Radical Unschooling - A Revolution Has Begun (Paperback)

~ Dayna Martin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Full of brilliant common sense! Mrs. Martin takes us behind the curtain to see in rich detail what alternative education really looks like when it bestows upon its subjects the freedom to choose. Every parent who feels compelled to give their kids into the care of total strangers should read this book. --John Taylor Gatto, Author: Dumbing Us Down And Weapons of Mass Instruction

Product Description

Radical Unschooling is a progressive parenting philosophy, which includes children learning at home. It is different from homeschooling in that children are not forced to follow curriculum lessons and tests. Radical Unschooling philosophy focuses on trust of a child's innate ability to learn without coercion and invites children to explore their passions. The parent's role is to facilitate their interests and curiosity.

Radical Unschooling - the book - focuses also on the evolutionary aspect of parenting and human consciousness. We are parenting and educating our children today to succeed in a joyful, productive life by following their passions, not someone else's agenda.

The main presentations are
- School is only one of many choices for our children in our technologically advanced world.
- Forced learning isn't effective and causes more damage than formerly thought.
- Respecting a child's choice and autonomy is an evolution of understanding and birth right of every human.
- Learning and life are not separate. Learning is pleasurable if it is not forced on us.
- Separating life into subjects isn't necessary or natural.
- Humans learn from all that they do and experience in life, not just what our culture deems ''educational.''
- The main focus of parenting today is obedience and meeting the needs of the parent. This has to change if we want our children to live in a peaceful world.

Moreover, Radical Unschooling is just radical enough to herald a wake up call to our culture because of the truth the philosophy speaks.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 124 pages
• Publisher: Tasora Books; 1st edition (June 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934690120
• ISBN-13: 978-1934690123
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #337,625 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Poorly Written, Unclear Audience, Never Gets Beyond Cheerleading, October 14, 2009

By	J. Carranza (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

First of all, I am in agreement with radical unschooling philosophies for parenting and education. I appreciate what Dayna Martin is trying to do. But I desperately wish she was more effective. I cannot figure out who her audience is. She presents herself as an unschooling evangelist, but she doesn't explain things nearly enough for people new to the concept. Nor does she explore nuance in enough depth for people already familiar with the philosophies.

The book is poorly written, and neither anecdotal nor research-based. It is a long stream of "Radical Unschooling is great! You should do it!" I get that she's an inspirational speaker, but I want some substance behind my inspiration. At one point she says "Ninety percent of the kids in the world today are saying, I am not securely attached. I need something. I need something." And that's the end of the chapter. She doesn't back up the statistic or even explain how she might hypothesize such a thing. She may be right, but a thoughtful reader wants more than invented statistics.

I hate to give a terrible review to someone doing so much to advocate radical unschooling. But this is a really terrible book. People seeking information on the topic should consult the countless blogs that offer a great deal more insight and in-depth discussion than this book does. And people already enmeshed in the cause should give their money to Martin's Unschooling United organization, instead of wasting it on this book.

Edited to Add: Within minutes of posting this review, the author's husband found me via Facebook and left me a vicious, harassing message.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book!, June 21, 2009

By	Danielle Souris - See all my reviews

Every parent should read this book, even if they are not "radical unschoolers". Dayna makes very straightforward and chilling points about treatment and respect of children that will really transform your world for the better. This book is easier to read than most books, because of its straightforwardness. I highly recommend this book to everyone who has children in their daily lives.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great balanced book on radical unschooling, June 21, 2009

By	Sara McGrath (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

Dayna Martin presents radical unschooling in a balanced, positive, and inspiring way that helps folks who are drawn to the lifestyle and approach to homeschooling, but may have doubts or misconceptions about the practical realities of living this way.