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Mary G
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Hey y'all
I just finished reading Alison McKee's Homeschooling Our Children, Unschooling Ourselves -- now, if you're not convinced of the efficacy of unschooling, this book, more than any others I've read will convince you. She explains her slow evolution from a classroom, special ed teacher to homeschooling her son through to his going off to college (as well as their daughter who is 3 years younger). Mrs. McKee makes such great arguments, with excellent examples from what her kids did and are doing.....
The one downside is she never mentions that you can turn to God and prayer to help you through the worries...
but otherwise, I think this book is definitely a better argument (if you're still on the fence about unschooling) than Homeschooling with Gentleness.
Happy reading!
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Genevieve
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I'm thinking of buying a few unschooling books ... what would any of you recommend? I have read all of John Holt's books... love them love them though I think his ideas are a little nutty at times. Another author I really enjoyed is David Albert His second book Homeschooling and the Voyage of Self-Discovery contains a long essay about his observations on why blacks are poorer than whites statistically spurred on by his own daughter's question. That alone is a worthwhile read.
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Leonie
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I recently re-read Homeschooling Our Children, Unschooling Ourselves. It is one of those books that are worth a re-read, isn't it, Mary? 
Genevieve, have you read Child's Work or Better Than School by Nancy Wallace? Both good books.
There is a little book called Christian Unschooling which is interesting - but not good, in the sense that McKee's book is good.
I still like Homeschooling With Gentleness. 
And Mary Griffith has a book called The Unschooling Handbook, which is kind of like unschool 101.
Linda Dobson has a new book out - haven't seen it yet. Here is some info -
<<<The Learning Coach Approach by Linda Dobson
http://www.hsc.org//blog/blogcms/?item=the-learning-coach-ap proach
"Linda Dobson started homeschooling in 1985. Her kids are grown and
living their own lives. She homeschooled them all the way through
their years of living together. She has the benefit of hindsight and
this makes her such a valuable resource for those of us still in the
homeschooling years. She spoke Sunday on the topic of her latest
book.
She spoke frankly about the teaching burnout that she experienced.
The lesson plans finally bored her to the point that she knew she
had to change the way their family approached schooling. She decided
to simply observe her kids. She gave herself the time to think about
what she was seeing. This led to the knowledge of how to guide them
in their learning. She summed this up into one sentence that was
inspirational to me:
Say yes to your child's interests.
If your child's curiousity is engaged they will be interested.
Interest increases attention to the task at hand. That interest
supports the learning."
The table of contents shows why both educators and parents are
excited about The Learning Coach Approach:
Chapter 1 - The Learning Coach Approach
Chapter 2 - The Learning Coach Job Description
Chapter 3 - Let's Get the Coach in Shape!
Chapter 4 - Putting Popular Learning Theories to Work
Chapter 5 - The 6 Habits of Successful Learners
Chapter 6 - Transforming Your Home into a Learning Gym
Chapter 7 - Bringing Out the Best in Your Child: Basic Coaching
Techniques
Chapter 8 - Coaching Techniques to Inspire Joy and Independence
Chapter 9 - Coaching Techniques for Immediate Classroom Challenges
Chapter 10 - The Three Essential Sources for Independent Inquiry
Chapter 11 - Creating a Learning Cooperative for (or With!) Your
Child
Chapter 12 - Becoming an Informed Education Consumer>>>>
Leonie in Sydney
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tovlo4801
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LOVE the suggestions. Thanks so much!
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Genevieve
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I did read the Unschooling Handbook but didn't particularly liked it though the resource suggestions were great!
I think it's time to get those Wallace's books.
Have you seen Linda Dobson's Ultimate book of homeschooling ideas...
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Mary G
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Now, if you guys keep tempting me with all these wonderful books about the benefits of unschooling, you may just get a full-fledged convert.... 
