| Unschooling is a movement in education. Basically, | | | | education. This does not respect the fact that |
| it can be seen as learning without school. Although | | | | children do not all learn the same. Children have |
| unschooling may be considered a form of | | | | different learning styles, and also have different |
| homeschooling, it differs from most | | | | interests and needs. In contrast to mainstream |
| homeschooling in that unschooling does not try to | | | | schools, unschoolers keep their children at home |
| recreate the school environment at home. | | | | and allow them to explore their own individual |
| Unschooling lets the child control his or her own | | | | interests in a way that they want. |
| education and learning. Instead of forcing the child | | | | While unschooling, the children like learning, and |
| to learn certain material in a certain way, | | | | they have fun while learning. For example, a child |
| unschooling consists of letting the child learn | | | | might see a bug that interests them and the child |
| naturally on their own. Usually, this is done without | | | | may then want to go inside and look up |
| a curriculum, without formal classes, and without | | | | information about that bug. An older child who is |
| teachers, but a child can use any of those | | | | interested in computers might ask for a kit that |
| resources if and when the child wants. | | | | would allow him or her to build a computer at |
| The unschooling philosophy is based in part on the | | | | home. |
| belief that children are naturally curious and | | | | Since the children are following their own interests |
| inquisitive. Children want to learn, and they do it | | | | and desires, the child learns what they will want to |
| best when left to explore their own curiosity. | | | | know. For example, that child who built the |
| Unschoolers often believe that schools hinder the | | | | computer as a kid may grow up to be a |
| natural learning process. In a school, the | | | | computer engineer. Had the child gone to |
| environment is too rigid and unnatural for children | | | | mainstream school, the child would not have |
| to learn at their best. Additionally, children are | | | | gotten the chance to explore his or her own |
| often not interested in what is being taught, since | | | | particular interests at such an early age, and |
| they have no choice in the matter. Having an | | | | would have instead been forced to "learn" a |
| unwanted "education" shoved down their throats | | | | standardized education. |
| turns the kids off to learning. Because children | | | | Not everyone thinks unschooling is better than |
| don't like school, they stop wanting to learn at all | | | | mainstream, standardized education. At the very |
| when forced to go to school. | | | | least, now you know what unschooling is and |
| A major problem with mainstream schools is that | | | | some of the reasons unschoolers prefer it. |
| they can only offer a standardized, one-size-fits-all | | | | |