# Unschooling?



## Ozzieshunni

I'm watching this show called Radical Parenting. They are talking about unschooling, which is basically letting the kids decide how they want to learn with limited guidance from the parents. I don't know. I'm not trying to be judgmental or anything because to each there own. What do you guys think about this? Is there anyone on here that does this? :flower:


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## gemabee

i saw this nd god did it make me angry!
what made me laugh is they were playin with a dr's or vet's kit nd all i could think was - 'how ironic... ur playin with that yet denyin ur kids the opportunity to do that as a career because they'll have no formal qualifications'.
bein a parent isn't jus about lettin ur children have a good childhood... its disciplinin them, preparin them for the future, nd allowin them every opportunity u can feasibly give them!
gah... makes me mad.


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## SAglas

MM read about somrething similar before but I am with Gamabee, they need an educaion.


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## marley2580

I was mostly unschooled and I use bits of it with my own children. If it's done correctly then it can work really well. A lot of home educators use it successfully.


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## marley2580

gemabee said:


> i saw this nd god did it make me angry!
> what made me laugh is they were playin with a dr's or vet's kit nd all i could think was - 'how ironic... ur playin with that yet denyin ur kids the opportunity to do that as a career because they'll have no formal qualifications'.
> bein a parent isn't jus about lettin ur children have a good childhood... its disciplinin them, preparin them for the future, nd allowin them every opportunity u can feasibly give them!
> gah... makes me mad.

I had no formal qualifications yet I still went to university. I did this by deciding that I wanted to study at a higher level (at the age of 15) and so I chose to go to further education to get qualifications and entry into university. I actually believe that home education served me extremely well by encouraging a love of learning and supporting autonomous study. My brothers and sister also have no formal qualifications and they all have successful careers.


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## freckleonear

I didn't see this particular program but I have several friends who do unschooling. I think the important thing to remember is that children are naturally very inquisitive and with unschooling their love of learning isn't spoiled like it is in schools. Plenty of unschooled children do have formal qualifications, because when they get older they decide that they want to take some exams to open up further study or a chosen career path. Formal qualifications aren't always needed anyway, I have absolutely no GCSEs but went to university when I was 16. I think it can work very well if done properly.


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## gemabee

I think home schoolin is ok done correctly. Unschoolin (nd a lot of other styles of parentin shown in the program) I will never agree with, nd frankly I find ridiculous. My son will get a formal education, with formal qualifications, nd I'll discipline him... AND I'll give him a happy childhood - it is possible! Imo anyone who's done ok with unschoolin is the exception - not the rule.


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## marley2580

gemabee said:


> I think home schoolin is ok done correctly. Unschoolin (nd a lot of other styles of parentin shown in the program) I will never agree with, nd frankly I find ridiculous. My son will get a formal education, with formal qualifications, nd I'll discipline him... AND I'll give him a happy childhood - it is possible! Imo anyone who's done ok with unschoolin is the exception - not the rule.

But what would you define as 'done correctly'? There are a lot of people that use unschooling and their kids do very well.


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## buttonnose82

marley2580 said:


> gemabee said:
> 
> 
> I think home schoolin is ok done correctly. Unschoolin (nd a lot of other styles of parentin shown in the program) I will never agree with, nd frankly I find ridiculous. My son will get a formal education, with formal qualifications, nd I'll discipline him... AND I'll give him a happy childhood - it is possible! Imo anyone who's done ok with unschoolin is the exception - not the rule.
> 
> *But what would you define as 'done correctly'?* There are a lot of people that use unschooling and their kids do very well.Click to expand...

I was going too ask this, because lets face it, there are some schools (formal education) where it is done incorrectly also

Surely if a child is learning, then regardless of the method, it is being done correctly :shrug:


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## Ozzieshunni

Very interesting! Marley, I did like aspects of it, like learning through experiences because that's the way we taught when I taught preschool. It was formal, but informal, iykwim? I hope I didn't ruffle feathers. :hugs:


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## buttonnose82

George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Abraham Lincoln
Theodore F. Roosevelt
Florence Nightingale
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Charles Dickens
C.S. Lewis
Benjamin Franklin
Venus & Serena Williams
Dakota Fanning
The Queen

All people that were home schooled :)


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## gemabee

buttonnose82 said:


> marley2580 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> gemabee said:
> 
> 
> I think home schoolin is ok done correctly. Unschoolin (nd a lot of other styles of parentin shown in the program) I will never agree with, nd frankly I find ridiculous. My son will get a formal education, with formal qualifications, nd I'll discipline him... AND I'll give him a happy childhood - it is possible! Imo anyone who's done ok with unschoolin is the exception - not the rule.
> 
> *But what would you define as 'done correctly'?* There are a lot of people that use unschooling and their kids do very well.Click to expand...
> 
> I was going too ask this, because lets face it, there are some schools (formal education) where it is done incorrectly also
> *
> Surely if a child is learning, then regardless of the method, it is being done correctly* :shrug:Click to expand...

i wholeheartedly nd 100% disagree... i'm not debatin it with anyone so don't bother tryin to entice me into an argument.
its my opinion that the parental styles in the programme are detrimental to childrens future nd not somethin i would EVER wish for my children. period.

nd home-schoolin isnt whats under discussion... un-schoolin is.


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## gemabee

buttonnose82 said:


> George Washington
> Thomas Jefferson
> Abraham Lincoln
> Theodore F. Roosevelt
> Florence Nightingale
> Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
> Charles Dickens
> C.S. Lewis
> Benjamin Franklin
> Venus & Serena Williams
> Dakota Fanning
> The Queen
> 
> All people that were *home schooled* :)

again... i thought we were discussin *un*schoolin.


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## buttonnose82

gemabee said:


> buttonnose82 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> marley2580 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> gemabee said:
> 
> 
> I think home schoolin is ok done correctly. Unschoolin (nd a lot of other styles of parentin shown in the program) I will never agree with, nd frankly I find ridiculous. My son will get a formal education, with formal qualifications, nd I'll discipline him... AND I'll give him a happy childhood - it is possible! Imo anyone who's done ok with unschoolin is the exception - not the rule.
> 
> *But what would you define as 'done correctly'?* There are a lot of people that use unschooling and their kids do very well.Click to expand...
> 
> I was going too ask this, because lets face it, there are some schools (formal education) where it is done incorrectly also
> *
> Surely if a child is learning, then regardless of the method, it is being done correctly* :shrug:Click to expand...
> 
> i wholeheartedly nd 100% disagree... *i'm not debatin it with anyone so don't bother tryin to entice me into an argument.*
> its my opinion that the parental styles in the programme are detrimental to childrens future nd not somethin i would EVER wish for my children. period.
> 
> nd home-schoolin isnt whats under discussion... un-schoolin is.Click to expand...

I wasn't trying to entice you into an argument, I was just asking a question

and the reason homeschool was brought into it is because unschooling can be seen as a subset of homeschooling

:flower:


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## Lyndz

gemabee said:


> i saw this nd god did it make me angry!
> what made me laugh is they were playin with a dr's or vet's kit nd all i could think was - 'how ironic... ur playin with that yet denyin ur kids the opportunity to do that as a career because they'll have no formal qualifications'.
> *bein a parent isn't jus about lettin ur children have a good childhood... its disciplinin them, preparin them for the future, nd allowin them every opportunity u can feasibly give them!*gah... makes me mad.

I agree and whilst i didn't see that programme, i have read about unschooling and i don't agree. I think school is important for a child to gain a formal qualification and for the social aspect. I have to agree also with if you have done well from home schooling, you are an exception.


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## Ozzieshunni

Again, my intent was NOT to start a debate on what was better. I can see how aspects of each are good. I do not however believe that childhood is all about disciplining your children and preparing them to be good little adults. Kids should be able to be kids. That's what childhood is for!


