Editor’s Pick. Written by Ian Mayes. The other day I was left in charge of the school library for the day, which I loved, since I have always been a library nerd. That same day I was also left in charge of the 6th grade class for one hour and 50 minutes. Since I am…
Category: Unschooling
Chapter 4 – Radical Unschooling
Table of ContentsPrevious – Chapter 3, Schooling Chapter 4 – Radical Unschooling As shown in the previous chapter, schooling is an extremely poor practice for building a culture of liberty. Parents who’ve begun building that culture at home through attachment and peaceful discipline will find schooling to be a major counter-productive step in the socialization…
Chapter 3 – Schooling
Table of ContentsPrevious – Chapter 2, Parenting Chapter 3 – Schooling Schooling is the typical next step in a person’s life, and the socialization that occurs in school is quite ill-suited to building a culture of liberty. That’s the intent, actually. Modern schooling was founded in Prussia as a means to socialize children into the…
The Case Against Grades
Editor’s Pick. Written by Alfie Kohn. By now enough has been written about academic assessment to fill a library, but when you stop to think about it, the whole enterprise really amounts to a straightforward two-step dance. We need to collect information about how students are doing, and then we need to share that information…
A Thousand Rivers
Editor’s Pick. Written by Carol Black. One day I watched a nine-year-old boy as he led a group of children scrambling over Vasquez Rocks, a great sandstone formation that slants up out of the California desert. He was one of those magnetic, electrical, radiant boys; kind to the younger ones, strong, quick, inquisitive, sharp as…
How I Intend to Educate My Children
Editor’s Pick. Written by Connor Boyack. Because I’ve written several books along with hundreds of articles, op-eds, and other material all dealing with politics, economics, history, and religion, people often assume that my educational background deals with these subjects. The truth is quite different—I strongly disliked, and performed poorly in, these types of courses in…
A Lifetime of Living and Learning
Editor’s Pick. Written by Pam Laricchia. Looking back over our years of unschooling, another big change I’ve seen is that my perspective as a parent has broadened beyond “childhood” to “life”. I no longer see childhood as focused on “learning everything you need to know to become an adult,” with my purpose being to “graduate”…
Unschooling Undefined
Editor’s Pick. Written by Eric Anderson. Unschooling is a word coined by negating the idea of schooling; it starts off with a negative definition. What, specifically, is it about schools that unschoolers want to do without? The School Organization Breaking up the day into learning time and play time. Starting and stopping learning (or shifting…
Am I Ruining My Kid’s Life?
Editor’s Pick. Written by Leo Babauta. Yes, you absolutely are. Because not getting a high school education like everyone else means your kid will know nothing useful, and be unready to get a job and unsuited for life. OK, sarcasm aside, let’s take a look at this question sincerely. It’s a legitimate worry, because unschooling…
Hackschooling Makes Me Happy
Editor’s Pick. Video by Logan LaPlante.