While unschooling is considered to be a type of homeschooling, there are a few things that can help differentiate the two to help you determine which one will work best for your family.
Curriculum
Most people who choose to homeschool may use a specific curriculum to guide them in which subjects to teach.
Those who unschool, however, typically don’t use curriculum and believe in allowing the child to lead the way in what they want to learn.
The idea behind unschooling is that kids want to learn and do so by nature without being told when and how to take their lessons.
Of course, every family is different and thankfully there isn’t a “one size fits all” when it comes to homeschooling.
Diploma/college
Most people choose to homeschool, as opposed to unschool, because they believe it’s the only way their child(ren) can receive their diploma.
This is actually a common myth when it comes to unschooling, because it’s the same requirements either way, depending on your state’s regulations (which you can find here.)
One of the most frequently asked questions for new homeschool and unschool parents is about the difference for their kids getting into college.
Can homeschoolers further their education? What about unschooled children?
The simple answer to both is a resounding yes; they can get a diploma and go to college, if they choose.
Parents who were raised in traditional schools think it’s all about grades and extracurriculars.
While it’s true that colleges look at these things, they base most of their decision on:
entrance exams, letters of recommendation, test scores (SAT and ACT) and extracurricular pursuits.
Fortunately, those extracurriculars can include far more than school sports and debate teams.
Activities like community service, part-time jobs, travel, and volunteer work also count.
Structure
Most people who opt to homeschool, usually try to stick to a schedule, similar to a traditional school schedule.
With unschooling, schedule isn’t always necessary. Instead, the child searches out what piques their interest that day.
There is no “doing schoolwork” because essentially they are learning all the time.
The idea of leaving it up to your child to want to learn, to choose to educate themselves can be uncomfortable because, as parents, we want to prepare them for life as best we can.
Unschooling is founded on the fact that children absorb more when they are passionate about what they learn and when they learn it.
This also offers many more opportunities for kids who struggle in traditional class settings!
Unschooling heavily deviates from educational paradigms we grew up used to.
It builds off the joy of play and the ways children naturally question the world around them, without confining their impulses towards predetermined paths.
Unschooling is simply form of homeschooling.
Overall, unschooling is simply just a more laid back and easy going approach to homeschooling.
Children pursue life, and in
doing so, pursue knowledge.
Some of my favorite homeschooling resources:
http://hslda.org
Outschool: The Great Unschooling Adventure
https://www.time4learning.com/homeschooling-styles/unschooling.html
https://www.naturalchild.org/articles/guest/earl_stevens.html
