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Unschooling is an
informal learning Informal learning is characterized "by a low degree of planning and organizing in terms of the learning context, learning support, learning time, and learning objectives". It differs from formal learning, non-formal learning, and self-regulated le ...
that advocates learner-chosen activities as a primary means for learning. Unschoolers
learn Learning is the process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, attitudes, and preferences. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals, and some machines; there is also evidence for some kind of learn ...
through their natural life experiences including
play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...
,
household A household consists of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is im ...
responsibilities, personal interests and curiosity, internships and work experience, travel, books, elective classes, family, mentors, and
social interaction A social relation or also described as a social interaction or social experience is the fundamental unit of analysis within the social sciences, and describes any voluntary or involuntary interpersonal relationship between two or more individuals ...
. Often considered a
lesson A lesson or class is a structured period of time where learning is intended to occur. It involves one or more students (also called pupils or learners in some circumstances) being taught by a teacher or instructor. A lesson may be either one ...
- and
curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...
-free implementation of
homeschooling Homeschooling or home schooling, also known as home education or elective home education (EHE), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or an onlin ...
, unschooling encourages exploration of activities initiated by the children themselves, believing that the more personal learning is, the more meaningful, well-understood and therefore useful it is to the child. While courses may occasionally be taken, unschooling questions the usefulness of standard curricula, fixed times at which learning should take place, conventional grading methods in
standardized test A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predete ...
s, forced contact with children in their own age group, the compulsion to do
homework Homework is a set of tasks assigned to students by their teachers to be completed outside the classroom. Common homework assignments may include required reading, a writing or typing project, Exercise (mathematics), mathematical exercises to b ...
, regardless of whether it helps the learner in their individual situation, the effectiveness of listening to and obeying the orders of one authority figure for several hours each day, and other features of traditional schooling in the education of each unique child. The term ''unschooling'' was coined in the 1970s and used by educator John Holt, widely regarded as the father of unschooling. Even though unschooling is often seen as a subset of homeschooling and homeschooling has been the subject of broad public debate, unschooling in particular has received relatively little media attention and has only become increasingly popular in recent years. Critics of unschooling see it as an extreme educational philosophy, with concerns that unschooled children will be neglected, miss many things that are important for their future life, lack the social skills, structure, discipline, and motivation of their schooled peers, and will not be able to cope with uncomfortable situations. Proponents of unschooling say exactly the opposite is true: that self-directed education in a non-academic, often natural and diversified environment is a far more efficient, sustainable and child-friendly form of education than schooling, which preserves the innate curiosity, pleasure and willingness in discovering and learning new things, invites children to be part of society, shows children how to deal with their surroundings and own existence in a self-determined and yet responsible manner, makes children understand why certain properties, skills, abilities, values and norms are important rather than just telling them to obtain and adhere to them, rewards and supports creativity, individuality and innovation, teaches how to acquire new things and find your way in unfamiliar situations quickly, and better equips a child to handle the "real world" outside of school.


