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The Concept Of Unschooling
By Lisa M. Hendey, Fri Dec 9th
The Concept of Catholic Unschooling Author Interview with SuzieAndres, Homeschooling with Gentleness: A Catholic DiscoversUnschooling by Lisa M. Hendey Whether you are a homeschooling parent or simply a parentconcerned with the quality of your children’s faith formationand education, you owe it to yourself and your family to learn abit about the concept of “unschooling”. In her new bookHomeschooling with Gentleness: A Catholic Discovers Unschooling(Christendom Press, October 1004, paperback, 132 pages) takes alook at this “gentle” variation to the traditional homeschoolingpath. As a mother of two Catholic school students, I must admitthat I initially approached Andres’ book from a perspective ofsuspicion. My reading of this book, however, produced much fruitin the form of an enhanced appreciation for my own role, andespecially that of my children themselves, in their owneducations. In his comments on the book, noted author andprofessor Ralph McInerny reminds us that "The Church has alwaysinsisted that the parents are the primary educators of theirchildren." Far from being critical of formal education, Andresbook is a positive and uplifting commentary on the concept of"unschooling" and shares ideas and suggestions that will be ofvalue to any family, regardless of your educational preferences. Suzie Andres, wife and mother of two, shared the followingcomments on Homeschooling with Gentleness.
Q: I’m amazed that a homeschooling mom can make time to writeand publish a book! What motivated you to write this book andhow did you accomplish your goal? A: I have always loved reading. One of the things that I enjoymost about reading is that sense of connection with an authorwhen we think along the same lines, sharing the same opinionsabout human nature. Often my own opinions are not clearlythought out, but there is a resonance with something I readwhich helps me to clarify my thoughts. Perhaps you haveexperienced that “Aha!” when you read something true that youhad not heard expressed just that way before, or which you hadnot been able to express yourself. Like many homeschooling mothers, I read books on homeschoolinghoping to experience that resonance. I had always wanted to finda homeschooling book in which the author shared my opinionsabout children and education, and mapped out an approach thatmatched what we were doing in our own home. Not that I knewexactly what I thought about children and education; in fact, Ioften am not sure what we are actually doing in our home! But Irealized that I was reading homeschooling books not only to findnew methods and materials, but more often to find a name forwhat we were already doing. When I began to read about unschooling, it felt very familiar.I recognized that what went on in our home looked a lot likeunschooling, but I worried that unschooling was not quite aCatholic approach. None of its main proponents were Catholic,very few were Christian, and many espoused a very secularoutlook. My husband Tony was able to reassure me that we couldbe Catholic unschoolers, and he had many compelling argumentsexplaining the fittingness of this combination. However, I havea horrible memory, and so I’d return to him often to hear hisexplanations. I realized that if I wrote a book on the subject,I could give the poor man a rest! In fact, writing about Catholic unschooling really appealed tome for three reasons. First, I could get down on paper Tony’sexplanations to reassure myself; second, for anyone else who wasinterested, I could express in writing our thoughts abouthomeschooling; and third, if my writing became a book, then Iwould have the perfect homeschooling book to read when I wantedto know what I was doing! As to how a homeschooling mom finds time to write a book...Ithink there was a small window of opportunity that I crawledthrough in the early summer of 2003. My husband liked to studyand write in the evenings, and our older son Joseph was usuallybusy playing with kids in the neighborhood or reading. Dominic,our then 8 month old, went to bed at 8 p.m., but I had to staynearby to keep him from rolling off our bed, where he slept. HadI thought of putting our mattress on the floor, Homeschoolingwith Gentleness would never have been written! But as it was, Ineeded something quiet to do from 8 to 11, and I had just boughta used laptop from a pawnshop. I love to write, and so I wouldwrite during this time. The next thing I knew, I had somehowwritten a book. Just at this time Christendom Press had a newdirector who wanted to publish a book on homeschooling. Godbrought it all together, and now I too am amazed that ahomeschooling mom can make time to write and publish a book!God’s plans are really mysterious and beautiful. Q: Please share your thoughts on the concept of Catholic“unschooling” and how this relates to the theories of John Holt. A: In my reading about homeschooling, I eventually came upon thebooks of John Holt, a former teacher, educational reformer, andone of the first advocates of homeschooling. He has awonderfully clear writing style and I profoundly agreed withmany of his observations about
Home schooling gives teen flexibility - Kansas City Star
<table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/0-0&fd=R&url=http://www.kansascity.com/433/story/900310.html&cid=1272557196&ei=7YcnSffPPJnK8ASKkqwF&usg=AFQjCNF95vph_WOAq-BDq_dFHr77bAM7vA"><b>Home schooling</b> gives teen flexibility</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>Kansas City Star, MO -</font> <nobr>Nov 20, 2008</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>When I was a kid, I never thought that I'd be <b>home</b>-<b>schooled</b>. Yes, that's right. My high school is my bedroom - books upon books with no end in sight. <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table>
