As our son gets older, the inevitable question will always pop up: how do you know he is learning? Well, how did I know when he learned to walk? Because he got up one day and walked! Learning does not have to take place at a table with a pencil in one hand and a book in the other. Learning is happening all the time by what we see, hear, taste, smell, and touch. Babies and toddlers are perfect examples of unschoolers.
They are drawn to what is interesting and will stop when they don't need it or it is no longer interesting. And don't we as parents provide them the environment in which to explore? Well, that's unschooling! Right now, Orion loves vocabulary picture books. He has these hard cover books with bright, colorful pictures, and the word of the picture underneath. He's not saying the words himself, but he loves to point and have us say the words to him. But if you ask him, where the "duck" is, he will point it out. It's amazing to see how much your baby knows without them being able to communicate it just yet.
This is the perfect time in which we can trust that our children can learn without the rigidity of school. If you have a young child, watch them during the day. Watch how their mind works by what they are drawn to and what intrigues them. Then nurture that. It's incredible!
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