these kids, so mine will not be one of them. Aside from the fact it must be terribly time consuming.

Many unschoolers do not even have televisions or video gaming systems.

So you learn French (or any other language) by using it. So you find a group of native speakers (or Canadians) at the park or local cafe or wherever they hang out and you hang out with them. It's how kids learn English too.

For math - you do have to get beyond the supermarket to what more advance math is useful for. It's way more interesting to learn math because you are calculating the trajectory of a rocket than because someone gave you a workbook. Of course you can learn biology at a museum. Ours has behind the scenes days and camps where kids learn tons. Plus a laboratory with microscopes and specimens and all sorts of things.

I assume Brown is a more likely option than Princeton, but who knows.

There are different kinds of unschooling as far as I understand. There's the kind like is being explained by others here. No use of curriculum - they are more for EXPERIENCING it all and understanding with a REAL understanding of it. They follow their child's interest and don't force them to learn things, but they do provide a wide variety of learning opportunities so there is a lot of options for the kids to learn. It's a much more exciting/fun way to learn. So many kids in school get the attitude that learning is so super boring and not fun and they try to avoid it at all costs. This type of homeschooling is an awesome way, in my opinion! We're doing a mix. We do use books and things like that (Hooked on Phonics for reading, Explode the Code for reinforced reading and learning writing, etc), but a whole lot of what I try to teach my kids is by experience - real life experience. Instead of teaching my kids about butterflies and showing them pretty pictures at telling them random facts, we bought some caterpillars and watched go through all the phases to become butterflies. They were fascinated.

So, it's definitely not that they aren't being schooled, it's that they aren't being sat down, given worksheet after worksheet and forced to do things that are totally boring and uninterested to them. They are being taught things in a different manner. I do a mix because I'm not sure how I can teach them everything without using some books/worksheets and such. My kids love it, though. They think it's fun to have workbooks.

All that being said, there is another type of unschooling that I recently learned about. It is much more along the lines that you are referring to. The parents do absolutely nothing when it comes to the schooling of their children. They do not offer learning opportunities, some are apparently offended at the thought that they teach their child anything. They are 100% expecting their children to learn through life experiences completely on their own. There is no guidance or opportunities given by the adults. I was on a homeschooling group where they were talking about this. I hadn't realized there were different types of unschooling! I definitely do not support this type. The children will certainly still learn many things just by living life, but they won't be learning what they need to learn. It was bizarre to me to read what some of the parents were saying.

So, yes, there are some people out there like you are describing. But most of the are not like that. Most unschoolers are "unschooling" because they aren't doing a classroom setting type of environment. That is why it's "unschooled". They are living and teaching with life itself, as well as letting a child's interest lead the way. You'd be surprised at how many things kids are naturally interested in if you let them! Granted, it does mean that at times they will be behind in some areas, but it also means that they are way more advanced in others. In the end, it evens out. And, of course (at least with us), there will be a time where they will have to learn things that bore them...because they need to learn it. But, overall, I think it's a great idea.

And, I, too, am shocked that there are people out there who provide no learning environment, other than typical home life, for their child (and there really are people who do this!).

Oh, and I somehow missed this until I was rereading just now. I don't think it would affect their social and conflict resolution skills too much. Odds are they are getting social interaction somewhere. And dealing with conflict is common in a family. But if they are getting NO interaction with other people at all...yeah, that would end up causing social issues. Just almost all homeschoolers I know are actually quite social.

Anyway, hope that helps some!

It is a flabbergasting concept. It's just not how we're used to thinking about the potential of children to learn what they need. Unschooling works very well for some families, particularly for some children. It's not an excuse for lazy parenting, although there must certainly be at least a few parents who just let their kids play video games all day, or ride their bikes, or practice basketball shots. And of course some of those children will turn out to be quite ordinary. Some will probably end up flipping burgers.

But even among those who are left free to pursue "worthless" activities, most of those children will reach a point of saturation where their natural curiosity about other things kicks in, and they turn to some other activity obsessively for a few weeks or months. And that obsessive activity or curiosity begins to gel into a rounded education. Education becomes an intergral part of life, and doesn't stop on weekends or at the end of the school day. Or after graduation.

