October 01, 2002

Ten steps to Deschooling
by sabater

Network, network, network.
Meet homeschoolers of all styles and creeds. Participate in e-lists such as HEM's or NHEN's and certainly join any support groups in your area.

Play is the thing.
Barriers come down through play, making it a wonderful way for the family to come together.

Reschedule your schedules.
Take your time and do not rush into things. Create your own holidays. Take days off other than Saturday or Sunday. Take a vacation during "school" days

Do not follow the crowd.
Remind yourselves every day that there are as many ways of learning as there are learners.

Practice letting go.
Plan the days together. Have a business meeting once a week. Give your kids the chance to teach you how to teach them.

Keep a journal.
Record the present. Make a scrapbook about the future. Use them as blueprints for success.

Get out!
Field trips are great learning tools. Don?t just homeschool, park-school, beach-school, backyard-school.

Take time to sort things out.
Many people say to allow your child one month of "decompression" for every year spent in school. Don't rush into a programs or curriculum until this time has passed. I suggest to do the same for yourself. So if your child was 3 years in school, they have 3 months to decompress. On the other hand, If you have a BA, you may want to consider re-evaluating your homeschooling priorities after 16 months. Add another month or two if you attended a nursery school and/or pre-kindergarten.

Know your rights and responsibilities.
Find out what the law or regulations about homeschooling are in your area and discuss them as a family so that during this process you can all agree as to what is the minimum required for assessment and/or evaluation.

Stay mindful.
Many schooling habits may be difficult to break but being aware of their existence will help.

culturekitchen.com © 2002, Liza Sabater
This article first appeared in Home Education Magazine, Oct 2002

Posted by Liza in Article, Education, Health, Indy Learning, Parenting, Unschooling
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