Unschooling
is a type of homeschooling.
Unschooling...what is that??
For our family, unschooling is a way of life. It is homeschooling and
learning in and from the world around us. Learning with all the tools God
gave us, instead of confining ourselves to someone else's scope and
sequence. We have some curriculum, but our policy is that the child has to
want to do the books. The books are within the reach of the children all
the time. I will gladly sit down with them and help them do a page or 2 or
3 or whatever the child requests. Unschooling is NOT watching TV all day
(much to the oldest son’s dismay). It is learning from the curriculum
that God gave us. Look at the clouds and talk about science. Read a book
and ask questions about that time period. Do math by buying a birthday
present for a sibling or by buying groceries. Everyone buys groceries,
don't they?
Unschooling is a lot like when the children were learning to walk. I
didn't get out a bunch of workbook pages on keeping your balance and where
to place each foot. I want our children to embrace the world God gave us
and learn from the things around them.
Here is a sample of a “typical” unschooler’s day. We played some
games, and read some books. My 9-year-old finished a book, staying up most
of the previous night to read it. (But, Mom, it was too good to put down!)
We watched some Fiddler on the Roof video for a little history and
discussion for lunchtime. The children all made their own lunches. Then we
got ambitious and went to the neighbour’s deserted farm place and picked
apples. Well, maybe picked isn’t the right term; we climbed the trees
and got some, we shook some branches and got hit on the head with apples.
At any rate, we came home with 4 sacks of apples. The children asked to
walk the mile home. Our road is one of the busiest gravel roads in Warren
County, especially when school is letting out. It wasn’t out yet, so I
allowed them to walk, following them home in the van. The oldest boy came
up to the van on the way home and asked if he could take a few apples to
an older neighbour that was on the walk home. Of course I allowed him to
make the delivery. I love to see that servant attitude coming out in the
children.
This was a typical day, and not, all at the same time. Isn’t all of
homeschooling that way? Each day is an adventure, and I never know what
God has planned for us next!
In the summer of 1996, I made plans for us to do a unit study on states in
the fall. Our oldest son was extremely caught up in learning all about the
fifty states, and I thought this would be a time for us to learn more
about the states. By the time November came around, he was no longer
interested in states, but instead wanted to know all about elections. It
was a presidential election year, and that is what everyone was talking
about. Neither of these is better than the other one is. I had a big fight
on my hands every day, trying to keep our son interested in states, when
he was dying for some information on elections. After only one or two
days, I saw the light, and taught him elections.
My point here is that not always do the children need to know exactly the
bit of information that the parents, some curriculum company, or we
determines ahead of time for our children.
For us, learning occurs all the time. School doesn’t stop at the end of
the last page for the day. Our schooling is a continuous thing. The kids
ask the questions, and depending on what I am doing, and my mood, I answer
the question, or direct them to find the resource that will give them the
answer.
Often, when people hear that we homeschool, they ask me if I like it. My
standard answer is, “It is like any other job. Some days you love it,
and some days you don’t even want to get out of bed.”
Now that we are unschooling, the loving days are far more commonplace.
We allow our children to determine what it is they want to learn. We
don’t allow some curriculum prescribed by an unknown person to do the
choosing for our family. The kids know what exactly it is they are
interested in learning. And if they don’t for a day or two, that is ok,
too. It will come. Have patience.
Think back to something you taught your kids that they could hardly wait
to learn more about. Wasn’t that one of the most enjoyable times you
ever spent teaching your child? Now think back to a time when you were
teaching something to the same child that you felt was important, but the
child was not interested. Not only were they frustrated, so was I and
tempers flared. It is much better to step back and let things take a
natural course. Unschooling makes it so that every teaching experience is
as enjoyable as the first example. The children are on fire to learn more.
That is my ultimate goal is for my kids. Second only to a deep personal
relationship to our Lord, I want them to learn to enjoy learning. The
first years of our homeschooling venture, when we were doing the
workbooks, and I was a drill sergeant of a mom, we were losing that love.
I know of no reason for learning to be a torturous thing.
But what if the child misses something you say? Well, I know for a fact
that none of us know everything. Every education is lacking in some areas.
No one knows everything. That is God’s job.
Bible studies are accomplished by the evening bedtime stories that my
husband reads to the children each night. They also go to church every
Sunday morning, evening, and to Wednesday night services. On Wednesdays
they have children’s choir, too. On Tuesdays they attend Awanas.