First batch of home-schoolers do well in PSLE - AsiaOne
<table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td width=80 align=center valign=top><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/1i-0&fd=R&url=http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%252BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_304652.html%3Fvgnmr%3D1&cid=1272477150&ei=7YcnSffPPJnK8ASKkqwF&usg=AFQjCNGkYCRzTAYaptxTucyIWG23OeCCOQ"><img src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=094W2G9crm8J&imgurl=www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20081120/stlimwuiliangNHPSLE.jpg width=78 height=80 alt="" border=1><br><font size=-2>Straits Times</font></a></font></td><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/1-0&fd=R&url=http://news.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20081121-102306.html&cid=1272477150&ei=7YcnSffPPJnK8ASKkqwF&usg=AFQjCNE58y0eFmP95jcfvabkhwmLx0NGQQ">First batch of <b>home</b>-<b>schoolers</b> do well in PSLE</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>AsiaOne, Singapore -</font> <nobr>Nov 20, 2008</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>He was among the first batch of 31 <b>home</b>-<b>schoolers</b> who took the PSLE this year under the Compulsory Education Act. Pupils from madrasahs and San Yu Adventist <b>...</b></font><br><font size=-1><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/1-1&fd=R&url=http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%252BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_305008.html&cid=1272477150&ei=7YcnSffPPJnK8ASKkqwF&usg=AFQjCNENMnUx0JWCr3jr9zeJoWbCVe3L8g"><b>Home</b>-<b>schoolers</b> do well</a> <font size=-1 color=#6f6f6f><nobr>Straits Times</nobr></font></font><br><font class=p size=-1><a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ned=us&ie=ISO-8859-1&ncl=1272477150><nobr>all 14 news articles</nobr></a></font></div></font></td></tr></table>
Home schooling in, maids out - Inquirer.net
<table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/2-0&fd=R&url=http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20081121-173501/Home-schooling-in-maids-out&cid=1272716987&ei=7YcnSffPPJnK8ASKkqwF&usg=AFQjCNGZoEeMWPQyVQFakgCj106JEIXlIQ"><b>Home schooling</b> in, maids out</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>Inquirer.net, Philippines -</font> <nobr>Nov 20, 2008</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>With diligence and creativity, I <b>home</b>-<b>schooled</b> my children for several years. (I refused to enroll them in a public school because I believed that it would <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table>
Home schooling on the rise in US - United Press International
<table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/3-0&fd=R&url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/11/19/Home_schooling_on_the_rise_in_US/UPI-71011227113443/&cid=1272301825&ei=7YcnSffPPJnK8ASKkqwF&usg=AFQjCNHH9mOAcgKH1kEDe4A0QFiGL-t5qw"><b>Home schooling</b> on the rise in US</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>United Press International -</font> <nobr>Nov 19, 2008</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>19 (UPI) -- A California think tank says there has been a sharp increase in the number of children being <b>home schooled</b> in the United States. <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table>
Joy Behar says home schooled kids are demented - The Inquisitr
<table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/4-0&fd=R&url=http://www.inquisitr.com/9185/joy-behar-says-home-schooled-kids-are-demented/&cid=0&ei=7YcnSffPPJnK8ASKkqwF&usg=AFQjCNGfaBEVA4ajKffjslPserdH5t78ig">Joy Behar says <b>home schooled</b> kids are demented</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>The Inquisitr, Australia -</font> <nobr>15 hours ago</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>Joy Behar, of the view has enraged the American <b>home</b> school community, by suggesting that many of the kids who are <b>home schooled</b> end up being ?demented?. <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table>
Tailoring school to the child - USA Today
<table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/5-0&fd=R&url=http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/11/tailoring-schoo.html&cid=1272448958&ei=7YcnSffPPJnK8ASKkqwF&usg=AFQjCNEQFscuolSqSjvUYpHq_sUIhH62EQ">Tailoring school to the child</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>USA Today -</font> <nobr>Nov 19, 2008</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>These days, there's a third option, even for busy parents like the Obamas: <b>home schooling</b>. That's what New York mom Melissa Meyer discovered when she <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table>
Education Next: As Popularity of Home Schooling Grows, Greater ... - Earthtimes (press release)
<table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/6-0&fd=R&url=http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/education-next-as-popularity-of,629234.shtml&cid=1272271786&ei=7YcnSffPPJnK8ASKkqwF&usg=AFQjCNGVuueblCVvt0onQUjxGa1rVSrQAQ">Education Next: As Popularity of <b>Home Schooling</b> Grows, Greater <b>...</b></a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>Earthtimes (press release), UK -</font> <nobr>Nov 19, 2008</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>(Business Wire) <b>Home schooling</b> is now popular among a broader and more representative group of the American public than ever before. <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table>
