What does unschooling look like?
1/20/06
We've been unschooling for about 3 1/2 years. In that time my oldest daughter, soon to be 14 years old as of this writing, has gained so many talents and interests...things that had she been in school she probably would not have had time to ponder and enjoy. Unschooling looks like keeping school out of our lives as much as possible. It looks just like summer vacation, except it's all year round. My girls Zena (13) and Ruby (4) pretty much have the choice to do what they want to do at any given time.
Zena spends much of her time doing crafts and making gifts for friends...in recent months she has crocheted hats and scarves for friends and family, customizng each one. She is attempting an ancient Japanese headdress called Kanzashi, (I think), and she is totally into Japanese movies and music, to the point of having downloaded over 2000 Japanese songs on our computer. She adores fashion magazines, especially Japanese fashion, and has developed a recent interest in photography, tattoos and body piercings, though she has none...Zena is also a die hard Raw foodist, and has learned a great deal about the body's functions and the effects of food in the diet as she has sought out this information. She's an incredible person and I am blessd to have her in my life.
Her maturity and her strong sense of self are evident within the first few moments of meeting her.
Ruby is a high energy 4 year old. Her world consists entirely of playing made up games. Her vocabulary is astounding, as she began speaking like an adult at a very young age, much like her older sister, Zena did. Ruby is non stop, except for when she is watching a movie or a program that she enjoys. She loves her toys, she loves being read to and is showing strong signs of reading skills. She's not into art like her sister was...prefering games and imaginative play to any onther activity... Since we don't have other children over here very often, we are her primary play mates. We occasionally go to play spaces, toy library, and have a special friend over. She does get social interaction with her peers, but it is limited. So far she has not seemed at all bothered by this. Even when there are kids around she still wants a me to play with her!
Unschooling looks different in every household. There don't seem to be as many opportunities for social exploration here as there are in larger cities. We tend to be home bodies, especially in the winter. We live, work and sleep on our own schedule, waking up well rested and ready to begin a new day.
We've been unschooling for about 3 1/2 years. In that time my oldest daughter, soon to be 14 years old as of this writing, has gained so many talents and interests...things that had she been in school she probably would not have had time to ponder and enjoy. Unschooling looks like keeping school out of our lives as much as possible. It looks just like summer vacation, except it's all year round. My girls Zena (13) and Ruby (4) pretty much have the choice to do what they want to do at any given time.
Zena spends much of her time doing crafts and making gifts for friends...in recent months she has crocheted hats and scarves for friends and family, customizng each one. She is attempting an ancient Japanese headdress called Kanzashi, (I think), and she is totally into Japanese movies and music, to the point of having downloaded over 2000 Japanese songs on our computer. She adores fashion magazines, especially Japanese fashion, and has developed a recent interest in photography, tattoos and body piercings, though she has none...Zena is also a die hard Raw foodist, and has learned a great deal about the body's functions and the effects of food in the diet as she has sought out this information. She's an incredible person and I am blessd to have her in my life.
Her maturity and her strong sense of self are evident within the first few moments of meeting her.
Ruby is a high energy 4 year old. Her world consists entirely of playing made up games. Her vocabulary is astounding, as she began speaking like an adult at a very young age, much like her older sister, Zena did. Ruby is non stop, except for when she is watching a movie or a program that she enjoys. She loves her toys, she loves being read to and is showing strong signs of reading skills. She's not into art like her sister was...prefering games and imaginative play to any onther activity... Since we don't have other children over here very often, we are her primary play mates. We occasionally go to play spaces, toy library, and have a special friend over. She does get social interaction with her peers, but it is limited. So far she has not seemed at all bothered by this. Even when there are kids around she still wants a me to play with her!
Unschooling looks different in every household. There don't seem to be as many opportunities for social exploration here as there are in larger cities. We tend to be home bodies, especially in the winter. We live, work and sleep on our own schedule, waking up well rested and ready to begin a new day.
posted by zenrubyangel at 2:09 PM
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