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Homeschooling is an Umbrella term
Since we move frequently our kids get to experience new environments all the time. We still use some curriculm based teaching, because I think it prepares our kids for some structured work environments as well. Homeschooling is such a broad umbrella word. Because if a child is learning from an internet school they are still considered to be homeschooling.
I think unschooling tends to be so far away from what people think school is supposed to be like that the term unschooling stuck, because we still want to associate the term 'school' with it.
Vacations and Schooling
My family travelled to Europe one summer with another homeschooling family. Both of our families got to decide where we were going to go on different days.
The mom of my friend had planned for almost every activity we were going to attend. She had questions already set up for what we were suppose to learn and sometimes I felt like we were being rushed to make sure we could answer all the questions.
For the different places my family went we hadn't prepared anything as far as what we had to learn. However, I think everyone had a lot more fun, because what we did what we wanted and went to see what we wanted to see. For example, when we went to Versailles, we split up into a couple of groups so we could go and look at what we wanted. Then we would meet back at a place we all wanted to see at a certain time.
I would say the difference between homeschooling and unschooling is unschooling is less structured and more open for accommodating a persons desire with a lot less preparation time involved for the parent.
What I don't like about following curriculums
I volunteered at my church a few times in Sunday school. They had a curriculum to follow for each class. I always had a hard time following what the curriculum said to do. It wasn't that I didn't like what the cirriculum was teaching or that I thought the activities were bad I just had a hard time engaging the kids in the topic.
I had the same experience with a community group.
I always learned a lot when I was preparing for a topic, but when it was in a group setting it was hard to get everyone involved.
I think being excited about something and when a child is interested in learning about it makes everything a lot easier and a lot more natural. It's not that a teacher has to know everything about everything they just need to want to learn about everything. It helps when everyone is excited about a subject.
Building Blocks
Some curriculums I like, especially math, because it makes sure that every student learns the basic requirements before going to the next step. That way there is a foundation for what is being taught.
Re: Building Blocks
Learning does have to build upon other knowledge, but I've found that sometimes curriculums can be to slow paced as well. (For me anyway.) Mostly because they want you to do things to repetitively and sometimes you still can't apply the math or other activities to the real world.
Teaching from books
I'm not very good with teaching from books either. But I do love learning from them.
Unschooling experience
Homeschooling is basically teaching your child from home. Unschooling is considered homeschooling, but it doesn't follow the traditional methods of school. It allows life experiences to allow a child to decide what to learn about. For example, if a child wants to learn about stars, the parents help to find opportunities to learn about stars. An older child will learn about all the resources available to them and find their own opportunities.
When I was eighth grade my mom homeschooled me for a semester. We were in the process of moving. We moved to Arizona and when she enrolled me in school they asked to see some of the work I had done. I had basically been unschooled during the semester and she had nothing to show them.
My interest during the time was the pony express due to the TV show "The Young Riders" and other westerns that had come out. I can tell most people more about the Pony Express than they'd ever know.
When I started back in school I found that what was being studied in the eigth grade history class was pretty much what I had studied while unschooling. I think I enjoyed it more than the other kids in class.
What to teach
Since I don't know a lot about homeschooling are there any recommendations for deciding what to teach? Or recommendations on how to teach?
Thanks.
Re: What to teach
I'd start with homeschooling books, the one offered on this website sounds like it'd give you a good start, then determine what your son likes and find stuff that he'd want to use to learn about it (games, books, internet, etc.)
If you are uncomfortable with that or would like to see how he does at home an Internet school may be an option. But I'd let him decide what he'd like to do.
What about subjects they don't have any Interest?
How do you know that your child is learning if you are letting your child do what they want? What if they don't want to learn Algebra? Algebra is a subject that is important to learn.
What if they don't want to learn how to read?
I don't think a child is capable of know what they must learn for the future.
Well-rouded education
I don't think unschooling produces the well-rounded education designed by public schools, but I do think it produces a well-rounded person. Because a person needs to understand themselves more than a bunch of subjects.
Re: Well-rounded education
A well-rounded education helps to build a well-rounded child. It puts children in scenarios they will have to face frequently. If they may not like a subject what will they do when they get older and their boss makes them do something they aren't interested in.
Doesn't teaching about everything build an adult that is capable of coping with the unliked?
A Medical Impact?
I don't know if forcing a child to endure what they don't like (especially when they are younger) is going to produce and adult capable of coping.
Another medical diagnose that is discussed a lot lately is 'depression'. The statistics of how many adults suffer from depression could be their lack of ability to cope, because they don't have anything they enjoy, because they were too busy having their education well-rounded when they were younger.
No Interest No learning
If you don't have an interest in learning something your not going to remember anything about it anyway.
For reading, a child in reading environment (any where that has words or symbols posted) will learn how to read.
Certain topics of interest will make a child want to read better so they can get more information.
In public schools there is too much emphasis on learning to read...I think if a child is not ready or wanting to learn how to read forcing a child to read can actually produce a child who is apprehensive to reading and in turn make reading unenjoyable which produces an adult who doesn't read.
Why not to homeschool
I had a conversation with one of my co-workers the other day about homeschooling. He said right away that he didn't agree with homeschooling. The reason he said that was because he didn't think that every parent was suited to teach their children.
In some ways I agree with him, because some parents don't care enough about their kids to give them every opportunity. By that I mean don't invest their time and energy into talking with their kids, playing with their kids and being interested about their kids. I'm not sure why someone that didn't care about their child would want to homeschool anyway. Unless it was a convenience factor. In which case I'd be adamantly opposed too.
Reading is Important
I think it's important for children to know how to read effectively. If they can't read effectively they won't be able to succeed very well in life, because people will think they are dumb.
That's why reading is so important.
Reading is Part of Society
I think any child in a society that reads would learn to read without having it forced down their throat in school. Especially when it comes down to topics they like to learn about.
It's simply part of the growing up experience. But if a child is frustrated with what a person is trying to make them learn, it could create a psycological impact and they'll never want to learn what they are trying to be taught.