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Homeschool.com's Interview with Mary Griffith and thousands of other unschooling parents believe that learning is as natural to children as breathing. If children are allowed to pursue their own interests, they will more than cover all the subjects taught in school. And, more importantly they will develop a life-long love of learning as they explore their world. "The Unschooling Handbook" is filled with moving stories and advice that will give all homeschooling families, not just unschoolers, inspiration to help their children discover the world--learning as they live each day. Editor: How do unschooling children cover the basics, like reading, writing and math? Griffith: That such "basics" can only be learned by being explicitly taught is perhaps the most damaging legacy of our century-long experience with conventional schooling. Unschooled kids learn the basics by using them: They learn to read by being read to and discovering what reading is and how its symbols work. They learn to write by writing, by learning the letters in their name, by writing letters and thank you notes and stories and journals--anything and everything they have to say. They learn about numbers and how to manipulate them by using them--countinarticles/interviews/griffith/default.aspg, measuring, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing in cooking, sewing, building, gardening--all sorts of everyday projects. As they grow, unschooled children take on more deliberate and involved projects. Editor: What do you believe is the biggest benefit of unschooling? Griffith: Undoubtedly, the biggest benefit is learning how to learn, learning that one *can* learn. Editor: Given your experience with and observations of other unschoolers, when unschoolers move into a structured environment, like college or employment, are they successful? Griffith: Absolutely. College admissions people tell us that unschooled students tend to be focused, know how to ask questions and how to prioritize their time and energy--in short, how to direct their own learning. Employers also value those same skills, and are usually thrilled to find employees with initiative. Editor: In your book you state that when children are allowed to pursue their interests, and learning is not separated from living, there is a "spill over effect." Can you explain what this is? Griffith: Simply that when learning is pursued as a normal component of being alive--like breathing--it happens all the time, in most cases effortlessly. When learning is seen as something that happens at a specific time, in a specific place, as in conventional schooling, it tends to be limited to those precincts. Indulging our curiosity is how we learn, but curiosity is a habit--the more we allow ourselves to indulge our curiosity, the more we learn. Editor: What characteristics do unschooling families have in common? Griffith: Every unschooling family is different, because all our interests and needs vary, but there are some elements we have in common:
Editor: Thank you Mary for talking about a vital ingredient in all styles of homeschooling--trust in our children--a trust that they will learn what they need to know when the time is right for them. |
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