HOME-SCHOOLING: Love of parents sparks learning - Washington Times
<table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td width=80 align=center valign=top><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/7i-0&fd=R&url=http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/16/love-of-parents-sparks-learning/&cid=1270923782&ei=7YcnSffPPJnK8ASKkqwF&usg=AFQjCNFGyr9pdHm-tEDOYLjcvPhBleiT3Q"><img src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=V4j4LNZRAk0J&imgurl=media.washingtontimes.com/media/img/photos/2007/08/04/WT200710108040022V2_r106x74.jpg%3Fc4028041f07984cc2b0208af53263b8f9a78b153 width=80 height=56 alt="" border=1><br><font size=-2>Washington Times</font></a></font></td><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/7-0&fd=R&url=http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/16/love-of-parents-sparks-learning/&cid=1270923782&ei=7YcnSffPPJnK8ASKkqwF&usg=AFQjCNFGyr9pdHm-tEDOYLjcvPhBleiT3Q"><b>HOME</b>-<b>SCHOOLING</b>: Love of parents sparks learning</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>Washington Times, DC -</font> <nobr>Nov 15, 2008</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>This isn't limited to <b>home</b>-<b>schoolers</b>, of course. Any parent can practice the art of watching and admiring, of listening and enjoying. <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table>
Expanded Q&A: Kristen Stewart of ?Twilight? - NewsOK.com
<table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/8-0&fd=R&url=http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/2008/11/21/expanded-qa-kristen-stewart-of-twilight/&cid=1271505094&ei=7YcnSffPPJnK8ASKkqwF&usg=AFQjCNE3pvST0V0VlgDtALQNWjk2c24QFg">Expanded Q&A: Kristen Stewart of ?Twilight?</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>NewsOK.com, OK -</font> <nobr>8 hours ago</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>I got so much out of <b>home schooling</b>. I really loved <b>home</b> school. Independent study is for me. A: No, because I had this other; the business is not just <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table>
MP addresses home schooling, nutrition - Kalona News
<table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/9-0&fd=R&url=http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm%3Fnewsid%3D20195685%26BRD%3D1140%26PAG%3D461%26dept_id%3D151338%26rfi%3D6&cid=1269988214&ei=7YcnSffPPJnK8ASKkqwF&usg=AFQjCNGUXRDj81-9o_EBmZymfiCEEz08vw">MP addresses <b>home schooling</b>, nutrition</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>Kalona News, IA -</font> <nobr>Nov 12, 2008</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>An increase in <b>home schooling</b> students, according to Mrs. Farrier, shows a strong need for <b>home schooling</b> programs in this area. Mrs. Farrier reported that <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table>
children and education. Over thecourse of two summers, I read his books Teach Your Own, HowChildren Fail, How Children Learn, and Learning all the Time,and also copies of his magazine “Growing without Schooling.” When John Holt coined the term “unschooling,” he used it to meanlearning outside of school. He began a newsletter in themid-1970s to help those who had taken their children out ofschool to educate them at home and in the wider world. At thattime it was an incredibly courageous and mostly illegal act tokeep your school-aged children out of school. Holt encouragedparents and children to find new ways to learn, to enjoy eachother’s company, and to follow their convictions. His experienceas a teacher had shown him that often schools are places wherelearning does not, perhaps cannot happen. Over the years hisfurther observations of children and adults led him to believethat learning happens best when it is initiated by the learner.Unschooling thus came to refer more specifically to child lededucation. Some of the principles that underlie this theory are: children(in fact all of us) are natural learners; learning can happen atany age; a person will be most motivated to learn when he needsto know or use what he’s learning; and fear is a bad incentivefor learning, while love is the best incentive of all. I sawthese ideas in John Holt’s writing, and I had seen them beforein Catholic philosophy and theology. Since grace builds onnature, what is true in nature provides a firm foundation forour life as Catholics. In a nutshell, I argue in the book thatunschooling is an option for Catholics. Q: I enjoyed discussing your book and its ideas with my ownthirteen year old son (who is a eighth grader in a Catholicschool) and was interested in his reaction to “unschooling.” Onequestion we both have is how you deal with overcoming issueslike lack of motivation, distractions, and laziness (this fromthe seventh grader...) to keep on target with work flow? A: Lisa, that is an excellent question. I think our family hasdealt with these obstacles in a twofold manner. First, we haverules limiting our older son’s use of computer games and videowatching. Although these activities can be fun, they can also beaddictive, and for us their overuse tends to squelch creativityand motivation. Secondly, each school year we decide on the typeand amount of school-type work we want Joseph to