TRACY GILLETT

To Help You Make a Decision About Your Child’s Education

MY FAVOURITERESOURCES

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Content © Tracy Gillett, 2018. All rights reserved

Tracy Gillett is not a health professional. If your family requires medical advice please consult your doctor or health practitioner.

BY TRACY GILLETT

To Help You Make a Decision About Your Child’s Education

MY FAVOURITERESOURCES

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I read about unschooling for the first time when my son was about nine months old. But, even as a cosleeping, breastfeeding mother I remember thinking the idea

of opting out of school was taking things a little too far. It didn’t take long for my perspective to shift though as my curiosity was piqued and I started considering if school was necessary, whether it would serve my son well and if too much school, too soon could, in fact, be harmful.

Making a decision about our children’s education isn’t easy. It is one of our primary responsibilities as parents to ensure that they are prepared for a future in which they will be independent from us. We all want to give them the best start in our competitive world.

Yet, there are many options besides mainstream education; from Waldorf and Montessori, to traditional homeschooling and unschooling, forest schools and self-directed learning. Each family has the right to find the solution that works best for them, which may change over time; I have no doubt that the choices we make when our son is four will change when he is a teenager.

It is ok to evolve and bend to the changing needs of your child and make joint decisions - this is after all, their life and they have the right to choose how they spend their childhood. It isn’t easy straying from the crowd though and it is is difficult to imagine what childhood looks like without school, what parenting looks like without school.

Like all facets of natural parenting, the onus is on us as parents to empower ourselves with knowledge and find the path that is right for us. So, here are some of the resources that I have found helpful which may support you on your journey.

HI, I ’M TRACYNatura l Paren t ing Advoca t e + Founde r o f Rai s ed Good

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Happiness is Here Blog Sara is the mum behind Happiness is Here Blog which is one of my favourite resources into what life really looks like on a day to day basis without school. Sara lives in Australia with her husband and four young daughters, all of whom she is unschooling. She has a background in psychology and frequently writes about childism, respectful parenting and their relationship to unschooling.

The Mulberry Journal The Mulberry Journal is a wonderful website dedicated to publishing weekly articles that challenge us to imagine a life without school. They publish a digital magazine on homeschooling and have a library of free resources including homeschooling planners, nature study ideas and printables. Mulberry Journal also have a very active Instagram page here.

Racheous Rachel writes all about the natural progression from respectful parenting to unschooling. She writes with authenticity and passion that it is empowering just to read her words. She unschools her four children in Australia.

Lulastic Lucy Aitkenread is the fun-loving mum behind Lulastic. Originally from the UK, Lucy now lives with her family in a yurt in New Zealand where they live off the grid and unschool their two children. I love her humour and light hearted, yet practical and common sense approach to education. She also has a wonderful YouTube channel where she shares her day to day life without school.

MY FAVOURITE BLOGS

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The Decline of Play and the Rise in Children’s Mental DisordersDr. Peter Gray

If you’re considering natural education, it won’t be too long before you become familiar with Dr. Peter Gray’s work. He is passionate about questioning how it is that children are designed to learn, how our ancestral past as hunter gatherers influences the way we learn and is famous for comparing school to prison (his logic is unfortunately difficult to argue with). This articles is a great place to start to challenge and shift perspectives.

On The Wildness of Children, The Revolution Will Not Take Place in the ClassroomCarol Black

Boil the kettle, make a cup of tea and settle in for this incredible, perspective shifting essay by Carol Black. I read this every couple of months as it is so powerful in challenging us to reconsider what it is that children really need and what it is that school delivers. While you’re on her site, check out A Thousand Rivers, What The Modern World Has Forgotten About Children and Learning as well.

The Beginner's Guide To Unschooling Leo Babauta

I have Leo Babauta, of Zen Habits, to thank as one of the first people that introduced me to unschooling. This is a brilliant article that gives insights into what unschooling is and isn't, why families choose to unschool and a few pointers on how to do it. He also lists a wealth of resources at the end of the article for more unschooling inspiration. Leo is a minimalist dad living in San Fransisco unschooling four of his kids.

MY FAVOURITE ARTICLES

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Free to Learn This is the first book I read on alternatives to traditional schooling. Developmental psychologist, Dr. Peter Gray explains how children are designed to learn, why free play is crucial, not optional and how school is failing our kids in many ways. This is the first book I’d start with when considering your child’s education.

How Children Fail John Holt is often referred to as the father of unschooling. How Children Fail and its companion How Children Learn are legendary and beyond thought-provoking. They examine how children investigate the world and why there are issues with classroom learning.

Free Range LearningThis is such an eye-opening, reassuring and inspiring book if you are on the fence about whether homeschooling may be for you and your family. It presents data about the importance of natural learning from neurologists, child development specialists, anthropologists, educators, historians and business innovators. It is also balanced by real life stories from homeschooling families globally. A great place to start!

There Is No Such Thing As Bad Weather I just finished reading Linda Akerson McGurk's wonderful new book, There Is No Such Thing As Bad Weather. This isn't a book about unschooling or homeschooling but it challenges our perspectives on the westernized version of a "normal childhood". Linda shows us that there is another way to approach childhood and that getting outside, free play and delaying formal education are vital ingredients in raising our kids.

MY FAVOURITE BOOKS

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The Decline of Free Play and the Rise of Mental DisordersDr. Peter Gray

A must watch for all parents whether or not homeschooling or unschooling is on your horizon. Dr. Peter Gray lays out exactly why children need their childhoods - why the need FREE play and how preserving it can help protect against anxiety and depression. I watch this a couple of times a year.

Do Schools Kill Creativity?Sir Ken Robinson

Get ready to laugh: Sir Ken Robinson is as funny as he is brilliant. An absolute must watch, so many aha moments in this incredible Ted Talk, because our kids are going to need their creativity for an unknown future.

Bring On The Learning Revolution Sir Ken Robinson

Another must watch from Sir Ken Robinson is his follow up TED talk to Do Schools Kill Creativity? In this presentation, he makes the case for a radical shift from standardized schools to personalized learning - creating conditions where kids' natural talents can flourish.

Changing Education Paradigms Sir Ken Robinson

In this incredible talk, Sir Ken Robinson eloquently lays out the link between three troubling trends: rising drop-out rates, schools' dwindling stake in the arts and the apparent rise of ADHD. He explains why schools operate the way they do and why the industrial model is so outdated and irrelevant to today's world.

MY FAVOURITE TED TALKS

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