Joan Concilio joins me to share some of her family’s wonderful unschooling stories. We dive into her journey to unschooling, the learning that happened along the way, the profound changes it brought to their lives and the deep connections that it forged. She also talks about what it’s like to live in a highly regulated state and how unschooling can still fit right in. So many nuggets for people at any stage of their journey!
Questions for Joan
Can you share with us a bit about you and your family?
How did you discover unschooling and what did your family’s move to unschooling look like?
I’d love to talk about unschooling with kids who have learning differences. That can trip us up for a while, especially at the beginning when we’re thinking of our role as replacing school learning. What are some of the advantages you see with unschooling for kids whose learning styles are more unconventional?
One of the most common questions newer unschooling parents have surrounds video games. Much of the conventional parenting advice out there characterizes playing video games as mindless fun, often addictive, unproductive, and ultimately a waste of time. Yet, as parents dive deeper into exploring unschooling, they start to hear stories about gaming that contradict that perspective. Can you share your experience around the value of video games?
You live in Pennsylvania, which is known as a highly regulated state for homeschooling. Can you share some tips about on how people might document their unschooling days to meet homeschooling requirements?
What has surprised you most so far about how unschooling unfolded in your lives?
Things mentioned in the show
Joan’s blog, Unschool RULES
Check out their fun non-profit, Pengins for Everyone
Episode Transcript
This is exactly what I have been looking for in my unschooled journey. I am from Pennsylvania and recently started working with a child who was diagnosed and targeted by his public school. The fear that his mother has is that she will be accused of neglect if she takes him off the meds and multiple interventions. It is good to have someone who can serve as a model of what is possible. Thank you for sharing your story!
So glad it’s helpful, Aleta! 🙂