This one is definitely worth a read. Long but gives a good sense of radical unschooling. It airs the usual criticisms – that it wont work for children who are “not questioners”… which misses the point that if children are given space to follow their interest and develop self motivation that they will. I think unschooled children probably ask more questions than any children.

Also that they will not learn a broad range of information. This happens at times where children seem to connect with an interest and specialise in it. However other skills come as a means to an end. So from what i have observed in families with older unschooled children, the children will generally develop confidence that they can get the information/ skills if they want.

To me that confidence is more valuable than being obsessed about wheter children learn their times tables by rote.

The other think i liked is how the parents practiced “strewing” books, games and other things around the house. I love the idea of exposing our children to countless things, ideas and aspects of this world. The technique of strewing… that is having them there for the child to discover, engage with or ignore (without attachment to an outcome) is great.

Now excuse me while i get strewing

btw the article that i am talking about is in The Tennessee’s Online Newspaper.

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