Ask around at your next homeschool conference to compare what people answer when this question pops up: "What does it mean to unschool?" Some will answer that unschooling is homeschooling without using a pre-packaged curriculum. Others will say it's simply the degree of freedom that the parents allow the child in his learning. Still others will say that unschooling defies definition because each child is unique and will go at learning in his own way, in his own time. So what's the big difference between homeschooling and unschooling? In homeschooling the parents make decisions on how to best educate the child, while in unschooling the child somehow makes those decisions for herself.
NHERI's mission is to produce high-quality research on home-based education, to serve as a clearinghouse of research, and to educate the public concerning the findings of all research on home education. If you are interested in statistics and research to inform your choice about education, this site offers resources and information. NHERI's forte is in the realm of research, statistics, data, facts, demographics, the academic world, consultation, academic achievement tests, and expert witness while serving people ranging from researchers, educators, teachers, policy makers, the media, home schoolers, parents in general, marketing consultants, and the general public.
Field trips make learning fun for you and your kids, and they give everyone a break from the routine of books, pencils and computers. Field trips are a wonderful way to instill the value of lifelong learning in your children, as you both experience and discover new places together. Sometimes getting out of the house for a day gives you a little inspiration, or a spark of curiosity, reaffirming just why you chose to homeschool in the first place. These ideas will help you make the most of your field trips.
Homeschoolers are a resourceful, fast-growing segment of the population. Their service, programming, material, and technology needs are similar to those of other patrons of the public library, but uniquely different in terms of intensity and focus. These differences present unique challenges for public libraries. This research presents the results of two surveys that examined the relationship between homeschoolers and the public library. The first survey asked public librarians about the impact of homeschoolers on public libraries in the Capital District of New York State. The second survey asked homeschoolers from the same region about their library use patterns as well as service needs. Homeschoolers were not placing undue service demands on public libraries, and, in fact, appear to be a service area awaiting development. This article is in the Journal of the Library Administration and Management Section of the New York Library Association. Scroll down to page five to find the start of the article.
This webpage was created at the request of parents, for the purpose of communication between, and with, families who are using Montessori philosophy, practice, materials, to homeschool their children.