Comments on: Appreciating the value of natural learning

By: Rosemary

Rosemary — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 01:56:45 +0000

Thanks for sharing your journey Susan! it was very interesting to read.
I’m still at the very beginning stages and trying to implement mostly Charlotte Mason’s methods but keeping our main focus more on God, our relationship with Him, character etc. Some days that’s all we do:)
I think there’s good value in learning and taking the best from the various methods of home schooling!

By: Leonie

Leonie — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 23:30:36 +0000

As you know, we have always been very influenced by natural learning, unschooling, delight directed learning, John Holt. And i have found that each of my sons have grown more into self discipline and into academics and continue this interest and inner motivation at university and work.
So unschooling has lead to more rigorous academics, to learning how to follow a path, to perseverance, at least in our experience.

Of course, our family home culture has a role – strewing, chores, family life, valuing self discipline and academics, our values and Christianity. But these are hard to separate from unschooling, iykwim.

By: Belinda

Belinda — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 22:44:11 +0000

Very interesting that you should post this today Susan – I was working on an article myself this morning about growing our expectations and practices with our children, that is, the things that worked well for them as young children may have to change as they get older.

Though I haven’t been fully a natural learner I have seen my children pursue more academic learning as they grow older. I am taking the approach of spoon feeding – or introducing them to the world and as they get older they have liked what they have tasted and pursued it further.

By: Jeanne

Jeanne — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:38:14 +0000

Hmmm, don’t know what I think yet, but I certainly appreciate you writing about your experience. Thank you. The bad bit about only educating one child is that I’ll always be a learner!!