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## Serene123

Each to their own :shrug:

I think people who choose that method probably have done a lot of research and don't just wake up one day and think, hey you know what, my kids don't need to learn anything :lol:


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## marley2580

gemabee said:


> buttonnose82 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> marley2580 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> gemabee said:
> 
> 
> I think home schoolin is ok done correctly. Unschoolin (nd a lot of other styles of parentin shown in the program) I will never agree with, nd frankly I find ridiculous. My son will get a formal education, with formal qualifications, nd I'll discipline him... AND I'll give him a happy childhood - it is possible! Imo anyone who's done ok with unschoolin is the exception - not the rule.
> 
> *But what would you define as 'done correctly'?* There are a lot of people that use unschooling and their kids do very well.Click to expand...
> 
> I was going too ask this, because lets face it, there are some schools (formal education) where it is done incorrectly also
> *
> Surely if a child is learning, then regardless of the method, it is being done correctly* :shrug:Click to expand...
> 
> i wholeheartedly nd 100% disagree... i'm not debatin it with anyone so don't bother tryin to entice me into an argument.
> its my opinion that the parental styles in the programme are detrimental to childrens future nd not somethin i would EVER wish for my children. period.
> 
> nd home-schoolin isnt whats under discussion... un-schoolin is.Click to expand...

But it was you that said -


> I think home schoolin is ok done correctly.

I was simply asking you what you mean by this.


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## marley2580

Lyndz said:


> gemabee said:
> 
> 
> i saw this nd god did it make me angry!
> what made me laugh is they were playin with a dr's or vet's kit nd all i could think was - 'how ironic... ur playin with that yet denyin ur kids the opportunity to do that as a career because they'll have no formal qualifications'.
> *bein a parent isn't jus about lettin ur children have a good childhood... its disciplinin them, preparin them for the future, nd allowin them every opportunity u can feasibly give them!*gah... makes me mad.
> 
> I agree and whilst i didn't see that programme, i have read about unschooling and i don't agree. I think school is important for a child to gain a formal qualification and for the social aspect. I have to agree also with if you have done well from home schooling, you are an exception.Click to expand...

Well I can certainly point you in the direction of hundreds of these 'exceptions'. If school is all about formal qualifications what about the 30,000 young people that leave school in England every year without any qualifications?


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## Ozzieshunni

My DH was literally kicked out of school at 16 and told he wasn't able to take his final exams because he hadn't done his assignments in his classes. School for him was a discipline based, overly structured environment. There were lots of other circumstances surrounding his upbringing as well that probably contributed. He wants to get a high degree and has the intelligence to do so. Thing is, in this day and age, you can be the smartest, most adept person in the area you're looking to work in, but if you don't have the paper to back it up, it means nothing. It's very unfortunate.


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## Eternal

I watched it! Saw it on the sky anytime last night. 

I guess im more for the tradional parenting route myself, but each to their own, think there are clear positives and negatives to each.

I do extended rear facing car seat, which i guess its quite different, and have heard and dealt with comments about that.

I dont understand how it works, i understand homeschool which i know several people who have done it and see nothing wrong with it at all, as long as the children socialise and learn social skills, its probably a much better way to educate a child (especially primary years) then government schooling. 

However i dont quite understand how unschooling can work, especially in the UK. Dont the parents get in trouble for not sending the kids to school and not educating them? when you hear of parents being taken to court over their kids not going to school i dont understand how it works when you choose to not formally educate?

Also both parents in that programme seemed to help with this unschooling process, did they not work?

I think all parents do things differently, and we all add bits of this and that. I know there isnt a "right" way for every family/child so im not going to judge, the unschooling bit seemed very different to me, but i each to their own.


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## marley2580

Can't he go to college or do a distance learning course? My OH is permitted study time from his work in order to gain further qualifications in his field. My work also allows this.


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## Ozzieshunni

marley2580 said:


> Can't he go to college or do a distance learning course? My OH is permitted study time from his work in order to gain further qualifications in his field. My work also allows this.

He's going to go back to school once we move to California which I'm very happy about. We can't afford for him to do a distance learning course or to leave work to go back to college.


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## Tacey

Some people have said they believe children who do well having been unschooled are the exception. I wonder if you could explain what your basis for saying that is? 

I plan to unschool my children. I prefer the term 'autonomous education' (which is the same thing) as it emphasises that the children are being educated. It's just that they do it themselves. Our children generally learn to talk without formal teaching, they have an innate desire to mimic and learn. I don't see why that urge should stop.We all know how curious small children are. Autonomously educated children often maintain that curiosity and learn as a result. Personally, I would be far more concerned for my children's learning if I sent them to school, but different things suit different families.


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## marley2580

Eternal said:


> However i dont quite understand how unschooling can work, especially in the UK. Dont the parents get in trouble for not sending the kids to school and not educating them? when you hear of parents being taken to court over their kids not going to school i dont understand how it works when you choose to not formally educate?
> 
> Also both parents in that programme seemed to help with this unschooling process, did they not work?

For unschooling info - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unschooling

Most home education is child led, just to varying degrees. The idea is not that the kids are just ignored, but that if they show a desire to learn about something, the parents facilitate and enable them to do so. For example if a child reads the diary of Anne Frank and wants to know more about WWII, the parent will help them to find books and websites about it and will take them to museums etc.


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## buttonnose82

marley ...... what age do you have to have decided by for home educating? is there a cut off?


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## gemabee

Tacey said:


> *Some people have said they believe children who do well having been unschooled are the exception. I wonder if you could explain what your basis for saying that is? *
> 
> I plan to unschool my children. I prefer the term 'autonomous education' (which is the same thing) as it emphasises that the children are being educated. It's just that they do it themselves. Our children generally learn to talk without formal teaching, they have an innate desire to mimic and learn. I don't see why that urge should stop.We all know how curious small children are. Autonomously educated children often maintain that curiosity and learn as a result. Personally, I would be far more concerned for my children's learning if I sent them to school, but different things suit different families.

common sense.


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## marley2580

Well compulsory education age is 5 so you need to decide what you're doing by then. But remember that you can change your mind, some people choose not to send their kids to school until they're 6 or 7, others skip primary and send their kids to secondary. It's up to you, as long as your kids are being educated in one way or another once they turn 5.


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## marley2580

gemabee said:


> Tacey said:
> 
> 
> *Some people have said they believe children who do well having been unschooled are the exception. I wonder if you could explain what your basis for saying that is? *
> 
> I plan to unschool my children. I prefer the term 'autonomous education' (which is the same thing) as it emphasises that the children are being educated. It's just that they do it themselves. Our children generally learn to talk without formal teaching, they have an innate desire to mimic and learn. I don't see why that urge should stop.We all know how curious small children are. Autonomously educated children often maintain that curiosity and learn as a result. Personally, I would be far more concerned for my children's learning if I sent them to school, but different things suit different families.
> 
> common sense.Click to expand...

You're actually coming across as a bit offensive to both those that choose to unschool and those that were unschooled. Unless you can actually back up your argument with actual facts then you really shouldn't use that argument


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## Eternal

thanks for the link, i still dont understand the legal side, i mean how do you get away with sending a child to school?

I understand the idea, i think its really internesting and i understand how it can work well, i think a child who is "unschooled" can grow up with the same educational level as any other child, after all there are different things each child excells at, and secondary schools provide options with subject choice so children from diffrent areas of the counrty will all be differently educated anyway. 

I am sure that teh majority of children will want to educate themselves with basic skills such as reading, so i totally understand and apprecaite how it works. 

However the idea of not educating you child at all is more strange to me, i mean, we "teach" our children to speak, to toilet train etc, i again understand that they will learn these skills in their own time but cant imagine standing completly back and letting them take charge of their future. 

