The "unschooling" trend

[EricaH]

This is actually a great idea and very easy to implement, especially when they are younger. The problem comes when they get older and have more and more homework so there's less time for everything else, including family time. I am not sure what your schools are like, but our entire state (not our district) tests lower than average on national standards tests and the state and administrations think the answer is more homework and more testing. That is all textbook stuff, absolutely no room for individual growth, field trips or personal interests. It eats up a lot of time. Kids - and parents - can only take so much before burning out and homeschooling is certainly a good alternative to traditional schooling if the school is squashing a child's growth instead. We made the decision that is best for our family.

This has definitely been our experience also as far as the kids getting more and more homework as they get older and there is less family time. And, the teachers are teaching for the tests rather than having students really learn the subjects thoroughly.

Erica

 

[NY25]

Well, I hope they're "inspired" by flipping burgers, as that's just about the only job they're going to be able to get. This shouldn't be legal.

 

[Travisli]

Unschooling is legal in most states, it's just that each state has it's own guidelines and some states (like New York) have VERY strict guidelines.

The families I know doing this have teenagers and they are "grooming them" in their own way for college. Most have been unschooling since the children were at the elementary school age.

It has been my experience that the parents of these children are not idiots (the parents in the news clip NOT INCLUDED). They do realize that formal education will become necessary for their children to live productive lives as adults with jobs outside of flipping burgers and filling gas tanks or standing in the welfare line.

Just like homeschooled children who want to attend college they will be required to take and pass appropriate tests to gain admittance. The parents are simply choosing to teach their children differently. Like homeschooling parents (who I have a great deal of respect for) they are quite a bit more than just a little active in their child's education. Unschoolers are just more radical in their approach.

It is not the norm and it is easy to critisize what we are not familiar with. I am sure there are many parents, like the ones in the news clip, that are truly doing their children a disservice and all of us will pay taxes and help support those children when they are adults living off the system.

At the same time there are an equal number of parents unschooling and raising concientious, educated, compassionate well rounded children with life experiences my children have not had.

 

[pjlippert]

Hi Erica,

That is sooo true- the teachers are teaching for the tests!!!! One of the reasons we moved to Monument CO was because the public schools our son would be (and is currently) going to are ranked amongst the top in the state and verygood in the nation..... However, they are ranked hight due to their test scores!! Being a first time parent I thought this was a good thing. But I am finding this is not necesarily the way to go or how to judge a school.

I have sent out previous threads regarding alternative types of schools, particularly for my son who has some attention problems which I am researching and continuing to get further evaluations for. What's most interesting to me is the number of children who appear to need "extra" help from the wonderful para's at our school. Can it really be the children or is it the method of teaching??

I am soooo interested in learning more about the ideas that Travisil and Melissa and others have shared.

Pam

 

[EricaH]

Pam, Check this out if you have time: http://www.racetonowhere.com/ Very interesting.

Erica

 

[pjlippert]

H Erica,

WOW!!! That trailer is amazing. I want to see the entire movie!! Thank you for sharing!

Pam

 

[KimberlyP]

I heard this for the first time listening to Dr. Wayne Dyer's lecture CD called 'No More Excuses.' I don't have kids so I can't really say if this works, is good, etc. But it does sound scary. I'm wondering if, the extreme of this, is allowing the parents to be lazy. I mean, isn't a parent suppose to...parent??!!

Kimberly

 

[Fembot40]

I have a unique perspective on homeschooling versus public schooling. My oldest is going to high school and my yongest has been homeschooled for the last four years. My oldest has basically turned off wanting to learn, she is so burnt out from schooling all day and coming home weighed down with homework and social issues. She is not absorbing what is being taught at school, it's so hectic and most of the kids in her class are rude and obnoxious, so not much gets done while she there. My son, on the other hand, schools for four hours a day with curriculum, and then he is done. The difference is, after he's done, he is still eager to keep learning. He chooses to watch the History channnel or Discovery channel. He's also absorbing what he's learning at home. He recently attended a chemistry lab at our local university with 100 other Boy Scouts from age 12 to 18, and he knew all his basic science and math facts, not because he's brilliant, but because he is learning at his own pace and able to retain and absorb the information. The professor wanted to know what school he went to, because he rarely finds high school students who know the basics any longer. I'm not tooting my own horn, I'm just making a observation of what we're seeing with the two different schooling methods.

As far as "unschooling" goes, what was described at the start of this thread is not "unschooling", that is "noschooling". We have families in our homeschooling group who unschool and their two oldest are now in college and had no problems getting in. Most people who unschool successfully, are parents who are highly educated and super motivated. I personally could NEVER unschool, both my son and I need structure.

 

[EricaH]

My oldest has basically turned off wanting to learn, she is so burnt out from schooling all day and coming home weighed down with homework and social issues. She is not absorbing what is being taught at school, it's so hectic .

