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Unschooling
Colorado Unschooling
An inclusive group geared towards unschooling in Colorado, with an emphasis on child-led, hands on experiences.
Unschooling Basics
A list designed for those new to the philosophy of unschooling. Ask experienced unschoolers all those niggling questions, and find out how unschooling works in real families. If you're familiar with John Holt's work, but unsure of how to begin or what an unschooling day really looks like, this is a place for you to discuss, question, ponder, and become deeply familiar with natural learning and how it affects our entire lives. From parenting issues to learning from the whole wide world and beyond, come explore the issues that unschooling families have dealt with in the past and how to get beyond "school-think" to a joyful unschooling lifestyle.!
Radical Unschoolers List
This is the "Radical Unschoolers List". It is for all families, regardless of religious affiliation, choosing to unschool. Unschooling is learning as a part of life. It allows the child to learn naturally, without adult-imposed "lessons", schedules, or timelines. This list is to offer support, information, perspective, and enlightenment to anyone already unschooling or interested in unschooling.
Child-Led Learning
The term "unschooling" was coined by John Holt to mean not sending children to school. The term has been stretched and changed since then, and those of us who refuse the entire school model have taken the word "unschooling" for our own. Other terms associated with unschooling are natural learning, child-led learning, discovery learning, and child-directed learning. We don't divide our day into "school" parts and "non-school" parts, because there are no school parts. We live; we learn; we try new things; we go back to things we've loved a long time.
West River Academy
West River Academy is a fully accredited independent private school in Colorado designed for families who desire the benefits of private school enrollment but minimal oversight over their educational activities. Families may follow the curriculum and/or learning style of their choice, or may receive assistance from us in designing or choosing a program that fits their needs. Grading of students is optional and if desired, it is done by the parents. West River Academy enrolls students of all ages, including adults who would like to earn their high school diplomas. They are fully accredited by the National Association for the Legal Support of Alternative Schools (NALSAS). Note that West River Academy caters to unschoolers.
African-American Unschooling
African-American Unschooling is the resource for African-American homeschoolers with an Africentric approach to learning all the time. African-American Unschoolers encounter math, science, reading, writing, art and history in the real world because real living leads to real learning.
Unschoolarama in Northern New Mexico/Southern Colorado
Here unschoolers in New Mexico and Southern Colorado can discuss life and the possibility of get-togethers.
Unschooling.Info Forum
This message board is designed for unschooling parents to connect, ask questions, share information and ideas, and get support.
Colorado Home-Unschooler
This list is designed for anyone in Colorado who is interested in or is currently homeschooling or unschooling their children.
Why Natural Learning – Does It Make Sense?
Many experts claim to know how to teach a child, but do they know how to educate him? Perhaps professionalism is a form of religion too. It takes a lot of faith to believe that removing children from their parents and making them serve time under an authoritarian regimen in a formal institution is somehow going to prepare them to love and serve their fellow man and live a peaceful and prosperous life. But mothers know.
Poudre River School
Poudre River School is an independent, private school for homeschooling families in Colorado, also known as an umbrella school. PRS provides legal enrollment in a private school while parents direct the daily education of their children. Enrollment is open to students in kindergarten through high school. PRS believes that parents/guardians are capable of educating their children according to their individual needs and should be trusted to provide a high-quality education for their children. All styles of instruction are honored and accepted, including unschooling.
Why Unschooling Isn't Just Another Method of Homeschooling
What makes for a good education? It turns out that sometimes the best education comes from simply allowing a child to follow his or her interests and passions. A rich and interesting life lead to a child learning in a way that's important to them.
Unschool Sharing for Parents
Share successes and ideas and build a helpful, welcoming archive for the new unschoolers, the newly-unschooling, and the nicely unschooling.
Family Unschoolers Network
Family Unschoolers Network offers support and information for families who choose to unschool or homeschool. Self-directed learners will find articles, reviews, resources, books, and other information to help your homeschooling or unschooling efforts.
Colorado Christian Unschoolers
A Colorado support group for Christians who use unschooling, delight-led, child led, spirit led, relaxed, delayed, and/or natural learning in their homeschool. This group also stands for traditional conservative Christian values.
Blue Skies: Unschooling in Colorado
Unschooling support group serving the Front Range from Denver to Fort Collins. Offers weekly park days, moms' night out, and other support. The purpose of this group is for parents and children to get together to play and to support unschoolers and people wanting to unschool in Colorado.
A Comparison of Traditional and Natural Learning
This is a chart that explores the differences between traditional and natural learning. It compares how the child and parent are viewed, how learning occurs, the role of textbooks and curriculum, how learning disabilities fit in, and how various school subjects are viewed.
