Customer Reviews

The Unschooling Unmanual

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I started unschooling my son this year and have faced more well meaning people who think I'm ruining my son's education than I could have ever expected. Public school teachers, grandparents, childless friends, etc. all seem to think that the only effective way for a child to learn is to sit still for hours at a time and be force fed information. That might work for some people, but others find more to learn from being free to ask questions, make mistakes and explore the world around them on their own time.

This book is a welcome reassurance that we're on the right track in following our instincts, learning at our own pace and stretching our imaginations to reach beyond the limits of a public school education. Unschooling may not be for everyone (my other child is still in public school and happy with it for now), but for those of us who just need an emotional boost now and then, reading a short essay or two from this collection will do wonders.

Not exactly a manual or even a guide book (because unschooling isn't about rules), this little tome is a pick-me-up and a love letter to families who seek to learn from the world around them, not just a text book.

This book will make parents that have been unschooling long or parents that are new to the concept to feel confident in what they are doing.
Its great for spouses that may not be totally on board, or grandparents that have lots of questions.
Its the kind of book to re-read when you need a confidence boost of have any doubts creeping up.
Its a must for new unschoolers and a great read for "old" unschoolers.

My wife offered me the "Unschooling Unmanual" to check out a few months ago. At first I thought, "Oh no, not another book that will take me forever to get through." Once I opened it and started reading it though, I was so suprised that it was such an easy read. I loved how it has different essays so you can read one each day if you want. I learned so much from this book in such a short amount of time.
If you are unsure about Unschooling and parenting without punishments you have to read this book. It helped me so much as a father to understanding Unschooling from so many different perspectives.
I never thought I would be the type of person to recommend a parenting book to someone, but this book is the one I tell all of my Dad-buddies about. It really helped me "Get it" on a deeper level.

Joe Martin
[...]

This book is just fantastic. It is a collection of articles and ideas and insights. It is wonderful to read and just reminds you that what you are doing is truely the best. I just love the ideas and the power behind this book. I would even recommend it to people who have not a clue about unschooling. Easy - fast read and a must.......

The book is a treasure for those that are seeking a path to learning that is from the heart. Many of us have had our internal voice let us know that the path most traveled does not feel right when it comes to our children's education but we often don't know what to do. I know I studied many different educational methods before I found unschooling. When I did, I not only felt at home, but at peace. In these essays, you will hear from many parents who explain what unschooling means to them. You will learn that trusting your child and providing loving support are some of the most important components to creating a natural love of learning. My daughter is 6 1/2 and I continue to be amazed with her ability to connect with people of all ages. I believe by living we learn about life's greatest lessons. I've learned that I have much to learn from my children. It's an exciting adventure not only for your children, but your whole family. You will grow together and become closer as a family. Enjoy this book. It's a gem.

This book is a collection of writings from different authors -- parents and/or educational philosophers -- that each illuminate a different facet of the reality of an unschooling lifestyle. I have read the The Unschooling Handbook, which I found to be adequate but simultaneously disquieting (because some of the parents seemed to be so 'hands-off' as to be bordering on neglect), and Radical Unschooling, which clarified my own approach to unschooling by demonstrating what I was not comfortable doing (the 'radical' portion of Radical Unschooling involves allowing children to make all their own decisions... not just around what they want to learn, but also when they sleep, what they eat, how much and what television they watch, how much and which video games they play... and I think that ventures from 'unschooling' into 'unparenting'). I also read Homeschooling Our Children, Unschooling Ourselves, which I found to be very helpful as one family's journey into unschooling, however this book offers more and varied experiences.

Unschooling, at its best with involved, flexible, interested parents, allows children to grow and develop into their own unique, passionate, entire selves, and this book helps to see how that is possible.

I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I homeschool five children and have used a number of methods in our home to teach them with, and I find that unschooling and giving your children the freedom to explore and learn is wonderful. This book is very insightful, and short for those of us who don't have tons of time on our hands to read a lengthy book! It is great for people just starting to homeschool, or those, like me, who have been doing it for a while, and just are interested in new ideas!

The Unschooling Unmanual is a series of essays about unschooling. Unschooling is an educational philosophy whereby children learn from there natural life experiences. Unlike conventional schooling, unschoolers do not believe that 'life' and 'learning' are separate entities - rather, we learn through living, and live to learn. All parents unschool in the first two years of life. We do not expect children to attend institutions in order to learn how to walk and talk, for example. Unschoolers simply extend that philosophy to other aspects of learning.

The Unschooling Unmanual is extremely easy to read and is not too lengthy for the non-reader. It is a great book for unschoolers to read. Keep it on the table for those moments of self-doubt, or for reassurance after yet another argument with the mother-in-law. It is also good for those people who are just beginning to explore their options, or those who are simply curious about whether this unschooling lark really works.

I read The Unschooling Unmanual in one night. I just couldn't stop reading it. I really enjoyed the different perspectives and learning the philosophy behind unschooling. My daugther is only three, but we are already concerned about sending her to school for a number of reasons - one of them which was outlined in The Unschooling Unmanual quite aptly, I think, by Daniel Quinn's critique of our current educational system.

One thing that I like about the unschooling philosophy is that I can start today by taking every opportunity to teach, as my daughter's interests evolve. I also appreciate the encouragement to believe in myself as far as what I think is best for my daughter, and to trust her to be an equal partner in her own education.

Unlike many books that are not published by big houses, the cover is beautiful, it's laid out beautifully, and it's very professionally done. I highly recommend it, particularly as an introduction to unschooling.

With many wonderful authors, this book brings together a lot of information about unschooling. It has inspired me to take on homeschooling my own children and I am an elementary school teacher!