Unschooling isn't about neglecting a child's education, it's about supporting and maximizing the child's interests. My mom and stepdad "accidentally" unschooled me to some extent by getting me birthday and Christmas presents that supported my interests; art supplies (art history and my future vocation), a stamp album and atlas (geography and history), an aquarium (biology studies), a microscope (botany, biology, minerology). I made frequent trips to the public library (astronomy and other sciences, literature and writing, art and psychology, biographies). I learned at least as much through these extra-curricular activities as I learned in school. For me, school was stifling and exceedingly boring, with the exception of three years in which I had exceedingly fabulous teachers who were truly inspired and inspiring.

I would have LOVED to have been unschooled, but if my mom had been the one trying it, she would probably have spoiled it by hyper-managing every detail of what I did and how and when I did it. Because I was going to school and getting passable grades, she left me free to explore my interests.

If you read the unschooling website and stay open to their philosophy, I'll bet you'll get how powerful this approach is for some families and their kids. Unschooled children tend to go on to prestigious colleges, if they are so inclined, or find their way into leading-edge businesses and industries. Or become terrific educators for their own children, perhaps even engaging the next generation in another round of unschooling.

I think you have the wrong idea about un-schooling. It's more like hands on learning. You could easily make a transcript for it. Basically you would document the time spent in the subject area to add up credits. In all honesty it mirrors real life experiences better than regular school settings. I suppose in some ways I un-school with my kids. When they have an interest we research it but I also have a traditional curriculum that I use.

Everyone is learning all the time. It's as natural as breathing and as impossible to stop. The question is *what* we're learning.

Unschooling parents encourage their children to go deeper into subjects and truly understand what they are doing. Unschoolers learn to see connections and understand how all subjects and linked together. For example....

The kid is interested in bikes. They spend a few weeks biking around. All day, every day. This gets boring fast. So, now they're interested in expanding. There are lots of ways this can go. You can study geography through bike maps and bike routes. You can study sociology and history, learning about how the use of bikes has changed around the world and over time. You can study physics, since gyroscopes, friction, traction, and gear ratios all matter a lot if you're serious about your biking. You can study mechanics as you learn to repair the bike. Nearly every subject in the world can be made to relate to biking. And the unschooling parent would help their child find all those resources in their quest for excellence in biking.

All of this learning is very deep learning. Unschoolers understand this to their core and can apply their education to a wide variety of situations. They don't lose 20% of their learning if they take a break for a few months. They understand it, they know they need it, and it means something to them.

Unschooling kids may learn to read a little later than conventionally schooled kids, but once they learn they are often voracious readers. My eight year old doesn't read well yet, but is enthusiastic about books and is picking up new sight words rapidly. Our neighbor, of the same age, is reading much better...but he will never voluntarily pick up a book and will decline a playdate if he finds out part of the agenda is a library trip. Who do you think will be a better reader in ten years? There is very little practical difference between someone who *can't* read and someone who *won't* read.

Unschoolers generally have excellent social and conflict resolution skills. They're out in the community interacting with a wide variety of people in a wide variety of situations instead of just a handful of kids exactly their own age in a controlled situation. Practice makes perfect....and most unschoolers get a lot of practice.

The fact is, it's not fun to be ignorant. Unschoolers come from families where learning is a joy and a celebration, not a dreaded chore. To remain perpetually illiterate, innumerate, or scientifically incompetent would be bizarre and a cause for concern.

Think of it like watching a baby learn to walk. You don't put them on a schedule of walking drills. You just let them explore. You celebrate their achievements. If they aren't walking by 18 months, you get a little worried and consult with a doctor. Perhaps they are dealing with a real barrier, in which case specific drills to improve their balance and muscle tone would be absolutely appropriate. But until you see evidence of a barrier, you relax and know that your baby will learn how to walk.

You've got it a bit wrong. People who "unschool" do actually teach their kids things- they just don't do it in a traditional sense. That means no desks, worksheets, curriculum. Instead, children learn math by helping balance the family's budget, or by going to the grocery store with mom. They learn english and history by reading books in which they're interested. And yes, they probably spend a lot of time riding bikes... and going to the park, and doing karate, and volunteering, all sorts of things. Some would say they actually learn more real life skills than kids in regular classrooms.

You probably should've done your research before posting this.

I wonder where you are getting your misinformation?