I agree that children learn better when they are interested, when my mum tried to teach me to read she choose several nice books and i just wasnt interested, she let me free to explore and i choose books about sharks, dinosaurs and nature, then i wanted to know more and read them to myself. 

i totally think homeschooling can produce very educated children, i would love to do it myself, but i dont have the pateience or the abilities to do it. I am dyslexic and my husband also shows some tendancies, we are both very educated, great school grades, i went on to uni and flew through that, but my ability to correct spelling would be terrible, my math skills are basic, i couldnt teach my son those skills.

However the unschooling thing is still very different from that, how do you stop yoursef from teaching? How can it be safe to not have rules? i mean my kid loves to climb do you let your child climb, run into roads etc? how do you teach respect? I totally think letting the child get more independance as he/she gets older is a good thing and letting them outline their education is great, but i dont understand how it works in practice


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## buttonnose82

marley2580 said:


> Well compulsory education age is 5 so you need to decide what you're doing by then. But remember that you can change your mind, some people choose not to send their kids to school until they're 6 or 7, others skip primary and send their kids to secondary. It's up to you, as long as your kids are being educated in one way or another once they turn 5.

I don't need to hurry too decide then :)


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## Tacey

gemabee said:


> Tacey said:
> 
> 
> *Some people have said they believe children who do well having been unschooled are the exception. I wonder if you could explain what your basis for saying that is? *
> 
> I plan to unschool my children. I prefer the term 'autonomous education' (which is the same thing) as it emphasises that the children are being educated. It's just that they do it themselves. Our children generally learn to talk without formal teaching, they have an innate desire to mimic and learn. I don't see why that urge should stop.We all know how curious small children are. Autonomously educated children often maintain that curiosity and learn as a result. Personally, I would be far more concerned for my children's learning if I sent them to school, but different things suit different families.
> 
> common sense.Click to expand...

I would have thought it was common sense not to form opinions from sensationalist tv shows, but each to their own.


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## Dopeyjopey

I am planning to unschool Albert. I believe I will be able to provide a better learning environment for him than he will receive at school. He is starting nursery next week, at a child first nursery, which I am hoping will set him up to learn from an early age until I am able to help him learn at home. 

Why is it that people assume that just because you don't follow the government approved curriculum your child will not be successful in life? I did very well at school but my life skills were absolutely shocking until I had my son. I don't want that for him, I want him to learn using practical methods instead of sitting in a classroom, only interacting with children the same age as him and believing that all adults are superior :shrug:

It's all personal opinion, there is no need to slate home schoolers, just as none of the people educating at home would slate anyone deciding to put their child through the school system. 

"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education." - Albert Einstein


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## buttonnose82

lets try get this back on track :)


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## buttonnose82

what channel was this program on? I'd be interested in seeing it


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## marley2580

Eternal said:


> thanks for the link, *i still dont understand the legal side, i mean how do you get away with sending a child to school?*
> 
> I understand the idea, i think its really internesting and i understand how it can work well, i think a child who is "unschooled" can grow up with the same educational level as any other child, after all there are different things each child excells at, and secondary schools provide options with subject choice so children from diffrent areas of the counrty will all be differently educated anyway.
> 
> I am sure that teh majority of children will want to educate themselves with basic skills such as reading, so i totally understand and apprecaite how it works.
> 
> However the idea of not educating you child at all is more strange to me, i mean, we "teach" our children to speak, to toilet train etc, i again understand that they will learn these skills in their own time but cant imagine standing completly back and letting them take charge of their future.
> 
> I agree that children learn better when they are interested, when my mum tried to teach me to read she choose several nice books and i just wasnt interested, she let me free to explore and i choose books about sharks, dinosaurs and nature, then i wanted to know more and read them to myself.
> 
> i totally think homeschooling can produce very educated children, i would love to do it myself, but i dont have the pateience or the abilities to do it. I am dyslexic and my husband also shows some tendancies, we are both very educated, great school grades, i went on to uni and flew through that, but my ability to correct spelling would be terrible, my math skills are basic, i couldnt teach my son those skills.
> 
> However the unschooling thing is still very different from that, how do you stop yoursef from teaching? How can it be safe to not have rules? i mean my kid loves to climb do you let your child climb, run into roads etc? how do you teach respect? I totally think letting the child get more independance as he/she gets older is a good thing and letting them outline their education is great, but i dont understand how it works in practice

Do you mean not sending a child to school? If so the law is very clear, at 5 years old a child must, legally, be educated. Most parents choose to send a child to school in order to meet this requirement, however it is the parent's choice what form the education can take.

The vast majority of home educators (both those that unschool and those that don't) will tell you that they don't 'teach' their children - instead they enable and facilitate the learning that a child wants to explore. Some things, such as road safety etc must be taught and some boundaries must be enforced. Unschooling and child-led education does not mean having no rules and no discipline, it means allowing children to learn in their own time.


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## marley2580

I should, of course, point out that I'm not an expert and I don't actually intend to totally unschool. But there will be aspects of it that I will use.


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## Tacey

buttonnose82 said:


> lets try get this back on track :)

Sorry! My fault! :blush:


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## Eternal

i saw it on the sky anythime player


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## Eternal

marley2580 said:


> Eternal said:
> 
> 
> thanks for the link, *i still dont understand the legal side, i mean how do you get away with sending a child to school?*
> 
> I understand the idea, i think its really internesting and i understand how it can work well, i think a child who is "unschooled" can grow up with the same educational level as any other child, after all there are different things each child excells at, and secondary schools provide options with subject choice so children from diffrent areas of the counrty will all be differently educated anyway.
> 
> I am sure that teh majority of children will want to educate themselves with basic skills such as reading, so i totally understand and apprecaite how it works.
> 
> However the idea of not educating you child at all is more strange to me, i mean, we "teach" our children to speak, to toilet train etc, i again understand that they will learn these skills in their own time but cant imagine standing completly back and letting them take charge of their future.
> 
> I agree that children learn better when they are interested, when my mum tried to teach me to read she choose several nice books and i just wasnt interested, she let me free to explore and i choose books about sharks, dinosaurs and nature, then i wanted to know more and read them to myself.
> 
> i totally think homeschooling can produce very educated children, i would love to do it myself, but i dont have the pateience or the abilities to do it. I am dyslexic and my husband also shows some tendancies, we are both very educated, great school grades, i went on to uni and flew through that, but my ability to correct spelling would be terrible, my math skills are basic, i couldnt teach my son those skills.
> 
> However the unschooling thing is still very different from that, how do you stop yoursef from teaching? How can it be safe to not have rules? i mean my kid loves to climb do you let your child climb, run into roads etc? how do you teach respect? I totally think letting the child get more independance as he/she gets older is a good thing and letting them outline their education is great, but i dont understand how it works in practice
> 
> Do you mean not sending a child to school? If so the law is very clear, at 5 years old a child must, legally, be educated. Most parents choose to send a child to school in order to meet this requirement, however it is the parent's choice what form the education can take.
> 
> The vast majority of home educators (both those that unschool and those that don't) will tell you that they don't 'teach' their children - instead they enable and facilitate the learning that a child wants to explore. Some things, such as road safety etc must be taught and some boundaries must be enforced. Unschooling and child-led education does not mean having no rules and no discipline, it means allowing children to learn in their own time.Click to expand...

sorry for all the questions, im only answer out of interest.

does there not need to be proof (for want of a better word) of learning? I mean i understand how that works in a normal home school enviroment but unschooling, at least from what i understood from the documentary, means no rules, no eductaion, no structure i.e. no bedtimes, let the children decide when and what they want to eat etc.


