Unschooling Defined

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There is a popular segment of homeschool that a lot of people engage in. It is called "unschooling." These people are families who are concerned about their children learning but they are not concerned about "doing school." Instead, they focus on their children's interests, learning styles and personality. Here are some answers to the most common questions about unschooling.

If you do not do school, what do you do? Unschoolers read, play, sing, dance, grow things, cook things and write. However, they only do those things that interest them and that they enjoy. This is how unschoolers learn.

So, these children are allowed to do whatever they want, whenever they want? No, their parents are still responsible to help them learn and grow. However, these children guide their parents, showing them what they are interested in learning about and when they are interested in learning about these things. Parents also have their children do chores and participate in community life. This all helps with their children's learning.

What about math? While you probably can easily see how children can learn a lot of things without "doing school," you may be wondering how this can be done with math. Well, there really are a lot of ways in which children can learn how to do math. For instance, children can learn algebra through painting a room and geometry through quilting.

Is unschooling legal? Some state's guidelines for schooling are more difficult than others but unschooling is always legal.

How do you know if your children are actually learning? You can tell they are learning by listening to them talk, watching them play and spending time with them. It is at these times that you will see your children use their skills and knowledge. Since this information is not found within a worksheet or report, parents really have to be observant of their children and tuned into them. Many parents enjoy this though because their children get to create a tight knit relationship with them.

What about self-discipline? A lot of people will argue that jumping through academic hoops will not necessarily create self-discipline. Most children truly learn about self-discipline by observing their parents. Another thing that helps teach self-discipline is helping children to reach their own goals. These parents believe that the lessons that are contained herein will be more meaningful than learning how to turn in a book report on time.

Is there a way in which unschooling can be structured? Obviously you cannot be an unschooler if you are telling your child what materials and methods to use for learning. However, if you mean creating structure within your home, then yes, this can be done. After all, as an unschooling parent it is your job to help your children fulfill their needs. For instance, if a child requests to use textbooks to learn something then the unschooling parent should be more than happy to get these books for their child and thus fulfill this request.

This is unschooling in a nutshell. Unschooling obviously is not something that is for everyone. However, if you are interested in unschooling you can find a lot of information about it by using a Search Engine, like Google.com to search for "unschooling."