Unschooling or Child Directed Learning is something that often comes up when considering homeschooling. The idea that children learn best when they lead their educational pursuits by way of interest, and the opportunity to explore that interest in an unstructured way, sounds very appealing. Studies have proven this type of learning to be very beneficial. Although not being tied to a particular curriculum is attractive, it isn’t for everyone. Below are three things to consider when thinking about using the unschooling method in your homeschool. Also included in this post are five ways that you can incorporate the ideology of unschooling without adopting the methods in it’s entirety.
Is unschooling right for you? Consider these three questions.
1. How much control do you desire to have in your child’s education?
Are you one to concern yourself with what your children are learning? Is making sure they are reading and writing at a rate that you feel comfortable with important to you? Can you rest, knowing that if they are not, they will get there in their own time? The idea behind unschooling is that your child will learn these skills, but they will learn them on a timeline that is natural for them, and not forced on them. (I love that idea. I just did not have the fortitude for it.)
2. Are you a task driven person?
Are you a planner person? What I mean by that is, are you someone who loves marking things off in your day planner? Do you enjoy setting and checking off goals? Although I am not a fan of the “school at home” method of teaching, as a homeschooler, I did enjoy having learning objectives and checking them off as they were met. Even though you are not the one being educated, you are still responsible to ensure that education is happening in your student. Are you more comfortable showing a body of evidence of your child’s educational pursuits, or is this something that does not concern you at all?
3. How much time to you have to monitor and document completed learning objectives?
Are you able to monitor your children’s interest in a way that allows you to demonstrate the scope of learning that is required by your state. For instance, In Illinois we are required to teach six main subjects including fine arts, and social science. All subjects must be taught in English beginning at the age of six years old. Illinois does not require much compared to other States. While unschooling is appealing, it is a form of homeschooling, and as such you are still required to abide by the requirements of your state. So put another way, are you able to prove to your state that the guidelines of homeschooling are being meet? If you are unschooling, are you able to take that body of learning and put it in a measurable form. If you are currently unschooling, I would love to hear how and if you abide by your state laws regarding home education. Comment below. I am sure those looking to make this decision would value your opinion as well.
Unschooling is not the only way to accomplish child lead learning. If you like the idea of unschooling and would like to try it, but desire more control over your students educational pursuits, try these five ideas:
Five ways to incorporate child lead learning into your homeschool.
1. Use a scope and sequence to find out the learning objectives for your child’s age as well as the ages above and below. This will help you to center on a range of learning objectives instead of a specific goal. Knowing that you have a range will allow for flexibility in meeting those goals, and help you not to stress when your “timeline” or the timeline of the curriculum that you are using, is not being met. If you are not stressed you are more apt to focus on your child and adapting to their learning rate.
2. Work with your child where they are and do not try to push or slow them down to meet the objectives of a certain curriculum. Let them decide how quickly or slowly they need to work to accomplish the learning objectives.
3. Try to supplement your educational objectives around the interest of your child. If they are interested in music, incorporate music into their learning objectives to keep them interested and excited about learning.
4. Read, read, read. By reading to your child, letting them read to you, and listening to audio books, you are expanding their level of interest naturally. This will help with tip number 5.
5. Try and have a large block of unstructured time into your student’s day. Let them use that time as they will, as long as they are not getting into mischief. Be present to help guide them, if you find that they need guidance. Listen to them during this time to determine their interests, so that you can implement more of their interest throughout their school day. For instance, if your child is playing doctor, or fireman, or mom, you can find age appropriate books on those subjects, and incorporate items into your home to help them explore those themes in more detail. Unplug all of the electronic toys and provide a safe way of allowing children to explore, and understand what is in their own minds. You can do this by having one or two hours everyday for unstructured time, or having one day a week as an unstructured day.
These are ways of incorporating a bit of the unschooling philosophy without committing wholeheartedly to it. Child lead learning i.e., unschooling, is not only about the child, but also the parent facilitating that learning style. You too must have the ability, and mindset to function in an unschooling environment.
Happy Homeschooling!