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## Tacey

Eternal said:


> marley2580 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Eternal said:
> 
> 
> thanks for the link, *i still dont understand the legal side, i mean how do you get away with sending a child to school?*
> 
> I understand the idea, i think its really internesting and i understand how it can work well, i think a child who is "unschooled" can grow up with the same educational level as any other child, after all there are different things each child excells at, and secondary schools provide options with subject choice so children from diffrent areas of the counrty will all be differently educated anyway.
> 
> I am sure that teh majority of children will want to educate themselves with basic skills such as reading, so i totally understand and apprecaite how it works.
> 
> However the idea of not educating you child at all is more strange to me, i mean, we "teach" our children to speak, to toilet train etc, i again understand that they will learn these skills in their own time but cant imagine standing completly back and letting them take charge of their future.
> 
> I agree that children learn better when they are interested, when my mum tried to teach me to read she choose several nice books and i just wasnt interested, she let me free to explore and i choose books about sharks, dinosaurs and nature, then i wanted to know more and read them to myself.
> 
> i totally think homeschooling can produce very educated children, i would love to do it myself, but i dont have the pateience or the abilities to do it. I am dyslexic and my husband also shows some tendancies, we are both very educated, great school grades, i went on to uni and flew through that, but my ability to correct spelling would be terrible, my math skills are basic, i couldnt teach my son those skills.
> 
> However the unschooling thing is still very different from that, how do you stop yoursef from teaching? How can it be safe to not have rules? i mean my kid loves to climb do you let your child climb, run into roads etc? how do you teach respect? I totally think letting the child get more independance as he/she gets older is a good thing and letting them outline their education is great, but i dont understand how it works in practice
> 
> Do you mean not sending a child to school? If so the law is very clear, at 5 years old a child must, legally, be educated. Most parents choose to send a child to school in order to meet this requirement, however it is the parent's choice what form the education can take.
> 
> The vast majority of home educators (both those that unschool and those that don't) will tell you that they don't 'teach' their children - instead they enable and facilitate the learning that a child wants to explore. Some things, such as road safety etc must be taught and some boundaries must be enforced. Unschooling and child-led education does not mean having no rules and no discipline, it means allowing children to learn in their own time.Click to expand...
> 
> sorry for all the questions, im only answer out of interest.
> 
> does there not need to be proof (for want of a better word) of learning? I mean i understand how that works in a normal home school enviroment but unschooling, at least from what i understood from the documentary, means no rules, no eductaion, no structure i.e. no bedtimes, let the children decide when and what they want to eat etc.Click to expand...

The local authority need to see information that shows your child is being educated according to their age and ability. You can decide how to go about giving that information. There are usually visits too. I think there are big variations in what people see as 'education' and that's where confusion arises.


----------



## gemabee

marley2580 said:


> gemabee said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tacey said:
> 
> 
> *Some people have said they believe children who do well having been unschooled are the exception. I wonder if you could explain what your basis for saying that is? *
> 
> I plan to unschool my children. I prefer the term 'autonomous education' (which is the same thing) as it emphasises that the children are being educated. It's just that they do it themselves. Our children generally learn to talk without formal teaching, they have an innate desire to mimic and learn. I don't see why that urge should stop.We all know how curious small children are. Autonomously educated children often maintain that curiosity and learn as a result. Personally, I would be far more concerned for my children's learning if I sent them to school, but different things suit different families.
> 
> common sense.Click to expand...
> 
> You're actually coming across as a bit offensive to both those that choose to unschool and those that were unschooled. Unless you can actually back up your argument with actual facts then you really shouldn't use that argumentClick to expand...

i was asked to explain my reasonings... i did... i based it on me usin my common sense... i said this because if someone is unschooled their entire life nd get to 16+ with no formal qualifications its not only gonna be harder for them to gain the basic qualifications needed to access higher education... thats common sense!
no-one should get offended at my views towards unschoolin... why should complete strangers care... if that was the case i could get offended at the way some people choose to 'educate' their children... but i dont.


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## Ozzieshunni

Gemabee, I think the point that is being made is that if you make an argument, you should try and back it up with facts. I didn't make assumptions and asked if anyone else unschooled because I was curious to see how common it was. The program depicted a family in the US so I was wondering if it was common in the UK. By putting "educate" in quotes, you are insulting how some people educate their children and going against your own statement that you don't get offended by it.


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## m_t_rose

gemabee said:


> marley2580 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> gemabee said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tacey said:
> 
> 
> *Some people have said they believe children who do well having been unschooled are the exception. I wonder if you could explain what your basis for saying that is? *
> 
> I plan to unschool my children. I prefer the term 'autonomous education' (which is the same thing) as it emphasises that the children are being educated. It's just that they do it themselves. Our children generally learn to talk without formal teaching, they have an innate desire to mimic and learn. I don't see why that urge should stop.We all know how curious small children are. Autonomously educated children often maintain that curiosity and learn as a result. Personally, I would be far more concerned for my children's learning if I sent them to school, but different things suit different families.
> 
> common sense.Click to expand...
> 
> You're actually coming across as a bit offensive to both those that choose to unschool and those that were unschooled. Unless you can actually back up your argument with actual facts then you really shouldn't use that argumentClick to expand...
> 
> i was asked to explain my reasonings... i did... i based it on me usin my common sense... i said this because if someone is unschooled their entire life nd get to 16+ with no formal qualifications its not only gonna be harder for them to gain the basic qualifications needed to access higher education... thats common sense!
> no-one should get offended at my views towards unschoolin... why should complete strangers care... if that was the case i could get offended at the way some people choose to 'educate' their children... but i dont.Click to expand...

At least in Canada and the US a lot of schools "court" home-schooled students because they are usually ahead of their peers and have a desire to learn and extrapolate better than the student that were "spoon fed" their education by their teachers. Since the child gets to pick which subjects they enjoy the most they will really immerse themselves into that subject. So I would say home-school and also unschooled pupils are usually quite successful.

We also cannot forget that education level does not automatically make a person successful. Their are many unemployed people that have masters degrees and many very successful people who have hardly any education at all.


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## Ozzieshunni

I agree!!!! I've met some people with higher level degrees that are dumb as a brush! I wonder how they got through school and college in the first place sometimes!


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## indy and lara

A good preschool should be using a child led approach to learning which has similarities to unschooling. For me, I would not be happy making a decision to follow unschooling with Emma. I am a teacher so naturally I am pro formal education!! 

I have seen recently a move in some preschools to formal teaching of phonics which I disagree with. Should that be happening locally then Emma won't go to nursery and we will find a suitable playschool for her instead. Nursery should be 100% child led but this is not always the case I do not agree either with this focus on marks and grading that has crept in to schools. I hate when children only believe their work is worthwhile if they get a good grade for it. Assessment for Learning is starting to address this but there is a long way to go. 

What is the difference between unschooling and the Steiner system?


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## Ozzieshunni

indy and lara said:


> A good preschool should be using a child led approach to learning which has similarities to unschooling. For me, I would not be happy making a decision to follow unschooling with Emma. I am a teacher so naturally I am pro formal education!!
> 
> I have seen recently a move in some preschools to formal teaching of phonics which I disagree with. Should that be happening locally then Emma won't go to nursery and we will find a suitable playschool for her instead. Nursery should be 100% child led but this is not always the case I do not agree either with this focus on marks and grading that has crept in to schools. I hate when children only believe their work is worthwhile if they get a good grade for it. Assessment for Learning is starting to address this but there is a long way to go.
> 
> *What is the difference between unschooling and the Steiner system?*

There's a name I haven't heard since my early childhood education studies! It is pretty much the same concept IMO. I worked in a preschool in California that used creative curriculum. If the children showed an interest in something, we would plan the activities around that and the kids loved it! My favorite topic to teach was rainbows around the rainy season. There's so much you can do with it! I would hate to see my children just learning ABCs and numbers in preschool or doing worksheets! It's up to parents however to take an active role in their child's education as well and not just depend on the schools.


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## freckleonear

Steiner education is based on the theory of anthroposophy. It is very "earth" based so gardening and nature play a large part. It tends to focus on art, drama, movement, music and crafts. Students have one teacher throughout their school years, reading is often not taught until the age of 7 and TV is strongly discouraged.


