Thread by @__abbyw__

This may be a spicy homeschool take, but here it is.

I am very concerned about the growing "unschooling" movement in the homeschool community.

This is a🧵 that I may add to throughout the day while I think about it. 1/

#homeschoolmom #homeschool #homeeducation

I DO understand that there is, likely, a wide variety of unschooling families. Generally, I hear unschooling families use the terms: child-led/interest-led, real-life,& application.

Maybe I will break down my thoughts by those terms. 2/

1. Child-led/interest led

Children don't know what they don't know. This is why they need fathers & mothers. Thousands of years of history, scientific discoveries, cultures, wars, & civilizations are unknown to children. They need to be led. 2/

Parents also may not know what they don't know. This is why curriculum is helpful for homeschooling families. It is a GOOD thing to seek counsel from wise advisors in all aspects of life, including homeschooling. 3/

Children should have to learn how to do things they aren't good at naturally. They should learn to do things they don't enjoy or find to be fun. Children should learn how to do hard things. Being child/interest led, as a main principle, can make that a bit of a challenge. 4/

Children need to have their affections trained. They need to be instructed in what is good, true, & beautiful. In our fallen state, this does not come naturally. 5/

2. Real-Life

Just because your family uses a curriculum DOES NOT mean you aren't engaged in real life learning. This is just a poor argument. Also, curriculum, as a rule, does not make your children less curious. If anything, a curriculum can expose your children to new 6/

things & give them more things to be curious about. It may be something you, as the parent, never thought to introduce because you didn't think your child would be interested. 7/

3. Application

Again, using a curriculum does not mean your child will not apply skills/knowledge. That is a poor argument too. Unless, I suppose, you totally ignore your child after the curriculum is finished for the day? 8/

Just some general thoughts:

The assessment of your homeschool should not be: did my child have fun? Hard things are often not fun until they become easy. Then, you are so glad you stuck with it.

There are a variety of ways to implement a curriculum. This does not mean seat 9/

work for 8+ hours a day. You can find a curriculum that works best for your family & your schedule. Children can pursue interests after their lessons are finished. It's not one or the other. 10/

I have a big problem with experiential learning being viewed as the only true way to learn. This is the model of education that was promoted all throughout my time in college, as I prepared to become an elementary teacher. Teacher-led learning that also utilized 11/

memorization was seen as old school & not really, truly learning. This is just wrong. I would encourage families who are, or are considering being, unschoolers to research the history of that shift bit, especially in Christian families. 12/

I am certainly not recommending that you spend $1k on a boxed curriculum from a single company that you stick with every year & never change. You could pursue a Charlotte Mason style education that utilizes mainly library books. I am saying, consider the origins of your 13/

educational philosophy, especially if you are a Christian family. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of yourself & your current methods. Search the Scriptures for wisdom on learning, knowledge, & raising your children. Finally, consider your arguments. 14/

As I previously stated, many of the unschooling arguments I have heard have not been good ones. Children can pursue interests, live real life, & apply their learning while using a curriculum. /end (unless I have more thoughts later 😊)

I already have another thought. It's important to begin homeschooling with the end in mind. Unschooling doesn't inherently have that end in mind or the steps needed to reach it. A curriculum from a knowledgeable, experienced author can be a great tool in that.