There are so many opinions out there about homeschooling. I haven’t even begun to wrap my head around everything unschooling means. I just know what happens in our home when I relax enough to let my children learn the way they learn best . . . and for us, that was unschooling!
From Homeschooling to Unschooling
When we started homeschooling, from a place of shame and insecurity I chose a curriculum popular among my schooling friends. I was determined to keep my children moving at the same pace as their friends in school. But with a stubborn, independent first grader and a fourth grader with some dyslexic characteristics, I soon fell flat on my face. It was hard to admit! And, it was even harder to relax enough to pick myself back up!
I knew what we were doing wasn’t working for any of us, but I was, so scared to admit what that meant. It meant I had failed with scheduled homeschooling, and family and friends would find out. It meant that I would have to figure out what next for us. It also meant that I’d have to learn to look at my children and education in a whole new light.
Letting Children Lead
I soon learned that children are wonderful teachers if we take time to listen to them. I started listening to my first grader and noticed she was so hungry and eager with questions and very determined to move at her own pace. It was then that I swallowed my pride and refused to make her read. When we did pick reading back up, we started in an area where she was very comfortable and chose books that were fun and easy. Just the other day she told me “reading is kind of fun.”
My fourth grader, wounded and stunted from past school experiences, found no joy in books and seemed to have lost a lot of childish curiosity and creativity. That’s when we changed it up. We started taking things very slow. We focused on learning the things she was interested in learning. We turned new concepts into conversations and hands-on experiences and returned to some of the very basics of phonemic awareness.
I learned I was happy to “miss” a whole year of school with her, if her independence and love for learning would return. And it did! This year I’ve loved watching her independently pursue learning, scheduling her own work, and losing herself in a book.
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Flexibility of Unschooling
Recently, we had a sick day. Days like that are when the flexibility of unschooling is a benfit. On that day, we finger painted. We figured out how to make foaming soap with a recipe I found online. We measured and calculated. Later my little one, who hates spelling, made a detailed, written treasure hunt for her sister — all on her own!
Last Spring, at the ending of our school year, I wrote this poem. It stands most for what I learned that year. Hand your children the knowledge and let them run with it! Don’t constrain them to grade level, book lessons, or expectations.
We’ve cleared off the table, put the books all away. We’re off to the real school of childhood play.
Under the table surrounded by chairs we’ll argue of whether we’re wolves or we’re bears.
Down by the creek on warm sunny days we’ll dive in the ocean to swim with the rays.
We’ll bandage a dolphin attacked by a shark. We’ll map out the country like Lewis and Clark.
Out under the trees my sister and me, lying in silence, will wait for the si. (Irish fairies)
Deep in the covers on dark stormy nights, my old viking ship will be in a plight.
Out in the puddles after the rain I’ll pole my gondola on a Venice lane.
While counting the birds and watching the sky I’ll dream of the day when I learn to fly.
We’ve loved all our books, and yes, we’ve had fun.
But now that it’s summer my learning’s begun.
Littlemomentsgreatjoy is the life of a mom navigating the enormous world of homeschooling. You can follow her on Instagram or visit her blog littlemomentsgreatjoy.wordpress.com.
Unschooling Books
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