Comments on: Natural Learning – What Is It? http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/ Green and Natural Parenting Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:28:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Courtney Morgan http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-23375 Courtney Morgan Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:48:00 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-23375 I went to public school. I plan to homeschool my children, but I don't have any yet. I have studied child development, both formally and informally. In my rather inexperienced and humble opinion, I think you should decide what method works according to what you know about your son. Unschooling will work if your child is intrinsically motivated to learn. I always was, and I was also very independent, so I hated being told how to learn what I needed to learn and that I didn't have time to learn what I wanted to learn. On the other hand, unschooling won't work if your child would rather play than learn (unless his play is educational, then by all means let him proceed). People who don't know your child aren't qualified to tell you how he will learn best. You are his mother, and the only people that know your son better than you are your son and God, and you are smarter and more experienced than your son, which makes you the second best person to decide what he needs. I went to public school. I plan to homeschool my children, but I don’t have any yet. I have studied child development, both formally and informally. In my rather inexperienced and humble opinion, I think you should decide what method works according to what you know about your son. Unschooling will work if your child is intrinsically motivated to learn. I always was, and I was also very independent, so I hated being told how to learn what I needed to learn and that I didn’t have time to learn what I wanted to learn. On the other hand, unschooling won’t work if your child would rather play than learn (unless his play is educational, then by all means let him proceed). People who don’t know your child aren’t qualified to tell you how he will learn best. You are his mother, and the only people that know your son better than you are your son and God, and you are smarter and more experienced than your son, which makes you the second best person to decide what he needs.

]]> By: Mama__B http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3651 Mama__B Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:38:37 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3651 Thanks to the power of Stumble, I've come across your post today. My 5 year old son is naturally curious. To the point that by 3 he'd begun to teach himself to read. He now reads very well, and enjoys chapter books and books about how things work and why. He's moved on to math, teaching himself addition and subtraction. I say "teaching himself" because he has not done this with much influence from us, aside from reading to him and answering his questions. We've made the resources available to him, and he's run with them. That's not to say that we won't use curriculum in the future. I intend to, actually. Again, curriculum is a tool that he can use, just like educational TV, nature, the internet, books and so forth. His day is not structured around education. Rather his education is structured around his day. Thanks to the power of Stumble, I’ve come across your post today.

My 5 year old son is naturally curious. To the point that by 3 he’d begun to teach himself to read. He now reads very well, and enjoys chapter books and books about how things work and why. He’s moved on to math, teaching himself addition and subtraction. I say “teaching himself” because he has not done this with much influence from us, aside from reading to him and answering his questions. We’ve made the resources available to him, and he’s run with them.

That’s not to say that we won’t use curriculum in the future. I intend to, actually. Again, curriculum is a tool that he can use, just like educational TV, nature, the internet, books and so forth. His day is not structured around education. Rather his education is structured around his day.

]]> By: Connie http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3650 Connie Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:17:55 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3650 Homeschooling isn't about keeping our children away from other kids, that is a myth from the past. I live in TN and there are homeschooling groups in every county where the children can have the same set of friends that they play/learn with on a weekly basis - just like i did when i grew up in the public school setting. There is also church where they meet and are able to communicate and interact with not only there age piers, but people of all ages from babies to the elderly. I think its a much more well rounded thing than it used to be in the past. I'm really quite surprised though that people still think homeschooling shuts children off and cuts off their socialization skills. If we love them enough to teach them academics, then we will certainly love them enough to teach them how to be emotionally/relationally healthy as well. Homeschooling isn’t about keeping our children away from other kids, that is a myth from the past. I live in TN and there are homeschooling groups in every county where the children can have the same set of friends that they play/learn with on a weekly basis – just like i did when i grew up in the public school setting. There is also church where they meet and are able to communicate and interact with not only there age piers, but people of all ages from babies to the elderly. I think its a much more well rounded thing than it used to be in the past. I’m really quite surprised though that people still think homeschooling shuts children off and cuts off their socialization skills. If we love them enough to teach them academics, then we will certainly love them enough to teach them how to be emotionally/relationally healthy as well.