The world has to have it's ditch diggers. People that don't care whether they are educated or not are usually the ones that provide manual labor services. They are a very necessary part of our society. If everyone was "educated" so to speak who would do the "dirty" work?

I've heard of it. It is one way of homeschooling. The children are taught what they want to learn. So if they want to learn about dinosaurs, that is what they do. They don't use any curriculum or any real text books.
Personally I am not for unschooling.
We do homeschool though, I am somewhat of a taskmaster. As my daughter will attest, she is doing homework now at 10PM.

If "un-schooling" truly is as described by Dana K. and Everley, then I guess I don't see why those things can't be done IN ADDITION TO actually sending kids to school. My daughter may end up going to a traditional, sit-down-at-a-desk-and-do-a-math-worksheet public school, but that does not mean I cannot enhance her education by taking her to museums, farms, etc. and giving her the chance to delve deeper into what interests her. So they don't teach astronomy in school - so what? Visit a planetarium and get a telescope for your house. Check out some astronomy books from the library. Attending public school will not prevent these opportunities - hopefully they will just end up with a more diverse, well-rounded education. What they learn at home will reinforce and enhance what they learn in school and vice versa.

I don't want to be called out on this on for not "knowing" what unschooling is. Believe me, I know what it is, and I understand the concept. Just like I understand the concept of Montesorri.

And if we were all living on farms and off the land 200 years ago, I think unschooling would be appropriate. But we don't. We live in a very modern, face paced society, and there is a NEED for a CURRICULUM. Unschoolers tend to skip entire points of education because their child just wasn't interested in it...and how is that helping them?

What kind of attitude does it teach? Only know what you feel like knowing, do what you feel like doing, and don't worry about the rest of it.

I homeschool, and I do it through a very accelerated online school with a wonderful curriculum for a reason. I also supplement with TONS of extra material on subjects generally not covered in school, to make sure my children can learn everything they need and want to learn. I figure if you're going to unschool, you are doing an injustice to your children.

So here I go again. I'm not going to apologize for this one. What is with people not wanting to give their children a leg up in this world? They have to deal with enough without forcing a handicap on them that they didn't ask for and weren't born with.

I'm sure this will be considered a "hot topic"

I've seen these people on TV - they are "teaching" their children by taking them out in the world and giving them "hands on" experience instead of classroom experience.

While I don't condone it - this is exactly what people thought when the homeschooling movement started...so I was "guess" that in a decade or so this "method" of "teaching" will be just as widely accepted as homeschooling is now...

My mom in law is a high school math teacher, and she mentioned that when she would get a previously home schooled student in her class, they were always way, way behind their peers.

That being said, I do know a family who is homeschooling and is not following any set curriculum. No schedules, no workbooks, just let them pick things up or wait until they show an interest in learning. The children and parents are very intelligent people, but their one child was very late to start reading/writing from what I observed, and I have to wonder how far behind they are in other subjects. In my opinion, waiting for the child to have a motivation to learn is waiting too long, and that motivation may never come... They need structure and external motivation.. that's an essential part of the formula, too.

What's really sad is the agency that regulates homeschooling and which interviews the children once a year or so does not insure that the kids are meeting basic educational milestones... at least that's what I gather after talking to this family.

The parents must be planning on supporting their kids for their entire lives b/c there's no way they'll make it on their own.

It is said that "unschoolers" learn based on what they're interested in and life experiences. So here's my question?

If they're not interested in Math, then how will they learn how to balance a checkbook or pay bills or buy a car? If they're not interested in nutrition, how will they know which foods are healthy and which foods are bad? If they're not interested in schedules, how will they be able to tell time? If they're not interested in learning to read, then how will they be able to read the lable off of a medicine bottle?

Well, it's like some people do with homeschooling. Many do a great job and their kids learn a lot and it's great and works well for them, but some use it as an excuse to do little or nothing, their children barely pass any testing and they do play and fool around most of the time. I'm not sure why parents that lazy bothered to become parents in the first place, but I know a few!

They tried this in the 60's and 70's too. Dumb idea, IMO. (And I don't know what current "unschooling" exactly consists of, so maybe it's wonderful. I'm just basing on the 60's and 70's version, which was basically as described above, and different from homeschooling. The idea was just to let the kid do whatever it wanted.)