Unschooling: What is it and is it Right for You?

"The most important thing any teacher has to learn, not to be learned in any school of education I ever heard of, can be expressed in seven words: Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activity of learners." - John Holt, Growing Without Schooling Magazine #40

There is a small but growing group within the homeschooling spectrum called unschooling. For many this radical style is a mystery, but for some it is as obvious as the curiosity in a child. Sometimes called child-led learning, this method is based on the books by author John Holt. An educator himself, Holt spent many years studying the way children learn and writing several insightful books on the subject. Before his death in 1985, Holt had nine books and a magazine to his credit. Two more books were written after his death from notes and letters of Holt's.

So what exactly is unschooling? That is a difficult question to answer, as unschooling means something different to each person. A simple explanation is allowing children the freedom to learn what they choose at their own pace. It is an open ended process where children's natural curiosities are free to blossom as they choose. Little to no formal structure is held, unless the child asks for it. In this way a child is not hindered by what others feel he should learn, but is led by his own internal drives and desires.

For many this seems almost outrageous. The majority of us were raised in the public school system where we were guided by teachers and taught specific lessons. The lax attitude of unschooling can be a shock to the system. But unschoolers say that what they are doing is actually perfectly normal. Left to their own devices many children can and do learn quite a number of things. Anyone with young children can contest the insatiable curiosity that drives them to understand the world around them. Babies walk, toddlers talk, and children strive to learn and do more.