Unschooling for Young Children
With the whole debate surrounding homeschooling and unschooling, it can become confusing as to what actually IS best for kids. Advocates of homeschooling methods will tell you that there’s no way for kids in an unschooling environment to ever learn anything of value. They’ll tell you that all these kids do is play all day long or watch cartoons. Proponents of unschooling say that learning needs to be fun and children need to be a part of choosing what they want to learn or the lessons taught won’t be retained. There may actually be some truth to both sides.
Home-Schooling Vs Un-Schooling
Once you’ve set out on a discovery of sorts with a toddler, it can become one of the most wondrous events that you’ll ever experience. They seem to have tons of questions regarding nature. That gives you the opportunity to teach them bits of science. Use picture books and the actual outdoors to answer their questions of why the sky is blue and what a rainbow is made from. The one thing that is probably the truest out of everything is that young children that are taught at home just may benefit more from unschooling rather than a rigid homeschooling schedule. Ages that may do better with unschooling include the toddler ages where the children are truly starting to discover the world around them. You may be familiar with three-years-old that constantly ask questions. This is the perfect age to answer these questions with a “Let’s find out!”
Exciting nature lessons for young children
One of the most exciting nature lessons for young children is that of growing things. These can be plants, flowers, or vegetables. If you want them to fully understand the process of planting and caring for something that sprouts from the dirt, you can begin with seeds. Let the children be a part of each step from choosing the area where the seeds are planted to planting the seeds, watering them, and weeding them as time goes on. If they want to check their seeds daily, let them even if there’s no sign of growth yet.
You’ll never forget the expression on their faces the first day they see the little green sprout protruding up from the ground. That’s when they, too, get really excited and impatient to see the full-grown plant. If you’re growing vegetables, when they’ve grown and become ripe, you can allow the children to pick them. Then, head into the kitchen and let them help use those vegetables to prepare something to eat.
With very young children, learning is all about experiences. They enjoy what they can touch, see, taste, and smell. Unschooling gives you the opportunity to teach children in a way that they will love and remember.
So, while homeschooling may be a better idea for older children, unschooling is often the perfect way to lead them into it. When they’re unschooled at a young age, it conditions them to be excited by learning at an older age. Try it out and you’ll see.
BabyLavish.com- Kids Homeschooling Products