In Defense of Unschooling

I’ll admit it. I love unschooling. It’s a method I've used with all of my children, especially when they were very young. Unschooling harnesses the child’s natural curiosity and allows the child to direct their own learning. Done properly, unschooling can be very encouraging for children.

I will never forget the day when a friend of mine began posting anti-unschooling comments on Facebook. She described a situation that had been highlighted on the news the night before. The reporter had focused on a family that claimed to be “unschooling” when they were really just letting their son sit in front of the television all day.

That is absolutely not what unschooling is. Unschooling is child-directed learning. It is allowing the child to take charge and learn. My oldest boy chose to learn about trains, but his little brother focused on dinosaurs. They both learned, but they learned differently.

I stand in support of unschooling, but it does not work for everyone. Children who are not motivated or who have lost their natural curiosity may find unschooling very difficult because they do not feel driven to learn. Parents who thrive on structure or schedules may also find the unstructured learning environment of unschooling unnerving.

However, unschooling is a perfect fit for most young children and for certain children who are starting to homeschool after an unsuccessful "real" school experience. Young children are naturally curious but can quickly burn out on structured learning. Similarly, unschooling can give a child who has felt like a failure in a traditional, structured classroom the opportunity to feel successful and happy while learning. A love of learning creates a foundation and a motive for a good education. 

Ultimately, there are no "one size fits all" education solutions. The homeschooling method you use should depend solely on your preferences and the preferences of the child you teach--but that doesn't mean that an alternative method is bad or wrong. Judging a homeschool method by its name is as ignorant as judging a book by its cover. We must learn to do better.

3 Most Common Reasons to Home School

There are countless reasons to home school, but there are three that are cited more often than others. These are discussed below.

School Environment

In 2003, 85 percent of parents surveyed by the National Center for Education Statistics cited concerns about the school environment as a major factor in their decision to home school. These concerns include the student’s safety, exposure to drugs, and peer pressure.  

These concerns are very legitimate. Recent studies have shown that there are significant detrimental influences in schools. Consider the following statistics:

·         Nearly three quarters of students (72%) have consumed alcohol (more than just a few sips) by the end of high school, and more than a third (37%) have done so by eighth grade.NIDA

·         In 2009, 11.1% of youth in grades 9-12 reported being in a physical fight.CDC

·         Five percent (5%) of students did not go to school on one or more occasions during the past month because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to or from school.CDC

·         One in five (19.9%) students reported being bullied on school property during the past year.CDC

·         In 2009, 46% of high school students had sexual intercourse and 13.8% had four or more sex partners during their life.  Prior to the sexual activity, 21.6% drank alcohol or used drugs.  Only 38.9% used a condom.CDC

·         In 2009, 34% of currently sexually active high school students did not use a condom during their last sexual intercourse.CDC

Schools are becoming dangerous places for our children. Learning at home gives children the opportunity to learn in an environment where they do not need to be afraid for their safety or be pressured to make bad decisions.

Religious or Moral Instruction

The desire to provide religious or moral instruction is listed as the second most common home schooling motivator. As schools become increasingly agnostic, parents feel that their religious viewpoints are belittled and demeaned. They prefer to instruct their children in an environment where other ideas are discussed and explored, but within the context of a religious or moral setting.

Consider the case of Chad Farnan and his history teacher, James Corbett. Farnan sued Corbett over 22 statements that Corbett made while teaching his history class that were offensive to Farnan’s Christianity. These statements included calling creationism “religious, superstitious nonsense” and “When you put on your Jesus glasses, you can’t see the truth.” Although this case was dismissed by the appeals court, it proves that students often face animosity instead of support for their religious preferences.

Academic Quality

There can be no argument that academic achievement in America is failing. We frequently hear stories of cheating in schools, on behalf of the students and the teachers. Class sizes are increasing. There are many barriers to a quality education in the confines of the school system.

Homeschoolers capitalize on the freedom to learn what they want, when they want. Parents organize the curriculum and work independently with each child, or with all of their children together in a small group setting. They are able to focus on the subjects that interest them and customize the child’s education to the child’s needs and interests.

·         Between 75% and 98% of college students who confessed to cheating reported that they set such a personal standard in high school (The Ad Council and Educational Testing Service)

·         SchoolSucks.com founder Kenneth Sahr states that his website receives around 8,000 hits a day. (http://oedb.org/library/features/8-astonishing-stats-on-academic-cheating)

Why do you homeschool? Feel free to share your comments below!