History

The term ''unschooling'' probably derives from
Ivan Illich Ivan Dominic Illich ( , ; 4 September 1926 – 2 December 2002) was an Austrian Roman Catholic priest, theologian, philosopher, and social critic. His 1971 book '' Deschooling Society'' criticises modern society's institutional approach to edu ...
's term ''
deschooling Deschooling is a term invented by Austrian philosopher Ivan Illich. Today, the word is mainly used by homeschoolers, especially unschoolers, to refer to the transition process that children and parents go through when they leave the school system i ...
'', and was popularized through John Holt's newsletter ''
Growing Without Schooling ''Growing Without Schooling'' (''GWS'') was a homeschooling newsletter focused primarily on unschooling and deschooling. It was founded in 1977 by educator John Holt,Scheffer, Susannah. "Doing something very different: Growing without schooling. ...
'' (''GWS''). Holt is also widely regarded as the father of unschooling. In an early essay, Holt contrasted the two terms:
GWS will say 'unschooling' when we mean taking children out of school, and 'deschooling' when we mean changing the laws to make schools non-compulsory...
At this point the term was equivalent with ''home schooling'' (itself a
neologism A neologism Greek νέο- ''néo''(="new") and λόγος /''lógos'' meaning "speech, utterance"] is a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not been fully accepted int ...
). Subsequently, home schoolers began to differentiate between various educational philosophies within home schooling. The term ''unschooling'' became used as a contrast to versions of home schooling that were perceived as politically and pedagogically "school-like," using textbooks and exercises at home, the same way they would be used at school. In 2003, in Holt's book ''Teach Your Own'' (originally published in 1981),
Pat Farenga Patrick Farenga is an American writer and educational activist. He is known as a leading advocate of the modern homeschooling movement which started in the 1970s. Life Born in New York City, Farenga worked closely with homeschooling leader Joh ...
, co-author of the new edition, provided a definition:
When pressed, I define unschooling as allowing children as much freedom to learn in the world as their parents can comfortably bear.
In the same passage Holt stated that he was not entirely comfortable with this term, and that he would have preferred the term ''living''. Holt's use of the term emphasizes learning as a natural process, integrated into the spaces and activities of everyday life, and not benefiting from adult manipulation. It follows closely on the themes of educational philosophies proposed by
Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...
,
Jiddu Krishnamurti Jiddu Krishnamurti (; 11 May 1895 – 17 February 1986) was a philosopher, speaker and writer. In his early life, he was groomed to be the new World Teacher, an advanced spiritual position in the theosophical tradition, but later rejected thi ...
,
Paul Goodman Paul Goodman (1911–1972) was an American writer and public intellectual best known for his 1960s works of social criticism. Goodman was prolific across numerous literary genres and non-fiction topics, including the arts, civil rights, decen ...
, and
A.S. Neill Alexander Sutherland Neill (17 October 1883 – 23 September 1973) was a Scottish educator and author known for his school, Summerhill School, Summerhill, and its philosophy of freedom from adult coercion and community self-governance. Raised i ...
. After Holt's death a range of unschooling practitioners and observers defined the term in various ways. For instance, the
Freechild Project The Freechild Institute for Youth Engagement is a nonprofit organization focused on creating connections between adults and young people through programs, technical assistance, publications, training, and curriculum. Adam Fletcher is the executiv ...
defines unschooling as:
the process of learning through life, without formalized or institutionalized classrooms or schoolwork.
New Mexico homeschooling parent
Sandra Dodd Sandra Adams Dodd (born July 24, 1953, Augusta, Georgia) is an unschooling advocate. Her articles have been published in homeschooling journals (particularly, Home Education Magazine), in her books "Moving a Puddle" and "Sandra Dodd's Big Book o ...
proposed the term ''radical unschooling'' to emphasize the complete rejection of any distinction between educational and non-educational activities. Radical unschooling emphasizes that unschooling is a non-coercive, cooperative practice, and seeks to promote those values in all areas of life. These usages share an opposition to traditional schooling techniques and the social construction of schools. Most emphasize the integration of learning into the everyday life of the family and wider community. Points of disagreement include whether unschooling is primarily defined by the initiative of the learner and their control over the curriculum, or by the techniques, methods, and spaces being used. Peter Gray suggested the term ''
self-directed education Unschooling is an informal learning that advocates learner-chosen activities as a primary means for learning. Unschoolers learn through their natural life experiences including play, household responsibilities, personal interests and curiosity, ...
'', which has fewer negative connotations. Even though unschooling is often seen as a subset of homeschooling and homeschooling has been the subject of broad public debate, unschooling in particular has received relatively little media attention and has only become increasingly popular in recent years. Unschooling is also sometimes considered the freest form of homeschooling.


