We have talked about unschooling, but let’s take a step back and talk about deschooling. Deschooling is an important part of the transition into homeschooling and unschooling, so it is vital to understand the process and its purpose.
What is Deschooling?
Deschooling is the period of time when both you and your child transition from public or private school into homeschool. This period of time can vary for different children, but typically, the longer your child has been in school, the longer it will take for them to adjust.
This adjustment period includes getting out of the mindset of traditional school and its rules. You can create your own schedule, your own curriculum, and your own activities. Together, you and your child can decide how rigid or relaxed you want your day to look like.
Why is Deschooling Important?
The transition from traditional school to homeschool can be a confusing one as you and your child are given a newfound freedom. It is also important to remember that this is a time of change for not only your child but you as a parent as a well.
Take this period of time to reflect on what your child needs and craft a well-thought plan for homeschooling. Rushing into homeschooling can lead you to start mimicking traditional schooling, which defeats the purpose of starting homeschooling.
What Are Some Adjustments We Will Have To Make?
Deschooling means breaking the rules of traditional schooling. Sometimes school rules are so engraved within us that we don’t realize that we don’t have to follow the same rules at home! Some rules include following the “school” schedule with morning and afternoon classes year-round, and vacations in summer. Remember, learning can happen at any time of the day and at any time of the year!
This goes hand-in-hand with learning pace. One of the perks of homeschooling is that you can allow your child to learn at their pace and follow their own interests, so you don’t have to focus on if your child is staying “on grade level” as much as whether they are enjoying their learning.
You can create your own “curriculum” based on topics your child is interested and the skills you find important for the development of your child. School shouldn't be restricted to text books and a desk – instead, you can explore outside or take your own “field trips” to the museum, beach or library!
Deschooling: The Transition Into Homeschooling
There are many ways to assess your child’s learning other than testing. Standardized testing is just that – it is a standard used to assess a variety of children, but at home, you only have to worry about your own. You can ask your child to explain a problem to you or demonstrate a skill in action to monitor your child’s progress.
One of the exciting aspects of homeschooling is that you can incorporate different and unique activities into your daily learning. When brainstorming activity ideas during deschooling, you might want to check out interactive learning products, which make STEM education easy, engaging, and entertaining!
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