Appendix 3 - Key features: school at home
This is not supposed to be a checklist of things to look for, more a list to give a flavour of what just one method of home education might look like:
- May have a classroom/schoolroom at home
- Possibly follows a curriculum or teaches subjects
- May have a timetable or specific learning/teaching times
- Differentiates between learning and living
- Often structured, focusing on things a child 'needs' to learn
Key features: radical un-schooling
This is not supposed to be a checklist of things to look for, more a list to give a flavour of what just one method of home education might look like:
- Does not differentiate between living and learning
- Parents partner their children, supporting them in their interests, researching resources, activities, people that may help them find out more
- Learning what food makes them feel good is as important as learning to read (just one example)
- Trusts (and works hard to facilitate when appropriate) that children will learn the skills they need as and when they need to
- Focuses on the child's interests. Radical un-schoolers feel they know their children very well, what they enjoy, how they learn, what motivates them etc. This makes it possible for them to 'strew' information, resources, activities that may help the child deepen or broaden their understanding/knowledge
- Rarely has a classroom/schoolroom at home
- Can look like 'holidays' all the time - lots of outdoor time, unlimited access to computers, games, books, toys
- Only follows curriculum at child's request
- Children may stay up late, wake up late, wear 'interesting' outfits and eat at unconventional times
