The Unschooling Handbook : How to Use the Whole World As Your Child's Classroom

by Mary Griffith

book data

124 ratings, 3.78 average rating, 26 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		21%
4		41%
3		29%
2		7%
1		0%

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published

April 29th 1998 by Three Rivers Press

details

Paperback, 240 pages

isbn

0761512764 (isbn13: 9780761512769)

description

An essential companion to homeschoolers, this book explores and answers all the questions unschooling raises, deals with the drawbacks and criticisms …more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 261)

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Nov 18, 2008

Rebecca rated it:

bookshelves: parenting

Read in November, 2008

I found this in the anemic "parenting" section of my new library. It's a lean little volume, mostly of extended quotes from self-titled "unschooling" parents. The technology is excruciatingly outdated (just go to AOL Member home to join a list!) circa 1997, and even though it calls itself a "handbook" there's nothing very handy or step-by-step about it.
With those criticisms out of the way, though, this was a very interesting book.
I'd never heard of "...more I found this in the anemic "parenting" section of my new library. It's a lean little volume, mostly of extended quotes from self-titled "unschooling" parents. The technology is excruciatingly outdated (just go to AOL Member home to join a list!) circa 1997, and even though it calls itself a "handbook" there's nothing very handy or step-by-step about it.
With those criticisms out of the way, though, this was a very interesting book.
I'd never heard of "unschooling" before but the more I read the more I recognized my own experience as a 9th grade high school drop out. When school became so painful and miserable that I no longer was recognizable to myself or my family, my mom finally pulled the plug on it and said, "fine, no more school for you." I stayed home making mountains of sculpey beads, eating ayurvedic food, drawing anatomical diagrams of the bones in my hands, reading my parent's college textbooks, learning latin and middle english, and "helping" my mom with her home businesses. My mom basically left me alone to learn what I wanted, though I relished her very smart criticisms and direction. It was the most healing and life-giving year of my life. When I did eventually go back to public school, I was transformed-- learning at school was suddenly easy.
This book is basically a gentle introduction to a model of very kid-directed homeschooling, where you allow the kid to choose her passions and then spend days or weeks doing nothing but. You provide plenty of raw materials-- books or animals or travel or responsibilities or friends or whatever-- but you don't try to do school at home.
If I hadn't done it myself, I would guffaw. But knowing what a beautiful experience I had "unschooling" I would gladly do it with my kids.
I think this book does gloss over some of the problems and day to day how-tos of unschooling in favor of evangelizing the concept. But it's such an intriguing glimpse of a school-free life that I want to go on and read more. As my dad always says, "don't let your schooling get in the way of your education!"
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Dec 21, 2007

Kris rated it:

Read in May, 2003

I adore this book. Like all homeschooling books, I cannot simply follow one philosophy, but it significantly contributed to my personal definition of what "education" and "learning" look like. At our house, learning can take place with a class, a field trip, a project, a book, a workbook, a discussion, a debate, an accident, a movie, a household task, a meditation, a friendship, a visit, or any of the multitude of activities a human completes in a week. Sure, I may advocat...more

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Sep 23, 2007

Cheryl rated it:

Read in January, 2006

recommends it for: anyone

I think this is a great barebones book for beginning unschoolers - of all early stages. At the time I read it, I felt it was too bare bones, but as time goes by and I forget all I know, I am glad that this book is here to remind me of what I've forgotten. Maybe "barebones" is the wrong word? It's probably the way she keeps things "simple" in this book that makes it work for me.

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Feb 28, 2008

Sally rated it:

bookshelves: homeschool

Read in January, 2004

Unschooling IS using the world as your child's "classroom," even though classroom is not the best word! If you happen to need some ideas to get you started, this is a good book.

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Mar 29, 2009

Marisa rated it:

Read in April, 2009

Unschooling is a method of homeschooling where no curriculum is used. The children dictate what they learn, when they learn it and pretty much if they learn anything at all. I knew going into this book that it was not a method that I would be using for homeschool. I'm sure it works well for some, but it just is not a technique that would work for me. I do however, want to use this method of education in the afternoon after we have finished with our formal curriculum. I also think this would be a...more

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Jun 28, 2009

Teji rated it:

Read in June, 2009

Presents a philosophy of learning that structures learning opportunities around a particular child's passions and intersts.

