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I think regular homeschooling is strange enough. This unschooling thing just takes the cake. People can raise their kids however they want, but we live in a society where the norm is going to school with other kids, and sitting in a classroom with kids your age, and learning some of the skills and knowledge we need to become productive adult citizens and relate to other people.Kids need to know how to relate to other people. I don't see how they will ever relate to anyone when they haven't had the same normal childhood experiences as 99% of the people in this country.
The CBS Interactive Business Network published it from the Journal of College Admission. It's not an article from some biased pro-homeschooling Christian newspaper.
It's the CBS Interactive Business Network, not some biased pro-homeschooling Christian newspaper.
I was referring to unschooling not home schooling. Although my statement could apply to both, I suppose. Just from this forum I've learned some new things about homeschooling. I know that there are group activities, etc. Unschooling just seems way out there to me. And I did read part of the article. Great. Homeschoolers are doing fine. the thread is about UNSCHOOLING.
I agree. Homeschooling is not for everyone but is a great option for some. A love of learning can be instilled by good parenting regardless of how and where children are educated.
I think unschooling is misunderstood and has been portrayed negatively in the media due to that misunderstanding. I saw a piece on Good Morning America months ago about it that was incredibly biased. The term "Unschooling" was coined by John Holt in 1977. I don't think it's a buzz word but it may not be the best word to describe this particular educational philosophy. I prefer terms such as "child directed learning" or "free schooling" or "life learning". I think that the term "unschooling has negative connotations and contributes to the confusion of what it is all about. I've read a ton about it and it took me a long time before I really fully understood what it was all about. It's very much outside of the box in terms of how most people view education but I also see it's validity and can see how it would work very well for some families.
Then you start to tie it in with Montessori & Quaker schools w/ the term "child directed"
I just think the term "unschooling" is negative alone & thus has an air of defensiveness to it.
Children need to have structure & discipline & a "school" setting be it homeschooling or traditional is the best option for most. Not all, but a very large majority.
It is a shame when some parents withdraw their children from school & do very little on their end to develop the child due to the child's very strong personality or the parents. I think these are the families that stereotype across the border.
I think it is safe to say that we all have the right & choice to parent as we see fit for our children. It is also vital to remember OUR choices have consequences on the CHILDREN.
If I go back into teaching when my children are much older, I do not think I can go back into the traditional setting. It's too much of a fight. Fight w/ admin. Fight w/ parents. Children who are perfectly fine but labeled or drugged up on whatever makes it easier on their parents. Being required to teach to the test. The love of learning has been lost. It's sad.
I absolutely know that home schooling is not a good fit for my family. I don't need to try it to know my limits and my kids' personalities.
Then please try to respect the fact that homeschoolers do not need to put their children in school to know that it wouldn't be a good fit for their families. They know their children just as well as you know yours and they know what is best for their families as a whole just like you know what is best for your family as a whole.
Then please try to respect the fact that homeschoolers do not need to put their children in school to know that it wouldn't be a good fit for their families. They know their children just as well as you know yours and they know what is best for their families as a whole just like you know what is best for your family as a whole.
the thread is not about homeschooling. It is about unschooling.
the thread is not about homeschooling. It is about unschooling.
Unschooling is a form of homeschooling. You have made comments in this thread regarding homeschooling, not just unschooling. I was responding to those comments.
can these unschooled kids even go to college and get a degree? What are they qualified to do after spending 17 or 18 years playing and exploring?
I just came across this question. I'd like to try to answer it. I agree that unschooling is super extreme. The chances of it being done well are very limited. But I do know that it CAN be done well. For example, I recall a story of a unschooling family whose daughter became an accomplished musician. Her education was primarily in playing instruments (what specific instrument, I can't remember, I think it was violin) because that is what interested her. Her parents taught her other basic knowledge of reading, math (budgeting, etc.), but she didn't receive higher math and science. She didn't need to go to college. She's a professional musician for a symphony somewhere.
I can't easily find anything on this specific girl, but a quick google search I found this unschooled guy is in his Senior year of college.
I realize that public school is not one-size-fits-all. That's why there are magnet schools, charter schools, private schools, and home schooling options. If you never put your kid in a regular school, you won't know if it is a good fit or not. All of the examples that have been given - the holocaust, the bugs, can be studied in addition to going to school. We all have interests. That doesn't mean we don't spend time doing other things, too. In the bug example, the child wasn't even school age yet. Any parent can take their preschooler to the library and pick out a book and get them a bug vacuum or whatever else they might need to study bugs. That's not a reason to not send them to school!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorthy
Unschooling is a form of homeschooling. You have made comments in this thread regarding homeschooling, not just unschooling. I was responding to those comments.
I said home schooling is "strange enough." And above I actually included it in my list of options if traditional public school is not for you. That's all I said. I'm not sure why you think I'm attacking homeschooling.
That's all I said. I'm not sure why you think I'm attacking homeschooling.
I think because many of the negative views you have about unschooling are also often applied by people about homeschooling too. Almost everything you've posted is what homeschoolers hear all the time: "How will they be normal socially as adults?" "How will they go to college?" "How will they relate to peers in society?" Homeschooling parents hear this stuff all the time. And your comments are generic---can be applied to either homeschoolers or unschoolers---because you keep talking about social norms and how people who aren't exposed to social norms will be disadvantaged. That groups in homeschoolers even though you don't mean to do so because homeschoolers don't have the same experiences as children in traditional schools.
I just came across this question. I'd like to try to answer it. I agree that unschooling is super extreme. The chances of it being done well are very limited. But I do know that it CAN be done well. For example, I recall a story of a unschooling family whose daughter became an accomplished musician. Her education was primarily in playing instruments (what specific instrument, I can't remember, I think it was violin) because that is what interested her. Her parents taught her other basic knowledge of reading, math (budgeting, etc.), but she didn't receive higher math and science. She didn't need to go to college. She's a professional musician for a symphony somewhere.
I can't easily find anything on this specific girl, but a quick google search I found this unschooled guy is in his Senior year of college.
I'm not supporting unschooling as a whole. But I can see where unschooling has some potential for children with natural talents in the arts.
Well then it's a good thing the girl had talent for musical instruments, because she wouldn't have gotten an interview for a job on Wall Street. I'm guessing no law office would've hired her as a paralegal intern, and she would've been laughed out of politics the moment anyone found out she was interested in it.
Homeschooling - totally get, totally understand, totally agree with the concept. Unschooling - just call yourself an artist, and stick a fork in your chest. You're done.
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