Unschooling Radicals of the Front Range Elevating Education (UR-FREE)
This group is designed to bring together and provide support for families interested in unschooling/freelearning in the Fort Collins and surrounding area. It is intended as an unschooling/freelearning haven to remind families that learning happens all the time and empower us to make choices that respect 1) the rights, needs and aspirations of our children, 2) us trusting and assisting our children on their journeys, and 3) the right of families to make informed and desirable lifestyle choices that enhance togetherness, lifelong love of learning and respect for others.
Western Region Unschoolers
The Western Region Unschoolers is a group for unschoolers who live in the Western U.S. covering: Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and California. This is a forum to announce and organize conferences, travel, camping, and other places to get together.
A Few Words About Unschooling Math
A wonderful list of things that can lead to math learning.
8 Powerful Reasons Why I Unschool My Kids
Nina Palmo explains the benefits of unschooling by looking at the benefits this model offers. These benefits include better learning, innovative thinking, passion about learning, good preparation for college and the workforce, and even more what the exact point of learning is (hint: it's not just to go to college or enter the workforce). Unschoolers don't have all the answers, but they do dig deep to find the best way to help their children find joy and power in learning.
Rise of the Home "Unschoolers" -- Where Children Learn Only What They Want To
Take a look at some unschooling families as this articles examines what unschooling looks like. Although some "experts" worry about how to measure the success of unschooling, those who have embraced this lifestyle know that it is a joyful and successful path to a full and rich education.
Nature's Classroom Homeschool Group
This support group in Colorado Springs focuses on learning through living, especially through exploring the world around us.
Homeschoolers Outside the Box
This is a diverse, inclusive group and welcomes all homeschoolers, unschoolers, and anyone who provides a home-based education for their children in the greater Colorado Springs area.
Unschooling or Homeschooling: What's the Difference?
Ask around at your next homeschool conference to compare what people answer when this question pops up: "What does it mean to unschool?" Some will answer that unschooling is homeschooling without using a pre-packaged curriculum. Others will say it's simply the degree of freedom that the parents allow the child in his learning. Still others will say that unschooling defies definition because each child is unique and will go at learning in his own way, in his own time. So what's the big difference between homeschooling and unschooling? In homeschooling the parents make decisions on how to best educate the child, while in unschooling the child somehow makes those decisions for herself.
Structured homeschooling gets an A+
A new study from Concordia University and Mount Allison University has found that homeschooling -- as long as it's structured or follows a curriculum -- can provide kids with an academic edge. "Structured homeschooling may offer opportunities for academic performance beyond those typically experienced in public schools," says first author Sandra Martin-Chang, a professor in the Concordia Department of Education, noting this is among the first nonpartisan studies to investigate home education versus public schooling.
Unschooling.com
This message board provides information, success stories, resources, and support for families who have chosen an unschooling approach to home education. Includes videos and podcasts links, stories and articles, and tool and resources.
Crunchy Unschoolers
A list for unschoolers who are interested in moving towards a sustainable lifestyle. Topics for discussion may include how sustainability and unschooling complement each other, and how we resolve conflicting values.
An Unschooling Experiment
What does unschooling look like? Why do people unschool? This seasoned unschooler offers the encouragement to simply give unschooling a try, especially if your homeschooling attempts have proven to be unsuccessful or stressful.
A Conversation with John Holt
In 1980, Marlene Bumgarner, a homeschooling parent, hosted author John Holt in her home while he was in California for a lecture tour. While he played in the garden with her two children, John and Dona Ana, she interviewed him for the bimonthly magazine Mothering. In this article, Holt answered such questions as, "What is your philosophy of learning?", "Why homeschool?", and "What about the child's social life?"
Colorado Springs Unschoolers
This is an email group for those who live in Colorado Springs, or areas near to Colorado Springs, who unschool their children. Offers scheduled monthly activities, support, and ideas.
Boulder Lifelong Unschooling Enthusiasts (BLUE SKIES)
BLUE SKIES: Boulder's Lifelong Unschooling Enthusiasts Simply Keeping Independent Education Special is a support group for those unschooling, beginning to unschool, or interested in the philosophy, in Boulder and surrounding areas, including Niwot, Lafayette, Longmont, Lyons, Nederland, Jamestown, Ward, Erie, and anywhere else you are willing to travel from.
Fun Books
To produce life-long learners, we need to show our children that learning is not just something that they get graded on or that only happens during certain hours of the day or certain times of the year. We need to help them hang on to the natural joy of learning that every child is born with, to help them see that learning new things is fun, and to help them realize that learning can take place anywhere and at anytime. Fun Books has put together a catalog of books, games, and other materials to help you in your efforts to produce life-long learners.
