by Kristi Walker

Created on: May 20, 2008

The homeschool method of "unschooling" is merely the anti-thesis of traditional schooling. It's a homeschool option that involves no textbooks, no tests, and no traditional means of learning.

As a homeschooling mother of four, I am mostly opposed to this method. I believe that it sets the child or children up for a rather harsh reality check later. There are no colleges or Universities that "unschool" and certainly no jobs that "unjob". There are, and always will be, rules and regulations that must be met and adhered to. That's just the way it is.

"Unschooling" also provides and promotes an unmotivated environment. What I have found is that the parents of the "unschooled" children are typically not sure where to start with homeschooling, so they decide to not start at all. For example, they use cooking as a time to "teach" math. While this may work great for the Kindergarten child, or even a first grader, it's not comprehensive enough for later grades. There is more to mathematics than understanding the metric and English systems.

Another example is "unschoolers" using grocery shopping for teaching economics. Again, while this may be great for a 1st grader, it's simply not sufficient for any other grade level. Understanding true economics is a skill that needs more in-depth coverage. As I stated earlier, I am only mostly opposed to this method. I think it's great for the K-4 and K-5 groups. It makes learning fun and will allow the parent time to learn their child's style of comprehending information. After that, it's time to get down to the nitty gritty and teach.

As the director of a large local homeschool co-op, I've had the opportunity to see first hand the differences between "unschooled" homeschoolers and "schooled" homeschoolers. There is a vast difference in their ability to keep up and move forward. The "unschoolers" also struggle with understanding time restraints. Because they are allowed to "learn" at whatever they happen to be doing, they struggle to succeed in an environment that is controlled and has direction. Unfortunately, after the age of 18, most of life is controlled and has a specific direction. "Learning" while playing video games, is not reality and shouldn't be treated as such.

For me, I believe that after Kindergarten or at the most, 1st grade, all "unschooling" should be stopped. Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, and I've never heard of a job that allowed you to "unjob" at your own pace. Unfortunate, but true. School's primary purpose is to teach the child how to succeed and prepare for a successful future. If what they are learning, and how they are learning it, can't be utilized later and built upon, then there's no value in it.

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