Unschooling is a relatively uncommon form of homeschooling. They are definitely not synonyms. Unschooling can be defined differently by different people, but it

Unschooling is a relatively uncommon form of homeschooling. They are definitely not synonyms. Unschooling can be defined differently by different people, but it tends to emphasize the Romantic philosophical notion of people being naturally hungry to learn what they need to learn when they need to learn it. Most homeschoolers consider unschooling no better than letting a child choose what to eat for dinner. Candy instead of veggies? Sure, if that's what you want, your body knows best! Most homeschoolers (parents) are far more deliberate in their choice of curriculum and the need for children to get used to spending some of their time doing what they need to do, not just always doing what they feel like doing. It's just that, if done right, the "doing what you have to do" time is actually useful work, not just "draw a picture of each science word and be creative!" tedious, time-wasting busywork. And with this increased efficiency (if it works), kids can end up with more time to do what they feel like than kids in regular school. That doesn't make it "unschooling", though, because that's the dessert, not the whole meal.