Review of The Unschooling Handbook by Mary Griffith
Written by admin on December 29th, 2007Okay, here’s the next review. Another book that we got for Christmas:
The Unschooling Handbook : How to Use the Whole World As Your Child’s Classroom
There’s a lot to like about this book–namely, validation that, yes, I am doing enough.
I have mixed emotions about homeschooling: I love many of the subjects heralded as “classical,” but that did not come from having received a “classical” education myself. I love nature and a gentle approach to teaching, which has always led me to keep a variety of Charlotte Mason “help” books on my bookshelf. Life, however, continues to throw me curve balls and I have confidence that my children are smart and capable, so I’ve often found myself “settling” for an unschooling approach. Somehow, though, unschooling has taken a liking to our family, and I have truly taken a liking to unschooling, and I find myself thinking that it is the only real way any of us truly learn.
In the future I’ll write more about our unschooling adventures, but for now I just want to give you a short review of the book.
I think unschooling is misunderstood because it is so hard to define. It’s different for every family. There are, however, similarities that all unschooling families seem to have: they do what feels right to them, they trust that all children have a natural drive to learn, and they choose not to force a curriculum on the family.
Some things you’ll get from this book:
- Personal accounts of what unschooling is for about 30+ families. There are first-hand statements throughout the book to complement the topic at hand.
- Information and thoughts about how T.V. and modern technology fit in.
- Resources at the end of each chapter, including information on the three R’s.
- How various families record what they are doing to create a portfolio or transcript.
- How to deal with your children as they begin to change from child to adult.
Like I said, I already embrace unschooling. We started out using it by default, but I really like the results I am seeing from it. If you are tempted to unschool or wondering if you should continue unschooling, this book might be of great help to you. It can, at the very least, settle some doubts. If you don’t unschool but just want to know more about it, this book is very much for you. It contains information beneficial to not just unschoolers but all homeschoolers.
Lynn
Unschooling Voices
The Hundred Dresses
The Family Under the Bridge
Caddie Woodlawn. With the Wisconsin big woods theme, goes along great with a FIAR study of The Raft.
A Year Down Yonder
A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning
Pocketful of Pinecones: Nature Study With the Gentle Art of Learning: A Story for Mother Culture. Sweet fictional story about a newly homeschooling mother who incorporates nature study.
Nature Crafts for Kids: 50 Fantastic Things to Make With Mother Nature's Help
The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady
The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
Awakening Beauty the Dr. Hauschka Way
A Redbird Christmas: A Novel
The Usborne Internet-Linked Book of Knowledge
What Your Fifth Grader Needs to Know
for you to leave a comment, but you can also e-mail me at lynn AT thehealthyhomeschool.com
31
PM
Your unschooling post has very much blessed me and I think I am going to re-read that book! I get so many curve balls thrown at me that it seems I have no choice BUT to unschool. But as the kids get older, the doubts are there.
~Marya
31
PM
Marya, my “unschooled” son is the most well read person in the house. No doubt about that. He has suddenly become worried about where he is in math and I think the self-motivation is the key. I think he’ll cover the same ground in math that he did in reading.
I’m glad I read the book. It has helped me get more settled into what we are doing.
Lynn
6
AM
Hi, I enjoyed your review. I have this book and it’s one I recommend often to others. I’d like to invite you to share your review in the next issue of Unschooling Voices:
http://anunschoolinglife.blogspot.com/2007/01/unschooling-voices-main-page.html
10
AM
Thank you so much. I will. I’m heading to your site to check it out. Lynn