Most of us have been home with our kids for at least a month.
My kids have been home since March 6 (but whos counting?
Can we keep this up (full-time parenting, working and teaching) until June?
Can we do this again in the fall if things dont go back to normal?
What is unschooling?
Can I just pause here to say how much I appreciate teachers and schools and everything they do?
That said, lots of families choose an unschooling approach, and their children thrive, too.
A 2017review of literatureestimates 1 million U.S. children are engaged in unschooling.
You may have heard it called free-range learning, worldschooling, orroadschooling.
So what does it look like in the real world?
Sorry, theres no guidebookthats kind of the point.
If anyone had all the answers, there would be no search.
Kids choice
What your kid is interested in will completely drive the direction of unschooling.
There is no outside requirement to meet any reading or math milestones.
Unschooled kids learn to read and do math because those are tools they need for pursuing their interests.
You may already know your child is obsessed with robots or LEGO, and thats your starting point.
But if you dont know where to start, dont worry.
The next element will help reveal and nurture her areas of interest.
Do you have access to books?
Friends and family (even if its virtual for now)?
Materials that can be repurposed creatively?
No assignments or tests
Deep down Im a rule-following, standardized test-loving, report card-waving girl.
If you dont give me As, how will I know Im doing well?
Well, unschooling devotees might say that system gives children an unnatural need to be evaluated and ranked.
Kids and parents have been flooded with digital resources and learning opportunities since schools closed.
Think of them less as a mountain of assignments and more as a Choose Your Own Adventure menu.
Questions are the cornerstone of self-directed learning.
When your child asks a question, follow that lead!
When your child hits a roadblock, guide him with a question!
Tap into your intuition and honor your childs intuitive style of learning.
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