We haven’t done any formal studies this year other than the various classes they attend each week for science, maths, art and swimming. Instead, the girls have been unschooling or to put it plainly, self directed in what they are learning. However, despite the lack of formal lessons I’ve definitely seen a marked improvement in their abilities. Swab regularly asks for math sums just for fun and is even learning her times tables by herself. She’s also keeping a diary and is a voracious reader. Miss 10 has started a recipe book since Nanna and Poppa came to stay, of all Nan’s recipes. This is how unschooling should be! Miss 10 is particularly enjoying reading this book at the moment (no affiliate link by the way!) It’s a fiction novel that introduces math and business concepts. She’s loving it! Now that I know she’s enjoying this style I have a bunch more to buy for her ‘nook’ reader. I will put up a link on our facebook page here if you would like to see a list of other similar books.
I’ve been talking with an unschooling mentor once a week, a lovely lady in British Columbia who is helping us with our unschooling journey. I’ve always struggled to give up the idea of formal school in favour for following the girl’s needs and interests, despite believing in it! I don’t think I ever deschooled myself properly.
Our mentor has been helping the whole family unschool, not just the girls or me with them but the skipper too. We are all benefiting. One of the things we did first was answer a bunch of questions that helped us all to know what it is we want as a family, what it is the girls want to learn and we want to learn and where do we see ourselves heading? These questions were a real help when it came to actually listening to what the girls want to know! I thought Swab’s interest in making her own potions and lotions out of conditioner and plants was a bit messy and I turned a blind eye but later discovered she actually has a knack for science! So we bought her a chemistry set and haven’t looked back since. Miss 10 is really into history at the moment so we are signing up for some Minecraft Homeschool lessons online with a historical focus. She’s also been doing one on The Science of Amusement Park rides and can tell you all about Sir Isaac Newton now which is cool because it came up in her science class and she’s was thrilled to bits to know who he was already.
I’ve kept a daily diary of all that we do and this is probably the hardest part as it means taking time out each day to write down EVERYTHING we do. There is learning everywhere! I look back and I’m actually amazed at what we achieve in a day. Unschooling has never been easier. For those curious, unschooling doesn’t mean no school either, they are learning all the time. The proof is in their results.
Anyway, I thoroughly recommend my unschooling mentor and can point you in her direction if you are looking for something similar. She’s an amazing unschool advocate, not only for the kids but helping us with unschooling the whole family. What a relief it is to finally be free of my demons! I’ve struggled with it for so long and she has been such a great help for us all. Maybe I should change the page name to ‘Unschooling Ahoy’!
*I am not affiliated with my mentor at all, I do not receive a commission or anything special, I just like passing on good recommendations where I can.* Message me on this post or on our facebook page for her email address.
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That’s brilliant Lyndy……tentatively asking about your unschooling mentor, we’ve lost our way somewhere along the line.
Hi Melanie, I hope you find your way soon, I’ve answered your email. Thanks for reaching out.
That’s great that you have found some support with mentor. What a great idea. Your kids are doing wonderfully and you must be very proud of the leaps and bounds you are all making. Don’t change your blog name. If you did people might miss out on your journey. We are all doing oir best and it is refreshing to read of others’ challenges. Keep up the good work!
Cheers Lauren! Yes I heard about the option of mentoring and thought it would be a great fit for our family. I don’t think I expected it to work so fast though! As you know home ed is really hard but I think we are the road block, the kids just want to learn!
We live aboard and doing distance ed with Mr 10. It’s not the easiest thing to do and reading your article got me thinking. Can you tell me more about what a mentor does. What are the regulations regarding the law and unschooling? You talk about going to maths and science classes, is that where you physically attend or by internet? Is it with other unschooled kids? We are cruisers so physically attending won’t work for us. We are finding DE stressful and overloaded so we are looking into other options. You got me when you said “What a relief it is to finally be free of my demons!”, yep, that’s where I am at with schooling.
Oh my Dawn, that’s exactly how I think we would be coping if we tried DE. Not putting down DE but it just wouldn’t work for us. Our girls don’t want their education served up to them on a platter, they want to try everything on the buffet! DE just doesn’t allow for that unfortunately. Regulations regarding unschooling: the authorities don’t really mind how you get there as long as you can prove that you did. HEU requires samples of work so you will have to find a way to produce those, but honestly we find that the girls just don’t feel like it’s school anymore to do some writing samples (writing in their diary, story writing, procedures for their ‘how to’ book etc.) Maths is a little more tricky but you have to be really good at picking up the pieces they produce. I jump on any written work after they’ve produced it and look for progression that we can use in their report. As you can see from our typical day post, they really are doing a lot considering I don’t tell them what to do, it works! It is really hard to let go isn’t it?
Regarding math and science classes yes we do physically go to these – for now. We are currently getting ready to cruise as you are so these will be dropped when we go. I’m not concerned though. There is so much info on the internet that I am currently printing out for when that time comes up. Surround yourself with good texts. Consider downloading some ‘lapbooks’ in subjects he might show an interest in. Involve him in every aspect of cruising. There is learning to be found in everything, you just need to know where to look. It should be pointed out here that they do those classes because they really want to. The fact that they supplement their education to me is a bonus.
Our mentor would Skype call me once a week at a set time to discuss our week and progress for one hour. She would give advice, make suggestions on any difficulties I had with regard to: letting go of the ‘school mentality’ and moving more to self directed learning, opening my eyes to finding strengths and weaknesses in both the girls, and our handling of their ‘education’, unschooling ways to develop their interests that would cover lots of learning areas and so on. I found that talking to her really increased my confidence, sped up the ‘deschooling’ process and took away most of the fear. I can give you a contact for her if you wish, just flick me an email.
Sorry for the long response. I really want to help anyone struggling if sharing our experience will do that.
Best of luck,
Lyndy
Hello there,
My name is Sherrie and we are live boards originally from British Columbia. I am very interested in the name of your mentor if at all possible.
Thanks a bunch.
Hi Sherrie! I don’t want to advertise her email address on here. Can you please pm me either through the blog or on my homeschool ahoy Facebook page! Cheers, Lyndy
Great article.. does your mentor provide services abroad? Would love a referral if thats ok?
Hey Jasmine, happy to help! I have sent you an email 😀
Hi Lyndy…. I’ve just stumbled across your blog and am in my third term of homeschooling my kids. VERY interested in the Homeschool Minecraft lessons! Checked them out on their webpage and it sounds like a fantastic concept. Just wondered how you found the experience?
Hi Angie
I’m sure others have different experiences to us but I have to say that it was good and bad but mostly bad for my two girls. Did they learn something from it, yes definitely. There are some great materials in there and they definitely got something out of it. The bad is that for the most part they just wanted to play minecraft. I paid for a term and although they did some of the lessons I found that usually they just ended up playing instead. We couldn’t bridge the divide. For us it was better to do one or the other. That’s not to say it won’t work for you though. The courses are great. The temptation to just play though was too great. I do believe there is a great deal of learning to be had just playing too for the record. Thanks for your question. Lyndy