]]> By: Rachel http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3649 Rachel Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:04:57 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3649 Thanks to this little blogpost, we have all but decided to unschool! Thanks for introducing me to this exciting new concept! Thanks to this little blogpost, we have all but decided to unschool! Thanks for introducing me to this exciting new concept!

]]> By: TootieLizardTush http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3648 TootieLizardTush Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:52:57 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3648 Just as an observation it seems your approach to home schooling is a little too black and white. You are already wanting to become too organized before you start. While I appreciate your reasons for considering the options, textbooks vs unschooling etc, they are really both the extremes and neither are adequate for teaching any child I know. Text books don't work because showing a child a picture of an apple and describing the taste helps the child neither remember the apple or know what it tastes like. Letting your child wander through childhood hoping they might become passionate about apples having never been introduced to their existence is equally unhelpful in the learning process. I home school my child and I have found the best method to be, teach them to read and teach them how to research. Provide them with the resources they need, library card, internet, trips to parks and museums etc. Let them ask questions and then let one subject naturally lead to another. Be flexible. If you had in mind to teach fractions that day but he/she is asking about beetles, then change tack. Let them go learn about beetles which leads to other insects, plant life etc. Then start discussing what fraction of the insect population is beetles and how we work that out. You will get to your fractions, you just need to go down their path to do it. If we were to take a child at birth, never talk around them except to hold up pictures and say "ball, cup, spoon" etc by age 5 you would have a child that talks in disjointed, non grammatical sentences. This is an example of text book learning. If we hand them a book with the pictures and the words in and hope they make the connection, this is un-schooling and still doesn't work. What actually happens in real life is we talk to them, around them and about them. They make the connection and they learn to speak in fluid sentences. We didn't teach them to speak, they taught themselves. This is receiving an education. The only part we really had in it was to decide which language we wished them to learn. For instance there would have been no point placing our child with a French non English speaking au pair and expecting they would learn English. We are not teachers, in fact I don't know what the term "teacher" is meant to portray? Children are not taught, they learn and the two are entirely different things. Hence our job as educators is merely to give the child a set of tools such as speech, reading and writing, then point them in the right direction. All we do is introduce the idea of the apple, we then let them cut it open, discover the seeds inside, ask what they are, discover the differences in textures between skin and pulp and finally they will want to taste it on their own. Having tasted the apple they will soon move on to wondering about oranges for themselves. Just as an observation it seems your approach to home schooling is a little too black and white. You are already wanting to become too organized before you start. While I appreciate your reasons for considering the options, textbooks vs unschooling etc, they are really both the extremes and neither are adequate for teaching any child I know. Text books don’t work because showing a child a picture of an apple and describing the taste helps the child neither remember the apple or know what it tastes like. Letting your child wander through childhood hoping they might become passionate about apples having never been introduced to their existence is equally unhelpful in the learning process.

I home school my child and I have found the best method to be, teach them to read and teach them how to research. Provide them with the resources they need, library card, internet, trips to parks and museums etc. Let them ask questions and then let one subject naturally lead to another. Be flexible. If you had in mind to teach fractions that day but he/she is asking about beetles, then change tack. Let them go learn about beetles which leads to other insects, plant life etc. Then start discussing what fraction of the insect population is beetles and how we work that out. You will get to your fractions, you just need to go down their path to do it.

If we were to take a child at birth, never talk around them except to hold up pictures and say “ball, cup, spoon” etc by age 5 you would have a child that talks in disjointed, non grammatical sentences. This is an example of text book learning. If we hand them a book with the pictures and the words in and hope they make the connection, this is un-schooling and still doesn’t work. What actually happens in real life is we talk to them, around them and about them. They make the connection and they learn to speak in fluid sentences. We didn’t teach them to speak, they taught themselves. This is receiving an education. The only part we really had in it was to decide which language we wished them to learn. For instance there would have been no point placing our child with a French non English speaking au pair and expecting they would learn English. We are not teachers, in fact I don’t know what the term “teacher” is meant to portray? Children are not taught, they learn and the two are entirely different things. Hence our job as educators is merely to give the child a set of tools such as speech, reading and writing, then point them in the right direction. All we do is introduce the idea of the apple, we then let them cut it open, discover the seeds inside, ask what they are, discover the differences in textures between skin and pulp and finally they will want to taste it on their own. Having tasted the apple they will soon move on to wondering about oranges for themselves.

