How do you practically deschool your homeschool?
This is no easy feat. Why?
Because we have education synonymously aligned with the conventional education most of us experienced.
There are all sorts of ways we need to deschool our homeschool mindset.
If you want to know how a homeschool parent can practically enable an education for their homeschool child, we’ll chat about that today.
How to practically deschool your homeschool mindset?
Here’s a simple, but very practical approach to deschooling is to focus on your child’s interests.
Any interest.
But something they actually want to do.
ps Grab your Deschool your homeschool checklist, so you can begin to observe your child’s interests, and we’ll use your answers at the Deschool your Homeschool Class.
Like Ama did when she noticed her child was interested in felting…
Ama said, “My child told me she was interested in felting and she showed me a kit she wanted (she’s 10). I had never heard of felting. I researched what it was, then ordered her a beginner’s felting kit. I helped her find YouTube videos on felting and other fabric arts. I bought her felting supplies. I put her in a felting group to make friends and do felting (and share ideas on how to do it). I take photos of her creations and encourage her to keep learning them. During the felting class (online), I heard her talking about geography, birds, and sharing ideas with kids all over the world. I also bought her some books on felting and researched other things on domestic arts, and fiber arts, and helped her find artists working in this area. I facilitated her interests in the way that adults can do, and I encourage her to keep up with her own interest and celebrate what she creates. Another child was asking her for a felted ferret and she was thinking she could make them and sell them (she made one for her friend as a gift). But she was thinking of a business. I’ve tried felting now too; it’s actually pretty fun. So my child’s interests enriched me.”
Ama did this for her kiddo:
- Ama’s mom researched the activity,
- Accessed resources,
- Researched online resources,
- Found her a group to participate in the activity
- Found her some books on the activity
- Celebrate her efforts with photos
- Encouraged her
- Researched tangential interests
- Enabled her entrepreneurial pursuits
What interest does your child have that you can help facilitate?
Does any of the above look like a traditional school subject?
But was Ama’s daughter learning despite her untraditional approach?
Deschooling is trying to lose the school approach to learning.
Deschooling is letting loose the notion of a relationship that assumes an education must include…
- lectures
- textbooks
- grades
- tests
- hallway expectations
- bathroom permission slips
- chalkboards
- whiteboards
- and everything else you think of in a schooled environment
You could take 1 week to 1 month and DON’T DO ANYTHING.
Just watch and observe.
- Watch and observe your child.
- Watch and observe their interests.
- Watch and observe how they learn.
- Watch and observe how they spend their time.
- Watch and observe how they engage their siblings and friends.
- Assess your relationship with your child.
- How does your child engage in solitude, quiet, and moments of boredom?
There is no prescription for how to do this: just pay attention to your child and determine what you could do to step back and allow her/him to just be.
ps If you’re worried about what other people think, learn not to care.
Then, translate their natural activities into learning opportunities.
What is your child doing when you’re not prescribing their time?
Could that activity fit into a school subject like:
- writing
- math
- science
- history
- geography
- logic
- fine arts or crafts
- theatre
- speech
Notice that though these might not be conventional school subjects, your child is indeed learning.
Here are a few examples:
- My child likes to play dress-up and pretends to be a Knight: theatre, history.
- My child likes to play with Lego and build his own creation: logic, and engineering.
- My child likes to research and plan his tropical aquarium: science.
- My child likes to create makeup YouTube videos: writing, technology.
- My child likes to read books: history, literacy.
- My child likes to create family newspapers for the extended family: writing, and art.
- My child likes to draw anime: write, and do art.
You can use these resources as ideas for your child-led homeschool:
- How to Facilitate Child-Led Learning in your Homeschool
- why you can’t NOT teach math in your homeschool
- how to do homeschool science in a child-directed way
- How to Engage Art History in your Homeschool in a Child-Directed Way
- Egyptian Part-ay: Homeschool History
- teaching vocabulary
- get rid of the spelling program and teach the kids to spell anyway
- How to Teach Writing in a Child-Directed Way
- How to Choose Homeschool Writing Activities for Any Kid
- 20 Ideas How To Do Kindergarten in Your Homeschool
- 15 ways to incorporate fun into your homeschool
- Have fun with your homeschool high schoolers teaching literary devices with pop culture
If you want practical advice to deschool your real homeschool, and not just read ideas from me or other homeschool mama veterans, join us for the Deschool your Homeschool Class!
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- How to Use the Practical Deschool your Homeschool Checklist
- Why do you want to deschool? Clarify before you begin.
- Teaching My Own: Can I Confidently Homeschool My Kids?
- 7 Freedom-Loving Ways John Taylor Gatto Informs your Homeschool
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- Do you do one-on-one homeschooling coaching? Why, yes I do!
