Home-schooling Chronicles - Unschooling

Unschooling can be a controversial topic, even for homeschooling parents. People are usually passionate about the subject. They either love the idea, or hate it. However, unschooling can be regarded simply as another method used to teach children.

The idea behind unschooling is that the student leads instruction. For many people, the notion of child-led instruction appears a little dangerous. After all, there are some children who may never choose to learn how to multiply or spell. However, when implemented correctly, this method can encourage free thinkers and help reinforce the joy of learning. 

Unschooled children are encouraged to learn through life experiences, directed play, household responsibilities, and social interaction. Specific curriculum or directed instruction is not the main focus. For example, if a child is interested in butterflies, the parent takes him to a butterfly pavilion. Perhaps the two of them collect butterflies and study migration patterns. Next, the child may find the migration of animals interesting. Consequently, further study in animal migration is pursued. This interest in migration could diverge from butterflies and lead to an exploration of geography as well. Unschooling is founded on the idea that the study of one concept can branch into the exploration of many different subjects. Unschooling encourages a chain reaction to learning, emphasizing the gathering and separation of data. 

Some critics of unschooling believe that this method could create a false sense of reality for its students. In their opinion, when these children reach adulthood, they will find that many jobs do not allow employees to choose their own work, or to deviate from designated tasks. Advocates maintain that there are also many professions that allow, and encourage independent thought.  As in every homeschooling endeavor, it is the individual child’s aptitude that should be examined and addressed, rather than the parent's teaching philosophy.

While an outsider's perception of an unschooling household may be one of a loose, unstructured, and idle environment, this is usually not the case. Extensive preparation by the parent is needed in order to facilitate this type of learning.  Educational materials have to be readily available.  The parent must be vigilant in providing the environment and tools the child needs in order to “find” a subject or learning objective. It is the parent’s responsibility to keep the child's mind active and engaged. In actuality, unschooling can be much more demanding for the parent than schooling in a more traditional manner.

My personality does not make me a good candidate for an unschooling approach to education. I feel more comfortable with a traditional curriculum plan. However, I have used many of the tenets of unschooling in our house. For instance, in addition to our regular curriculum, I have added extra elements designed to create a deeper learning objective. When I notice that my children are feeling bored or tired, we sometimes stop “schooling” in their eyes, and I let them choose a topic to study. This simple diversion tactic allows for continued learning, while giving my children the illusion that they are having a break from school. I learned from unschoolers that offering my children the chance to choose the direction of their education will stimulate their desire to learn. In turn, they are more engaged in the lesson, and are more likely to retain the material.