If you'd like to find out what eclectic homeschooling means to the Eclectic Homeschool publisher, visit Eclectic Homeschooling.

For more information, visit EHO Lite.

Unschooling
"All I am saying in this book can be summed up in two words: Trust Children. Nothing could be more simple, or more difficult. Difficult because to trust children we must first learn to trust ourselves, and most of us were taught as children that we could not be trusted." -John Holt, in "How Children Learn"

This is a place for people who are living life both without school AND without religion to talk openly in an uncensored forum. Any unschooler who is an open-minded, non-dogmatic "freethinker" (as defined above) is welcome to join, even if you happen to believe in something supernatural; BUT, bear in mind that people here are free to talk negatively about any and all beliefs, possibly yours, so if you are sensitive about this sort of thing you should probably stay away. Also, please don't join this list just to repeatedly spam us with commercial messages, religious proselytizing, NEA propaganda, and/or abusive/threatening posts. Diversity of opinion is welcome and encouraged, but doing nothing but spamming or trolling is not.

WARNING: Freethinkers are often very opinionated and passionate people, and don't mind openly saying what they think and feel, even if it's not always nice. As such, this group is not for the easily offended!! Take what you want and leave the rest.

Birds fly, fish swim, man thinks and learns. Therefore, we do not need to motivate children into learning by wheedling, bribing or bullying. We do not need to keep picking away at their minds to make sure they are learning. What we need to do, and all we need to do, is bring as much of the world as we can into the school and classroom (in our case, into their lives); give children as much help and guidance as they ask for; listen respectfully when they feel like talking; and then get out of the way. We can trust them to do the rest. ~John Holt, How Children Learn

For more information about unschooling visit the Unschooling.com website.

This discussion list is monitored and will be moderated for spam and incivility. If needed, you can learn about e-mail etiquette. Go ahead and click on the link; it's pretty interesting reading! [Thanks to Shay Seaborne and the VaEclectic list for the link!]

Occasionally, posts from this forum and discussion list will be edited and printed in the 'Letters and Discussions' feature in Home Education Magazine.

For information about Home Education Magazine, to subscribe to our free newsletters, to read selected articles and columns online, to research support group listings, state laws and regulations, or just to browse one of the largest homeschooling sites on the Internet, please visit our award-winning website: Home Education Magazine

The focus of this group is to help homeschoolers apply Montessori techniques and materials to their students who are at the middle-school, Jr. High, or High School level. Activities at this level should include making learning games for use in teaching the younger members of the family or group.

For those of you who are familiar with Montessori, the 3-part card sets (labeled picture, unlabeled picture, and label) are suitable for beginning readers. In an elementary classroom, a description card is added so that the student can make booklets. For the older students, making these sets of cards and definitions along with related activities provides great learning experiences. It also allows students of all ages to study the same topic at different levels.

The moderators of the group serve as consultants to Catholic Coops in Texas, Arkansas, and Georgia. These coops serve a variety of families; member's input and feedback are always helpful! Leaders of other support groups, coops and their members are welcome to join us.

During the next month files and links that are of particular relevance to these groups will be added. Activities in the Files section are usually accompanied by instructions.

For more information, visit Senari Software.

For more information, visit HomedEducator.com/HSN/.