Unschooling Chinese

Devin has always been very interested in different cultures. Shortly after he began learning about the Mayan people, we booked a Cruise to the Caribbean with a stop in Mexico so he could see the old Mayan ruins and pyramids. We are all learning some Spanish before the trip in 2010.

Since visiting Epcot at Disney, and visiting the different countries, he has began a passion of the Chinese culture. He told me he really wants to go to China. My next mission is to manifest a trip there somehow.

Our kids are able to completely immerse themselves in their interests without someone else telling them when to start or stop what they are doing to move on to something else that someone else thinks is important. They are able to learn whatever they are interested in in such depth.

Devin will more than likely spend every day for the next week or so writing and speaking Chinese. So far this week we have scoured the Internet for images of China. We have watched every video and TV show we could get our hands on about Chinese culture. We went out for Chinese food with our friends the other day too, which was so much fun! The list goes on...

It is 11pm at night right now and when most kids are asleep, my son is still up, exploring his current passion. I'm off to bed, but before climbing the stairs to cuddle between my warm babies, Ivy and Orion, I snapped a picture of what Devin was doing to post here.When kids are interested in something, they learn it because they want to and they enjoy it.

There's no forcing, no coercion, no grades or measuring of their knowledge. Nothing to get in the way of their personal dreams and goals. Unschooled kids learn just as much as kids in school as far as amount of knowledge, but that knowledge varies from child to child and is completely catered to them as an individual.

I have no doubt we'll be visiting China someday as a family. Tommorrow Devin and I will add something to our family vision board... an image of "The Great Wall of China".