School's Out Support Accountability Association

Resources

Below is a list of links to resources for unschoolers. These groups, organizations, businesses and services are not all exclusively for unschoolers. But, they provide valuable and useful resources for unschooling families and they have been beneficial to and recommended by other unschoolers. If you have a good resource for unschooling families, please let us know via email, please provide as much information as possible including websites and contact info.

Unschooling Web Sites: These web sites are by and/or for unschoolers. Please look around, read and have fun.

*DISCLAIMER* - The descriptions of each web site or Yahoo group have been copied directly from the home page. They do not represent the opinions, beliefs nor imply endorsement of School's Out Support Accountability Association leaders nor the designer of this web site.

Autodidactic Press - Autodidactic Press is dedicated to two propositions: That lifelong learning is fundamental to living a full and interesting life and that the learning necessary to gain competence in a job or career is far, far more important than how or where it is acquired. You will find lots of material on this site in support of these objectives

The Unprocessed Child - By Valerie Fitzenriter " My book is about how we raised our daughter, Laurie, with attachment parenting and unschooling methods. I discuss issues that concern parents who are considering unschooling their children and offer advice on living a peaceful coexistence with children. -VF"

Autonomous Child - I'm Jan Fortune-Wood. My first degree was in theology at Cambridge and I later completed a PhD in feminist theology. In the past I have worked as a teacher, priest and charity director and am currently a parenting adviser, writer, researcher and editor.

Not Back to School Camp - School-Free: Pursuing Real Life

Amy Bell's Natural Learning Page - Natural learning, or unschooling, is a philosophy of child-led learning. We believe, given a rich environment and involved parents, that children will retain their natural joy for learning and make their lives quests for new, fulfilling experiences.

Unschoolers Unlimited - Website by Ned Vare and Luz Shosie .

Unschooling.com - Come explore unschooling.com, where parents and children have learned to trust themselves and each other!

Family Unschoolers Network - The Family Unschoolers Network provides support for unschooling, homeschooling, and self-directed learning. If you are an unschooler, homeschooler, self-directed learner, or just learning in general, then this is the site for you! You will find newsletter articles, reviews, resources, web sites, books and lots of other information to help your homeschooling or unschooling efforts.

Sandra Dodd - Learning for fun is the most fun way to learn, and to live. I have gathered much and written some to inspire you to revel in your own learning, and in your children's learning, and in your friends' curiosity and happiness in the face of a world of information!!

Danielle Conger -Our approach to homeschooling echoes our approach to life: Live, Love, Laugh and Learn!

Heartland Hollow - Website compiled by unschooler Kathy Ward

Transforming Family - What is a progressive family? A family willing to look through a new pair of glasses, see things differently and look for new solutions to old challenges. A family who creatively looks for mutually agreed upon solutions with respect for everyone involved regardless of age. A family who truly loves one another unconditionally.

Magazines for Unschoolers:These magazines feature articles that lean toward unschooling and/or very relaxed homeschooling.

Live Free Learn Free

Life Learning Magazine

Connections

Unschooling Yahoo Groups: These are some unschooling yahoo lists. Not every yahoo list will fit everyone. Please read the description of the group you are interested in. When/if you decide to subscribe, we recommend that you read for a few weeks and also read in the group archives to see if this yahoo list will be a good fit for you. If not, look for another, they are all so different.

Always Learning - Discussion for homeschooling fans of John Holt, whose books Learning All the Time, Never Too Late, and Teach your Own have made unschooling a sweet and viable option for thousands of families. This is a moderated group, with trapdoors for the uncooperative. (Not moderated in the advance-approval way, but in the be-nice-to-play way.) It's an idea group and is intended to lean more toward pure unschooling than neutral, general homeschooling discussion—there are hundreds of general homeschooling discussions for newcomers. It's to focus more toward how people learn no matter where in the world they are, rather than on what's legal in any particular country or jurisdiction. If you have questions or complaints, write to SandraDodd@aol.com

Charleston Unschoolers - This list is for discussion of unschooling and support for unschoolers in Charleston, South Carolina

Greenville Unschoolers - This list is for discussion of unschooling and support for unschoolers in upstate South Carolina

Radical Christian Unschoolers - Radically Unschooling Christians! We DO exist!!

Feeling like you must be the only radical unschooler in the Christian faith? Tired of hearing those who claim to be Christian unschoolers discuss curriculum or how to make their kids do chores? Tired of hearing secular unschoolers say that you couldn't possibly exist?

