The difference between homeschooling and unschooling is pretty significant, Priesnitz said.
Homeschooling involves a prepared curriculum, testing, marking, grading and everything else a structured school curriculum provides, Priesnitz said, adding that this style of learning has often been popular among conservative or Christian families. On the other hand, unschooling is much freer and much more child-centric.
Homeschooling brings the curriculum into the home environment whereas unschooling does away with it all together and places the onus to learn on the individual.
“Although there are no definitions or rules, unschooled children are motivated to learn by interest and need—in the same way they learned to walk and talk,” she said, adding that children are more motivated to learn once an externally imposed environment is taken away.
“Virtually all real learning happens as a result of want, need or interest,” she said.
“That sort of learning is different than memorizing some aspect of a “subject” that is on a course of study, because a teacher requires a report on a topic, or because the information needs to be regurgitated on an exam.”
Unschoolers learn these basics through doing, playing, experimentation, manipulation and questioning the world around them, she said, adding that the Internet, mentors and books play a part in their learning as well.
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