Quotes:
"The categories of knowledge are simply artificial; they exist for reasons that have nothing to do with learning, nor with the advancements of knowledge. Chemistry blends seamlessly into physics and math and biology and sociology…rather than create artificial boundaries, it's fun to see where something leads". Pg15, Patrick

"...more

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Jun 13, 2008

Wan rated it:

Read in January, 2007

ได้ทั้งคอนเซ็ปต์และรูปธรรมในหลายเรื่อง แต่อย่างไรก็คงต้องพิจารณาร่วมกับสังคมของเรา ในแง่สถานภาพทางเศรษฐกิจ กฎหมาย โครงสร้างสาธารณะ เช่นห้องสมุดสาธารณะที่มีบทบาทสำคัญมาก แ�...more ได้ทั้งคอนเซ็ปต์และรูปธรรมในหลายเรื่อง แต่อย่างไรก็คงต้องพิจารณาร่วมกับสังคมของเรา ในแง่สถานภาพทางเศรษฐกิจ กฎหมาย โครงสร้างสาธารณะ เช่นห้องสมุดสาธารณะที่มีบทบาทสำคัญมาก และความร่วมมือของชุมชน น่าจะมีหนังสือของไทยที่รวมรวบแบบไทยๆไว้เยอะ อยากเห็นบทสัมภาษณ์เด็กเพิ่มเติมจนถึงวัยผู้ใหญ่และการส่งต่อความรู้ผ่านการเรียนแบบนี้ รวมทั้ง น่าจะมีภาพของประวัติศาสตร์ของพ่อแม่ในการศึกษาก่อนที่จะมาให้ลูกเรียน เพราะเพื่อจะได้เห็นความแตกต่างเฉพาะ เนื่องจากว่าทั้งหมดแล้วการศึกษาแบบ Unschooling นั้นเป็นเรื่องเฉพาะ จากหนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นเล่มหนึ่งที่น่าสนใจสำหรับบางครอบครัว แต่ในอีกหลายครอบครัวจำเป็นอย่างยิ่งที่จะต้องศึกษาเพื่อเติม เล่มนี้เป็นเพียงเล่มเปิดทางที่ดีเล่มหนึ่ง

เกือบลืมที่จะบอกว่า หลายแนวคิดในเล่มนี้น่าสนใจ
ตั้งแต่ การกระตุ้นเร้าให้ออกจกวิถีคิดแบบขนบ
การปฏิเสธการเรียนรู้ตามเวลาแบบเส้นตรงที่ส่งทอดกันตามประวัติศาสตร์ และไม่ได้สอนให้จำแต่สอนให้คิด
รู้กว้างในเรื่องที่ควรรู้ และรู้ลึกในเรื่องที่จำเป็น

อย่างไรก็ตามมีกรณีศึกษาของพ่อแม่ที่ส่งเสริมให้ลูกเรียนหรือมีแนวทางในสายมนุษย์และสังคมค่อนข้างมาก จำนวนพ่อแม่และลูกในสายวิทยาศาสตร์มีตัวอย่างน้อย ซึ่งน่าสนใจในการขบคิด(less)

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Nov 23, 2009

K rated it:

bookshelves: education, pregnancy--birth--and-parenting

A few of the sections written by the author had interesting ideas, but I think I rather of heard more of the stories of the people who responded to her survey in a more detailed, less disjointed fashion than the way this book was organized. I think it'd have been more useful. I love the resources, though, given at the end of each chapter.

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Jun 28, 2009

Kirsten rated it:

Read in June, 2009

flipping through this again (checked it out last summer, too) as i look for inspiration for the coming year.

this year it is really making me think differently - that and learning more about project-based learning. it's a tricky thing sometimes to find the right learning environment for your specific kiddos.

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Jun 27, 2009

Heather rated it:

bookshelves: womanhood

Read in April, 2009

I really enjoyed this. While it seems funny that unschooling would need a handbook, it was a great introduction and gave me ideas for the future. I really liked the example transcript for college applications and the stories from the kids who had lived unschooled lives.

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Feb 10, 2009

Bunga Petualang rated it:

bookshelves: education

Read in January, 2006

My lovely hubby suggest this book to me. He said that both of us could create a wonderful learning environment for the children at home. And voila...I found this book very informative and practical too. I love this book!

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Feb 04, 2009

Kam rated it:

bookshelves: non-fiction

I feel like this book gave me a good look into what unschooling is and how it can work. There are lots of individual examples in all different subjects which gave me a glimpse into the lives of unschoolers and their families.

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Dec 16, 2008

Samantha Penrose rated it:

bookshelves: parenting

recommends it for: homeschool families

This is a great book for those curious about homeschooling and/or the art of unschooling.
This book is full of information, explanation, reassurance, encouragement, resources, additional reading, experiences and more.
I'm just wondering though, wouldn't a true unschooler be put off by the idea of an unschooling handbook?!

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Feb 22, 2009

Jamie rated it:

Read in January, 2007

This is in constant rotation in reality so I can't really classify it as read, to read, or currently reading because it is all three! This book is a very helpful homeschool resource!

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Feb 22, 2010

Sarah rated it:

this unschooling book was pretty much a collection of testimonials and anecdotes from unschooling families. not particularly thrilling, but some useful reminders of things to do.

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Mar 23, 2009

Jenny rated it:

bookshelves: education

wonderful overview, i especially enjoyed the simple accounts from parents and children about their views on education and unschooling.

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Feb 08, 2010

Rueyn rated it:

bookshelves: homeschooling

Read in February, 2010

I think by this point I've read so many books on homeschooling in general and unschooling in particular that this book really didn't grab my interest. I did a lot of skimming and can't say I learned anything new. Maybe better as a reference throughout the years ahead?

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