accomplish. This year, for example, we agreed that Joseph would complete aset of algebra workbooks and learn typing with a computerprogram. Since the amount of assigned work was fairly small,keeping up with “work flow” was not difficult. At the same time,Joseph had a wide range of other activities and interests thatrounded out his learning through work he chose himself. Hecontinued piano lessons and practice, and began composing hisown pieces. He began reading a series of college level historybooks. He participated in church-league basketball and Jr.Legion of Mary. Sometime in the middle of the school year,Joseph decided he wanted to write a science fiction novel. Thisprompted him to pick up some grammar books we had, and borrowbooks on writing. The novel got set aside, but only afterproviding some self-motivated learning in grammar andcomposition. For next year I’m sure we’ll continue with someformal math, and Joseph is planning to take an introductorycollege Latin class. With all these interests and projects, anda quite limited amount of traditional schoolwork, the issues youmention have resolved themselves. Finally, when I asked Joseph his opinion about this question, hesuggested I mention another house rule that he finds providesplenty of motivation. He is not allowed to get together withfriends until after he does basic schoolwork (math and typing)and chores each day. Since he has friends in the neighborhood,some of whom also homeschool, he has a daily spur to get hisofficial work done in a fairly timely manner. Q: What factors should a family consider before committing tothis type of a lifestyle? A: I think the main factors a family should consider are thetemperaments of the children and parents. I have heard (althoughit’s not an experience in my home!) of children who thrive onstructure and clear assignments, who want to know exactly whatis expected of them, and who enjoy plowing through their work ina methodical way. I think this type of child would feel veryuncomfortable with the relaxed approach of unschooling, and thechild’s desire for the parents to provide structure andcurriculum ought to be respected. As for the parents’ temperaments, I would like to quote apassage from John Holt’s book Teach Your Own, in which headdresses this question. Let me qualify that I don’t think manyparents start out with all the attributes and virtues that helists. A desire for these virtues would be enough, I think, toindicate unschooling as a viable option. Holt writes: We can sum up very quickly what people need to teach their ownchildren. First of all, they have to like them, enjoy theircompany, their physical presence, their energy, foolishness, andpassion. They have to enjoy all their talk and questions, andenjoy equally trying to answer those questions. They have tothink of their children as friends, indeed very close friends,have to feel happier when they are near and miss them when theyare away. They have to trust them as people, respect theirfragile dignity, treat them with courtesy, take them seriously.They have to feel in their own hearts some of their children’swonder, curiosity, and excitement about the world. But that isabout all that parents need. Q: Suzie, as a voracious reader I loved your section of “Booksas Friends” – what have been some of your family’s favorites? A: Hmmm....how to limit myself here, and where to begin? Somechildren’s books that we have loved are: Follow my Leader byJames Garfield, The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill, The PhantomTollbooth, by Norton Juster, and the books of Edward Eager. Someof our favorite read-alouds have been: Charlie and the ChocolateFactory by Roald Dahl, Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kastner,and The Thirteen Clocks by James Thurber. All time favorites areLeave it to Psmith by P.G.Wodehouse, and Penrod by BoothTarkington. Joseph has really enjoyed the Redwall series byBrian Jacques, and the Star Wars novels of Timothy Zahn; hisultimate favorites are Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein. Tonyand I share the same favorite novelist, Jane Austen. My otherfavorites are E.F. Benson (who wrote the Mapp and Lucia series)and Elizabeth Goudge. And I think Tony would want me to mentionthat Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope is not to be missed! Q: Suzie Andres, Catholic mom and author of Homeschooling withGentleness, congratulations on this wonderful resource. Arethere any closing thoughts or ideas you’d like to share? A: Lisa, thank you again for your kind interest in my book. Inclosing I’d like to borrow the words from a favorite spiritualbook, I Believe in Love. “I assure you, we are bathed in loveand mercy.” I send my best wishes to you and all your readers;may we remember that we are bathed in love and mercy, as weenjoy these years at home with our children. For more information on Homeschooling with Gentleness: ACatholic Discovers Unschooling visithttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0931888794/catholicmomcom Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerousweb sites, including http://www.catholicmom.com andhttp://www.christiancoloring.com, and an avid reader of Catholicliterature. Visit her at http://www.lisahendey.com for moreinformation.
About the author:Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerousweb sites, including http://www.catholicmom.com andhttp://www.christiancoloring.com, and an avid reader of Catholicliterature. Visit her at http://www.lisahendey.com for moreinformation.
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