Anne Ohman is a long-time unschooling mom of two grown children. Back in 2016, Anne and I had a lovely conversation about reading that I have referenced countless times over the years. When we spoke, she was working as a library director, giving her powerful insights and amazing stories to share about children learning to read.
Anne shares her perspective on why children at school are expected to learn to read early, why unschooling children who aren’t yet reading aren’t lacking anything, how they play with the puzzle of reading every day, and so much more. It was so valuable to dive deep into one of the most asked-about topics in the unschooling world!
Questions for Anne
Can you share with us a bit about your background and your family and how you came to unschooling?
School, and by extension society, is laser-focused on children learning to read as early as possible. As a library director and unschooling parent, I’d love to hear your perspective on how you’ve seen these reading expectations play out.
I’ve really enjoyed the stories you’ve shared on Facebook about schooled children at the library and how their outlook on reading has changed since you started there. Can you share some of those stories?
Our society is so caught up in reading by a certain age that if a child isn’t reading by then, most adults in their lives seem to focus on that missing piece. Why do you think that is?
Let’s talk about how our kids have learned without reading!
Something that has struck me over the years is how unschooling children are more apt to call themselves readers once they are comfortably reading adult-level books. Have you seen this too?
Have you had anyone judge your kids for not being able to read?
How do you feel now about Sam’s journey to reading as you look back on it today?
Links to things mentioned in the show
Childhood Redefined Unschooling Summit
Two of Anne’s TUC Talks, 2006: This is Where Unschooling Lives and 2009: What’s So Radical About Radical Unschooling? (scroll down)
Pam’s article about Lissy’s road to reading: “I Can Read, You Know!”
Pam’s blog post about learning to read: Learning to Read Without Lessons
Episode Transcript
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Connect with Pam
Isn’t it funny how the universe throws us our own pieces of the puzzle in a time that’s divinely right…
So this morning as I was preparing to do my morning meditation at 5am before needing to hussle my kids off to school ?, I by chance opened up my email to find this flashback episode.
Instead of doing my meditation (which really is the purpose of grounding me as I endeavour to gently coach myself to move from my conditioned controlling approach to parenting to one of connection), I decided to listen to this episode as my meditation. Oh man! Anne Ohman you truly are a breath of fresh air! ?
I just love how confident you are in your parenting approach allowing you to really stay true to your own path as well as your children’s, whilst respecting the path others choose for themselves, allowing any possible judgement to just float away. ?
As a previous teacher who specialised in teaching Literacy, which is really quite funny as I HATED English at school, but discovered a ?? for it when learning “how” to teach it, my ideas around how children learn in general, shifted as the parenting pieces of my puzzle started to land.
I find myself constantly torn between my old belief system of kids needing to be controlled into the learning process at a time that is determined by someone external to the learner, and my ideal belief system that allows the learner to organically grow, which my heart keeps magnetising my mind to. ????
After forcing my 6 year old son to school this morning, who was crying while I was doing up his tie because he can’t wear dress ups to school like he could at pre-school, I find myself in this conflict once again. I just hugged my son (after losing it at him) validating his sadness and pointing out that the weekend is just about here where he can wear dress ups all weekend long and play lego til his heart’s content, and although he walked into the huge concrete jungle in his older brother’s embrace, I still feel the pull to the unschooling way.
I know this time right now is pivotal in me following my own hearts desire of finally setting up my own mindset coaching business aimed at supporting adults (parents & teachers) to flow, empowering children to organically grow, requiring a lot of my time in these initial stages, I’m trusting that the small unschooling steps I am taking when my children are home, is paving the way for the bigger pieces to land so that when they do, I will be ready to continue to follow through. ?
Thank you for helping me to find my next pieces in this great big puzzle called life!?
I’m so glad the episode resonated with you, Jenna-Gaye! The journey is a step at a time, all the while peeling back the layers of our old systems of beliefs to reveal new insights and puzzle pieces.
You mentioned one of the belief systems you’re exploring is around kids needing to be controlled. I have a couple of podcast episodes specifically about that transition that you might find helpful:
https://livingjoyfully.ca/blog/2020/06/eu229-from-control-to-connection/
https://livingjoyfully.ca/blog/2020/06/eu230-unschooling-in-context-with-anna-brown/
All the best!
Thanks Pam.
I really appreciate all of your support through your podcasts. Will definitely check these episodes out.
With kindness
Jenna-Gay Hollis