]]> By: Dana http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3647 Dana Fri, 14 Mar 2008 02:36:50 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3647 I enjoyed reading your post. My daughter is also 7 and has a natural curiosity. We use primarily a Charlotte Mason method. Have you looked into that? For math and some language arts, we follow a curriculum. And, I've been trying to go through American History this year, with mixed success. But, we often just study whatever we feel like or whatever comes up next. And, my daughter just recently decided she loves math and will now ask for it, but that wasn't the case before! I wish you the best as you seek out the best learning environment for you and your son! <em>Dana's last blog post..</em><a href='http://alexml.blogspot.com/2008/03/pioneers-boston-tea-party.html' rel="nofollow">Pioneers & The Boston Tea Party</a> I enjoyed reading your post. My daughter is also 7 and has a natural curiosity. We use primarily a Charlotte Mason method. Have you looked into that? For math and some language arts, we follow a curriculum. And, I’ve been trying to go through American History this year, with mixed success. But, we often just study whatever we feel like or whatever comes up next. And, my daughter just recently decided she loves math and will now ask for it, but that wasn’t the case before! I wish you the best as you seek out the best learning environment for you and your son!

Dana’s last blog post..Pioneers & The Boston Tea Party

]]> By: terrell shaw http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3646 terrell shaw Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:05:39 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3646 Just wanted to let you know we linked to this article in the March issue of Learning in the Great Outdoors. Thanks! http://aloneonalimb.blogspot.com/2008/03/learning-in-great-outdoors-10.html <em>terrell shaw's last blog post..</em><a href='http://aloneonalimb.blogspot.com/2008/03/learning-in-great-outdoors-10.html' rel="nofollow">Learning in the Great Outdoors #10</a> Just wanted to let you know we linked to this article in the March issue of Learning in the Great Outdoors. Thanks!

http://aloneonalimb.blogspot.com/2008/03/learning-in-great-outdoors-10.html

terrell shaw’s last blog post..Learning in the Great Outdoors #10

]]> By: Elissa http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3645 Elissa Mon, 03 Mar 2008 06:42:12 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3645 What a great post. I've been unschooling for 14 years now and can tell you, it works!! it's often harder on the mom to let go of HER plans and her upbringing and her insecurities, but it's an amazing journey! If you want to take a peek at my blog Christian Unschooling http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/christianunschooling I have some answers to some typical concerns, and also, back issues of an online ezine I used to publish, Seedling. They are filled with wonderful reading material! In response to Lauren, above....I always say, Unschooling isn't Unparenting! However, in some unschooling groups, you WILL find unparenting in the equation. I think the difference for me is a "God-thing". I am commanded to do a lot! Training my children is a constant mode of modeling behavior (ha, which I fail at often!!). But I also listen for their interests as I feel they are Spirit laid. Following something that was SPirit-led...how can it go wrong? Because I sure don;t know the BIG PICTURE, but HE does!!!! Blessings! Elissa What a great post. I’ve been unschooling for 14 years now and can tell you, it works!! it’s often harder on the mom to let go of HER plans and her upbringing and her insecurities, but it’s an amazing journey!

If you want to take a peek at my blog Christian Unschooling http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/christianunschooling I have some answers to some typical concerns, and also, back issues of an online ezine I used to publish, Seedling. They are filled with wonderful reading material!

In response to Lauren, above….I always say, Unschooling isn’t Unparenting! However, in some unschooling groups, you WILL find unparenting in the equation.

I think the difference for me is a “God-thing”. I am commanded to do a lot! Training my children is a constant mode of modeling behavior (ha, which I fail at often!!). But I also listen for their interests as I feel they are Spirit laid. Following something that was SPirit-led…how can it go wrong? Because I sure don;t know the BIG PICTURE, but HE does!!!!

