Welcome to The Educating Parent Beverley Paine's archive of articles about homeschooling and unschooling written over a period of 30 plus years

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What I am reading - Winter 2012

From my archives - a list of what I was reading over winter in 2012. All links still work. 

We educate our children naturally from the time they are born. Homeschooling doesn't have to be hard or difficult or onerous... Another encouraging article: Home is Already a Homeschooling Supply Warehouse , by Linda Dobson.

Kids have no voice is a documentary about the state of schooling in the USA. I don't need convincing about home education, and documentaries like this only make me sad.

"All education is self-education.  Period.  It doesn't matter if you're sitting in a college classroom or a coffee shop.  We don't learn anything we don't want to learn." 12 Dozen Places to Educate Yourself for Free.

Linda Dobson is currently publishing a collection of these stories by parents of grown home educated children (USA). Maybe one day we'll get a collection of similar stories from Aussie parents!
http://www.parentatthehelm.com/9460/what-i-learned-as-a-homeschooling-parent/.

The rise of informal channels of education are examined in Are We All Deschoolers Now? "Illich advocated for the dismantling of educational institutions and, in their stead, the establishment of informal alternatives, like lending libraries for prohibitively expensive equipment and an educational match-making clearinghouse." 

In an article examining the role of schedules in our homeschooling lives, Linda Dobson argues for time for 'nothingness' in our children's lives: http://www.parentatthehelm.com/9130/homeschooling-children-need-activity-and-nothingness-for-their-own-sake/.

Another one from Linda which I agree with, although my approach tends towards treading softly and convincing people that everything in the school curriculum is already embedded in a busy, constructive and productive life: schools simply fragment it and dish it up in indigestible chunks. It's Time, Ditch Curriculum.

I love this: "unschooling is not unparenting". Wendy nails the life learning lifestyle! The Art of Inspiration , the role of parents in unschooling.

Interview with Dale Stephens , home ed grad and co-founder of the UnCollege) a macro-level social movement challenging the notion that going to college is the only path to success) in USA.

One of my favourite websites Natural Child receives a makeover! There are a ton of family and child friendly articles on this website. 

And another great parenting magazine, The Nurture Parenting Magazine , never fails to provide reassuring and inspiring articles, and it now has a Facebook support group that includes regular 'live' chats with parenting and home educating experts . 

On my list of books to buy soon! "Putting an end to coercive education and family life would be a big step toward creating a society that chooses action over consumption, that favours communication over weapons development, and that encourages conservation over production. And, for me, that is one of the goals of a well-educated society. I look forward to the day when school (at least in its compulsory form as we know it) doesn't exist; meanwhile, I offer you these thoughts as encouragement for living as if it doesn't exist." from the foreword to Beyond School: Living As If School Doesn't Exist

Freedom to Learn-the Challenges of Unschooling , part 3 of a report from a survey of 232 "unschooling" families who have children older than 5 years.  

Wendy Priesnitz writes on the benefits of boredom . If you are interested in exploring this topic further, also see my tips for beating the homeschooling boredom blues .

Food for thought... Open Schooling is the Open Source Way.

The Unteachables: A generation that cannot learn is another opinion piece exploring the dangers of giving good grades with the aim of protecting fragile self-esteems. It also highlights a growing problem within the education system that also results from a 'teach the test' approach to education. Education is more than jumping through curriculum hoops to 'pass'.

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Beverley Paine with her children, and their home educated children, relaxing at home.

Together with the support of my family, my aim is to help parents educate their children in stress-free, nurturing environments. In addition to building and maintaing this website, I continue to create and manage local and national home educating networks, help to organise conferences and camps, as well as write for, edit and produce newsletters, resource directories and magazines. I am an active supporter of national, state, regional and local home education groups.

"You've been an inspiration to me, I love the way
you really listen to people."
Vanessa

"Whenever I read your writing I always come away
with increased confidence in my ability to provide and
share a wonderful learning journey with my family!"
Davina

"Your guidance, understanding, support and words of
wisdom changed our lives. We now offer support and
organise many homeschooling events for others."
Lesley

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I am convinced that your books are going to add
quality and peace of mind to my journey of teaching my kids
at home! Just from studying your website, until almost
2am in the morning, I 've been encouraged!"
Louisa

"Thank you for all your many,many reassuring words
over many, many years. You probably don't know exactly how valuable you are to the Australian Home Education community. I've been reading your stuff for maybe 8 years or more now. And I'm very grateful."
Gythaa


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Welcome to the World of Home Education
and Learning without School!

We began educating our children in 1985, when our eldest was five. In truth, we had helped them learn what they need to learn since they were born. I am a passionate advocate of allowing children to learn unhindered by unnecessary stress and competition, meeting developmental needs in ways that suit their individual learning styles and preferences. Ours was a homeschooling, unschooling and natural learning family! There are hundreds of articles on this site to help you build confidence as a home educating family. We hope that your home educating adventure is as satisfying as ours was! Beverley Paine

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Let experienced home educators Beverley, Tamara and April walk you through HOW to create a learning plan that builds on solid foundations that works for YOUR family AND ticks all the boxes for home educaton registration!

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The information on this website is of a general nature only and is not intended as personal or professional advice. This site merges and incorporates 'Homeschool Australia' and 'Unschool Australia'.

The Educating Parent acknowledges the Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Owners, the Custodians of Australia, and pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people viewing this website.

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