Look no farther! On this list there will be no talk of curriculum, spanking, chore charts, coercive limitations, forced respect, or anything else that doesn't jive with radical unschooling. This list is for discussing radical unschooling by people who already "get it" and want to connect with other radically unschooling Christian families.

We are also open to those who "want to get it" but may not be there yet. We will offer encouragement and advice on your journey to radical unschooling.

If you are a radical unschooler and a Christian, you are welcome here.

Radical Unschoolers List - This is the "Radical Unschoolers List". It is for all families, regardless of religious affiliation, choosing to unschool. Unschooling is learning as a part of life. It allows the child to learn naturally, without adult-imposed "lessons", schedules, or timelines. This list is to offer support, information, perspective, and enlightenment to anyone already unschooling or interested in unschooling

School's Out Support - School's Out Support (SOS) is a volunteer-driven, statewide organization whose mission is to support and promote unschooling, provide information, monitor and influence legislation, offer opportunities for families to get together, and empower families to make the choices that respect the rights, needs and aspirations of their children. SOS welcomes anyone with an interest in unschooling.

SHINE - All children SHINE when celebrated for being exactly Who They Are. It sounds so simple and makes so much sense, doesn't it? And yet many children are made to feel less than Whole because they are not *typical* children. They see the world differently and their minds work differently than the typical child. They are labeled and given the message that they need to change or be fixed in order to "fit in." Not here. Not today. Not with radical unschooling. This list is a celebration of that child. This *Shine* list sees the child for Who He/She Is and honors and respects and celebrates that.

Unschooling Spirituality - We live simultaneously on three planes... 1) We are spiritual beings; 2) We each have a marvelous mind; and 3) We each live in a physical body ... Radical? Discover that everything is connected. Creative visionaries discovering and designing our futures. Wanting to come out of your box? Join us -- "What the Mind of {Women-Men-Children} can CONCEIVE - and BELIEVE - IT CAN ACHIEVE

Unschooling Gamers - This group is for unschooling gamers to connect and chat and share tips and tricks and otherwise meet and have fun! The main focus of this group is video games, but on-line game chat is also welcome (like Neopets or Subeta or RuneScape)!

Unschooling Basics - A list designed for those new to the philosophy of unschooling. Ask experienced unschoolers all those niggling questions, and find out how unschooling works in real families.

If you're familiar with John Holt's work, but unsure of how to begin or what an unschooling day really looks like, this is a place for you to discuss,question, ponder and become deeply familiar with natural learning and how it affects our entire lives. From parenting issues to learning from the whole wide world and beyond, come explore the issues that unschooling families have dealt with in the past and how to get beyond "school-think" to a joyful unschooling lifestyle!

SSUDS - This group is for Unschooling Dads, Granddads, and Dads-to-be who have attended one of the past 3 Live and Learn Conferences OR who have spouses who attended one of these conferences. Other unschooling fathers (et al.) can also join the group through invitation. Our intention is to keep a running dialog and passion for unschooling our children between conferences.

Unschooling Discussion - Unschooling is not a homeschool teaching method. It refers to a philosophy of natural learning as well as the lifestyle that results from living according to the principles of that philosophy.

The most basic principle of unschooling is that children are born with an intrinsic urge to explore -- for a moment or a lifetime -- what intrigues them, as they seek to join the adult world in a personally satisfying way. Because of that urge, an unschooling child is free to choose the what, when, where and how of his/her own learning from mud puddles to video games and SpongeBob Squarepants to Shakespeare! And an unschooling parent sees his/her role, not as a teacher, but as a facilitator and companion in a child's exploration of the world.

Unschooling Conferences:

Live and Learn Conference- Encouraging families to trust themselves to make good decisions and empowering them to find the support and information they need. This conference is a must attend. Meet other families on the same journey, listen to inspiring speakers and panelists and discover the art of unschooling. September 5-9, 2007 - Near Asheville, NC.

Rethinking Education - National Conference on Rethinking Education, to take place at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Irving, Texas on Labor Day Weekend.

Homeschooling web sites that may be useful:

SC Dept of Education

SCIway: Home School, Home Schooling - SCIway, pronounced "sky-way," is an acronym for South Carolina Information Highway. It's also the name of this website, which is the largest and most comprehensive directory of South Carolina information on the Internet. This link is to their SC homeschool resources page.

National Home Education Legal Defense - NHELD, LLC is an acronym for National Home Education Legal Defense, a national organization open to all who wish to join, that seeks to protect and defend the rights of families who wish to educate in freedom.

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