Unschooling & Learning Academics

Unschooling 5-12 Year Olds

You usually won't see children referred to as "school aged" or "3rd Grader" within Unschooling circles.


Unschoolers don't separate life into grade levels.


But when you're new to all of this, it's not unusual to START the journey from this position. So I want to help you find what you need!


As the school bus rolls away, and your kids are snuggled in with you, thoughts may drift to...

ok, now what?

Quickly followed by...

what do they need to learn?

First, here's some information about creating an Unschooling Curriculum!  You can read the transcript (if you'd prefer) and see the resources I've collected for this here.

Secondly, I know you want to know about Academics. What about learning to read, learning math, learning to write?

Unschooled children learn academics. They just learn them in somewhat unconventional ways.


Basic subjects weave throughout our lives every day. This is usually the first way that unschoolers learn the things they need to know. Because if they're not part of our daily lives, what's really the point?


Another way that unschoolers naturally pick up subjects is when they're playing or interested in something - and they need additional skills to progress! No better reason to learn something than actually needing it in their lives! And because the topic is in context and relevant to their world, it will also have a far greater likelihood of being retained.


Unschooling Mom2Mom has an enormous collection of resources when it comes to what parents worry most about:

"How will unschooled kids learn Reading, Writing, and Math?"

Be sure to bookmark the page, because there are a lot of articles and videos for you to read/watch!


Reading

Whether your child is young and just beginning on their pre-reading journey, or they're older and struggling with reading, we have resources for you here!


By Sue Patterson 23 Oct, 2021
Does your child spell a lot of words incorrectly? Are you thinking you may not be able to continue unschooling? How DO unschoolers learn to spell?
Show More

Math

We worry SO much about math! Whether it's our own perceived lack, or our worry about our kids lack of interest, read more about how unschooled kids learn math!


By Sue Patterson 23 Jan, 2024
Social media is in a flurry about the Pythagorean Theorem... why we learn it, how we learn it, what's the point? So I decided to ask my Robot Friend how DO we use the Pythagorean Theorem in real life. I think you'll be surprised!
Show More

Writing

The 3rd of the "3R's!" Not to worry though! We have plenty of resources for you to understand more about how kids learn to write.


By Sue Patterson 11 Nov, 2023
Let's look at an unschooling approach to creating Gratitude Journals - whether our kids like to write or not!
Share by: