From Homeschooling to Unschooling
March 17, 2012
Tags: homeschooling, traveling with kids
Our new classroom
Bob and I didn’t have a clear homeschooling plan when we decided to take Saoirse and Ula to Europe. Truth be told, I suppose it is more accurate to say that we didn’t actually make this decision to come. I wanted to go to the Grand Canyon. It was thegirls who lobbied for France. Saoirse has been taking French lessons with a neighbor for three years now, and Ula began studying last September. They wanted to see the place with their own eyes and cement some language skills.
But once we agreed to the trip on the premise that it was for language development, the trip itinerary evolved to accommodate myriad homeschool interests. Since we’ve been here, we’ve covered history from the Roman Empire, the Dark Ages, and the Medieval Period. We plan on delving into the French Revolution and Napoléon’s reign later on when we get to Paris, and we’ve reviewed World Wars I and II as the opportunities have risen. In addition, we will explore the landscapes, lives, works and inspirations for Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Monet, Rodin, and Degas, a few of the girls’ favorite artists. Undoubtedly, a few new favorites will emerge before it is time to go home.
As I’ve discussed in earlier posts, Bob and I consider ourselves “unschooling drop outs.” We felt that the loose, unstitched nature of unschooling without curriculum was causing gaps in our children’s education, particularly in writing and math skills. Thus, last fall, we incorporated a formal curriculum into our homeschool practice.
But here we are, living in Europe for the seven weeks, with no math lessons, assigned essays, spelling lists or worksheets. And with the exception of one brief structured unit on Medieval life, absolutely all of the areas we are investigating on this adventure are a result of our unschooling practices, not our curriculum These unschooling methods have included reading historical novels aloud at bedtime; taking advantage of a neighbors’ interest in teaching our children French; exploring biographies of favorite artists; grabbing our globe and spinning it around for examination as questions arise about the world; seeking out museums and art exhibits that pertained to the girls’ interests, and agreeing to this trip.
Thus, while I thought I was rejecting unschooling a few months back with our steady kitchen table curriculum lessons, I see now that I never truly did. I still plan to return to our curriculum when we get back home, but walking in a land that is immersed in all the history, art and language that we have ventured through as a family reminds me that curriculum cannot cover everything, the same way that unschooling can leave a few gaps. I can only conclude that the best method for educating our kids is a curious and open mind for both the parents and the children, so we can make the most of every learning opportunity that presents itself.
Comments
March 18, 2012 2:29 PM EDT
Nail on the head. 🙂 We call ourselves eclectic home schoolers for just that reason. Child-led *and* classical. Quirky perhaps, but it does work.
– Jean
March 18, 2012 5:37 PM EDT
Forgive the envy seeping into this comment, but how does one find a house to rent in France (or Italy–my goal)?
– Jennifer
March 18, 2012 11:09 PM EDT
Love Jean’s comment and your article Shannon…still homeschooling our brood with similar ideas…
– Abby
March 19, 2012 4:00 AM EDT
Hi Jennifer; I rent homes through homeaway.com, and holiday rentals. This house is my main rental, which is very reasonably priced. I originally found it advertised as a writers’ retreat, with open minded owners who made this private home available for our family for a very reasonable price. Here is their house information: http://www.lifeinstpierre.blogspot.com/. It is not in a prime tourist location, but it is perfect if the experience you seek is every day life (and there is lots of hiking, sight-seeing to do, as well)
– shannon
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