Motivations

There are a variety of complex reasons why parents choose to unschool their children, many of which overlap with those for
homeschooling Homeschooling or home schooling, also known as home education or elective home education (EHE), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or an onlin ...
. Unschoolers question schools for lessening the parent/child bond and reducing family time and creating atmospheres of fear, or atmospheres that are not conducive for learning and may not even correspond with later success. Some unschoolers criticize that in schools, children are taught a set of facts and skills that they might not need in the future anymore, while with unschooling, they learn how to learn, which is far more sustainable for their life. Also, some say that in school, children are only taught how to follow instructions, which means that they face problems with doing tasks they have not done before. Another argument is that the structure of school is not suitable for people who want to make their own decisions about what, when, how and with whom they learn because many things are predetermined there, while you are more free in these decisions when unschooled. Often those in school have a community consisting mainly of a peer group, of which the parent has little influence and even knowledge. Unschoolers may have time to share a role in their greater community, therefore relating more to older and younger individuals and finding their place within more diverse groups of people. Parents of school children also have little say regarding who their instructors and teachers are, whereas parents of unschoolers may be more involved in the selection of the coaches or mentors their children work with and with whom they build lasting and ongoing relationships. According to unschooling pioneer John Holt, child-led learning is more efficient and respectful of children's time, takes advantage of their interests, and allows deeper exploration of subjects than what is possible in conventional education. :"...the anxiety children feel at constantly being tested, their fear of failure, punishment, and disgrace, severely reduces their ability both to perceive and to remember, and drives them away from the material being studied into strategies for fooling teachers into thinking they know what they really don't know." Others point out that some schools can be non-coercive and cooperative, in a manner consistent with the philosophies behind unschooling.
Sudbury model A Sudbury school is a type of school, usually for the K-12 age range, where students have complete responsibility for their own education, and the school is run by a direct democracy in which students and staff are equal citizens. Students use t ...
schools are non-coercive, non-indoctrinative, cooperative, democratically run partnerships between children and adults, including full parents' partnership, where learning is individualized and child-led, and complements home education. Concerns about socialization can also be a factor in the decision to unschool. Some unschoolers believe that conditions in conventional schools, such as
age segregation Age segregation is the separation of people based on their age, and may be observed in many aspects of some societies. Examples of institutionalized age segregation include age segregation in schools, and age-segregated housing. There are studies ...
, the ratio of children to adults, or the amount of time spent sitting and obeying orders of one authority figure, are not conducive to proper education. Unschooling is claimed to broaden the diversity of people or places an unschooler may be exposed to. Unschoolers may be more mature than their schooled peers on average, and some believe this is a result of the wide range of people they have the opportunity to interact with. Opportunities for unschoolers to meet and interact with other unschoolers has increased in recent years, allowing unschoolers to have interactions with other children with similar experiences.


Methods and philosophy


Natural learning

A fundamental premise of unschooling is that learning is a natural process constantly taking place and that curiosity is innate and children want to learn. From this, an argument can be made that institutionalizing children in a so-called "one size fits all" or "factory model"
school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...
is an inefficient use of the children's time and potential, because it requires each child to learn specific subject matter in a particular manner, at a particular pace, and at a specific time regardless of that individual's present or future needs, interests, goals, or any pre-existing knowledge they might have about the topic. Many unschoolers believe that opportunities for valuable hands-on, community-based, spontaneous, and real-world experiences may be missed when educational opportunities are limited to, or dominated by, those inside a school building.


Learning styles

Unschoolers note that
psychologists A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...
have documented many differences between children in the way they learn, and assert that unschooling is better equipped to adapt to these differences. People vary in their "
learning styles Learning styles refer to a range of theories that aim to account for differences in individuals' learning. Although there is ample evidence that individuals express personal preferences for how they prefer to receive information, few studies have f ...
", that is, the preference in how they acquire new information. However, research has demonstrated no evidence of such learning styles and that this preference is not related to increased learning or improved performance. Students have different learning needs. In a traditional school setting, teachers seldom evaluate an individual student differently from other students, and while teachers often use different methods, this is sometimes haphazard and not always with regard to an individual student.