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## indy and lara

^^^Thank you. They seemed similar but I presumed there would be differences. I agree strongly that parents should play a very active part in their child's education- as a parent you are the primary source for children to learn from. However, I think it is completely inappropriate for preschool children to be undertaking formal learning.


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## stella123

I personally doubt I'll ever be financially stable enough to home school, and need the routine that unschooling (feeding and bed times) lacks.

However, I fully support anyone who successfully does either, and I agree that the state of learning in this country is appalling. Personally, I'd like my children to go to a Montessori pre-school to learn about respect and other values and cultures, whilst interacting with adults and their peers on an equal level.

Interesting hearing everyone's own opinion :)


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## Ozzieshunni

Montessori schools are good for self-teaching. A teacher will demonstrate an activity once and then let the children try it. It does teach independence in learning. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montessori_method <if anyone is interested in Montessori theory


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## birdiex

gemabee said:


> i saw this nd god did it make me angry!
> what made me laugh is they were playin with a dr's or vet's kit nd all i could think was - *'how ironic... ur playin with that yet denyin ur kids the opportunity to do that as a career because they'll have no formal qualifications'.*
> bein a parent isn't jus about lettin ur children have a good childhood... its disciplinin them, preparin them for the future, nd allowin them *every opportunity u can feasibly give them!*
> gah... makes me mad.
> 
> I think home schoolin is ok done correctly. Unschoolin (nd a lot of other styles of parentin shown in the program) I will never agree with, nd frankly I find ridiculous. My son will get a formal education, with formal qualifications, nd* I'll discipline him... AND I'll give him a happy childhood* - it is possible! Imo anyone who's done ok with unschoolin is the exception - not the rule.

I haven't read the whole topic but I'm finding what you're saying quite offensive. To the bolded comments - as many other people on here have said, you can still get to uni from being unschooled, and did you realise that your child can choose exams if they want to? An unschooled child could end up with plenty of GCSEs if that's what they chose to do, they can go to college and certainly can go to university. You are denying them of NOTHING by unschooling them. Did you ever consider that you might be taking away the opportunity for them to love learning by sending them to structured education? I hated school, I hate college and I CANNOT WAIT to do an open university course because guess what? I learn best by muddling through, gathering information and making sense of something myself, instead of sitting in a classroom being spoonfed by some teacher.
And who ever said that unschooling meant they'd have no discipline and an unhappy childhood? :wacko:



Dopeyjopey said:


> I am planning to unschool Albert. I believe I will be able to provide a better learning environment for him than he will receive at school. He is starting nursery next week, at a child first nursery, which I am hoping will set him up to learn from an early age until I am able to help him learn at home.
> 
> *Why is it that people assume that just because you don't follow the government approved curriculum your child will not be successful in life?* I did very well at school but my life skills were absolutely shocking until I had my son. I don't want that for him, I want him to learn using practical methods instead of sitting in a classroom, only interacting with children the same age as him and believing that all adults are superior :shrug:
> 
> It's all personal opinion, there is no need to slate home schoolers, just as none of the people educating at home would slate anyone deciding to put their child through the school system.
> 
> "The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education." - Albert Einstein

I TOTALLY agree with you here hun! And to the bolded - probably the same reason most people believe that hospitals MUST be safest for births - lack of education. Anything different is scary, and we're constantly told that if we don't do well at school, have good attendance and behave well, we'll never succeed at anything. We all have that fear of being a bum or a benefit scrounger (no offence meant to people on benefits of course, I mean the people who play the system and can't be bothered to work), and I know I've always just assumed that I had to do well at school to do well at life.
I want to be able to provide my kids with confidence in their own skills for learning, let them decide what they want to learn, and give them the tools to work it out for themselves - if they're anything like me, they'll love it and it'll do them so much good! I'll also give them the option to take GCSEs if they want to. Some courses though at colleges do have provisions for people with no qualifications. For example, childcare at my local college says that you need 5 a*-c GCSEs, or relevant experience ect. Surely if your unschooling all of your children, they'll have lots of experience in helping look after their younger siblings?


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## indy and lara

Can I ask what you would do if unschooling doesn't work for your child? There is not a 'one size fits all' in education or in how someone learns so if this doesn't suit your child, would you consider a more formal school environment? My personal learning preference is more formal and rigid so for example, unschooling would have been a bit of a disaster for me!


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## birdiex

indy and lara said:


> Can I ask what you would do if unschooling doesn't work for your child? There is not a 'one size fits all' in education or in how someone learns so if this doesn't suit your child, would you consider a more formal school environment? My personal learning preference is more formal and rigid so for example, unschooling would have been a bit of a disaster for me!

If it was me, I'd carry on unschooling. When you unschool, your child shows an interest in something and you facilitate that learning. If they need a certain approach (for example, kinetic learners need more active ways to learn than audio learners), then that's what you provide. If my child was one that needed a set activity or a set task i would give them that based on what THEY wanted to learn, and provide all the guidance and support neccessary. Does that make sense? I know what I'm trying to say but I'm not sure if it came out very clear! :haha:

ETA: I mean a set task as in "go and find this out on the computer/in a book for me, have a think about it and come back and tell me about what you've learned", and then we could have a discussion about it or do an activity based on that. Does that make better sense? :flower:


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## indy and lara

Just curious, thanks. I am teacher so I don't think along the lines of unschooling for Emma but wondered what people do if it goes wrong/ isn't for the child.


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## Tacey

indy and lara said:


> Just curious, thanks. I am teacher so I don't think along the lines of unschooling for Emma but wondered what people do if it goes wrong/ isn't for the child.

After the age of about 7, I'd let Alice go to school if she really wanted to, and understood what it involved. I'd offer lots of alternatives before that though! What do you mean by went wrong?

I'm a teacher too, but have kind of sabotaged my career since looking into autonomous education as I've really lost faith in the whole system now!


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## Ju_bubbs

Very interesting subject! I didn't see the program and dont know much about unschooling, apart from the few bits I've read on this thread so can't really have a huge opinion!

I do think that maybe I may have gone down either a unschooling or atleast homeschooling route tho, if I'd have been open minded enough to look into things like this 12 years ago when I had my eldest! I REALLY hate school, I think they're awful places to send children, no matter how 'good' a school looks on paper, there will always be other kids there who bully, swear and generally teach your kids things you really dont want them knowing/doing.

I always wanted to be homeschooled - I LOVED learning, but school.. I hated. I didn't want or need to know about the spanish armada and sedemantary rocks etc! By the time I was in year 6 of primary school, I had worked my way up to year 9 secondary school maths text books, then when I went to secondary school the teachers wondered why I didn't want to sit and do all this crap over again! So I didn't, I did no coursework, sat and chatted in lessons simply because nothing at school tested my mind or interested me! (I did love the look on the teachers faces when they found I passed 10 GCSE's at A to C after giving birth the day before the exams started tho :haha:) They even made me sit an official IQ test to 'get to the bottom of my behaviour problems' and when they found that it was 169, which got me into MENSA, still didn't do anything about it and made me sit through the same lessons!! I then didn't go to college or university because I honestly could not bear it after all the years of school! I'm sure had I been educated at home, things would have been very different!


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## birdiex

Ju_bubbs said:


> Very interesting subject! I didn't see the program and dont know much about unschooling, apart from the few bits I've read on this thread so can't really have a huge opinion!
> 
> I do think that maybe I may have gone down either a unschooling or atleast homeschooling route tho, if I'd have been open minded enough to look into things like this 12 years ago when I had my eldest!* I REALLY hate school, I think they're awful places to send children, no matter how 'good' a school looks on paper, there will always be other kids there who bully, swear and generally teach your kids things you really dont want them knowing/doing.*
> 
> I always wanted to be homeschooled - I LOVED learning, but school.. I hated. I didn't want or need to know about the spanish armada and sedemantary rocks etc! By the time I was in year 6 of primary school, I had worked my way up to year 9 secondary school maths text books, then when I went to secondary school the teachers wondered why I didn't want to sit and do all this crap over again! So I didn't, I did no coursework, sat and chatted in lessons simply because nothing at school tested my mind or interested me! (I did love the look on the teachers faces when they found I passed 10 GCSE's at A to C after giving birth the day before the exams started tho :haha:) They even made me sit an official IQ test to 'get to the bottom of my behaviour problems' and when they found that it was 169, which got me into MENSA, still didn't do anything about it and made me sit through the same lessons!! I then didn't go to college or university because I honestly could not bear it after all the years of school! I'm sure had I been educated at home, things would have been very different!

