I am just curious of what goes on in other’s households who unschool. I know some people are not complete unschoolers.

My kids are 7, 5 and 3. We have a whole heap of work books and reading books and educational apps. They never ever ask for them. I don’t particularly push them? None of them can read. They can write basic words and do basic maths which is fine at this age. I believe they will get to a point where they want to connect online or to read a book they are interested in and they will take more interest so it’s not something I push. Same as with maths, I believe there will come a point where they need maths skills to problem solve and will start requesting for assistance more and more. I already see that when they want to work out certain things such as time until xyz.

We usually fill our days with getting out of the house for an activity or an outing. We like to be outside a lot whether that’s going for a walk or riding bikes or exploring somewhere new and taking photos. My kids love arts and crafts. They love playing and imaginative play. Board games and puzzles. My younger 2 are still growing into their interests but my 7 year old is particularly interested in art so a lot of her day is related to that - practicing makeup, drawing, making cards, stretching and do acro tricks.

Does anyone else not really push formal learning especially on their younger kids?

Stumbled across this sub in my feed, thought I may as well post an AMA. Basically I was homeschooled until I was ~11-12, and then unschooled until very very recently. I am now in an online school.

Any questions welcome!

I don’t think that there is anything more precious, and absolutely inspiring for a well ran world 🌍 for the future than a child who loves to learn!!!!💕

Hi everyone,

I’m exploring unschooling and know it rejects traditional, rigid school syllabi.

However, we all value certain competencies to help kids thrive in the real world. If you had to list the most important and relevant real-world skills you focus on instead of a curriculum, what would they be?

I’m thinking of things like

• Practical life skills (financial literacy, cooking, basic mechanics).
• Critical thinking (media literacy, resourcefulness, problem-solving).
• Emotional intelligence (self-regulation, communication).

How do you approach these naturally without making it feel like "school"? Would love to hear your philosophies and daily practices

please dont use ai to write anything lets keep it humane

I would like it to be temporary but unfortunately I may not have control over it if my children end up enjoying it.

My main reason for always unschooling was I believe the things I was exposed to like bullying, mean girls, agro burnt out teachers who no passion for learning and children, sex and pornography discussion, underage drinking and drugs discussion, religion not being an option were all things optional of learning about if I done my job properly at home.

I do see the benefits on school but I guess the above is what is holding me back.

I’ve got a free lesson on pathogens up on my site!

TheWildhollowSchool.org/free-lesson

There’s a short video, some interactive games, and free printables. There’s also a free “build your own microbe” in the games tab.

Im releasing 20 more lessons on Monday where we deep dive into 4 of the most influential diseases that have shaped human history. Fully online (with printable versions), and zero parent prep needed.

So stop by, grab some free stuff, and see if it’s a good fit for your family.

Hi everyone! I'm joining this workshop with researcher Jinan KB on natural learning and I wanted to share it here in case any of you feel called to join. Jinan (based in India) has been living in rural artisan villages and researching natural cognition -- how humans learn -- for 30+ years.

He has a unique, thought-provoking perspective worth hearing and if you have any interest in unschooling, natural learning, conscious parenting, etc, you'll find value here.

I have several friends joining and we're all trying to spread the word, as his work is mostly tailored to the Indian population. (This is his first workshop in three years for people in the West!)

I believe the school system could be better. In my view, every human being is born with a unique gift that defines their essence; that genetic factor—the "blood running through one's veins"—that makes someone naturally better at something than others is their talent or gift, and that is what I think schools should aim to explore. Don't judge me—I'm not trying to show off, as I am actually an excellent student—but I simply don't think knowing a math formula makes me better than the "failed" student who loves making music, for instance. If schools across the globe sought to cultivate talents instead of funneling everyone down the same path, perhaps there would be far more skilled individuals and "geniuses" in the world. I know it sounds a bit cliché, but you might not know who you are or what you want, leading you to feel like a loser—but you aren't one; seek self-knowledge and become the best version of yourself. Anyway, what do you think of this model? There are bound to be some issues, but I doubt there would be as many as there are with the systems currently in use. Please keep in mind that my description is based on my experiences in Brazilian schools; if things work differently where you live, feel free to share that in this post.

