Hey Wyldkat, we had the exact same concerns that you did when we learned about unschooling so I apologize if this is long. We were thrust into homeschooling DS7 last year when he started Kindergarten...we didn't plan on it but it is the best fit for right now. So of course last year we did all the basic steps - purchased curriculum, planned out a schedule/timeline and then began homeschooling and made our son completely miserable. By December last year DS and I were at each other's throats and the "sit down at the table and let's do our lesson" thing just was not flying at all. I was just so worried that I wasn't going to be able to give him all the curriculum that he needed.
So, I began researching homeschooling and came across unschooling. I was very intrigued because that was pretty much the entire way we raised DS up until he was supposed to go into K. We followed his lead and whenever he showed an interest in anything we would show him how to learn/research/find ways to explore his interests further. So unschooling wasn't a huge jump for us.
I guess you would say we are a mix of traditional and unschooling....we do EPGY for math and reading and we use a sprinkling of History of the World to help us with history but everything else would be considered "unschooling". My DS7 is the one who will beg to travel around the state to follow the Manatee migrations here in Florida and so we will get in the car and set up camp sites around the state to visit various Manatee winter home grounds. He is the one that will wake up and spend 3 hours programming his LEGO mindstorm robot to run circuits around the house and complete different actions. He created his own Family Nature Group that meets once a month at local nature preserves and he is the tour guide to the families who come out to just enjoy a walk in the woods together- so he has to research the local flora and fauna in order to be a good tour guide. Or he may be in the mood to design his own railway line on paper and then use Kid Pix on the computer to input his railway line.
We have found that the more we allow him to follow his passions the more he is really learning real life situations and how to use reading/math/science all integrated at the same time...in those real world situations. Plunk a boxed curriculum in his face and he will run away screaming (well, not really but you know what I mean) - have him go and open up his own bank account with a debt card and start him with an allowance and he will learn all about how to handle a checking book, how to input debt card receipts and balance his book all while doing math, writing and reading.
With unschooling you are the facilitator not the dictator. It is your role to help "guide" your child - when you see that he/she is interested in a certain topic/theme/idea then you can suggest various activities/things that they can do to learn more about that topic. And the super cool thing that occurs is that when a child is learning a concept that they can see being used in a real world application they almost always end up having to read, write, do math in some form, learn some history/background....all while doing something they are interested in which in turn makes them want to go out and learn more new things and the cycle continues.
The sad thing is what you brought up...yes, there are parents out there who tend to look at homeschooling or unschooling as a form of babysitting...the parent can go off and do whatever they would like to do and the child will just learn through osmosis or sit in front of the tv all day and that is it for weeks on end. I have an issue with that BUT everyone has their opinions about unschooling or even radical unschooling. Most unschoolers I have met are viewing the role that they are there to help their child explore and discover by offering them suggestions/ideas/projects/activities when they see an interest pop up with their child. In doing so, the parent can help navigate activities/projects that will almost always encompass all of the basic curriculum areas.
I met with one unschooler group last year when we were just beginning the concept of unschooling and the first thing out of my mouth was "so, can you guys pass on some suggestions of local mentors/facilities/programs that you know about so that I can make a list of resources so when my son asks for further info, I have some resources up my sleeve to give him". I remember them just staring at me and one said, "well, our children don't tend to be very motivated so we don't have a whole lot of suggestions for you"...then they went on to share that their child's day consisted of sitting in front of the tv or computer all day long and that was it. I didn't quite know what to say to that and I went on to find an unschooling group that fit my definition of unschooling as being your child's facilitator.
My son HATES handwriting - he has dyspraxia and it is very difficult for him - we tried a boxed curriculum (handwriting without tears) and yes it was good but it had no purpose for him...and it was a fight to get him to write anything. Since we have moved into the land of unschooling last January we find him, on his own without him even realizing it - spending a lot of time writing and learning how to spell...through all different kinds of things....nature scavenger hunts, him running into the other room to write down a plan for his mindstorm robot before he forgets it, writing out a shopping list of supplies he needed to complete his rocket building project... He writes more daily now then he did when I tried to force him to sit down and do a boxed curriculum and he is doing it for a purpose so it has meaning.
Here is a good site
http://www.naturalchild.org/And I really, really enjoy this person's blog and she is known quite while - I keep up with her blog to keep me inspired
http://thesparklingmartins.blogspot.com/2010/01/fear-becomes-reality.htmlwell - hope I didn't put you to sleep...there is a way to be unschoolers and through guidance, your child will hit all the "required" curriculum just through a different method but it is up to how the parent guides the child through the process :-)