Blessings!

Elissa

]]> By: Lisa http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3644 Lisa Mon, 03 Mar 2008 06:34:12 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3644 Hi, We are starting homeschooling (well preschool level!) this year. I have many friends who are unschoolers so i have seen it in action. I do think its an awesome approach and its implementation is very flexible depending on what works for your family. Workbooks are not not unschooling if you child wants them! If your child likes structure and asks for it then that is unschooling too! (this happened to a friend of mine for a year - she was in shock as a hard core unschooler however she followed her childs wishes on this). For me , while i am pretty well versed in what it is, what other homeschooling is out there etc i am lacking in practical experience still (my DD1 is 3). I suspect too me being an ex-teacher and a tertiary level curriculum designer before being a mum i will have more trouble de-schooling myself! (Despite truly believing in the unschooling model). I found this blog http://melissawiley.typepad.com/bonnyglen/2007/11/the-tidal-homes.html in some of my recent research. She talks about her type of homeschooling as "tidal homeschooling" which is largely unschooling (in her analogy this is low tide) with chunks of "high" tide which she initates and drives (though it is based on what the kids are interested in). I am really attracted to this approach and its probably where i can see us heading. She has a really good blog, you might like to check it out. Cheers Lisa Hi,
We are starting homeschooling (well preschool level!) this year. I have many friends who are unschoolers so i have seen it in action. I do think its an awesome approach and its implementation is very flexible depending on what works for your family. Workbooks are not not unschooling if you child wants them! If your child likes structure and asks for it then that is unschooling too! (this happened to a friend of mine for a year – she was in shock as a hard core unschooler however she followed her childs wishes on this). For me , while i am pretty well versed in what it is, what other homeschooling is out there etc i am lacking in practical experience still (my DD1 is 3). I suspect too me being an ex-teacher and a tertiary level curriculum designer before being a mum i will have more trouble de-schooling myself! (Despite truly believing in the unschooling model). I found this blog http://melissawiley.typepad.com/bonnyglen/2007/11/the-tidal-homes.html
in some of my recent research. She talks about her type of homeschooling as “tidal homeschooling” which is largely unschooling (in her analogy this is low tide) with chunks of “high” tide which she initates and drives (though it is based on what the kids are interested in). I am really attracted to this approach and its probably where i can see us heading. She has a really good blog, you might like to check it out.

Cheers
Lisa

]]> By: marie @ green your apartment http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3643 marie @ green your apartment Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:09:47 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3643 What a great post! With my little girl on the way, my Husband and I have been discussing homeschooling her and how exactly we plan to go about it. I love this concept though I know I'd want a little more structure - but the general principle is right on! Thanks for sharing. <em>marie @ green your apartment's last blog post..</em><a href='http://greenyourapartment.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/third-tips-for-green-living-carnival/' rel="nofollow">Third ?Tips for Green Living? Carnival</a> What a great post! With my little girl on the way, my Husband and I have been discussing homeschooling her and how exactly we plan to go about it. I love this concept though I know I’d want a little more structure – but the general principle is right on!

Thanks for sharing.

marie @ green your apartment’s last blog post..Third ?Tips for Green Living? Carnival

]]> By: Holli http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3642 Holli Sat, 23 Feb 2008 20:25:01 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3642 Hi, I wanted to second the recommendation of the Charlotte Mason method. Here is a free online curriculum http://www.amblesideonline.org/ I am a former teacher and I will be homeschooling our children. I am very intrigued with this method. This is how I wish I had been educated. Hi,
I wanted to second the recommendation of the Charlotte Mason method. Here is a free online curriculum http://www.amblesideonline.org/ I am a former teacher and I will be homeschooling our children. I am very intrigued with this method. This is how I wish I had been educated.

