Comments on: How to unschool

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:45:04 +0000

Anthony wouldn’t have a shelf yet, except he has to have what Sam has. It is also a better way of organizing because I am a terrible organizer.

By: AttachedMama

AttachedMama — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 22:28:37 +0000

I completely agree about seeding the environment. I’ve heard that one mistake new unschooling parents often do is try to do too much, too quickly, and I want to avoid that, but I also want to make sure that when she’s ready and interested that she has access to the information. For now, I’ve decided my way to balance wanting to jump in with both feet and not giving her enough is to just provide access to the materials, make sure she knows it’s around, but otherwise not push it at all. I’ve been reading it, and sometimes she sees me reading it and comes to ask questions or look at the books with me.

I’ve read about workboxes and shelves and such in the past. I think I might set something like that up for Meredith. Probably not yet, but when she’s a little older. I think I’ll set something up in her room that will be a place to show things she’s done, as well as somewhere to find materials to work on or read if she wants.

I also love the idea of the perpetual calendar. You’ve reminded me that I want to do something like that too.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:51:32 +0000

I think that one important thing to do is to seed the environment. Just have things available so they can use/learn when they want. I read a great Reggio thing on seeding the environment. The teachers put out a variety of yellow and green paints at a paint easel with a vase of flowers next to it. They never even mentioned the paint to the kids, and the kids went over and painted the flowers because they wanted to.

This is why I made the perpetual calendar. It is hanging on the wall, but most days we don’t do anything with it. Sometimes they only are interested once a month, but it is there and they are learning. I also have made Sam and Ant each a shelf with workbooks that they have chosen, paper, colouring stuff, scissors, a story telling pad etc. They don’t use it everyday (although Ant is in love with his scissors and putting everything that he loves and wants to keep forever in a box on his shelf).

I am pretty excited for this year, and to see what happens.