You sound JUST like me, even down to the GCSEs. I passed 10, A*-C, no coursework, no revision, nothing. My IQ is slightly lesser at 143 though. To the bolded, I couldn't say it better myself. Do we have a nodding emoticon?


----------



## Ju_bubbs

birdiex said:


> Ju_bubbs said:
> 
> 
> Very interesting subject! I didn't see the program and dont know much about unschooling, apart from the few bits I've read on this thread so can't really have a huge opinion!
> 
> I do think that maybe I may have gone down either a unschooling or atleast homeschooling route tho, if I'd have been open minded enough to look into things like this 12 years ago when I had my eldest!* I REALLY hate school, I think they're awful places to send children, no matter how 'good' a school looks on paper, there will always be other kids there who bully, swear and generally teach your kids things you really dont want them knowing/doing.*
> 
> I always wanted to be homeschooled - I LOVED learning, but school.. I hated. I didn't want or need to know about the spanish armada and sedemantary rocks etc! By the time I was in year 6 of primary school, I had worked my way up to year 9 secondary school maths text books, then when I went to secondary school the teachers wondered why I didn't want to sit and do all this crap over again! So I didn't, I did no coursework, sat and chatted in lessons simply because nothing at school tested my mind or interested me! (I did love the look on the teachers faces when they found I passed 10 GCSE's at A to C after giving birth the day before the exams started tho :haha:) They even made me sit an official IQ test to 'get to the bottom of my behaviour problems' and when they found that it was 169, which got me into MENSA, still didn't do anything about it and made me sit through the same lessons!! I then didn't go to college or university because I honestly could not bear it after all the years of school! I'm sure had I been educated at home, things would have been very different!
> 
> You sound JUST like me, even down to the GCSEs. I passed 10, A*-C, no coursework, no revision, nothing. My IQ is slightly lesser at 143 though. To the bolded, I couldn't say it better myself. Do we have a nodding emoticon?Click to expand...

:thumbup:


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## bubbles

Ju_bubbs said:


> Very interesting subject! I didn't see the program and dont know much about unschooling, apart from the few bits I've read on this thread so can't really have a huge opinion!
> 
> I do think that maybe I may have gone down either a unschooling or atleast homeschooling route tho, if I'd have been open minded enough to look into things like this 12 years ago when I had my eldest! *I REALLY hate school, I think they're awful places to send children, no matter how 'good' a school looks on paper, there will always be other kids there who bully, swear and generally teach your kids things you really dont want them knowing/doing.
> *
> I always wanted to be homeschooled - I LOVED learning, but school.. I hated. I didn't want or need to know about the spanish armada and sedemantary rocks etc! By the time I was in year 6 of primary school, I had worked my way up to year 9 secondary school maths text books, then when I went to secondary school the teachers wondered why I didn't want to sit and do all this crap over again! So I didn't, I did no coursework, sat and chatted in lessons simply because nothing at school tested my mind or interested me! (I did love the look on the teachers faces when they found I passed 10 GCSE's at A to C after giving birth the day before the exams started tho :haha:) They even made me sit an official IQ test to 'get to the bottom of my behaviour problems' and when they found that it was 169, which got me into MENSA, still didn't do anything about it and made me sit through the same lessons!! I then didn't go to college or university because I honestly could not bear it after all the years of school! I'm sure had I been educated at home, things would have been very different!

This is my thinking. I was really badly bullied at school and ended up leaving at 14 due to this. I am now a mother and part of my being mother is to protect my children, I see school as a threat. If I can avoid my children having to deal with the heart ache, emotional and mental problems I have due to my schooling experience I will. Unfortunately DH isn't too pleased with the idea of home schooling (although it would actually be child led rather than structured home learning) he had a great time at school and used it alot as his social time rather than to gain an education and qualifications. This probably makes no sense but basically what I'm trying to say is sometimes "normal" school doesn't suit a child or a child doesn't suit "normal" school iygwim?


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## Midnight_Fairy

Both mine went to a Montessori based preschool. It was really good. I am VERY VERY close to home schooling, I have asked for the info packs, had people out to talk to me and now I just need to make the move and think I will in the next 2 years. I have various reasons for doing this. My children both go to th best rated school in the area. Got "outstanding" in EVERY area from the Ofsted but yet I still dont feel right. I am not sure about my daughter but my son will definitely end up being home schooled.


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## Midnight_Fairy

I have not read back sorry. I will do later x


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## dusty_sheep

The major problem I see in unschooling/homeschooling is that parents with extreme (religious) views might use this way of education to keep their children away from other points of views, be it religion or other issues. But that's just me. 

Of course, if parents don't do the homeschooling very well, or don't give their unschooled children lots of opportunities to learn, then there might be much more problems.

Education, in my opinion, includes socializing with other kids, older and younger ones, as well as adults who give them instructions and a structure. There are many ways to do so when unschooling and homeschooling children, but also lots of ways to just use that kind of education for own (the parents') purposes.


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## indy and lara

Tacey said:


> indy and lara said:
> 
> 
> Just curious, thanks. I am teacher so I don't think along the lines of unschooling for Emma but wondered what people do if it goes wrong/ isn't for the child.
> 
> After the age of about 7, I'd let Alice go to school if she really wanted to, and understood what it involved. I'd offer lots of alternatives before that though! What do you mean by went wrong?
> 
> I'm a teacher too, but have kind of sabotaged my career since looking into autonomous education as I've really lost faith in the whole system now!Click to expand...

By 'goes wrong' I was meaning a range of things- your child does not settle, the environment does not suit them, they wish to attend school, they have additional needs, your own situation changes, etc. Just basically that the experience of home/ unschooling does not work out as you envisioned.

The system here is a bit different to the English system. Although it is far from perfect there is considerably more freedom for the teacher to drive the curriculum. I trained in England but have taught in Scotland for the last 12 years. We have never had literacy/ numeracy hour. There are no SATs and although there are National Assessments they are taken when the teacher thinks the child is ready, within the normal day. The Curriculum for Excellence has not been without problem but the basics of it mean that the whole child is considered and teachers have flexibility rather than a closely prescribed curriculum. It will be interesting to see what happens a few years down the line with it.


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## birdiex

indy and lara said:


> Tacey said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> indy and lara said:
> 
> 
> Just curious, thanks. I am teacher so I don't think along the lines of unschooling for Emma but wondered what people do if it goes wrong/ isn't for the child.
> 
> After the age of about 7, I'd let Alice go to school if she really wanted to, and understood what it involved. I'd offer lots of alternatives before that though! What do you mean by went wrong?
> 
> I'm a teacher too, but have kind of sabotaged my career since looking into autonomous education as I've really lost faith in the whole system now!Click to expand...
> 
> By 'goes wrong' I was meaning a range of things- your child does not settle, the environment does not suit them, they wish to attend school, they have additional needs, your own situation changes, etc. Just basically that the experience of home/ unschooling does not work out as you envisioned.
> 
> The system here is a bit different to the English system. Although it is far from perfect there is considerably more freedom for the teacher to drive the curriculum. I trained in England but have taught in Scotland for the last 12 years. We have never had literacy/ numeracy hour. There are no SATs and although there are National Assessments they are taken when the teacher thinks the child is ready, within the normal day. The Curriculum for Excellence has not been without problem but the basics of it mean that the whole child is considered and teachers have flexibility rather than a closely prescribed curriculum. It will be interesting to see what happens a few years down the line with it.Click to expand...

