| When their child is eagerly learning and | | | | the learning path decided for them by |
| pursuing knowledge, parents simply shine in | | | | professional educators. While there are some |
| delight. "Unschooling" is an educational | | | | students who are able to thrive in such |
| method that is intended to harness a child's | | | | settings, many more children become |
| nature, that of excitement for learning and | | | | discouraged and unmotivated. Unschooling can |
| curiosity about the world around them. | | | | help children to regain that spark, curiosity |
| | | | and enthusiasm for learning. |
| Tapping into this nature allow the child to | | | | |
| continue learning with a sense of wonder and | | | | One of the primary ways that unschooling is |
| adventure, rather than being forced to learn | | | | being implemented is through homeschooling |
| what is on the school agenda for the day. | | | | children rather than sending them to primary |
| | | | educational institutions. Homeschooling is a |
| After their first few years, most children | | | | growing trend that promises to continue, not |
| are shuffled off to public classrooms where a | | | | only in the United States, but around the |
| child's natural curiosity and spark for | | | | world, wherever institutional education is |
| learning all they can takes a secondary role | | | | impinging on children's natural inclinations |
| to the curriculum and lesson plans for the | | | | to learn. |
| day. | | | | |
| | | | In a school setting, teachers must use and |
| While it is true that schools also want to | | | | stick to a standard curriculum that is set |
| have students in the pursuit of knowledge, it | | | | out, not by the teachers who have direct |
| is also simply part of the institutional | | | | interaction with students, by committees that |
| structure that by nature focuses and forces | | | | are generally staffed by people who have not |
| children to learn what the school has | | | | set foot in a classroom or interacted with |
| outlined and in the way that has been | | | | students in years. |
| approved. | | | | |
| | | | However, a homeschool curriculum that is |
| Unfortunately, this is counterproductive for | | | | following the principles of the unschool, |
| most students and does not serve them well or | | | | will be considerably different from what is |
| bring out their best energies for learning. | | | | found in the public schools. |
| Unschooling is an attempt to turn around that | | | | |
| educational model and free student to learn | | | | There are some homeschooling resources that |
| in more natural and effortless way. | | | | advocate following very similar curricula as |
| | | | what is considered standard to schools. |
| Traditional school curriculums are based on | | | | However, this means homeschoolers simple |
| the idea that children have to be pursued by | | | | experience and change in setting by being |
| knowledge because they are not trusted to | | | | taught at home, but not a change in the |
| ever pursue knowledge for themselves. And, | | | | approach to learning. |
| because in a school setting, learning is | | | | |
| defined by schoolwork, it is easy for | | | | The major emphasis of unschooling is to |
| teachers to conclude that children are not | | | | re-ignite a child's curiosity of the world |
| eager to learn since most tend to avoid the | | | | around them, which is a natural state that is |
| schoolwork. | | | | too often squelched by the formal school |
| | | | system. Using a child's nature to help drive |
| As a result, sending a child to school became | | | | his learning helps him be motivated and feel |
| a way to control children and force them into | | | | empowered in their educational pursuits. |