Unschooling is about learning, and not about teaching. Unschooling parents rely on their children's native, undamaged curiosity and on the interesting world around them.
photo by Collen Prieto
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"Treat her like a fun person rather than like a kid." —Angela (NYCitymomx3) |
Touch someone, or something, in a gentle, thoughtful way. Feel with your fingers, or cheek, or hand the warmth or smoothness or softness of something or someone you love. |
I believe that if children learn happily, without pressure and without shame, that they will continue to do so for the rest of their lives. |
We can't tell by looking at a child that learning is taking place. When unschooling is working well, though, we begin to know know that if they are interested, engaged and thinking, they are making their own connections, large or small. |
Once someone wrote in an unschooling discussion:"I just have one concern. I want my children to finish what they start."I responded: If you start a book and decide you don't like it, will you finish it? If you start eating a dozen donuts, and after you're not in the mood for donuts anymore, will you finish the dozen? If you start an evening out with a guy and he irritates or frightens you, will you stay for five more hours to finish what you started? If you put a DVD in and it turns out to be Kevin Costner and you don't like Kevin Costner, will you finish it anyway? The only things that should be finished are those things that seem worthwhile to do. |