Developmental differences

Developmental psychologists note that just as children reach growth milestones at different ages from each other, children are also prepared to learn different things at different ages. Just as some children learn to walk during a normal range of eight to fifteen months, and begin to talk across an even larger range, unschoolers assert that they are also ready and able to read, for example, at different ages, girls usually earlier than boys. In fact, experts have discovered that natural learning produces far greater changes in behavior than do traditional learning methods, though not necessarily an increase in the amount of information learned.
Traditional education Traditional education, also known as back-to-basics, conventional education or customary education, refers to long-established customs that society has traditionally used in schools. Some forms of education reform promote the adoption of progressiv ...
requires all children to begin reading at the same time and do multiplication at the same time; unschoolers believe that some children cannot help but be bored because this was something that they had been ready to learn earlier, and even worse, some children cannot help but fail, because they are not yet ready for this new information being taught.


Essential body of knowledge

Unschoolers sometimes state that learning any specific subject is less important than learning ''how'' to learn. They assert, in the words of Holt:
Since we can't know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead, we should try to turn out people who love learning so much and learn so well that they will be able to learn whatever must be learned.
It is asserted that this ability to learn on their own makes it more likely that later, when these children are adults, they can continue to learn what they need to know to meet newly emerging needs, interests, and goals; and that they can return to any subject that they feel was not sufficiently covered or learn a completely new subject. Many unschoolers disagree that there is a particular body of knowledge that every person, regardless of the life they lead, needs to possess. Unschoolers argue that, in the words of John Holt, "If children are given access to enough of the world, they will see clearly enough what things are truly important to themselves and to others, and they will make for themselves a better path into that world than anyone else could make for them."


The role of parents

Parents of unschoolers provide resources, support, guidance, information, and advice to facilitate experiences that aid their children in accessing, navigating, and making sense of the world. Common parental activities include sharing interesting books, articles, and activities with their children, helping them find knowledgeable people to explore an interest with (anyone from physics professors to automotive mechanics), and helping them set goals and figure out what they need to do to meet their goals. Unschooling's interest-based nature does not mean that it is a "hands-off" approach to education. Parents tend to involve themselves, especially with younger children (older children, unless new to unschooling, often need less help finding resources and making and carrying out plans).


Paradigm shift

Unschooling opposes many aspects of what the
dominant culture A dominant culture is a cultural practice that is dominant within a particular political, social or economic entity, in which multiple cultures co-exist. It may refer to a language, religion/ritual, social value and/or social custom. These f ...
insists are true, and it may be impossible to fully understand the unschooling
philosophy of education The philosophy of education is the branch of applied philosophy that investigates the nature of education as well as its aims and problems. It includes the examination of educational theories, the presuppositions present in them, and the arguments ...
without both active participation and a major
paradigm shift A paradigm shift, a concept brought into the common lexicon by the American physicist and philosopher Thomas Kuhn, is a fundamental change in the basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline. Even though Kuhn restricted t ...
. The
cognitive dissonance In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is the perception of contradictory information, and the mental toll of it. Relevant items of information include a person's actions, feelings, ideas, beliefs, values, and things in the environment. ...
that frequently accompanies this paradigm shift is uncomfortable. New unschoolers are advised that they should not expect to understand the unschooling philosophy at first. Not only are there many commonplace assumptions about education, there are many unspoken and unwritten expectations. One step towards overcoming the necessary paradigm shift is accepting that "what we do is nowhere near as important as why we do it." While opponents of the concept of unschooling criticize the fact that it cannot be ensured that children receive a neutral, comprehensive education and fear that children may be at the mercy of bad parents, resulting in parallel societies, many advocates of unschooling doubt that or at least question whether such an education exists universally objectively seen and note that in school, people do not learn a lot of what they are guaranteed to need for their life either and that when unschooled, more efficient and independent learning guided by their own interests increases the probability that children will be well equipped for their future life because they learned how to learn and already roughly know what they are interested in and some things about these areas. They also find that children can be at least just as much at the mercy of one or more bad teachers and classmates in school and consider it exceedingly unrealistic that parents would completely isolate their children from external social influences or even criticize school as an institution in which children are fobbed off from the outside world and therefore see school itself as a parallel society. From then on, it is only a subjective decision as to where, when, how and with whom education should take place, which those to be educated should answer themselves, or, if necessary, with people directly involved in their education, like their parents or other people who educate them.