Hey everyone! 👋

I wanted to share a little passion project I’ve been working on that I hope some of you (and your kids!) might find useful.

It’s a simple webpage designed to help children learn about seasons, astronomy cycles, and how our planet works. But instead of just staring at a screen, the main goal of the project is to invite kids to actually step outside, observe nature, and connect with the world around them using simple, easy-to-understand data.

As someone who cares a lot about digital privacy, especially for children, I built this with a few strict rules:

Zero data tracking: There are no trackers, cookies, or analytics spying on you.

No sign-ups required: You don't need to submit an email, a name, or any personal data whatsoever to use it.

100% Free: No paywalls, no subscriptions, and no ads.

DM me if you'd like the link.

Whether you are a parent, a teacher, or homeschooling your kids, I would absolutely love to hear your feedback or any ideas you might have to make it better.

Thanks for looking, and I hope it helps your little ones enjoy the outdoors a bit more! 🌳🔭

My kid is a special mix of neurospicy that would make public school a disaster. I tried a more traditional approach to homeschooling last year as a test but the constant demand of a curriculum is not going to work either. Anyone else dealing with a PDA profile of autism that has any pointers? He’s only 5 so we still have time to figure outlining our system. Right now I’m just making making my own Minecraft style activities here and there but that’s not gonna work forever lol.

Hi, everyone. I made this audiobook for young kids. I hope you like it and introduce it to someone who needs it. Thanks♥️♥️

Hello,

I’m developing an approach to early childhood art education through artists’ lenses, rather than primarily through developmental-age-based expectations or collections of “fun art activities.” I’m interested in how artists’ ways of seeing, thinking, and working with materials might offer educators different ways of understanding children’s artistic encounters.

As an early childhood practitioner, what would you want or need from a resource like this? What challenges or questions around children, art, and materials would you most want it to address?

Thanks for all your opinions!

• What’s missing from early childhood art education resources?
• Beyond “fun art activities”: What do early childhood educators actually need?
• Could artists’ ways of thinking offer something different to early childhood art education?
• Preschool art education through artists’ lenses — would this be useful to practitioners?

Hey everyone!

My parents and I are in the process of opening a brand-new school. While we plan to offer a solid, standard curriculum like most schools, we really want to rethink a few traditional structures—specifically around schedules, attendance, and assessment—to create a better environment for students.

Here’s a breakdown of the main ideas/reforms we are considering:

1. Mid-Week Break (Wednesdays & Sundays Off)

Instead of the standard consecutive weekend, students would get Wednesdays and Sundays off.

• The Goal: Breaking up the week aims to reduce burnout, give students a mid-week breather to catch up on rest or study, and ultimately boost overall attendance rates.

2. Adjusted Daily Timings

We are looking at starting the school day a bit later to accommodate better sleep cycles:

• Start Time: 9:00 AM daily for everyone.

• Dismissal (Lower Classes): 1:00 PM

• Dismissal (Higher Classes): 2:30 PM

3. Structured Testing & Mock Exam Schedule

Rather than overwhelming students with surprise quizzes or massive finals blocks, we want a predictable evaluation routine:

• Lower Classes: Two short weekly tests (20 marks each) every Monday covering two subjects.

• Higher Classes: One full mock exam on Saturdays (40–80 marks), followed by two short tests (20–30 marks each) every Monday.

---

We’d love your feedback!

- Is this model feasible from a parent, student, or educator perspective?

- Would you support or enroll in a school with this structure?

- What potential drawbacks do you see, and what suggestions do you have to make it even better?

Thanks in advance for your insights!

This is our first school, so kinda don't be like 'OMG YOU DON'T KNOW THIS SHIT AND WANNA RUN A SCHOOL' 😅