Unschooling Rules: 55 Ways to Unlearn What We Know About Schools and Rediscover Education

I just read this book in one sitting and I loved every minute of it. Yes, it is a quick read, but that does not mean it is lacking in material. Two things I did after reading it today: First, I asked my daughter to make a list of things she wants to explore or learn more about. (She loved this assignment.) Then I attacked the list. She wants to learn more about animals; we called around for volunteer opportunities. She wants to sew; we found some instructional DVDs at the library and I am looking for a tutor or a class (I do not know how to sew). Then she spent the rest of the afternoon with her chemistry set. She was just in the mood to play after seeing so much excitement from me. I think it was a successful unschooling day ( we are generally more textbookish homeschoolers).

This was a quick read, it was straight too the point, contained great resources/info/inspiration, and it was exactly what I was hoping for. I just started homeschooling my kids which is looking a lot like ‘unschooling’ right now. This book is a great resource for anyone curious about or doing unschooling, homeschooling, and similar… It’s the best book about this topic that I’ve read so far.

I have been convinced by others in the unschooling movement that this method or train of thought does work. I have seen it work in our family with my three sons, one of whom is autistic. I have basically unschooled for the better part of 8 years of homeschooling and my son just took the Iowa Based Assessment Test (just to see where he was at and what he needed to concentrate on to get into college this next semester)and he scored 2nd year college level in everything except Math which was age appropriate. My son just turned 16 in March and will be going to college in the fall. He has never taken a test except the one I mentioned above, and he still has learned through experience, doing things he is interested in, and following his own path through this world. I think that Mr. Aldrich backs this up through his examples in the book about the way a lot of people view the electronics of our time (yes - children can play electronics and still learn!) He also follows the unschooling path by the way his whole book is laid out - wandering from one thought or fact to the next. This book is an easy read (I read it in a couple of hours)and it is uncomplicated and clearly thought out, provoking the reader to rethink their opinions about public school and that there is clearly another way for children to learn without the stress of government intervention.

Excellent, I have been applying what I have learned in this book to raising my children over the past 6 years. The results have been incredible. With 5 students age 12 to 17 I am very pleased with the results so far. My children have all been very successful in developing skills in childhood that have led to the creation of income sources, missions, volunteering, creativity, research and vast amounts of happiness and harmony in our homeschool. We are Fun-Schoolers. I read this book every year. My husband and older teens read it too. See my other reviews.

This book is short, simple and to the point, which is unusual for a book addressing educational philosophy. This is the book I recommend the most and quote the most when explaining why I homeschool. But really, it is a must read for anyone interested in education, from administration and teachers to parents. Applying the "rules" Clark Aldrich lays out in this book could transform the educational wasteland of out current standardized test model into an environment that promotes curriousity, creativity and learning. Sound too good to be true? Just read it.

Think for a moment - why is it that very few high school students wake up in the morning excited about going to school? We blindly except this as the norm but fail to ask why something that should be wonderful and exciting (learning, exploring, and engaging) is instead viewed as something loathsome. Clark's concise rules and observations ask the reader to reconsider much of the 19th-century schooling mentality that has numbed us into willingly shackling our children to factory/industrial approach to learning. My hope is that this book will engender discussion and serious reexamination of the thinking that created the "No Child Left Behind" fiasco and the rampant cheating scandals that have cropped up as a consequence of relying on test scores as a benchmark for success [...] This book has already made the rounds throughout my household and, with luck, will make it through my local school board as we *can* do better and this book contains concrete suggestions on just how to accomplish this.

Raises more questions than answers - but that may be the intention. Easy read, some very interesting ideas, but a very personal view of the US education system that would benefit from references and data to support the arguments. I like the ideas, and wish we lived in the world that Clark Aldrich aspires to, and although some individuals and families may be willing to break the mold of the education SYSTEM which is so embedded and self-perpetuating, it is hard to see how the system can really be transformed. Can it really be changed from within, I doubt it, and from without...impossible. A recommended read for all educators and parents who are concerned about the process of education and not just about the outcome.

This book is easy to read and short and sweet, which I appreciate as a parent. I found myself nodding and agreeing with much of what was said but there are a few moments where the author exaggerates the negative impacts of traditional schooling/parenting (Stockholm syndrome, prison, etc.) and that's coming from a parent who has fully embraced unschooling and Acton Academy. I think there are big issues with traditional schooling and it can be damaging but I can honestly see some of the positives as well. Nothing is that simple and black and white. Let's get rid of the bad and embrace the good. I feel I'm naturally drawn to disruptive education but maybe there's still a part of me that hasn't unlearned my own experience with traditional schooling. Maybe I'm on the fence between disruptive education and educational reform. Maybe I have more unschooling to do myself!

In your face facts not said and act upon that allows a very ineffective industry modeled education industry to me the single option at most places.

A great book for any parent thinking about alternative education. Delivered in short easy to read points. Makes you reassess your child's traditional education and you find yourself underlining all the good points the author makes.

I found it a bit hard to understand at time but that’s because I’m not a native English speaker. However, that doesn’t lower the standard of the book and its valuable insightful information. I can definitely recommend reading it and hope that many people will so that the educational system will change for the better.

there are things that I do not completely agree with, but the book is amazing. It is must read for every single parent does not matter if you are happy or not with traditional schooling: you must know better how your child is to spend 12 years of their life

I really like how well thought out this book was and how the end of the book has action items for us parents, educators, and policy makers need to continue the journey for improving our results for our kids.