Home Education with No Curriculum

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Taken to its logical conclusion, learning without a curriculum becomes 'unshcooling', with no defined subjects, no curriculum and no system of lessons or defined learning periods. Children learn by living.

While unschooling works very well for some people, many families will pursue a less absolute approach and will create learning situations, direct their children towards certain subjects or spend time in one-to-one or group learning situations, but without using any curriculum. In this approach children have a great deal of freedom in deciding what they wish to learn, perhaps spending days or weeks pursuing one subject or interest to the exclusion of others, then switching to something else entirely.

The main role of parents is to ensure that children have the resources, support and freedom to follow their interests as far as they take them. This can be demanding, both in terms of time and effort and of money. An non-curricular approach requires parent to expose their children to as much stimulation and as many outside experiences as possible, to maintain and arouse their curiosity and lead them to different areas of learning.

The Pros

Children only learn what interests them at any given time, so boredom is rarely an issue
Children take on fields of study and develop skills at any age, as and when they are ready, rather than in a predetermined sequence
Children become self-sufficient in much of their learning
There is no pressure on children to meet pre-determined goals or standards, they learn for the pleasure of learning
Children can study a topic to as great a depth as they wish

The Cons

Some children need structure to learn, flexibility and freedom doesn't suit everyone
Parents can become worried that their children are not learning enough or not enough about certain subjects
There is likely to be pressure and criticism from friends and family members who either do not understand or who disapprove of this approach to learning.
There will be no recognised certification or 'evidence' of the amount a child has learned or achieved
It can be difficult for children who have attended traditional schools to adapt to this unstructured approach
It may not be easy for children to integrate easily back into school if this becomes desirable