This is the only time of year that I get antsy and start worrying about unschooling. I’d be so interested in hearing about how you encouraged learning with younger kids. Or did you just let them play until they came and asked? I find mine haven’t been asking much lately and I worry it’s something I’ve done – or do they perhaps go through spurts as they do in physical development? (She has four kids and the oldest is eight).
First of all, thank you for the question. I LOVE questions, because it helps me know what to write about. My kids did go through spurts in doing school-type things and that would make me feel better, but that didn’t mean they weren’t learning the other times too. Some days were just watching PBS or playing dress-up. I’d get nervous and try to whip up some school-like activity, but really, that’s not necessary. That’s me trying to control the learning that’s going on all the time anyway.
On days I felt compelled to do some “real” learning, a trip to the library would do the trick. Browse the shelves and let the kids bring home whatever they are interested in. Since mom gets to bring home books too, I’d think through topics I thought they should know about. I’d get ideas from a book called The Core Knowledge Sequence.
I also like Kathryn Stout’s Design-a-Study series. It’s the same idea as the Core Knowledge Sequence because it has content listed by grade level, but it has more suggestions on how to teach the different areas. I like both these resources because they cover all of elementary school in one shot. The books might look expensive, but think “eight years of schooling.”
Some Specifics on Fostering Interest
When one of my kids was in early elementary school I thought she should know about the periodic table of elements. So I set up a lab with a big periodic table poster, science lab materials, experiment books, and one of her dad’s white shirts as a lab coat. Then I left it to see what would happen. She spent a lot of time in there and learned a great deal (it was actually set up under her loft bed). And when she lost interest, we put it all away.
That science lab was really a learning center. These are simply table tops or plastic tubs or drawers that have everything you need to dive into your topic. We still have the dress-up chest and the drawing desk. But you can be more specific and have a rocket science corner with library books, toys, videos, Lego’s, or whatever you think you need to introduce and explore that topic. A geography area would have a globe, map, workbooks, map puzzle, etc. These are simply little places of hidden treasure. And when they are no longer interesting, put them away and try something else. The goal is to learn about your child and what he loves, then provide what he needs to go that route to the fullest.
I always had a read-aloud book going at bedtime, and I’d purposefully choose books to follow some historic period. I also had a time line going around the bedroom, so when we read, I could point to the spot on the time line and if they wanted, they could write or draw what they learned on it. I usually found some sort of visual for them to attach too.
Mom’s enthusiasm can go a long way in fostering interest in something. I personally love biology, so one of my favorite memories is doing The Body Book.
In a nutshell, remember your main job is to foster a love of learning and their natural talents. If you have to resort to threats or yelling to get them to “do school,” you should just let it be. If your child would love to do workbooks all day, let her. If your child is emotionally mature and wants to go to public school, let her (gulp. That’s my situation now). If your child wants to play video games all day, let him. Seriously. If he sees you’re not hassling him, the fun will die away soon enough and his natural survival instincts will kick in, like maybe when he’s 16 and has to get into some college. But let’s hope he’s had something to spark his interest before then!
A View from the Down the Road
Yesterday Melissa came home from her third day of public high school and commented about her English class. She said, “It must be hard for some kids to write stories. What if you’re not creative? Anyone can learn grammar or punctuation, but how can you learn creativity?” I told her I was glad she had all those stress-free elementary years to play, pretend, make up stories and develop her imagination.
Meg, my learn-at-home high school junior just finished watching a Netflix instant documentary and was disappointed. “I didn’t really learn anything. I think I’ll try to find something educational to do,” she says as I sit here typing this.
My homeschool graduate has another month until he leaves for college (they are on the quarter system). He just ordered The Brothers Karamazov, an 800 page Russian novel, because he’s listening to online lectures from the UC Berkeley that talk about it. Is this how most graduated seniors spend their last weeks before college?
And 90% of their lives has been unstructured and interest-led.
Have hope.
Jena is a homeschooling mom of three teenagers (one off to college and one checking out public school this year). She has been relaxed/unschooling for most of her home school career. She writes at www.yarnsoftheheart.com, runs http://www.dailylearners.com, and writes at http://lifewithoutschool.typepad.com/.
