School, homeschool, and unschool combos - Page 2

[sunnmama]

Originally Posted by straighthaircurly

You can still build unschool philosophy into your life even if that is not 24/7. Being able to "switch gears" from a structured learning environment to a self-led learning environment is valuable in my world. Both environments play a role in learning how to live and get along in the greater world.

My issue is that I object to "self-led learning" as domain owned by unschool philosophy. Unschooling is exclusively self-led learning. Naturally, the rest of us engage in self-led learning, too! And not just during childhood, but for a whole lifetime.

School provides a good balance for my dd between structured/independent time and unstructured/family time. She enjoys the reliable peer interaction, constant activity, and structure of school (esp compared to her own experience homeschooling/unschooling before entering school). But she also engages in plenty of learning at home. Sometimes she extends things she's been working on in school (googling Mesopotamia because they've been reading about it, writing poetry after a school writing unit). Some things, like guitar lessons, are structured for her at home. And some things are completely exploring her own passions and interest--like her obsession with all things vampire, or researching all about raising gerbils

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by sunnmama

Naturally, the rest of us engage in self-led learning, too! And not just during childhood, but for a whole lifetime.

School provides a good balance for my dd between structured/independent time and unstructured/family time. She enjoys the reliable peer interaction, constant activity, and structure of school (esp compared to her own experience homeschooling/unschooling before entering school). But she also engages in plenty of learning at home.

I don't get tied up in the "schooling" part anymore. I focus on the learning. If my dc are happily acquiring knowledge and developing critical thinking skills, then it's all good.

My dc have homeschooled, cyberschooled, and bricks & mortar schooled. They've enrolled in private school, Montessori, public school, special education gifted programs and performing arts schools. I think too many people focus on a particular ideology and lose sight of the actual child's needs and preferences. They can be very different from what the parent envisioned and can also change over time.

What works for us? Finding a learning environment that keeps them engaged and challenged. My dc prefer learning with other students in a collaborative, mutually inspiring, respectful setting that encourages participation from all. That happens for them at school.

They also like to explore and experiment independently though, so they do that at home or in extra-curricular activities. DS likes apple cider and decided he'd like to make some. So last weekend, he went apple picking. Last night, without help (he rejected all offers) he cut them up, pureed them and squeezed them (no press - he made do with cheesecloth and his upper body strength) and made his cider. He learned a little about agriculture, food distribution, food preparation and food storage along the way, all of it independently motivated by his love for cider.

For my dc, they look beyond the borders of school and homeschooling and let the learning happen where it will.

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by Needle in the Hay

I'm looking for cool opportunties for him that I think he'll like.

That's what school is for my kids.

[GuildJenn]

OP, I'm trying to figure out what you are looking for.

Is it just because the forums are divided into categories that your question is phrased that way?

My child doesn't prefer a method over another; he wants parents who are engaged with him, both in terms of supporting his interests and in introducing him to wild new things.

Because he is schooled (Montessori; will in all likelihood be public next year), like your child, we're really free to use our at-home time to - be a family that loves to learn. Like most families we know, I have to say.

One of the reasons we did not go with Waldorf (among many) is that I did not want to extend ANY school philosophy into our home; it's one of the (also many) reasons I tend to stay away from trying to homeschool (although I can see that there would be situations where we would try it).

Given that we're covering the basics via a school day, I don't really want to be trying to decide if telling him he needs to write his name on a birthday card is insufficiently unschooly or whether failing to explain the physics behind his hour's worth of play with his marble run is a failed opportunity. That doesn't mean I won't grapple a bit with things, but I prefer to do it based on - our attachment, I guess. How we're feeling that day.

I'm wary of any kind of educational dogma; I don't want to be an advocate for anything but my son's learning needs in the present; I want his present to include learning of course but I also want him to experience the wonderful and wacky world of "unproductive" time at home, just being. I want him to be in a good school, but I know school won't meet all his needs (and wouldn't want it to try).

I won't base my gift decisions on whether something is "Montessori enough" either.

That doesn't prevent me from asking in the Homeschooling forums about DVDs for kids interested in X (PMK was such a great suggestion) or reading about unschooling to remind myself that you can let the child lead, but I definitely don't try to incorporate methods into our home so much as just have a bank of ideas to draw from if it seems like we need some, sometime.

I hope that helps.

[Needle in the Hay]

Originally Posted by Linda on the move

That's what school is for my kids.

That's great!
Why the shrug?

[lach]

Originally Posted by GuildJenn

OP, I'm trying to figure out what you are looking for.

I think that you sound like an awesome mama, OP! It sounds like you have a really interesting kid and you're really fostering an environment where he can explore and learn about the world about him in many different ways.

I guess what I don't really understand is why it's particularly remarkable. I think that what you do is what most parents do. Utilize the public schools, supplement certain subjects as needed (either because their child is behind and needs additional tutoring, or because s/he is ahead and wants more challenging work), and encourage personal hobbies.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by Dar

To me, this sounds like what all of my friend who school their kids do - it's part of being a good parent. In general, parents who send their kids to school also teach them things at home and support their interests - that has nothing to do with homeschooling and even less to do with unschooling, IMO.

I'm glad school is working well for you!