unschooling part 2

In reference to my last post:  I just saw the GMA segment--maybe the second segment, the longer one--on radical unschooling.  I am not interested in the no-rules, no-discipline approach, nor in allowing a donut for breakfast, or TV time during school.  But, I do think kids will learn quite well if they read about, write about, do research on, do experiments regarding, whatever topic they are interested in, whether it be photography or insects.  The parent has to be very involved though, to ensure that they're learning effective communication skills (reading, speaking, writing composition, listening), which will later allow them to do well in college and in the workforce.  As well, I think it would be beneficial to have the children choose from interests in a variety of areas, so that no discipline is entirely neglected.

This uproar reminds me of an educational debate that existed right about the time I became a public school teacher.  Back then, it was about the "whole language" approach to reading.  It was misunderstood.  Some thought it meant not teaching phonics at all, and just reading lots and lots of books to children, who would eventually pick up reading by osmosis.  That is true for some kids, by the way.

What it really entailed, when done correctly, was to introduce phonics in the context of a whole piece of text, rather than through an isolated worksheet.  When this was done, the child could clearly see how phonics related to reading and writing.  They learned that it was a means to an end, rather than an end in itself.

It is really through writing that kids learn the most about phonics, which is why the "write to read" approach is so effective.  Lots of reading is important in the process, too; it allows them to practice and apply what they've learned through the composing process.

Anyhow, the family GMA chose seems to definitely fall into the most radical segment of the unschooling population.  If given more opportunity to show what their kids could do, I'm sure the family would have come out in a better light.  I think it would have been better to have chosen a less radical family, if the purpose was to highlight the unschooling trend.  Definitely, the mother in the segment saying that her kids "might watch TV, or play computer games", was not the best thing to say, IMHO.