4 July 2011

unschool monday :: lessons

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We seem to have introduced some formal learning time into our week. It has happened completely organically and almost without noticing... First up, Big Owlet has asked for some worksheets which she keeps for Fridays when Huz works from home. She puts on a tie (not sure why, cos he never does), and sets up a desk on the dining table next to him and begins work. We help her with learning new concepts as she comes across them, but often they seem like lessons. On weekends, she has asked him to help her make a film, something he loves to do. She has asked me for art lessons. She wants me to teach her what I know, so we do that when we can...

Then yesterday, she went and grabbed two recorders and a book and asked me to "teach" her recorder. We've tried before, but she wasn't ready, she seemed to need a reason to learn. It was too hard. She wants me to teach her flute, but knows recorder is the best place to start and this time it seems easier. Her friend is learning flute and she'd like to learn too. So I'm teaching her to read music and find the notes and so far so good!

I love that she is deciding what she'd like to learn for herself and finding who she'd like to mentor her. I also love that it often happens to be me ;) I don't often take a teaching approach. Usually things just crop up and we deal with them, but she seems to be needing more of a concentrated effort on my behalf to guide her through a few things. Or perhaps she just likes one on one time with me... Either way, she is learning all sorts of things and it's fun for her. The beauty of it is that if it stops being fun, we'll just move onto something else.



4 comments:

  1. It makes all the difference if they learn something when they want to, doesn't it? Ina learns piano - her own choice - and she enjoys the process of getting better and building on what she knows so much that I never need to remind her practice. If she hasn't played for a while I might just leave the lid of the piano open and maybe open her book to the relevant page. She's intrinsically motivated and to be honest, I don't think learning is really possible without that.

    Owlet has given me so much over the last couple of years... We're struggling in the system at the moment, and I'm grateful that, thanks to you, I know that unschooling is a real possibility. Husband not quite ready to jump in just yet though - I need to get him reading this blog!

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  2. been trying link up for weeks. I got it together this week. thanks for hosting. enjoy x

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  3. Thanks for hosting Unschool Monday. My unschooled daughter wants to try school for 3rd grade, and I am accepting that as another avenue to learning that is open to her (and should she decide she likes unschooling better, I'm more than open to her dropping back out :)

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