Unschooling compared to other homeschooling forms

Unschooling is a form of
homeschooling Homeschooling or home schooling, also known as home education or elective home education (EHE), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or an onlin ...
, which is the education of children at home or other places rather than in a school. It involves teaching children based on their interests rather than a set
curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...
. Unschooling contrasts with other forms of homeschooling in that the student's education is not directed by a
teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
and curriculum. Unschooling is a real-world implementation of the
open classroom An open classroom is a student-centered learning space design format which first became popular in North America in the late 1960s and 1970s, with a re-emergence in the early 21st century. Theory The idea of the open classroom was that a large ...
methods promoted in the late 1960s and early 1970s, without the school, classrooms or grades. Parents who unschool their children act as facilitators, providing a range of resources, helping their children access, navigate, and make sense of the world, and aiding them in making and implementing goals and plans for both the distant and immediate future. Unschooling expands from children's natural
curiosity Curiosity (from Latin '' cūriōsitās'', from ''cūriōsus'' "careful, diligent, curious", akin to ''cura'' "care") is a quality related to inquisitive thinking such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident by observation in humans ...
as an extension of their interests, concerns, needs, goals, and plans. Unschooling differs from
discovery learning Discovery learning is a technique of inquiry-based learning and is considered a constructivist based approach to education. It is also referred to as problem-based learning, experiential learning and 21st century learning. It is supported by the ...
,
minimally invasive education Minimally invasive education (MIE) is a form of learning in which children operate in unsupervised environments. The methodology arose from an experiment done by Sugata Mitra while at NIIT in 1999, often called ''The Hole in the Wall'', which h ...
,
purpose-guided education Purpose-guided education prioritizes intrinsic motivation and helps students become more engaged in learning experiences through connecting their beliefs and life goals to curricular requirements. Jerry Pattengale first coined the phrase "purpose ...
,
academic advising Academic advising is, according to the National Academic Advising Association, "a series of intentional interactions with a curriculum, a pedagogy, and a set of student learning outcomes. Academic advising synthesizes and contextualizes students' ...
,
phenomenon-based learning Phenomenon-based learning (PhBL, PhenoBL or PBL) is a multidisciplinary, constructivist form of learning or pedagogy where students study a topic or concept in a holistic approach instead of in a subject-based approach. PhBL includes both topi ...
and thematic learning.


Branches

There are many different branches, possibilities, and approaches of designing and practicing unschooling, some of the most popular include the following: * Worldschooling, in which families travel around the world and learn through experiencing other places, people, cultures, and activities typical for these locations. * Project-based unschooling, which holds that students acquire a deeper knowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges, problems and projects that they can do in their own way and time. * Gameschooling, in which various games like board and card games are important to homeschool learning method, and educational philosophy. In addition to developing skills in math, language, history, board games are also used to develop social skills such as interpersonal communication, negotiation, persuasion, diplomacy, and moral character such as good sportsmanship.