We have experienced the same thing. Our high school is very competitive and pushes the kids to take all of the hardest classes and get straight A's in those classes in addition to sports, clubs, community service, etc. My oldest son is a college freshman and has been burned out since his senior year in high school. It's just too much, too soon. I have twin boys who are in 9th grade who are two years ahead in math and one year ahead in English, but I don't see the point in pushing them so hard. They are still kids!

Erica

 

[mspina]

This is actually a great idea and very easy to implement, especially when they are younger. The problem comes when they get older and have more and more homework so there's less time for everything else, including family time. I am not sure what your schools are like, but our entire state (not our district) tests lower than average on national standards tests and the state and administrations think the answer is more homework and more testing. That is all textbook stuff, absolutely no room for individual growth, field trips or personal interests. It eats up a lot of time. Kids - and parents - can only take so much before burning out and homeschooling is certainly a good alternative to traditional schooling if the school is squashing a child's growth instead. We made the decision that is best for our family.

I have NOTHING against homeschooling - I think it's a *great* option, especially, if like you, you are in an area with a lousy school system. We are fortunate that we live in a great area for schools (well, fortunate isn't the right word, as we chose our town VERY carefully and traded a lot in terms of amount of house we could buy here vs. somewhere else with a lower quality school, but I digress!) and so far at least, have been very, very pleased with the school system. And very good point about how things change as the kids get older - more homework, plus more demanding outside activities (e.g., sports and such).

It would be very interested to see a follow-up story on the family featured in that clip in 5/10/15 years.........

 

[mspina]

At the same time there are an equal number of parents unschooling and raising concientious, educated, compassionate well rounded children with life experiences my children have not had.

Travis,

It's cool that you know some folks doing this. Done well, I have no doubt it could be amazing. Heck, my DH and I have dreamed out loud about what we'd do if we won the lottery / one of our start-up companies hit big. One idea that has come up multiple times is we'd travel for a few years. How better to learn about world history than to actually visit those places and see it first-hand? I think it would be truly amazing for kids. Again, if it's done well, of course.

 

[cindi1]

We have had great experiences with our schools here. I think homeschooling (even unschooling) is a great option for some kids and not great for others.

The best parents are the ones who know what is right for their children and work hard to make that happen for them - whether it is unschooling, homeschooling, or traditional schooling. Unfortunately, there are a lot of parents who don't even THINK about what their kids need to be successfull, happy adults let alone make the effort to help them get there.

The parents in this video are not good parents IMO. Maybe they think it's cool to be different or 'counter-cultural' but the way they are doing it is at the expense of their children. I don't get it.

 

[Worknprogress]

I would have to question the long term effect of this kind of schooling. What if the "unschooled" child wants to become a doctor? How do they get into college with no background in having any typical education and how would they perform on SAT/ACT tests? That's what I would worry about these kids.

The one thing though that I completely disagree with is when the one mom said something like, "their hygiene is the last thing we let go." So these kids don't have to shower, brush their teeth or anything unless they want to.

A child does not have the capacity to understand that if they do not take care of their teeth - that would only lead to cavities, decay, abscesses, etc. And we all know how painful dental problems can be. How could a parent not want to prevent that for their child? These kids will have how many root canals by the time they are teenagers and will they even have any teeth by the time they are 20? I don't get it either.

 

[amybajamy]

Unfortunately some of you are judging the unschooling concept based on one video clip that you watched. The people in the video are EXTREME unschoolers and have actually taken it beyond unschooling into unparenting. Unschooling doesn't involve raising your kids without rules and letting them do whatever they want. Parents who unschool aren't supposed to leave it up to their children as to whether or not they want to learn, instead it's the parents job to be aware of what their children are most interested in and focus on that. Children should be exposed to all different subjects, so they can figure out what they're interested in, but instead of giving equal time to all subjects, more time is spent on what the child is interested in. Children have a natural desire to learn, but it gets squashed in traditional schools where children are forced to learn what they are told to learn rather than using their natural curiosity to explore what interests and excites them. When I was young, I craved knowledge about the human body, and while anatomy and physiology were taught in school, they didn't spend near the time on those subjects as I would have liked. Instead I had to spend time learning about subjects that I had no interest in, and because of that I retained practically nothing of those subjects, so it didn't do me any good to learn about it in the first place. It was time wasted that could have been spent increasing my knowledge on subjects that I cared about.

I don't include reading and math, I believe those subjects need to be taught whether it's the child's favorite thing or not. I have a 2 year old son and I plan to homeschool/unschool him. I will do some sort of curriculum for reading and math, but will use unschooling concepts for other subjects.

Unschoolers still teach their children they just use less traditional methods. There are so many other ways to learn besides textbooks and tests, such as museums, nature, the internet, libraries, educational shows on TV, and just getting out in the world. Unschooling is a non traditional way to teach your children, not an excuse to not teach your children.