Without school, children exhibited increased independence and responsibility.By By Peter Gray, Ph.D., a research professor at Boston College, author of Free to Learn When COVID-19 resulted in closures of schools and after-school activities for children, beginning generally in early March of this year, there were some dire predictions about the effects this […]
There are a lot of misconceptions out there about what unschooling is, how it works, what people mean when they use the term… So I wanted to do a post on the topic addressing some of the biggest misunderstandings that seem to crop up repeatedly. Misconception #1: unschooling is […]
Do parents care about their children’s happiness? I think it’s an easy answer to say overwhelming they do, very much so. And yet, they don’t necessarily prioritize it in the daily lives of their children. I feel like a lot of parents erroneously believe that academic success will lead to […]
By Peter Gray Ph.D. Freedom to Learn This is Part I of a series on the functions and malfunctions of shame. This seems like a ripe time in history to think about the emotion of shame. We are living in a period of renewed reckoning with the shame of the racist […]
Shutterstock Is time travel possible for humans? Jasmine, age 8, Canberra, ACT. Hi Jasmine. I wish! In books and movies, our favourite characters can use “time-turners” and treehouses to travel through time. Unfortunately, it isn’t that easy for people in real life. Let’s look at why. First, there are two types of […]
Shutterstock How would they bring the International Space Station back down to earth? Grace, age 7, Watson, ACT. Hi Grace! The good news is we can bring the International Space Station back to Earth. The bad news is it will be a broken mess of melted metal. To understand why, […]
Let them have some iPad time. iStock Nermeen Dashoush, Ph.D., is a mother of two and a clinical assistant professor of Early Childhood Education at Boston University. She was a classroom teacher for over 10 years in New York City. This story originally featured on Working Mother. I have given a […]
bokan/Shutterstock As schools resume for most Australian students, a new group of parents have emerged. These parents have decided to give home education a longer term try, finding their children have improved academically and benefited from the calmer home learning environment. This change may mean some families move to a more child-led […]
A Harvard law professor wants to ban or greatly restrict homeschooling. Ouch. By Peter Gray Ph.D. Freedom to Learn An article published in the May-June 2020 issue of Harvard Magazine sent shockwaves through the homeschooling community. At the top of the article, entitled “The Risks of Homeschooling,” is a drawing of a forlorn girl […]
Shutterstock Most Australian children are stuck at home due to the outbreak of COVID-19. They need to find ways to socialise, do their school work, exercise and entertain themselves. It’s not surprising parents may be hearing “I’m bored” a lot more than before. People hate being bored. So much so […]