I was both unschooled and unschooled my middle schooler through homeschooling. There's something very powerful about developing "undirected learning." Maria M

I was both unschooled and unschooled my middle schooler through homeschooling. There's something very powerful about developing "undirected learning." Maria Montessori's fundamental insight was the way to develop a child's ability to learn was by providing a rich learning environment - books and projects. Montessori toys are a great place to start. Youtube for Kids is actually a great resource in this regard - lots of easy projects where kids can experience various natural phenomenon. We are headed towards a project-based, self-directed world when it comes to work. Your instincts are dead on. I founded a company to help college students develop these skills and you can see some of that at: https://useed.net/spotlight https://useed.net/spotlight I'd encourage you to check out a few other resources: The Teenage Liberation Handbook (John Holt) Most Likely to Succeed (and anything by Tom Wagner) There is a fear that if our children are not lockstep chasing the next learning objective, they will fall behind. This is unfounded. Children who learn to take ownership over their learning experience rapidly surpass those who never do. My favorite practical teacher on this is A.J. Juliani: ajjuliani.com There are schools that provide this experience and co-op groups if you homeschool. Schools that emphasize self-directed, project-based learning are generally great choices. Waldorf is another model worth looking into. Today's Montessori schools are much more structured than they were at their founding. They are a good balance, but unschooling provides a unique opportunity for your kids: For them to see themselves as the agents of their own education. Once a student sees themselves as the driver of their learning, they have a distinct advantage in any educational environment. Feel free to connect with me directly about it if you'd like!