Unschooling: What is it and is it Right for You?

Summer Minor, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Jan 18, 2007 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

"The most important thing any teacher has to learn, not to be learned in any school of education I ever heard of, can be expressed in seven words: Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activity of learners." - John Holt, Growing Without Schooling Magazine #40

There is a small but growing group within the homeschooling spectrum called unschooling. For many this radical style is a mystery, but for some it is as obvious as the curiosity in a child. Sometimes called child-led learning, this method is based on the books by author John Holt. An educator himself, Holt spent many years studying the way children learn and writing several insightful books on the subject. Before his death in 1985, Holt had nine books and a magazine to his credit. Two more books were written after his death from notes and letters of Holt's.

So what exactly is unschooling? That is a difficult question to answer, as unschooling means something different to each person. A simple explanation is allowing children the freedom to learn what they choose at their own pace. It is an open ended process where children's natural curiosities are free to blossom as they choose. Little to no formal structure is held, unless the child asks for it. In this way a child is not hindered by what others feel he should learn, but is led by his own internal drives and desires.

For many this seems almost outrageous. The majority of us were raised in the public school system where we were guided by teachers and taught specific lessons. The lax attitude of unschooling can be a shock to the system. But unschoolers say that what they are doing is actually perfectly normal. Left to their own devices many children can and do learn quite a number of things. Anyone with young children can contest the insatiable curiosity that drives them to understand the world around them. Babies walk, toddlers talk, and children strive to learn and do more.

Those opposed to unschooling have several complaints. One is that left to their own whims children would choose to spend the day watching cartoons. However most unschooling families say this just is not the case. Without a teacher looming over them forcing the direction of their pursuits children are excited to learn and explore at their own pace.

One unschooling mother of two shares an example of children directing their own pursuits. "Both of my children aspire to work with animals. They have a huge interest in anything animal related. Over the course of the spring, summer and early fall, we would make it a point of taking peanuts to the park to feed the squirrels. Joey learned how to imitate the chattering of a squirrel to draw them closer to us. He got to the point where he could feed them from his hand. This led him to learning the different types, different chatters, which breeds are more reserved and which breeds are more outgoing. He can tell you which types of trees which squirrels seem to be drawn to. MacKenna is just as fluent in birds. She can tell the difference between male and female in all the varieties that we have here. She even spotted a rare hawk before I did. And later, when we were at the nature center trying to figure out what we had seen, she could remember the finer details and how to pinpoint it out from the crowd."

Another issue that some have with unschooling is that without being guided as children, that as adults unschoolers will not be as prepared for college and that most will not make it in. Again this is an issue that most unschoolers do not find to be true. In fact many schools from local community colleges to Ivy League universities such as Princton are happily accepting unschoolers among their ranks. Self motivated students are in high demand in many colleges, and unschoolers fit the bill as they have had a self-directed learning approach most of their lives.

However, being motivated and self-directed leads some unschoolers to skip college and dive directly into the work force. Many pursue a particular area that they love, gaining knowledge through hands on experience rather than waiting. Have more free time to work towards a goal than most children in a more structured environment allows them more opportunities to learn and advance.

Daron, an unschooling mom explained of her young daughter, "My daughter was born with a drive to learn. She started exploring her world as an infant and hasn't stopped yet. She's immersed herself in various arenas, from Greek mythology to musical theatre. She applied for her first job shortly after she turned 11, at a dinner theatre, and was cast in a supporting role. By the time the show closed she'd earned over a thousand dollars. Since then she has worked pretty steadily, although at not-quite-fourteen she's still legally too young for many jobs."

A third issue many hold against unschooling is that without tests, assignments, and worksheets it is impossible to really know what, or even if, your children are learning. For many unschoolers proof that their children are indeed getting an education can be seen in their day to day lives. As they talk with and watch their children they begin to see just what their children understand about the world around them. This is one of the basic principles of unschooling, that children learn from the world around them. Going to the store with your child can be a lesson in mathematics, showing you what they know and giving them a chance to learn more. By paying attention to their children it becomes obvious what they do and do not know.

Another unschooling mother explains, "My son Joe is seven. He will be eight in February. He is unschooled, and I know that makes a lot of people nervous. His dad (we are separated) was "testing" him one day & was very concerned that Joe did not know how to multiply. Two days later, Joe was planning a yard sale, and he said to me, 'I am trying to make enough money to buy two new Matchbox cars. They cost one dollar. So if I sell my old Matchbox cars for a quarter each, I will have to sell eight cars.' "

While unschooling might not be right for everyone, those who choose to follow this relaxed style of homeschooling are seeing positive benefits in their children. Freedom, motivation, and confidence are just a few of the things that unschooled children gain by directing their own educational path. As the number of homeschoolers continues to increase in the US, the number of unschoolers goes up also. Many families are looking past the common schooling methods and turning towards the more free thinking unschooling method.

Published by Summer Minor

Summer Minor is a mother of 3 who practices Attachment Parenting and believes that with gentle guidance children can grow to be who they were meant to be. She blogs about parenting at http://mama2mamatips.com View profile

Unschooling: What is it and is it Right for You?

91 Comments

Yahoo! Voices

Also on Yahoo!

Yahoo! Contributor Network