thinking of a deeper letting go of "school"

[shelan]

since we have been following a curriculum for 5 yrs with very little enthusiasm and my 10 yr old never wants to join me for school work,ive vowed ok we will learn this stuff togther or overall a more "fun" way of going about doing the curriculum,but its weird some how it seems like something we avoid,and in my heart i just want my kids to be free and enjoy thiier childhoods..so we do somehow get the work done but i wonder,what has she absorbed,alot of time it seems im just helping figure out what to write and in the shortest possible way so we can get threw the school work we need to get mailed off.My husband wants to "unschool" and let go of curriculm and so do i but i am currently sruggling with the issues like what about the basics of math learning etc,should i just get work books to learn that stuff and basically be currculum free but do some workbook stuff a couple times a week to assist in learning this math concepts etc.hmmm im also on the edge of still caring about what other people think.and i worry (secretly i think ) that when i decide to drop the curriculum and call the homeschool program to let them know we wont be registering with them again...then somehow they will report me or soemthing crazy like that,the mom who isnt going to "educate her child" I know this sounds maybe paraniod and have read the school act for BC and it seems I am free to school my child how i want and decide,hmmm anyhow im just blabbing on and thought id post this and see what others might have to reply as i approach a change in our life.thanks Shelan mom of 3

[JennyStar]

Talk to others in your area to see how they satisfy legalities and unschool. Other than that, read some here:

http://sandradodd.com/math/

and here (there are a few math pages on this site linked on the left hand column down a bit on the page):

http://joyfullyrejoycing.com/academics/math/senselessschoolmath.html

If you can trust that a child will learn how to walk and talk then you can trust that they will pick up what they need to know about math in the world too. Math exists for a reason. We use it all the time in our daily lives, when we pay bills, when we go grocery shopping, when we make patterns, or sew, or cook for lots of people. If you can find it all around you, and NOT in the workbooks, you'll be one step closer to relaxing about math.

[shelan]

HI thanks for the reply,you are right,and i see it happening naturally with my kids.I get from people well,if you dont follow a curriculm then wont younger kids //friends surpass your kid in math,its crazy to say but i do have a part of me that is bugged by that possible truth and wonder,,do i just let go of expectations then i guess.

JennyStar said:

Talk to others in your area to see how they satisfy legalities and unschool. Other than that, read some here:

http://sandradodd.com/math/

and here (there are a few math pages on this site linked on the left hand column down a bit on the page):

http://joyfullyrejoycing.com/academics/math/senselessschoolmath.html

If you can trust that a child will learn how to walk and talk then you can trust that they will pick up what they need to know about math in the world too. Math exists for a reason. We use it all the time in our daily lives, when we pay bills, when we go grocery shopping, when we make patterns, or sew, or cook for lots of people. If you can find it all around you, and NOT in the workbooks, you'll be one step closer to relaxing about math.

[Alison MacNamara]

Have you looked into Self Design? http://www.selfdesign.org/sdlc.html

I'm in BC, too. My kids are still in public school for now, but other moms have said good things about their program. One said she'd been able to combine the government money of her two boys and buy a trampoline! However, another said she didn't like her learning consultant and the weekly learning reports were an ordeal for her.

[shelan]

Thanks I will look into it,I am feeling the funding threw distance learning is good about 1000 for PE type activty lessons however its the entire structure of any curriculm that seems to just be our issue,im really considering finshing grade 5 with the homeschool curriculm and then for gr 6 just changing to be only life learning.I still think i will want to see formal math tho,i mean i know they will learn math and my kids are just by living life but i worry still that not learning the concepts will hold them back somehow although i went to school and still in my adult life am not really able to do beyond grade 4 math without some struggle,because it hasnt been relevant in my life,I guess when i need to figure out something mathematically i just go figure it out when its required but i dont have great math skills myself.thanks

[Meredith]

alot of time it seems im just helping figure out what to write and in the shortest possible way so we can get threw the school work we need to get mailed off

Well, yes, that's what the majority of imposed education comes down to - finding the easiest way to satisfy someone else's requirements. Learning naturally, on the other hand, arises from self motivation, and as a result when someone is learning by choice she may actively choose to do More, work harder, take more risks.

My 16yo stepson used to be in public school and learned to do as little as possible to get by. It took him a year - two in some areas - to be self-motivating again. Now he'll stay up late at night working on projects or get up early in the morning to meet his goals, but it wasn't an instant switch.

If you do start unschooling, it can help to tell yourself and your kids that you're on vacation from anything schooly for awhile. Kick back and enjoy life! When you start getting antsy about "learning" go and do some research on your own, ask more questions here if you like or browse around those two sites Jenny gave links to - they're both fantastic.

[shelan]

hi thank you for replying!it means a lot,my hubby and I appreciate the input and are inspired by the discussions on here~

Meredith said:

alot of time it seems im just helping figure out what to write and in the shortest possible way so we can get threw the school work we need to get mailed off

Well, yes, that's what the majority of imposed education comes down to - finding the easiest way to satisfy someone else's requirements. Learning naturally, on the other hand, arises from self motivation, and as a result when someone is learning by choice she may actively choose to do More, work harder, take more risks.

My 16yo stepson used to be in public school and learned to do as little as possible to get by. It took him a year - two in some areas - to be self-motivating again. Now he'll stay up late at night working on projects or get up early in the morning to meet his goals, but it wasn't an instant switch.

If you do start unschooling, it can help to tell yourself and your kids that you're on vacation from anything schooly for awhile. Kick back and enjoy life! When you start getting antsy about "learning" go and do some research on your own, ask more questions here if you like or browse around those two sites Jenny gave links to - they're both fantastic.

[Ruth Suyamin]

I have only been with Self Design for a couple of months and have so far been happy. The key is getting an unschooling friendly LC....basically I have said that if I feel pressured to do something we wouldnt already be doing I would go back to registering. Philisophically I dont really like the whole idea of enrolling but the money is nice and so far there havent been any onorous strings attached. The weekly report has not been a big deal for me - my LC just says he wants 2 or 3 written examples of things we are doing and this does not take me very long to do. There is a whole online village attached to it too which allows you to connect with other homelearners about whatever you would like to talk about or post. I made sure that my son does not even realize that someone is evaluating his learning....we just keep going along in our daily lives learning from everything as we go. Hope this helps....if you would like to chat with me about it you may phone me at 6048508530.

Ruth Suyamin

Alison MacNamara said:

Have you looked into Self Design? http://www.selfdesign.org/sdlc.html

I'm in BC, too. My kids are still in public school for now, but other moms have said good things about their program. One said she'd been able to combine the government money of her two boys and buy a trampoline! However, another said she didn't like her learning consultant and the weekly learning reports were an ordeal for her.