by Kent Eaton

So many discussions regarding categories. styles, methods and techniques of Home Education and curriculum vs no curriculum, etc. often miss the essential point of what learning is.

Note: "Styles" here will represent (styles, methods and techniques.) All "styles" of home education are simply stages of "Natural Learning", which is the only real learning that ever takes place. If not specifically chosen by the learner, all else is primarily memorization. That is what takes place in schools, forced…memorization. Occasionally some limited learning may occur, but this takes place only when a particular child happens to end up in a class about a subject he or she is sincerely interested in, and desires to learn about, and is fortunate enough to have a teacher who sees, respects. and accommodates this child’s desire to learn. This is extremely rare in public schools. And if it were not extremely rare, there would be no reason to seek alternative learning environments. Learning is an aspect of living, which is inaugurated from within a child or adult when experiencing something of interest to them. This spontaneous interest manifests a Natural desire to learn from within the individual, to understand and know more about what has captured one’s interests. Once this occurrs, children will search, find and pursue whatever path they see, which will lead them to acquiring an understanding and knowledge about this particular interest, as well as any item of understanding which supports the understanding of that particular interest. This process is "Learning". "Natural Learning" refers to this process unobstructed. Yes, memory is involved, but only in its place as a part of an integrated process called learning, where the accumulation of understanding and knowledge is directly related to the nature, interests and desires of the individual, without which the process of learning does not exist. The alternatives: "Styles" of home education are like stages of consciousness leading toward, Natural Learning. What often happens is as follows:

* stage 1. Parents first consider Homeschooling after having realized something is terribly wrong with public school and what is happening to their children.

* stage 2.They decide to give Homeschooling a try, in spite of great self doubt about their own qualifications and ability to succeed, and usually thinking in terms of "school at home". So they go ahead and they set schedules get workbooks, etc, etc. It still seems like it’s going to be an awful lot of work for the parents, but they are willing to give it a good try.

* stage 3. After some time they see that it is not working out, and that the children are resisting. Because of the increased amount of time spent with their children, they also notice that the kids are learning things. Perhaps not what they, the parents, expected, but clearly learning, on their own without any form of manipulation.

* stage 4. The chains of schedules and curriculums get loosened up a bit, but sometimes a great fear arises if the parent does not believe the child is doing or learning anything, and then wonders if they have made the right "decision". It is mostly conflicting emotions between their own past conditioned beliefs confronting this new awareness within themselves and about themselves that causes such doubt, but most often, at this stage, they will pursue this newly chosen path.

* stage 5. ParentAwareness expands greatly, and the chains are cut. No more schedules or demanded curriculum. Parents are much more trusting of their children and the process, yet still may be a bit doubtful, still wondering if they really made the right decision. As I hinted previously, conflicting emotions force parents to confront their own fears in a big way. This is understandable, because this new path is a radical departure from the ways most of us and our parents and their parents were raised. So there is a lot of conditioning to let go of. If a parent has gotten this far, they are likely to stick with it, even if there are a few doubts popping up sometimes.

* stage 6. Awareness by the parents of their children, but particularly of themselves, has expanded to a point where trust is alive and they know (as differentiated from believe) that their children will learn what they need to, if and when they need to, and certainly will learn everything they "choose" to, just as effortlessly as they learned to walk and talk, on their own. No teachers, no schools, no manipulation, just the child’s own self determination and preferably an environment which supports the child’s choices is the foundation of the Natural learning process. It’s actually very simple At this stage what was once was a questionable decision is now a real choice. There is a big difference. Anyone sincerely interested in something, can learn it. No one, not even schools can stop them from finding a way to learn that subject. They won’t even care if there is structure or no structure, classes or no classes. they will learn it. All we adults have to do is take away all the obstacles to this natural process of learning and be ready to support and inspire the natural tendencies and curiosities of the learner. And I believe that is what we all desire for the children and ourselves. © Kent Eaton April 2003