• Home
  • About
  • Meet the Authors
  • Featured Reviews
  • Request a Review
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe

The Curriculum Choice

Making homeschool decisions easy

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • About
    • Meet the Authors
  • Blog
  • How To Homeschool
    • By Review Team
    • Encouragement
    • New to Homeschooling
    • Organization
  • Reviews by Grade
    • Elementary
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Preschool
  • Reviews by Subject
    • Bible
    • Economics
    • Fine Arts
      • Art
      • Music
    • Foreign Language
    • Highschool
    • History & Geography
      • Geography
      • History
    • Home Economics
    • Language Arts
      • Grammar
      • Handwriting
      • Literature
      • Phonics
      • Reading
      • Spelling
      • Vocabulary
      • Writing
    • Logic
    • Math
    • Science & Technology
      • Science
      • Technology
        • Apps

in Age· Elementary· High School· Middle School· Philosophies· Preschool· Unschooling

Homeschool Methods: Unschooling

Unschooling is the 8th and final homeschool method in our What do Homeschool Methods Look Like in Real Life? series. It is probably the most unique and hard to define method of them all. In this installment we will take a look at what unschooling is, tackle the question of its legality, and I will offer up resources for helping you to create an unschooling life for your family.

Unschooling is different from the other homeschool methods because it is child led learning through life and their natural curiosities. In this article we will talk about: what exactly unschooling is, answer the question of its legality, and offer resources for helping you to create an unschooling life for your family.

What exactly is the Unschooling Homeschool Method?

It can be difficult to define exactly what unschooling is because people outline it in different terms.

In general unschooling is an approach to homeschooling that often means learning without prescribed lessons, textbooks, or the school-like methods many other homeschoolers use.

In my own personal life as I struggled to figure out what unschooling was all about (being a very strict school-at-homer in the beginning years). I had a friend tell me it was whatever we made it, that if my kids chose to learn through textbooks or workbooks, that was unschooling. I thought unschooling meant no textbooks at all, but she said if that was what my kid(s) chose then I was following their natural inclination and letting them lead.

Sometimes unschooling is referred to as delight-directed learning, child-led learning, life learning, autonomous learning, or interest-led learning, but people disagree on the words.

In unschooling, life itself is learning. There is no “doing school.” Instead it is viewed as learning all the time. Even though we don’t unschool in our house currently, I still view life and the things that come with it as learning. Whether that be doing the dishes, helping clean the house, using the library, playing with other kids, etc.

With unschooling, kids learn how to learn and how to teach themselves. I always used to tell people that my main focus was to help my kids learn how to learn. If they can read and do basic math, and have solid comprehension skills, they can learn anything. Teaching them where to look for information, who to ask, how to determine if sources are credible, etc. is all part of that. If you know how to learn and how to teach yourself, then you are prepared for anything that comes along.

In the words of an unschooler

I asked a fellow homeschool mom, June D. to share her thoughts and a little about why she chose unschooling. Here is what she had to say:

“It’s taken me seven years to baby step my way to unschooling. Ultimately, I’ve embraced it because unschooling allows me to honor my children’s innate curiosity and unique personalities, to partner with them to craft an individualized education. The freedom to choose what, when and how they want to learn makes all the difference. There is so much peace, connection and growth happening in our home that was missing when we tried other homeschool styles. I am so thankful for other unschoolers who have paved the way and shared their wisdom! It truly is the path less traveled, and it takes a lot of courage to follow it.”

Here she shares some Unschooling Books that she has read and loves: 12 Best Unschooling Books

Is Unschooling Legal?

This is a question I hear often, especially because I live in NYS where the New York State homeschooling regulations are one of the most stringent in the country.

Is Unschooling Legal?

And the answer is, just as homeschooling is legal in all 50 of the United States, YES Unschooling is legal. Unschoolers are not uneducated, they simply learn through different methods than the traditional view of schooling. So while documenting learning and progress for the states that require it may take a little more thought, it is definitely legal and doable. Here is just one example of how to complete an unschooling transcript.

More on Unschooling

To delve deeper into unschooling here are a couple of sites that offer suggestions and information for unschooling:

  • Unschool Rules – favorite resources
  • Homeschool Super Freak – unschooling high school
  • Happiness is Here – Unschooling Fears – I’m worried they wont learn

One of the ways we saw unschooling come to life was through unit studies. When my youngest was in the preK and elementary years, she would get interested in a topic and the two of us would start finding all things of that topic. Books to read. Videos to watch. Crafts to do. Places to explore. She loved being able to feed her need for information about that topic.

Homeschooling with Unit Studies is a homeschool method in which instead of using a linear curriculum you spend more focus time on one topic at a time, incorporating as many subjects within the unit as possible. For instance you might do an entire unit on Medieval Times, or Zoo Animals. This is a collection of Unit Study resources to get you going!

In the end, any homeschool method is what you make it. Unschooling is no different. So if you are interested in this type of homeschooling I highly suggested you do a little reading up and get started!

HOMESCHOOL METHODS SERIES

Be sure to bookmark or Pin this What do Homeschool Methods Look Like in Real Life Series? 

What do homeschool methods look like in real life? Come with us as we take a look at how the various methods play out in real homeschools, going beyond just a basic definition and supplying you with tons of resources for each homeschool method.
Heidi Ciravola (118 Posts)

Heidi Ciravola is mom to three kids who were all homeschooled. Two have graduated college and one is finishing homeschooling high school. She spends much of her time navigating the high school waters (from electives to college prep) and reviewing homeschool curriculum for all ages. You can find her writing about these things as well as her love of books and homeschool life in general over at Starts At Eight.


Filed Under: Age, Elementary, High School, Middle School, Philosophies, Preschool, Unschooling

Previous Post: « ARTistic Pursuits-Art for Homeschooling High School
Next Post: 5 March Homeschool Family Fun Ideas »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

We are a veteran group of home educators with a mission – to spread the word about our favorite curricula and help YOU make informed decisions for your homeschool. Meet the review authors and browse the homeschooling tips they share!

Subscribe For Free Choosing Homeschool Curriculum Guide

Success! Please check your email and confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Sponsors and Affiliates

Homeschoolinghomeschool

Our Sister Websites

 


Follow Curriculum Choice's board Homeschool Reviews by The Curriculum Choice on Pinterest.

Recent Comments

  • Duncan on How to Start Homeschooling
  • Shirley Ann on A.C.E Curriculum Review Revisited
  • Steve Hakes on A.C.E Curriculum Review Revisited
  • 10 March Nature Activities Perfect for Spring Celebrations - Homeschool Nature Study on Christian Liberty Nature Readers
  • Heidi Ciravola on Farm Food and Nature Anatomy: Books for Exploring our Natural World
  • Advertising
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Philosophies
  • Request a Review

Copyright © 2023 · The Curriculum Choice, a Southern Hodgepodge, L.L.C. site.