Tag: new to homeschool

As you dive into the homeschool world, you may be overwhelmed by all the information, options, and lingo that you have never heard of. The words unschool, deschool, lifeschool, farm school, game school, road school, etc may have popped up in your social media. It can be confusing especially the words deschool and unschool. I am going to try my best to explain this concept to you.

Unschooling is the same as child-led learning. The child’s interests builds the curriculum.

The word “unschool” can come across negatively as if someone is against school. That isn’t it at all. It means that the parent wishes to focus on the interests of the child when it comes to their education. As a society, we link the words “school” and “education” so much that it feels almost that they are connected and bound together. Let’s dive into the definitions of both words.

School– An institution for educating children or adults.

Education– A life-long process of gaining knowledge.

Yes, there is a lot more to school and education that those basic definitions. You can “school” someone. The word there is used as a verb and is a synonym for educate. You can receive “schooling”. The word there is used almost like the word education. There are so many variations of the word that one may come to the conclusion that unschooling is a method that is against school and education. However, that is wrong. Unschooling simply means not school as in not your typical institutionalized school. It doesn’t mean not education.

Unschooling simply means not school as in not your typical institutionalized school.

It doesn’t mean not education.

Unschooling is so much more than school alone. It values each child, their interests, and way of thinking. It recognizes that we are all individuals with different goals and dreams. It sets children up for their future by fostering those interests and helping them learn what they need to know to be successful. Unschooling avoids having to answer those questions of “Why do I need to learn this?” because they witness it daily through watching their parents live their lives.

How do children learn what they need to know?

Most parents who unschool find more value in natural curiosity than standards set by a state. They believe that children who have a passion for learning about whales will want to soak everything up about the mammals. Through researching about whales, children are exposed to….

• science by learning about the animal. Ever heard of the term marine biology?
• geography by learning about where the animal lives and migrates.
• reading by reading books and articles.
• history by learning about the many ways whales were used when they were hunted.
• math by calculating how far humpback whales migrate.
• writing by creating an informational piece such as a flyer or pamphlet about whales.

All of those subjects which are core subjects are covered just by learning about whales. I know my state requirements require homeschoolers to teach all 5 core subjects (English/grammar/writing, reading, math, history/social studies, and science). A unschooler can easily cover all the subjects. The curriculum is designed with the child in mind and not by a big curriculum company.

What if they don’t want to learn?

Children who are unschooled from the beginning have no concept of sitting down and learning something. Learning is just a part of their life. These kids have seen their parents read, write, and do math just through every day life. Children will naturally want to do these things as they see their parents do it. They will do so because they see the point and value in doing it. In addition, children who are unschooled tend to know how to learn something if they need to do it.

A child who has been in a school setting and now in a homeschool setting may not understand unschooling. It may be an adjustment for both you and your child. You are used to seeing 5 subjects taught every day. The five subjects are often taught isolated from one another as if science could never overlap other subjects. You have been told that there are certain milestones that must be accomplished at certain times to be “on grade-level”. Unschooling doesn’t see those things. When a person unschools… they trust the natural process of learning and curiosity.

Here’s the thing… curiosity is natural. Every human being is curious about something. When we fan the flame of curiosity, learning will happen. Sometimes, it just takes taking a break and reevaluating how learning can look. If you trust the process and encourage curiosity, a child will want to learn.

Should everyone unschool?

Believe it or not but unschooling takes a lot of energy and preparation if done correctly. Remember- unschooling doesn’t mean “no education”… it simply means that the ideology of what education looks like is different than society’s typical school. I would say that if you do not have the discipline to display the value of an education, curiosity, and life-long learning than you should NOT pursue unschooling. If you cannot do those basic things to be a role model for your child then it could go terribly wrong and edge towards education neglect. Unschooling is NOT education neglect… it is valuing the child’s interest and letting that shape your curriculum. It is NOT teaching them absolutely nothing.

How does an unschooling curriculum look?

Unschoolers value the basic core subjects (reading, writing, math, science, and social studies). The curriculum looks different because they tend to not rely on standards to shape their curriculum. Rather than have a set of books to dictate what their children learn, they use life skills, experiences, and children’s interest to be the spine of their curriculum.

Unschoolers usually include things like animal husbandry, cooking and baking, museums, arts and crafts, documentaries, gardening, hiking, traveling, etc in their curriculum. They find learning away from text books as important and do not value worksheets as much. Their experiences tend to be more hands-on rather than writing reports or proving learning is happening.

I like the idea of unschooling, but I feel compelled to do some structured lessons. Is there a way to unschool a little?

Yes. That is exactly what I do. I consider lifeschooling to be the best of both worlds. As a lifeschooler, I value structured lessons based on what I feel my children need to know but also find life skills and my children’s interests very important. I base a lot of what we learning on my children’s abilities and interests to keep them engaged and learning. I teach my children math, writing/grammar, and reading while letting science and social studies/history be more child-led. I’m what some would call an almost unschooler.

In closing, if you are interested in unschooling I would suggest you joining an unschooling group on Facebook. Talk with other parents who embrace unschooling to get a better picture of what it is and how it can look. There are all different levels of unschooling as it can mean something different to every family. Welcome to homeschooling…. where you have ultimate say in how your children learn and can customize it to fit your family’s needs, values, and interests.

Have a question about unschooling? Let me try to help.