Written by Jan Hunt for The Natural Child Project. Many homeschooling parents have puzzled over the distinction between “guidance” and “manipulation”. As a parent strongly committed to “unschooling” (learner-directed homeschooling) with my son Jason, now 17, I have sometimes wondered if I should encourage certain activities in spite of a lack of interest on his…
Tag: homeschooling
Doing Something Different: Growing Without Schooling
Written by Susannah Sheffer for The Natural Child Project. I’m sitting with three teenagers who have recently left school to begin learning at home and in the wider world. On the table in front of us lie notes about possibilities – ideas, wishes, plans for further investigation. I’ve scribbled down, “Call homeless shelter; find out…
When does Guidance become Manipulation?
Guest post by Jan Hunt. Many homeschooling parents have puzzled over the distinction between “guidance” and “manipulation”. As a parent strongly committed to “unschooling” (learner-directed homeschooling) with my son Jason, now 17, I have sometimes wondered if I should encourage certain activities in spite of a lack of interest on his part, or at least…
What is Unschooling?
Guest post by Nicole Olson. Asking, “What is unschooling?” is a little bit like asking, “What is love?” or “What is happiness?”. It means different things to different people. But within its broad framework, there are some fairly consistent themes and basic beliefs that most unschoolers embrace.What is unschooling… Belief #1: Children are hard-wired to…
False Dichotomies Abound, Politics and Education
The typical Left vs. Right political spectrum is a false dichotomy. Both the political Left and Right use force to mold people in society against their will. Donald Boudreaux analyzes this and explains a better political spectrum in chapter 2 of Everything Voluntary. But politics does not have a monopoly on false dichotomies. Another one…
Chapter 22 – Unexpected Benefits of Unschooling
Table of ContentsPrevious – Section Four – Chapter 21 – “Whose Goal is it, Anyway?” by Pam Laricchia 22 Unexpected Benefits of Unschooling by Sandra Dodd As I write, my children are 18, 21, and 23 years old. They are in Quebec, New Mexico, and Texas. I have time to review the effects of nearly…
Chapter 20 – What is Unschooling?
Table of Contents Previous – Section Four – Chapter 19 – “The Right to Control One’s Learning” by John Holt 20 What is Unschooling? by Earl Stevens “What we want to see is the child in pursuit of knowledge, not knowledge in pursuit of the child.” – George Bernard Shaw It is very satisfying for…
Chapter 18 – Schooling: The Hidden Agenda
Table of Contents Previous – Section Four – Chapter 17 – “The Trouble with Traditional Schooling” by Vahram G. Diehl 18 Schooling: The Hidden Agenda by Daniel Quinn A Talk Given at the Houston Unschoolers Group Family Learning Conference. I suspect that not everyone in this audience knows who I am or why I’ve been…
Everything Voluntary – Preface
Table of ContentsPrevious – Foreword Preface If I may take a personal route, this book is the culmination of the last 7 years of my academic life. It’s been quite the intellectual journey. I’ve evolved from a progressive liberal to a free-market conservative to a laissez faire libertarian, and finally, a voluntaryist (or voluntarist). Of…
Everything Voluntary – Parenting Resources
Table of ContentsPrevious – Section Five – Chapter 30 – “Born to Explore” by Missy Willis Parenting Resources Books Unconditional Parenting, by Alfie Kohn“One basic need all children have, Kohn argues, is to be loved unconditionally, to know that they will be accepted even if they screw up or fall short. Yet conventional approaches to…