I am starting a 5 post series to share my understanding of unschooling. Today I talk about beliefs about children. Tomorrow I will cover beliefs around learning, following which we will look at role of parents in unschooling. The fourth write up will be about tips for transitioning into unschooling and the last note will be about facing challenges in unschooling.
One of the most frequently asked question to me is around what is unschooling and how is unschooling different from homeschooling. I simply say that in unschooling you do not follow a curriculum where as in homeschooling you do. In unschooling the child is completely free to do as they please and in homeschooling the control shifts from the school to the parent. When I say this I also add - unschooling follows very different beliefs - actually these beliefs about children, how they learn, role of a parent are opposite of our current popular norms.
Here are some of my belief about children and these beliefs have reshaped the way I parent my children:
One of the most frequently asked question to me is around what is unschooling and how is unschooling different from homeschooling. I simply say that in unschooling you do not follow a curriculum where as in homeschooling you do. In unschooling the child is completely free to do as they please and in homeschooling the control shifts from the school to the parent. When I say this I also add - unschooling follows very different beliefs - actually these beliefs about children, how they learn, role of a parent are opposite of our current popular norms.
Here are some of my belief about children and these beliefs have reshaped the way I parent my children:
Belief 1: Children are born with an alignment between their head, heart and their core (i.e their wants /needs). They are very attuned to their needs and their head and their hearts work in perfect sync. As they grow older a misalignment is created when adults start taking over and start deciding everything for the child.
Belief 2: Children are meaning making beings. This belief takes inspiration from the constructionist approach which believes that children construct their own knowledge. They use their senses for this purpose.
Belief 3: Children are naturally curious. One cannot force them to be curious. If something interests them, they will indulge in their quest for learning more about it.
Belief 4: Children have the ability to find the resources to support them to make meaning (learn). Children do not need a tutor or a teacher to teach them. If they need one, they will find one. Their interest in something drives them to find their resources.
Belief 5: Children have the ability to decide the depth or the extent to which they want to go into while learning about something.
Belief 6: Unlimited Play with children of varying ages, unlimited opportunity to chat with parents, family members and other adults, unlimited and uninterrupted use of time especially when they are engaged in something that interests them is crucial to enhance their learning. Availability of these in abundance is what ensures their learning.
Belief 7: Children have the ability to make choices and own the consequences both favorable and non favorable. The heart feels and the head thinks...together they can both help a child decide what they would like to do. The adults in the lives of the children do not allow children to make choices on the basis of their fears. These fears are usually centered around - what if it doesn't work, what if it is a mistake, how will others react or what if their choice harms themselves or others.
Belief 2: Children are meaning making beings. This belief takes inspiration from the constructionist approach which believes that children construct their own knowledge. They use their senses for this purpose.
Belief 3: Children are naturally curious. One cannot force them to be curious. If something interests them, they will indulge in their quest for learning more about it.
Belief 4: Children have the ability to find the resources to support them to make meaning (learn). Children do not need a tutor or a teacher to teach them. If they need one, they will find one. Their interest in something drives them to find their resources.
Belief 5: Children have the ability to decide the depth or the extent to which they want to go into while learning about something.
Belief 6: Unlimited Play with children of varying ages, unlimited opportunity to chat with parents, family members and other adults, unlimited and uninterrupted use of time especially when they are engaged in something that interests them is crucial to enhance their learning. Availability of these in abundance is what ensures their learning.
Belief 7: Children have the ability to make choices and own the consequences both favorable and non favorable. The heart feels and the head thinks...together they can both help a child decide what they would like to do. The adults in the lives of the children do not allow children to make choices on the basis of their fears. These fears are usually centered around - what if it doesn't work, what if it is a mistake, how will others react or what if their choice harms themselves or others.
Belief 8: Children have the ability to create their own belief and value system. Their past experiences, conversations with peers and adults, knowledge of various perspectives and values help them create this for themselves. However most adults enforce their own beliefs and value systems on their children through moral stories, family norms and practices.
I request all readers to go back into their childhood and reflect on whether these beliefs make sense to them? Do you resonate with these beliefs? What are your questions around these beliefs? Feel free to share your experiences related to the same.
Originally posted on Facebook on April 20, 2020
I request all readers to go back into their childhood and reflect on whether these beliefs make sense to them? Do you resonate with these beliefs? What are your questions around these beliefs? Feel free to share your experiences related to the same.
Originally posted on Facebook on April 20, 2020
Very nice post. It is really difficult to control ourselves from teaching kids or telling them what to do and what not to do. I’m new into unschooling and learning not to interfere in my daughter’s natural way of learning.
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