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Taking the school out of schooling



Local families on ‘unschooling’ and how it works

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So many of us are familiar with the term homeschooling, but have you heard of unschooling? While homeschooling is fairly straightforward — teaching your child at home — unschooling is a little harder to define.

Unschooling is rooted in the idea that children are innate learners. When given time, space, and access to the world around them, they naturally seek out information and make sense of it. Parents who unschool see themselves less as teachers and more as facilitators of learning opportunities.

Learning through life experience

When first hearing the term “unschooling,” many parents imagine it means letting kids do whatever they want all day. In reality, unschooling is about learning through everyday life and real experiences. Unless you lock yourselves in a room with nothing to do, learning is going to happen.

Simple trips to the store, bank, or post office spark learning. Seeing a play or a musical performance sparks learning. Talking with a grandparent sparks learning. Kids are naturally curious — they follow their interests, ask questions, and make connections. Does that mean they’ll study tadpoles at the same time as every other second grader? Probably not. Will they learn about the American Revolution on the same schedule as every fourth grader? Unlikely.

But when they seek out a topic themselves, the learning often becomes deeper and more meaningful than memorizing facts from a textbook.

Letting the child lead
Unschooling centers on the belief that children learn best when they follow their own curiosity. Instead of directing lessons, parents act as facilitators — creating an environment rich with experiences, resources, and opportunities to explore.

If a child becomes fascinated by the solar system, for example, an unschooling parent might visit a planetarium, borrow books from the library, or look for videos and hands-on activities that deepen that interest. (This is a great place to link to your top kids’ museums or library list.) Amy Robertson Nielsen of Ulster County describes unschooling as “child-led learning.”

“My daughters choose the topic of interest, and I work to give them age-appropriate resources to discover everything they can,” she says. “That might mean field trips, books, interviews with experts, online research, or long conversations at the kitchen table. I’m always trying to answer ‘why’ as fully as possible. I don’t have to push them — they’re invested because they choose what we explore and how we explore it.”

READ MORE: Hudson Valley spots that spark curiosity

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If her children aren’t showing interest in anything (which she says rarely happens), she might take them somewhere new to spark curiosity.

As facilitators, parents offer a wide variety of experiences. Without exposure, how will children discover all the wonderful things the world has to offer? Want your kids to learn about the American Revolution? Visit the Revolutionary War sites in our area. Want them to learn about the life cycle of a butterfly? Get a butterfly kit and watch it unfold in real time. Want them to learn about the solar system? Head to a planetarium or leave a few library books around the house.

Here in the Hudson Valley, we have Locust Grove, the FDR House, Val Kill, Boscobel, Washington’s Headquarters, The Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, the Bardavon, UPAC, and Norrie Point just to name a few. Local colleges also offer a wide range of opportunities for young learners. The possibilities are endless right in our own backyard. (This is a natural spot to link to sculpture gardens, museums, or library programs.)
Go to local library events, park programs, and historical sites. Watch movies on topics of interest. Explore interactive websites. Let your children buy something and figure out the change. Let them cook dinner, talk to a relative who immigrated to this country, or help with a project around the house.
Finding their own answers
“Kids are sponges — they can learn no matter where they are,” says Robertson Nielsen. “They cannot help but learn since they know nothing but what they have experienced so far. Kids are wired for learning. What they are not wired for is sitting still for hours on end being lectured at. I am teaching my girls how to ask thorough and thoughtful questions and then to find the answers in as many resources as possible to discover the most factual answer they can.”

Think about all the language, math, science, history, geography, reading, writing, measuring, and problem-solving happening in these everyday activities. These experiences stick because they’re meaningful. Kids aren’t memorizing facts to regurgitate on a test — they’re learning through doing, imagining, experimenting, and playing. And it only takes a few trips to local farms, historical sites, parks, and the library.

The Hudson Valley has so much to offer learners of all ages. Even if your children attend school, you can still take advantage of the incredible activities and resources in our region. By offering rich experiences, you’re giving your child meaningful learning that lasts. Letting a child follow their interests and passions is at the heart of unschooling.

Abby Hoffman, an unschooling parent from Wappingers Falls, uses the Dutchess County Hot Air Balloon Festival as an example. “We didn’t just watch. We got home and looked into how hot air balloons work. We learned the history of hot air balloons and the science behind them. There is always something new. And to watch my daughter research and learn is a beautiful sight.”

Do you remember everything you learned in school? Probably not. But you likely remember the moments that felt alive — the field trips, the hands-on projects, the discoveries that stuck because they meant something to you.

That’s the heart of unschooling. It’s learning that comes from curiosity, connection, and real experiences. It’s watching a spark turn into a deep dive. It’s seeing your child follow a question all the way to an answer — and then to the next question.

Whether your children learn at home or attend school, the Hudson Valley is full of places that invite wonder. When we give kids the chance to explore, we’re giving them something far more lasting than a lesson. We’re giving them memories, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning.
That’s real learning — the kind that stays.

Kelly Auriemmo is a mom, blogger, and unschooling facilitator from Poughkeepsie.

UNSCHOOLING RESOURCES