Every time Autonomous Education (aka Unschooling) gets discussed it seems that someone will voice their concern about the child not covering certain things 'they needed to learn'. What ARE these things? Once you've got basic literacy and numeracy what exactly are these people going on about?
SlimJim
Favorite Answer
These people (who voice their concern about the child not covering certain things) are going on about an irrational paradigm that was caused by a gaping gap in their own worldview; to wit, if you don't do it the way I'd do it then you must be wrong.
What they need to realize is that as long as someone is paying more taxes into the system than they are taking services out, you should shut up and leave them alone.
So, what do kids need to learn? Kindness. Self-respect. A sense of honor. Charitable love. That some things are bigger than they are and some things are not. That learning is an asset and that it can be an adventure as well. Read at least well enough to understand a newspaper, and beyond that, well enough that you can read what you enjoy. Write well enough that others can understand you, and beyond that, write well enough to occasionally create a good pun. Know enough about math that you can balance your bank account, and then learn enough beyond that to properly appreciate precise order in the Universe.
ozboz48
We unschool and I would say reading and writing are the basics. Also science knowledge and citizenship - but kids are naturally interested in these things.
I think most people who are concerned about "what kids need to know" are still followin a school model.
And that's their right.
All the best.
Liger
Kids need to learn to interact with other kids, to learn from people they don't know personally and respect. They should learn how to cooperate and work in a team to get things done. They should learn to socialize, how to act.
Kids should learn how to read, how to write, how to do math. They should learn history about their own country as well as others. They should learn how trees grow, how electricity works. They should learn how religion works. They should get to choose what religion, and if they want to have a religion to have for themselves.
They should learn to be more and more independent and to think for themselves.
Anonymous
Essentials:
Math
Spelling
Grammar
Reading
Writing
They also need to learn what has happened in the world, about the government, and how the world around them works.
kaydid
i think they go over board with things today i feel sorry for kids now days some times i wounder how they found these people some teacher act like they don't have any sense they make me scared