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There are as many definitions as there are families that unschool. I do not think it is unfair to say that unschooling is a breaking away from the traditional, institutionalized way of schooling children and relaxing into an approach that allows the children to delve seriously into studies of those subjects which fascinate them. God created humans with a natural curiosity and desire to know. Institutionalized education tends to squelch that God-given curiosity, imagination and creativity; unschooling tends to do the opposite. It is delight-driven learning. Many times we parents need to de-program or 'de-school' ourselves before we can unschool our children. After all, we were taught in these same institutions that we have chosen not to allow our children to attend. We were taught the importance of bells, scheduled bathroom times, studying for tests and working for grades. Are bells and schedules and grades more important than studying those things which truly interest us? There's a huge world beyond the scope of what any textbook can teach; why not utilize the texts as resources rather than letting the texts dominate our schedule and control us? Does a child need to keep abreast of 'his grade level' in all subjects - held back in those things he excels in and prodded and pushed to keep up in those areas that come a little harder? Why isn't a child allowed to forge ahead and soak up knowledge at whatever pace that is possible? Where is it written that child cannot take extra time needed to truly learn those things which don't come easily and use various methods of doing it - like experiments or manipulatives or unit studies? Is finishing a graded text by June (and why June anyway - because that's the way it's done?!) more important than a child soaking up knowledge, retaining it and having a delight-driven desire to learn more? We have allowed our society's custom of institutionalizing our children affect our outlook on education. As Christians, shouldn't we be more interested in what God wants for our families? Where in Scripture does it say that we should send our children to strangers to teach them, or use their methods? Did Jesus teach His disciples in a classroom, or did He use examples around Him to explain what He was trying to get across as each moment presented itself? When they asked how to pray, did He schedule it for the next Wednesday evening class or stop and teach them at the time? Shouldn't we each go to Him in prayer, seek His Face, and His desire for our families? May the Blessings of Messiah be upon you and your family as you seek His will! |