Guest Author - Alissa Moy
The term "unschooling" was started back in the 1970's and John Holt was considered the "father of unschooling". It is a focus on choices made by individual learners of varying learning styles and personality types. There is no one way to unschool, as it is a process of learning with an emphasis on individuality. If you choose to have your preschooler unschool you would create his or her agenda based on their need. Parents must be able to trust their own instincts, and let children explore with their own natural curiousity. This type of program is a natural schedule, and not a school imposed schedule. There is no set teacher or curriculum when one is truly unschooling, and the student chooses how, when, why and what to pursue. This program is not one size fits all for preschoolers.
Although the student is not in school, your child can and should still read, write, sing, play and do all age appropriate activities. Children will be actively learning while unschooling, and preschoolers are natural learners at heart. Children will also be able to model their self discipline by modeling their parents and be able to set certain learning goals themselves.
You can begin preschooling in an unschool manner by watching your child play, listening to him speak and just by being with your child and observing how he or she learns through play. Incorporate daily play into storytime, musical instruction or science during a nature walk. It is important when unschooling to understand why and what you do and follow your child's lead. You must have total comittment, provide opportunities that relate to your child's interest and secure a learning rich environment. As a parent you will lead a very active role and need to direct your child on a clear path filled with life's experiences, as well as encouragement. The goal of this experience is to have an independent and successful child.
While some parents find unschooling a natural progression for preschoolers, others feel it is hard and have trouble grasping the idea. Lack of established curriculum is daunting for many preschool parents, so it is ideal that you are fully comfortable with the unschooling process, or lack thereof, before deciding to embark on the journey.