]]> By: Marti http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3641 Marti Sat, 23 Feb 2008 05:37:47 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3641 You'll get the "socialization" myth thrown out to you a lot. Don't worry about it. In all actuality, research published in scientific peer reviewed journals has shown that homeschooled children have above average social skills where as conventionally schooled children have average to below average social skills. It seems that conventionally schooled children are only able to relate to children their own age whereas home schooled children are exposed to people of all ages and all walks of life on a daily basis which gives them better social skills. Here's a link to just one of these studies. http://murphylibrary.uwlax.edu/digital/jur/2002/koehler-langness-pietig-stoffel-wyttenbach.pdf <em>Marti's last blog post..</em><a href='http://shadowblogging.blogspot.com/2008/01/sock-or-ancient-torture-device.html' rel="nofollow">A Sock or an Ancient Torture Device?</a> You’ll get the “socialization” myth thrown out to you a lot. Don’t worry about it. In all actuality, research published in scientific peer reviewed journals has shown that homeschooled children have above average social skills where as conventionally schooled children have average to below average social skills. It seems that conventionally schooled children are only able to relate to children their own age whereas home schooled children are exposed to people of all ages and all walks of life on a daily basis which gives them better social skills.

Here’s a link to just one of these studies.

http://murphylibrary.uwlax.edu/digital/jur/2002/koehler-langness-pietig-stoffel-wyttenbach.pdf

Marti’s last blog post..A Sock or an Ancient Torture Device?

]]> By: Alli ~Mrs. Fussypants http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3640 Alli ~Mrs. Fussypants Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:50:54 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3640 I am an eclectic homeschooling mom of soon to be 5 boys (9 and under) we love it. I just re-launched a site & social group dedicated to relaxed, fun and real-life homeschooling. I'd love for you to visit. http://www.homeschoolhacks.com/ Love & blessings, Alli I am an eclectic homeschooling mom of soon to be 5 boys (9 and under) we love it. I just re-launched a site & social group dedicated to relaxed, fun and real-life homeschooling. I’d love for you to visit.

http://www.homeschoolhacks.com/

Love & blessings, Alli

]]> By: Momto2Boys http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3639 Momto2Boys Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:57:02 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3639 We plan to homeschool our now 3.5 & 1.5 yr old. We are planning to mostly unschool but I have been trying to incorporate now the rhythms and festivals from Waldorf methods. Good luck! I really enjoying reading your blog. <em>Momto2Boys's last blog post..</em><a href='http://thedowfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/well.html' rel="nofollow">Menu Planning Monday</a> We plan to homeschool our now 3.5 & 1.5 yr old. We are planning to mostly unschool but I have been trying to incorporate now the rhythms and festivals from Waldorf methods. Good luck! I really enjoying reading your blog.

Momto2Boys’s last blog post..Menu Planning Monday

]]> By: Lori http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3638 Lori Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:53:42 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3638 Keep in mind that most people don't find the method that works for them the first year. On top of that, the first year is usually the hardest. Hang in there, and remember that if something doesn't work that you can scrap it and try something else. Keep in mind that most people don’t find the method that works for them the first year. On top of that, the first year is usually the hardest. Hang in there, and remember that if something doesn’t work that you can scrap it and try something else.

]]> By: Jodi http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3637 Jodi Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:39:14 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3637 I am in my third year of homeschooling my 3 kids (13, 11 and 7). We took a big chunk of the first year to "de-school:" to get the kids used to the idea that learning isn't restricted to a building a few miles away. That was the hardest part. They learned so much in that completely unstructured time that I never did use a formal curriculum. Oh, I tried, but I just spent a lot of money for nothing! :-) We have since adopted the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling, with a huge dose of unschooling mixed in. Gentle, child-directed learning, with just enough structure to be sure that the 3 Rs are covered, makes homeschooling a joy rather than a grind. Enjoy your journey! I am in my third year of homeschooling my 3 kids (13, 11 and 7). We took a big chunk of the first year to “de-school:” to get the kids used to the idea that learning isn’t restricted to a building a few miles away. That was the hardest part. They learned so much in that completely unstructured time that I never did use a formal curriculum. Oh, I tried, but I just spent a lot of money for nothing! :-) We have since adopted the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling, with a huge dose of unschooling mixed in. Gentle, child-directed learning, with just enough structure to be sure that the 3 Rs are covered, makes homeschooling a joy rather than a grind. Enjoy your journey!