Reading is covered by, well, reading books. Any books of their choosing,
within reason. Goosebumps and some others are not allowed at our house;
the children know it, and stay away from that section of the library. We
read fiction and non-fiction of all types. The children all learned to
read using some curriculum, but mostly by looking at things around them
and asking questions. In the car is one of the best places my kids learn.
They have me as a captive to answer all their questions!
My children learn math by playing games like Monopoly, Life, Chess, and
Skip-Bo, plus tons of others. I make a trip to the grocery store one of
our biggest learning experiences too. I send the kids off to get
something, perhaps a gallon of milk, making sure they are getting the
right kind, and that it is the cheapest. To me, this is not only teaching
them math, but stewardship too. They love to do this!
Science is covered with experiments we do, and some by watching TV. Shows
on PBS are particularly great for this. Plus, there's usually a continual
science experiment going on in the refrigerator. Art is done with drawing
pictures and the occasional library book. Painting, crocheting, knitting,
sewing, along with the craft kits we got from the aunts an uncles last
Christmas all fall under the subject of art. Watching various videos and
all the museums we visit take care of the history really well.
One of the biggest assets to our homeschooling efforts was getting a
computer and using the Internet. Every subject is covered on there! We
have found many different resources and free offers on the Internet. We
have made friends from all over Iowa, the United States, and the World.
Unschooling allows the children to take their passion and pursue it to
their fulfilment. When the child has learned all they want to on one
topic, it is time for them to move on. Just like at the dinner table, I
allow the children to tell me when their tummies are full. And, with
learning, I allow them to tell me when they are tired of studying any one
particular thing. A sampling of past things we have studied includes:
geography, African animals, computers, slavery and the Civil War, horses,
the Titanic, presidents, kittens, musical instruments, and many others
that escape me right now! I never know what next adventure God has in
store for us.
Use the resources God puts in your family’s path and learn from them. He
desires us to learn from things other than just the workbooks and
curriculum. God is a wonderful teacher if we but open our eyes and hearts
and look around. When He made the earth, He didn't put books on it, He
expects us to explore, look around, and learn from LIFE. It is a great
world He has made for us. Let’s use it to His honour!
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
OBSERVE & JOURNAL
The first thing I recommend to people interested in unschooling is to let
their children have lots of time to choose for themselves, and watch what
they are doing. Write down in a notebook or journal what you see them
doing. Observe them for a week or two, or even a month, then go back and
decide what subject each activity falls under. For example, reading a book
falls under "language arts," playing "Monopoly" falls
under "math," looking up "electricity" in the
encyclopaedia would be "science" and "language arts"
(for research skills).
There are many things that children do all day long that are
educational--learning doesn't have to come from a textbook or a workbook.
BE READY FOR THE LONG JOURNEY
Another important step in beginning this adventure is to keep in mind that
unschooling is a long process. It will take the kids some time to decide
what it is that they want to learn about. After all, either you or the
public schools have been telling them what to do for a long time. That is
why I don't recommend making subject notations in your journal any less
than a week later. It is too easy to panic and say, "Oh, no! We
didn't do anything in science today!" Wait a few days, science will
happen!
DON'T GIVE UP TOO SOON
Give this process time. Don't go back to the way things were if you think
you are not seeing anything happen. The children may need a little break,
or what I call "veg-time" before they really dig in. They have
ideas and will take off on their own when they get over waiting for you to
tell them what to do. Two or three months are what I would recommend.
AVOID COMPARING
Comparing your children to other homeschooling children gets in the way of
success "big time." Your child's schedule is not going to be the
same as Billy's nor as Billy's mother, nor as the curriculum Billy is
doing. This is Satan’s trap. Don’t fall into it, unschooling or not.
USE RESOURCES
I read a lot about different types of homeschooling. A good resource that
I found helpful is the book "The Homsechooling Handbook," by
Mary Griffith. Mrs. Griffith wrote another book called the “Unschooling
Handbook”. It is a great resource for beginning unschoolers. Libraries
and catalogs carry a wide variety of other helpful resources.
TRUST
Trust the children to learn something on their own. Their minds are
"fearfully and wonderfully made" by God, who is infinitely
creative. Trust Him to guide you and the children into wonderful
discoveries in the world all around.
© 1999 Jeanne Musfeldt
If there is anything I can do to help you and your family in this new and
exciting journey, please let me know. Even if it is only praying for you,
or listening on a bad day. I am here.
God bless you and your family.
~Jeanne~