I was struck today, while reading Idzie’s sister’s reply to some unschool doubters, about this idea of a real world. You hear about it everywhere when people talk about schooled children. “When he gets into the ‘real world’ he’ll have the skills to…” or, in the case of unschooling, “I just don’t see how they […]
Archive > October 2009
Mixed Messages
This morning I was listening to some kids’ songs and was struck by something. In particular, there was Kermit’s “It’s Not Easy Being Green” (a classic) and then one called “Trading Squirrels.” The second one was a little dialogue between a climbing squirrel and a flying squirrel. They were saying that what the other one […]
My Confessions
So, I have a confession to make. I have a Masters of Education. With an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction. And I used to teach high school. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I was part of the machine. I was one of those teachers who believed in structure and homework. Okay, not really. I actually hardly […]
Rules Schmules
Lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about rules vs. principles. Though this isn’t obviously “unschooling” in that it’s not education-related, it is something that nearly all unschoolers practice. I watched Sandra Dodd’s comments on this on the website for Unschooling: The Movie (see video below), and then read some more thoughts by The […]
What Changed?
As a mom of a 7-month old, I am struck by something. It is common for parents, educators and doctors to realize that babies learn through play. Just today my son pulled himself up to his feet all on his own. How did he learn to do that? Did I teach him? Did I hire […]
Grown Unschoolers
One of the main objections or questions I get from people when I describe unschooling concerns what happens to these kids as adults. “How will they learn to do something distasteful?” “Won’t they be unable to fit into a workplace where they are told to do something by an authority-figure?” And, I had to agree […]
Unschooling and the Reading Program
After yesterday’s post, you may wonder if the theory of unschooling jives with these early reading programs. I mean, aren’t we using a school-like method to teach? Shouldn’t it be organic and natural? Well, my answer is that the way I do it is natural. I’m exposing him to words and their meaning. He’s enjoying […]
Reading Babies?
Before I even gave birth to Wesley, people started telling me about this “amazing” program called “Your Baby Can Read.” Now, I’m sure I’m speaking to other parents, so likely you’ve heard about this program yourself. In a nutshell, babies as young as 18 months are shown on these infomercials reading. They may not be […]
