Unschooling Discussion Groups
If you’re curious about unschooling, to find out how it works, if it’s the right choice, will your kiddo really be accepted into college, will they be socialized, how do I teach Math? — all those millions of questions we have, reading books about it is great, but discussing it with real world unschoolers in the trenches is even better. You can listen in, ask things, discover how other parents handle this and that situation. You’ll hear ideas that never even occurred to you. That’s what I did. I read a pile of books. I ordered every homeschooling magazine under the sun. (There was no Google then, or podcasts, or YouTube, and only like two websites in existence.) The kids and I attended support group meetings. I got excited. My kids got even more excited. But when it came right down to it, I balked. How do I start? Where do I start? How do I do this with two kids, five years apart in age, who had completely different learning styles? Unschooling is easy, it just doesn’t sound easy. It’s foreign to us. We weren’t taught that way.
In that light, I’ve compiled a list of Colorado, nationwide and international discussion groups that will help you. They discuss the unschooling philosophy, share questions and answers and doubts, celebrate successes and inspirations … and most importantly, provide support and sanity (we could all use a little more of that).
Don’t forget to check out local Colorado support groups to connect in person, for field trips, activities for the kids, Moms’ get-togethers, Dads’ concerns (AKA “is my wife crazy?”).
African American Unschoolers
For African-American Moms (and Dads!) who use the whole world as their child(ren)’s classroom. Unschoolers encounter math, science, reading, writing, art and history in the Real World because real living leads to real learning!
Colorado Community of Unschooling
CCOU is here to share ideas to support our kids’ interests; to plan get-togethers, to enhance understanding of unschooling and share.
Living Joyfully
Listen to the myriad of Exploring Unschooling Podcast sessions, join the Worldwide Network, sign up for their Newsletters, and oh boy, so much more. A plethora of info on unschooling when you, or your child, or both, are neurodivergant.
“To trust children we must first learn to trust ourselves … and most of us were taught as children that we could not be trusted.”
— John Holt, “grandfather” of the unschooling movement, bestselling author of 10 books on natural learning
Radical Unschooling Info
This is a discussion and support group for Radical Unschoolers and those learning about this life. Includes current posts and 10 years of archives. Here’s the original website, which has lots of good reading on it too.
Relaxed Unschoolers
This group was made for those homeschool families that do not fit into any of the normal homeschool styles. You are not really structured nor are you unschoolers. Maybe you are only structured with certain subjects.
Unschooling
A place for people who are unschooling or who are genuinely interested in moving in the direction of unschooling. It’s a place to talk about unschooling and living respectfully with children.
The Unschooling List (UL)
The “UL” was founded in 1995 by Diane Solbach and myself, Cindy Englan Wentz (formerly Cindy Stanley), two rookie unschooling mothers. It was the very first online “mailing list” (as private discussion groups were called then) for unschoolers all over the world. An old friend named Kathy, runs it now. NOTE: This is not a ‘radical unschooling’ list. We believe unschooling is based on the child’s choices and the family’s comfort level and circumstances. That might mean some structure or no structure, textbooks or no textbooks, workbooks or no workbooks.
Wild + Free
We make the world our classroom and follow our curiosities wherever they lead. We make time for our children to wander and wonder, and we believe that boredom is the best fuel for creativity. We are Wild + Free.
And you are welcome here.
Does Unschooling Actually Work?
Common Objections to Homeschooling
Grown Unschooler Kate Fridkis
Unschooling or Homeschooling?
Joyfully Rejoicing