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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momwise
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Genevieve wrote:
| I'm thinking of buying a few unschooling books ... what would any of you recommend? I have read all of John Holt's books.. |
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I'm not planning to unschool, unless you mean true education in the home without bringing school into the home. But I am reading John Taylor Gatto's A Different Kind of Teacher and if you want to know why real books were replaced with texts or why more money will not mean a better education this would be a great place to start.
I plan to have my high schoolers read parts or all of it.
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"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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Wendi DeGrandpr
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I have read several unschooling books this summer (all preveiously mentioned here), but my favorite was definately Homeschooling Our Children, Unschooling Ourselves. I find that "I" get in the way of my kids learning when I start to think about how I learned something in the classroom. I think the Unschooling Ourselves part is so helpful. Now I am able to at least begin to think in different terms. When I start to think about worksheets or textbooks I am stopping myself and asking how this might "get in the way" of our learning.
The difficult side of this for me personally is that my high schooler is playing sports and we are required to provide grades to the high school to prove she is accademically eligible.  While I agree that if she is going to play she needs to meet the requirements it definately requires me to look at her work differently.
Regardless of that I am praying we are off to a very "unschooled" lifestyle.
God Bless,
Wendi
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chicken lady
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For further reading on this topic CAy has a wonderful list in her archives at the LA yahoo site.
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Leonie
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Here are some interesting essays on unschooling.
Leonie in Sydney
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Willa
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In the blog that Leonie linked to there was an interesting article called Radical Unschooling -- in spite of the title, I thought a lot of it was common-sense and quite interesting.
Here's one quote which was helpful to me:
Here are some things it takes to be a good unschooling parent:
* You spend your time thinking about your kids.
* You observe your kids and consider what things to introduce to them that they would find interesting.
* You model learning. You allow the kids to see you immersed in your own interests.
* You are willing to have conversations about your kid's interests.
* You are willing to answer their questions. Even the ones that seem ridiculous.
* You are willing to involve your children in your own experiences. This means that instead of hiking fourteen miles in one day you might hike one mile instead. But your child will share the experience.
I guess this is similar to what people have said in this forum, that unschooling is sort of like attachment-parenting continued.
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Willa
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Leonie
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Willa, I like that phrase -
"Unschooling is sort of like attachment parenting continued. "
BTW, I remembered a couple of other book titles -
I Learn Better By Teaching Myself by Agnes Leistico .
The Day I Became An Autodidact by Hillary Kendall ( I re-read this one earlier this year and my sixteen year old read and enjoyed it, too.)
And The Children Played by Patricia Joundry ( old, out of print, but a fascinating look at a pioneer unschooler lifestyle).
Leonie in Sydney
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Cay Gibson
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Wendi DeGrandpr wrote:
| I have read several unschooling books this summer (all preveiously mentioned here), but my favorite was definately Homeschooling Our Children, Unschooling Ourselves. |
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I second/third Mary G. and Wendi here.
I read Hsing Our Children, Unschooling Ourselvesthis past summer and loved it. It'll motivate you, for sure!
I also read Homeschooling with Gentleness last year and wrote a review for Heart & Mind Magazine.
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wife to Mark '86
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Willa
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Leonie, I just reread "I Learn Better By Teaching Myself" and am now rereading John Holt's "Teach Your Own". I liked the Patricia Joudry and Nancy Wallace books mentioned, as well.
I'm presently reading through old issues of Growing without Schooling -- they certainly are interesting reading and I realized they helped shape my view that homeschooling is about SO much more than academics.
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Willa
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Genevieve
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I've been wondering whether GWS is a worthwhile purchase. Would they enlighten me anymore than the other books mentioned or even the presently published unschooling magazines such as Life Learning or Live Free Learn Free?
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Genevieve
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Willa
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Genevieve,
I really liked the original GWS issues (#1-20 or so) because homeschooling was such a brand new movement back then in the 70's. There was a lot of excitement and exploration. The people were pioneers -- they had to be, because homeschooling was so new and unacceptable to the mainstream.