]]> By: Monica http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3636 Monica Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:40:54 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3636 I reccommend the following two blog posts about homeschooling philosophy: http://pleasantviewschoolhouse.blogspot.com/2007/05/homeschooling-heresies.html http://deweystreehouse.blogspot.com/2007/03/language-arts-and-thrift-shop.html Good luck! I reccommend the following two blog posts about homeschooling philosophy:

http://pleasantviewschoolhouse.blogspot.com/2007/05/homeschooling-heresies.html

http://deweystreehouse.blogspot.com/2007/03/language-arts-and-thrift-shop.html

Good luck!

]]> By: Laura http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3635 Laura Thu, 21 Feb 2008 04:50:30 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3635 I am a homeschooling mother. I too have gone for the 'middle of the spectrum'. I combine self led learning w/ textbooks and workbooks. I love unit studies, they're organized studies-like textbooks but focus on one idea. Right now we're doing the Renaissance, it has history but also math, science, etc. Don't feel bad about people commenting on socialization. I remember school days being spent wanting to talk to other kids my age but only having a 15 minute recess to do so. My children are comfortable talking w/ people outside of their 'class'. We visit nursing homes, soup kitchens, etc. They love to learn from other people. I am a homeschooling mother. I too have gone for the ‘middle of the spectrum’. I combine self led learning w/ textbooks and workbooks. I love unit studies, they’re organized studies-like textbooks but focus on one idea. Right now we’re doing the Renaissance, it has history but also math, science, etc.
Don’t feel bad about people commenting on socialization. I remember school days being spent wanting to talk to other kids my age but only having a 15 minute recess to do so. My children are comfortable talking w/ people outside of their ‘class’. We visit nursing homes, soup kitchens, etc. They love to learn from other people.

]]> By: heather http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3634 heather Thu, 21 Feb 2008 04:14:49 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3634 We have done things both ways and have found that the kids knowing the resources are available, having conversations about things and the materials to fuel their interest works the best for all three despite their incredibly different personalities--your on the right track. <em>heather's last blog post..</em><a href='http://untraditionalhome.com/?p=96' rel="nofollow">No Doodle today</a> We have done things both ways and have found that the kids knowing the resources are available, having conversations about things and the materials to fuel their interest works the best for all three despite their incredibly different personalities–your on the right track.

heather’s last blog post..No Doodle today

]]> By: Sarah http://naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3633 Sarah Thu, 21 Feb 2008 03:41:31 +0000 http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/20/natural-learning-what-is-it/#comment-3633 It sounds exciting, albeit a bit overwhelming, for you to be contemplating this step. As an early childhood educator I was taught to "follow the child's lead" or build upon their interests. This is a wonderful way to foster learning and I think you're on the right track making it part of your curriculum. I do worry though, that there will be a time when you want your child to have the option to step back into traditional school-based education (for me, this might be in Junior High when my expertise and creativity has started to wane). I think including some desk-based book learning and some subjects that your son may not be self-motivated to pursue will be important to give him the skills that other children are getting at school. How will you keep yourself on track? I could see myself setting up playdates and field trips often and procrastinating the toughest subjects. Good luck! It sounds exciting, albeit a bit overwhelming, for you to be contemplating this step. As an early childhood educator I was taught to “follow the child’s lead” or build upon their interests. This is a wonderful way to foster learning and I think you’re on the right track making it part of your curriculum. I do worry though, that there will be a time when you want your child to have the option to step back into traditional school-based education (for me, this might be in Junior High when my expertise and creativity has started to wane). I think including some desk-based book learning and some subjects that your son may not be self-motivated to pursue will be important to give him the skills that other children are getting at school.
How will you keep yourself on track? I could see myself setting up playdates and field trips often and procrastinating the toughest subjects. Good luck!

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