Complementary philosophies

Some unschooling families may incorporate the following philosophies into their lifestyles. * ''Unconditional Parenting'' and ''Punished by Rewards'', parenting and education books by
Alfie Kohn Alfie Kohn (born October 15, 1957) is an American author and lecturer in the areas of education, parenting, and human behavior. He is a proponent of progressive education and has offered critiques of many traditional aspects of parenting, manag ...
. *
The continuum concept The continuum concept is an idea, coined by Jean Liedloff in her 1975 book ''The Continuum Concept'', that human beings have an innate set of expectations (which Liedloff calls the continuum) that our evolution as a species has designed us to meet ...
,
attachment parenting Attachment parenting (AP) is a parenting philosophy that proposes methods aiming to promote the attachment of parent and infant not only by maximal parental empathy and responsiveness but also by continuous bodily closeness and touch. The term ' ...
, and
attachment theory Attachment theory is a psychological, evolutionary and ethological theory concerning relationships between humans. The most important tenet is that young children need to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for normal ...
, theories and practices attempting to encourage the child's development. *
Voluntaryism Voluntaryism (,"Voluntaryism"
''
alternative education Alternative education encompasses many pedagogical approaches differing from mainstream pedagogy. Such alternative learning environments may be found within state, charter, and independent schools as well as home-based learning environments. ...
also place a great deal of importance on student control of learning, albeit not necessarily of the individual learner. This includes free
democratic school Democratic education is a type of formal education that is organized democratically, so that students can manage their own learning and participate in the governance of their school. Democratic education is often specifically emancipatory, with ...
s, like the
Sudbury school A Sudbury school is a type of school, usually for the K-12 age range, where students have complete responsibility for their own education, and the school is run by a direct democracy in which students and staff are equal citizens. Students use t ...
,
Stonesoup School StoneSoup School was an alternative private school located in Crescent City, Florida in the United States. It was a member of the National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools. Overview StoneSoup School is a small alternative school based ...
and "
open learning Open learning is an innovative movement in education that emerged in the 1970s and evolved into fields of practice and study. The term refers generally to activities that either enhance learning opportunities within formal education systems or b ...
" virtual universities.


Criticism

As a form of homeschooling, unschooling faces much of the same critiques as homeschooling itself. Criticisms levied against unschooling in particular tend to focus on whether or not students can receive a sufficient education with very little structure compared to more standard schooling practices. Some critics maintain that building the motivation necessary for students to learn without guardrails can be difficult, and that some students might be left behind as a result.A new chapter in education: unschooling
by Victoria Clayton. NBC News, October 6, 2006
Without enough motivation or interest in critical areas, it is argued, unschooling students might fare poorly against their peers. In a 2006 study of five- to ten-year-olds, unschooling children scored below traditionally schooled children in four of seven studied categories, and significantly below structured homeschoolers in all seven studied categories.


See also

*
Anti-schooling activism Anti-schooling activism or radical education reform describes positions that are critical of school as a learning institution and/or compulsory schooling laws or multiple attempts and approaches to fundamentally change the school system respecti ...
*
Alternative school An alternative school is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional. Such schools offer a wide range of philosophies and teaching methods; some have strong political, scholarly, or philosophical orientati ...
*
Anarchistic free school Self-managed social centers, also known as autonomous social centers, are self-organized community centers in which anti-authoritarians put on voluntary activities. These autonomous spaces, often in multi-purpose venues affiliated with anarchi ...
*
Autodidacticism Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) or self-education (also self-learning and self-teaching) is education without the guidance of masters (such as teachers and professors) or educational institution, institutions (such as schools). Generally, ...
*
Democratic education Democratic education is a type of formal education that is organized democratically, so that students can manage their own learning and participate in the governance of their school. Democratic education is often specifically emancipatory, with ...
*
Deschooling Society ''Deschooling Society'' is a 1971 book written by Austrian author Ivan Illich that critiques the role and practice of education in the modern world. Summary ''Deschooling Society'' begins as a polemical work that then proposes suggestions for ...
*
Gifted education Gifted education (also known as gifted and talented education (GATE), talented and gifted programs (TAG), or G/T education) is a broad group of special practices, procedures, and theories used in the education of children who have been identified a ...
*
Montessori method The Montessori method of education involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes indepen ...
* Not Back to School Camp, an annual gathering of over 100 unschoolers ages 13 to 18 *
Reggio Emilia approach The Reggio Emilia approach is an educational philosophy and pedagogy focused on preschool and primary education. This approach is a student-centered and constructivist self-guided curriculum that uses self-directed, experiential learning in rela ...
*
Special education Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...
*
Taking Children Seriously Taking Children Seriously (T.C.S.) is a parenting movement and educational philosophy whose central idea is that it is possible and desirable to raise and educate children without either doing anything to them against their will or making them do ...
* '' The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education'' *
Waldorf Education Waldorf education, also known as Steiner education, is based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy. Its educational style is Holistic education, holistic, intended to develop pupils' intellectual, artistic ...