The downside is, that because it WAS so new, I don't have any clue how most of these children and their families actually did in the long run. A few of the early families are still around -- the McKees, the Barkers, the Wallaces, the Murphys, the Richmans who are active in the Pennsylvania Homeschool network -- there may be others. They are success stories who wrote to GWS when their kids were very small and they were still working by trial and error. But I always wonder what happened to the rest of the families, if they are still around, what they are doing....
I am not familiar with the other magazines you mention; also, I didn't care for the later GWS issues as much. I'm not sure why. I think "unschooling" has changed its connotations a bit over the years. Also, I think John Holt who founded GWS had a real talent for vitalizing people and imparting a "vision" -- when he died, the magazine lost a bit of its energy IMO.
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Willa
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Genevieve
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Thanks for your input on GWS, Willa. I also wanted to mention a book that really helped me take one step forward into considering the unschooling philosophy. I read Holt's books first and although I thought his observations enlightening, I had also thought they were too idealistic. Mary Hood was the next author I read and she had a balance that made unschooling less frightful.  I don't think it's a book you would read over and over again, but nonetheless might be worthwhile through interlibrary loan.
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Willa
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Dear Genevieve,
I agree that Holt was too idealistic in his solutions. I think he excelled in his observations of children and I admire that ability to really watch and reflect.
He noted several times that children are not perfect but his proposals for school reform often seemed not to take that into account enough. Plus, he seems to see a dichotomy between obedience and freedom -- thinks that when a child is doing something for any motive besides the intrinsic satisfaction, then he is like a slave or a rat in a maze.
I was thinking more about it and I think the reason I especially liked the first GWSs was that the premise seemed to be, "If you take children seriously and respect them and their abilities, they will surprise you with what they are capable of". This is similar to what Charlotte Mason said (and Montessori) and it is an attractive theory to me.
The later GWSs seemed to lose this theme a bit and go for more of a "whatever kids choose to do is all right" -- in other words, more of a perpetuation of childhood than the reverse.
I liked Mary Hood's book too.
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Willa
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Mary G
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WJFR wrote:
I was thinking more about it and I think the reason I especially liked the first GWSs was that the premise seemed to be, "If you take children seriously and respect them and their abilities, they will surprise you with what they are capable of". This is similar to what Charlotte Mason said (and Montessori) and it is an attractive theory to me.
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Willa:
This point is EXACTLY why I am attracted to unschooling, CM and Montessori. But like so many things, people have changed/shifted/altered the original thinking to be a bit too new-Agey for me, whether it's unschooling where the child has all the say, or the Montessori classroom where it's the process and not the product that gets the emphasis, so that it doesn't matter what the philosophy behind the teaching as long as the child learns how to use the manipulatives. Many who are involved in Montessori schools, for example, don't seem to know that Maria Montessori was a very active Catholic and that she wove Catholicism into all her original teachings. Charlotte Mason, in her writings, too felt that religion had a large part to play in each child's development.....
As long as I remember that my children are precious beings, created in God's image, then I can teach them, lead them, or even allow them to lead me to educate the family.
That's why I like Michele Quigley's company name -- family-centered learning -- where it's not the individual (to the implied exclusion of anyone else), but rather it's how it fits into the family and how the family help each other to learn and grow...
Pardon the ramblings, I just was so struck by your comment.
Blessings all!
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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chicken lady
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I wanted to second the vote for Mary Hoods books. She has some wonderful points, she consistently points out the need fro God in the process. Although she is Protestant, she makes her families spirituality a high priorty in their day. And she explains routine and disipline in a manner I found very helpful, and really broke through in my mind this notion that "unschoolers" simply allow their children free reign. There are rules, and boundries, and specific goals attached to their HS days. Yet her children were allowed to focus on their interests, I do believe she has brought me the most comfort from the HS books I have read, about allowing the natural process of home education to unfold in my family.
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: this one will convince you to unschool