How could a child 'not settle' or 'the environment not suit them' in their own home? I think they'd probably be more settled, it's where they've lived, where they've grown up. I don't really understand what you mean by those?

But the curriculum in Scotland seems a lot kinder and more forgiving than the one we have here, the micromanagement in England is almost terminal!


----------



## indy and lara

birdiex said:


> indy and lara said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tacey said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> indy and lara said:
> 
> 
> Just curious, thanks. I am teacher so I don't think along the lines of unschooling for Emma but wondered what people do if it goes wrong/ isn't for the child.
> 
> After the age of about 7, I'd let Alice go to school if she really wanted to, and understood what it involved. I'd offer lots of alternatives before that though! What do you mean by went wrong?
> 
> I'm a teacher too, but have kind of sabotaged my career since looking into autonomous education as I've really lost faith in the whole system now!Click to expand...
> 
> By 'goes wrong' I was meaning a range of things- your child does not settle, the environment does not suit them, they wish to attend school, they have additional needs, your own situation changes, etc. Just basically that the experience of home/ unschooling does not work out as you envisioned.
> 
> The system here is a bit different to the English system. Although it is far from perfect there is considerably more freedom for the teacher to drive the curriculum. I trained in England but have taught in Scotland for the last 12 years. We have never had literacy/ numeracy hour. There are no SATs and although there are National Assessments they are taken when the teacher thinks the child is ready, within the normal day. The Curriculum for Excellence has not been without problem but the basics of it mean that the whole child is considered and teachers have flexibility rather than a closely prescribed curriculum. It will be interesting to see what happens a few years down the line with it.Click to expand...
> 
> How could a child 'not settle' or 'the environment not suit them' in their own home? I think they'd probably be more settled, it's where they've lived, where they've grown up. I don't really understand what you mean by those?
> 
> But the curriculum in Scotland seems a lot kinder and more forgiving than the one we have here, the micromanagement in England is almost terminal!Click to expand...

While some children do not thrive in a school environment, I believe that it is just as possible that some children would not thrive in a home schooling environment. That's all. One size not fitting all. Not having a go at homeschooling, just asking what you would do if it does not turn out to be the best fit for your child. Was curious if people would go straight to mainstream school or if they would look for alternatives such as Steiner? What happens if your child needs the input of other professionals (speech therapy, etc)? I have worked with families who have accessed these services at home pre 5 but post 5 they have been solely based out of schools. 

Of course you can adapt what you do, use approaches which suit learning styles (all things I do in my job I have to say but of course easier in a 1-1 or 2-1 situation) Some children do thrive best where there are tight routines and rules. Many of the posters I have read would seem to be favouring a more relaxed routine, going with the flow etc but what would you do if that approach was not working best for you child? Would you change to follow a timetable/rigid routine and would that be hard for you as your own approach to learning is quite different to that? For example, I know that for me kinaesthetic learners are more of a challenge as that is not my learning style so usimg that approach does not come naturally to me.

I feel as if you think I am criticising but I am not. I am curious and asking questions to broaden my own understanding. That's all.


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## birdiex

No, I was just a little confused, that's all! I see what you're getting at :thumbup: I'm one of those people who's quite routine-driven, I can't survive without a plan-of-action. I think maybe the key to that might just be planning ahead, but obviously I haven't tried it so I'm not so sure how that would actually pan out in real life! Thanks for explaining!

ETA: Off topic, but I just had a look at the link in your signature and you and your hubby are doing a great thing. Sorry for your loss :hugs:


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## hopeandpray

I think that most parents aren't qualified to teach children (I don't mean formally qualified I mean aren't able to do it properly). I certainly don't know enough to teach my children about all the things I would like them to know about. I liked being taught by experts. I would always be limiting them to what I know. 
Also I don't understand how it's legal. Here children have to be in education until they are 16 either in school or homeschooled by parents that are deemed acceptable as educators. 
Here you wouldn't get into uni with no formal qualifications.


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## indy and lara

birdiex said:


> No, I was just a little confused, that's all! I see what you're getting at :thumbup: I'm one of those people who's quite routine-driven, I can't survive without a plan-of-action. I think maybe the key to that might just be planning ahead, but obviously I haven't tried it so I'm not so sure how that would actually pan out in real life! Thanks for explaining!
> 
> ETA: Off topic, but I just had a look at the link in your signature and you and your hubby are doing a great thing. Sorry for your loss :hugs:

I am a routine monster so I can't cope without lists! Thank you. As I said I really wasn't criticising, just trying to think through how different scenarios could be managed. 

And thank you- I am very proud of my husband. Bobo is a very special part of our lives.


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## freckleonear

indy and lara said:


> While some children do not thrive in a school environment, I believe that it is just as possible that some children would not thrive in a home schooling environment. That's all. One size not fitting all. Not having a go at homeschooling, just asking what you would do if it does not turn out to be the best fit for your child. Was curious if people would go straight to mainstream school or if they would look for alternatives such as Steiner? What happens if your child needs the input of other professionals (speech therapy, etc)? I have worked with families who have accessed these services at home pre 5 but post 5 they have been solely based out of schools.
> 
> Of course you can adapt what you do, use approaches which suit learning styles (all things I do in my job I have to say but of course easier in a 1-1 or 2-1 situation) Some children do thrive best where there are tight routines and rules. Many of the posters I have read would seem to be favouring a more relaxed routine, going with the flow etc but what would you do if that approach was not working best for you child? Would you change to follow a timetable/rigid routine and would that be hard for you as your own approach to learning is quite different to that? For example, I know that for me kinaesthetic learners are more of a challenge as that is not my learning style so usimg that approach does not come naturally to me.
> 
> I feel as if you think I am criticising but I am not. I am curious and asking questions to broaden my own understanding. That's all.

Here's a couple of examples that I hope will answer some of your questions. My brother was a child that didn't thrive in a homeschooling environment, although I believe that was partly because he went to school until he was 10 and partly because of the approach my parents used (too formal in his case). They recognised that it wasn't suiting him and sent him back to school after one year at home. However, he never did well at school academically despite being very intelligent. I don't think my parents had ever heard of unschooling back then but it might have done wonders for him.

A friend of mine is a radical unschooler. Her oldest child (15) has recently requested to do more serious study work and possible some exams. One of her younger children has always wanted to do more formal "school work", which they have started doing for her. Her other children are very happy being unschooled. It's been a bit of a balancing act, but she has managed to provide exactly what each child needs. After all, it's got to be easier with 5 than with a class of 30!


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## indy and lara

freckleonear said:


> indy and lara said:
> 
> 
> While some children do not thrive in a school environment, I believe that it is just as possible that some children would not thrive in a home schooling environment. That's all. One size not fitting all. Not having a go at homeschooling, just asking what you would do if it does not turn out to be the best fit for your child. Was curious if people would go straight to mainstream school or if they would look for alternatives such as Steiner? What happens if your child needs the input of other professionals (speech therapy, etc)? I have worked with families who have accessed these services at home pre 5 but post 5 they have been solely based out of schools.
> 
> Of course you can adapt what you do, use approaches which suit learning styles (all things I do in my job I have to say but of course easier in a 1-1 or 2-1 situation) Some children do thrive best where there are tight routines and rules. Many of the posters I have read would seem to be favouring a more relaxed routine, going with the flow etc but what would you do if that approach was not working best for you child? Would you change to follow a timetable/rigid routine and would that be hard for you as your own approach to learning is quite different to that? For example, I know that for me kinaesthetic learners are more of a challenge as that is not my learning style so usimg that approach does not come naturally to me.
> 
> I feel as if you think I am criticising but I am not. I am curious and asking questions to broaden my own understanding. That's all.
> 
> Here's a couple of examples that I hope will answer some of your questions. My brother was a child that didn't thrive in a homeschooling environment, although I believe that was partly because he went to school until he was 10 and partly because of the approach my parents used (too formal in his case). They recognised that it wasn't suiting him and sent him back to school after one year at home. However, he never did well at school academically despite being very intelligent. I don't think my parents had ever heard of unschooling back then but it might have done wonders for him.
> 
> A friend of mine is a radical unschooler. Her oldest child (15) has recently requested to do more serious study work and possible some exams. One of her younger children has always wanted to do more formal "school work", which they have started doing for her. Her other children are very happy being unschooled. It's been a bit of a balancing act, but she has managed to provide exactly what each child needs. After all, it's got to be easier with 5 than with a class of 30!Click to expand...