Persons of interest

* Catherine Baker * Albert Cullum, elementary school teacher from 1960s *
John Taylor Gatto John Taylor Gatto (December 15, 1935 – October 25, 2018) was an American author and school teacher. After teaching for nearly 30 years he authored several books on modern education, criticizing its ideology, history, and consequences. He is b ...
, New York City's 1989 Teacher of the Year, New York State Teacher of the Year 1991 * Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt *
Grace Llewellyn Grace Llewellyn (born March 18, 1964) is an American educator, author, and publisher in the fields of youth liberation, unschooling and homeschooling. She is the founder of ''Lowry House Publishers'', founder and director of ''Not Back To Scho ...
, author/advocate/speaker/camp director *
Wendy Priesnitz Wendy Priesnitz is a Canadian advocate of alternative education and environmentalism. She was leader of the Green Party of Canada from July 1996 to January 1997. Early life Priesnitz originally trained to be a teacher. She then decided to edu ...
*
Daniel Quinn Daniel Clarence Quinn (October 11, 1935 – February 17, 2018) was an American author (primarily, novelist and fabulist), cultural critic, and publisher of educational texts, best known for his novel ''Ishmael'', which won the Turner Tomorrow ...
, author/cultural critic * Ken Robinson


Adult unschoolers of note

*
Sawyer Fredericks Sawyer Christopher Fredericks (born March 31, 1999) is an American blues singer–songwriter who won the 8th season of ''The Voice'' in 2015. Choosing Pharrell Williams as his coach, Fredericks set series iTunes sales records and became the you ...
, singer/songwriter, ''The Voice'' (U.S. season 8) *
Lisa Harvey-Smith Lisa Harvey-Smith (born 1979) is a British-Australian astrophysicist, Australia's Women in STEM Ambassador and a Professor of Practice in Science Communication at the University of NSW. Her research interests include the origin and evolution o ...
, astronomer * Peter Kowalke * Dale J. Stephens, entrepreneur, speaker, author, and founder of
UnCollege Year On, formerly UnCollege, is an organization which aims to equip students with the tools for self-directed learning and career building.. Its flagship program is a yearlong gap year program involving training in work skills and life skills, vo ...
*
Aaron Swartz Aaron Hillel Swartz (November 8, 1986 – January 11, 2013) was an American computer programmer, entrepreneur, writer, political organizer, and Internet hacktivist. A prolific programmer, Swartz helped develop the web feed format RSS, the tech ...
, political activist and computer programmer * Astra Taylor, filmmaker * Sunny Taylor, painter and disability activist (also younger sister of Astra Taylor)


References


Further reading


Books

* * * *
The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto (complete download)
*


Essays and articles



* ttp://www.ttfuture.org/files/2/pdf/gotto_interview.pdf Everything We Think About Schooling Is Wrong!– Interview with Gatto (PDF file download)
What is Self-Directed Education?


External links

*
Joyfully Rejoycing
by Joyce Fetteroll
Living Joyfully with Unschooling
by Pam Laricchia {{Homeschooling Homeschooling Pedagogy Philosophy of education Alternative education Lifestyles