Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



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Subject Topic: "unschooling" and the 3Rs Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Mary G
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Posted: Sept 12 2005 at 3:33pm | IP Logged Quote Mary G
OK, now I'm pretty convinced (thanks to all you fine folks ) that unschooling is a very valid, viable option.

Now, I have a 5 and 6 year old that I am currently hsing. My almost 3 yos is waiting in the wings to "start" too......

My question is -- how do you ensure the 3Rs and unschool. The way I'm doing it now, I do religion, math and phonics/reading in the first hour (never more than 20 minutes each and very CM-ish ). Then, after a morning recess (in this beautiful Fall-ish weather!) we tend more toward unschooling where we cover any of the following at their suggestion: history, literature, nature, science, whatever......before lunch and after quiet time.

OK, not technically unschooling, but very family-guided learning. Today, for example, we started the Hobbit as a read aloud for my littles because as a family we had watched a great program on JRRTolkein and Thomas (6) wanted me to start reading the books TODAY!

Blessings and thanks for the always-useful advice!




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Leonie
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Posted: Sept 12 2005 at 6:17pm | IP Logged Quote Leonie
Mary,

I think that what you are doing sounds fine. If you are happy with it and your dc are happy and learning - well, go for it!

My dc have learned much of the "3Rs" through life. In an inter-connected fashion rather than a subject fashion.

For example, Anthony ( youngest) loved those Ladybird readers - the Peter and Susan ones. We have many different versions. He used to compare the pictures of Peter and Susan in the 1950s to those in the 1960s and 1970s.

He also loved Snoopy comics and Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes. And the computer game Civilization.

Now, he was a non reader - but these experiences and asking us to read to him and tell him sounds and words lead to reading and an interest in reading. We made litle phonics scrapbooks and played games.

So, he didn't have a reading lesson but we went with his interest and readiness.

Same with numbers - we delivered the local newspaper and he used to ask me to read the numbers on the letterboxes. Then he began to recognize numbers himself and we played counting and adding games as we walked.

Real life and being present and interested is how we have covered the 3Rs.

Leonie in Sydney
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