Thank you! That is just what I was wondering. I woul dimagine it could challenging for the parent when your child wants something that is opposed to your ideology. When you make the commitment to home school/ unschool it is a huge undertaking. I have great respect for those of you who are , even though it is not for us!


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## marley2580

I think one of the wonderful things about home ed is the ability to be flexible and to adapt and cater to individuals. Kaya sometimes enjoys doing workbooks and that's fine - it's still being child led as they're the ones that are asking


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## marley2580

hopeandpray said:


> I think that most parents aren't qualified to teach children (I don't mean formally qualified I mean aren't able to do it properly). I certainly don't know enough to teach my children about all the things I would like them to know about. I liked being taught by experts. I would always be limiting them to what I know.
> Also I don't understand how it's legal. Here children have to be in education until they are 16 either in school or homeschooled by parents that are deemed acceptable as educators.
> Here you wouldn't get into uni with no formal qualifications.

Do you mind me asking where you are? I'm interested to know how parents are deemed to be acceptable, is there a test they take?

Home ed is actually illegal in some countries, including Germany, Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands. We are very lucky in this country that there is such a strong liberal history


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## birdiex

Illegal? how sad :(


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## Midnight_Fairy

every day I sway more and more to home schooling.


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## marley2580

Midnight_Fairy said:


> every day I sway more and more to home schooling.

Yes! Come over to the dark side lol


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## Ozzieshunni

hopeandpray said:


> I think that most parents aren't qualified to teach children (I don't mean formally qualified I mean aren't able to do it properly). I certainly don't know enough to teach my children about all the things I would like them to know about. I liked being taught by experts. I would always be limiting them to what I know.
> Also I don't understand how it's legal. Here children have to be in education until they are 16 either in school or homeschooled by parents that are deemed acceptable as educators.
> Here you wouldn't get into uni with no formal qualifications.

In early childhood education, we learn that the parents are the first teachers. They work in conjunction with the child's teachers and caregivers to provide a high level of education.


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## MandaAnda

Very interesting. It's definitely something I would consider for Jack, should it suit him. I will think about a Montessori style nursery. I was homeschooled from the ages of 14 to 17. I say homeschooled, but I didn't meet with any teachers at any point. I read my textbooks and completed my tests and essays. I decided to do homeschool, as I wanted to finish and felt my own school moved too slowly for me. And, for what it's worth, I'm someone who loves learning.

I've been to university and am a registered nurse, child branch. I have worked on all levels of neonatal units and am currently doing my nursing mentorship course. Self-directed learning was good for me, and I think it would've suited me throughout my primary education as well.


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## ShanandBoc

What do people think parents do to educate their children in rural areas. Places where the nearest school might be 100's of kilometers away?

What about 100+ years ago, where access to mainstream schooling would have been much more limited than today. Throughout history many children would have had to be home schooled. I for one, am very keen on the idea, as i know i can and will give my daughter the absolute best education. Who would put more time, love and effort into ot than their own parent?


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## wishuwerehere

Haven't read the entire thread, so sorry if I'm repeating anyone!
My personal problem with schools (and I only left school in 2008...) is that we were essentially spoon fed how to answer exam questions, not actually particularly encouraged to go away and study and research that subject for ourselves. I can imagine someone who was unschooled, or homeschooled, and given more of a chance to investigate and learn things for themself, would actually have a much better work ethic and a greater capacity for independent learning, which is a lot more important once you reach further education!


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## Mummyplus3

Sorry for dragging ther thread back to life but I thought this was a really interesting thread. I have much respect for those parents that home school. I am terrified of putting my 3 r old into school next year. She is so clever and the schools in the area I am moving too are very poor. I wish I had what it takes to home school her, but I think It would do more damage to her to keep her home with me than to go to a not so good school, I hope to find a way of affording getting her into a private school in the area but TBH i do wish I could teach her at home.


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## aimee-lou

Personally I'm in a bit of a quandry about education. My husband is currently embarking on teacher training - it's going to take him 5 years including his first degree in biological sciences, and then he'll be able to teach science at KS3, 4 and 5. I'm a history graduate with a love of literature and poetry - between us we probably have the ability to meet the educational needs of a child. 

However, I do feel that school is a necessary part of growing up. The interaction and the skills you learn around the classroom as well as the knowledge gained within it. I actually went to boarding school, so maybe I had a different line of sight, but at 15 my school closed down and I went to the local comp, hated every minute, got bullied, barely went, and still came out with 10 A grade GCSEs because I basically only went to school to learn. I probably could have done it at home but my parents weren't supportive/didn't know that they could/weren't willing to do what was necessary. 

Earl is obviously bright - and I do want the very best for him. I've researched all of the options, and we do have a montessori pre-school and an 'outdoor nursery' in our area, which I'm keen on him attending before he goes to school at 5. I just don't know what to do after that as I can't afford £10k a year on private school, none around here offer bursaries etc. Homeschooling may actually be an option for us, but I can't help but think that I would be stifling Earl by keeping him at home, despite the obvious benefits of missing out on bullying and any negative educational experiences . We shall have to see how we get on in future years.


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## Lara+sam+bump

Im currently in the process of becoming a childminder and so Noah will 100% not go to school or nursery of any kind until he is 5. But I am now considering homeschooling for at least until he is 7, maybe more, although he will defo go to secondary school as I am dyslexic and I will never have the mathmatical ability to be able 2 teach Noah secondary school maths or science. I like the idea of doing some unschoolin but some curriculum stuff as well. But i'd like him to get his GCSE's and A levels and i'd like for him to have the friendships that secondary school brings as I feel they are the ones that last, I dont have contact with anyone for primary school but I still regularily see lots of my secondary school friends and I think year 7-11 were fantastic years for me personally. Just my opinion. Think gembee is being ridiculous in saying homeschooling is detrimental to a childs future and the common sense remark made me LOL :) xx


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## morri

Sounds a lot like free schools to me, Kids decide what they learn and when, I don't mind people using it, aslong as the child doing well in it. Children thrive in different models of education , some are more successful in academic schools and some do better when they are left to do everything at their own pace.


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## tinkerbellkir

Love this thread.

I have a friend who does un-schooling, she has to declare to the LEA that she is home educating and someone from the LEA visits every so often to see what shes doing ect. 

Her daughter is absolutely 100% thriving through thtis education and if i didnt have to work i would absolutely be doing this for my daughter too. I wish i could do half and half as DD loves school but i do feel it crushes some of her natural curiosity and learning, she has to sit when the other kids sit, listen when the other kids listen, learn what everyone else is learning, i think the discipline is important BUT in moderation not 6 hours 5 days a week. Unfortunately with work i dont really have any choice. 

But my friends daughter can do everything my daughter can do PLUS more, she has actual life skills such as cooking and baking and growing her own food. You could give that girl a map and she'd tell you where all the countries are, and she could tell u in a forest what food was edible and what was not, its this that i feel School makes children lack, so i just try to do as much at home as possible, BUt theres not enough time in the day and id love more. 

Kirsty


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