If you’re a homeschooling parent, then you’ve probably heard of unschooling. But what is it exactly? Unschooling is an alternative to traditional homeschooling that puts the emphasis on learning through life experiences rather than structured lessons or textbooks. It sounds great in theory, but is it really worth considering for your teen? Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of unschooling your teen.
The Pros of Unschooling Your Teen
The biggest benefit of unschooling is that your teen will be able to pursue their interests and passions. Rather than forcing them to stick to a rigid curriculum, they can explore whatever subject matters they find interesting. This will give them the freedom to develop their own skills and knowledge, as well as teach them important problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Additionally, since unschooler’s work at their own pace, they are less likely to become overwhelmed or burned out from schoolwork.
Another major benefit of unschooling is that it encourages self-directed learning. Since teens are allowed to take charge of their own education, they learn how to become independent learners who are capable of pursuing their interests without relying on someone else for direction or motivation. This can be incredibly beneficial for teens who want more autonomy in their education but don’t have access to traditional schooling options such as college courses or apprenticeships.
The Cons of Unschooling Your Teen
One downside of unschooling is that there isn’t always an easy way for teens to gauge how much progress they’ve made on any particular topic or project. Without clear goals and benchmarks, it can be difficult for teens to track their own progress and see how far they have come since starting the project or subject matter. The Modify™ App offers a solution to tracking progress and still keeping an unschool approach.
The choice to unschool ultimately comes down to which homeschooling approach best suits your teen’s needs and interests. If you think your teen would benefit from having more autonomy over their educational journey then unschooling could be an excellent option for them! We invite you to try the Modify™ App for free for 30 Days. The Modify™ App gives you and your teen access to tracking life experiences as educational learning.
