Homeschooling in Texas

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Deschooling on the Road
A homeschooling mom travelled 3500 miles cross-country with her son and found educational experiences in some unexpected places. Drives home the point that learning can happen in many different ways and that we cannot always plan how our children will learn.
What is Unschooling and Why Do Parents Consider It?

Unschooling is fueled by curiosity-driven experiences. It is estimated that about 13 percent of homeschooled children learn through unschooling. Unschooling will look different for every family, but it is founded on the idea of following the child's interests and giving the space and freedom to explore those interests. 

Texas Unschoolers Facebook Page
This Facebook page is a Texas-wide unschooling support page. Find links and information about unschooling in general and specifics for Texas.
Unschooling Community of Austin
This group is for unschooling families in and around Austin, Texas. This is a secular community where members can gather to discuss their unschooling journeys, ask questions, and offer support. They have periodic park days, field trips, and other special events so that children are able to meet and develop long lasting relationships.
What is Natural Learning?
So what on earth is natural learning? Isn't all learning natural? What would you do different if you were following a natural learning approach? How can I pursue natural learning?
Unschooling in West Texas
This group was started with the intent of finding other unschooling families in West Texas.
Unschooling.com Email List
This discussion list is the companion communications forum for the Unschooling.com website.
Live Free Learn Free Email Group
This group is an announcement list for the print magazine Live Free Learn Free, a forum for unschoolers and relaxed homeschoolers in which to share ideas and experiences.
Texas Unschoolers on Facebook
A Texas-wide unschooling support group. Find links, support and conversation about unschooling in general and specifics for Texas.
Unschooling Discussion
Large traffic email list whose stated purpose is to move out of comfort zones and critically examine beliefs, ideas, and viewpoints about learning, and seek a deeper understanding of unschooling and more respectful relationships with one's children.
Family Unschoolers Network

Family Unschoolers Network offers support and information for families who choose to unschool or homeschool. Self-directed learners will find articles, reviews, resources, books, and other information to help your homeschooling or unschooling efforts. 

Family Unschooling Network (FUN)
This group is for Texas families who are educating their children through life via unschooling. Unschooling is such a broad term; everyone will have different experiences. But one thing we are all committed to is helping our children to learn how to learn, and helping them enjoy learning for life.
Language Arts and Unschooling
A former high school English teacher shares some of the ways that reading, writing, and grammar are learned naturally through living.
Texas Rural Unschoolers
Texas Rural Unschoolers is a support group for unschoolers (and those wanting to unschool) who live in rural areas or small communities (urban dwellers are welcome, too).
John Holt: Teach Your Own Children...at Home
An interview with John Holt from 1980 from The Mother Earth News. Holt discussed his own schooling experiences, how he discovered the key to real learning, and how the idea of homeschooling developed. He also discussed some concerns that parents new to the idea of homeschooling have. There is a short description of some of the legal issues that homeschoolers have faced and where the homeschooling movement is headed.
Texas Unschooling

Texas Unschoolers offer information and support for families who are seeking an unschooling approach to home education. They believe that learning is not separate from life, but rather is deeply integrated into all that we do. When kids are allowed the time and space to pursue their passions, they can succeed. 

West Houston Unschoolers
This email list is a group of Unschooling families in the Houston area.
Why Unschooling?

Does unschooling mean that your children just hate school? Not at all! Some children learn best in a classroom, but not all do. For those who don't, unschooling might just be the best approach. Children who are unschooled grow to be independent learners and thinkers and enjoy the perspective of being their own best teacher. Rather than asking, "Why unschool?" perhaps the better question is, "Why school?"

Why Unschool?

This website is presented by two unschooled siblings who have since grown up and are happy to share their experiences with this educational model. Unschooling provides so many opportunities for children to learn about the world without the constraints of a classroom by celebrating a natural love of learning. Families and children can benefit from this wonderful way of learning. 

A Conversation with John Holt
In 1980, Marlene Bumgarner, a homeschooling parent, hosted author John Holt in her home while he was in California for a lecture tour. While he played in the garden with her two children, John and Dona Ana, she interviewed him for the bimonthly magazine Mothering. In this article, Holt answered such questions as, "What is your philosophy of learning?", "Why homeschool?", and "What about the child's social life?"
Learning Is Child's Play
Traditional schooling operates on a set of beliefs whose errors have long been exposed. Its teaching is based on outmoded and ineffective concepts of the teaching-learning process. The reason for the failure of the traditional education system is, ironically, that uses "schooling." Children learn, not from schooling, but from living. And for them, living means playing.
Dallas Unschoolers Circle
Dallas Unschoolers Circle is made up of families from Dallas and the surrounding areas who follow a self-directed or child-led approach to learning. They meet bi-monthly at local parks giving the kids the opportunity to engage in unstructured play and the parents the opportunity to socialize and support each other on their journey.
Texas Unschooling Groups Moderators
This group is for the moderators and owners of unschooling groups across the state of Texas. If your group is exclusively unschooling, unschooling-heavy, or you own an eclectic homeschooling group where the owners are unschoolers and promote unschooling, this email list is for you. It is designed to be an easy and essential tool for communicating information between groups.
Unschoolers and a "Christian World View"
Do Christian "natural learners" ("unschoolers") have a world view the same as other Christians? Some of them will, but not all.
A Paradigm Shift
Abandoning the institution of school and taking a natural learning approach is really a paradigm shift. Most people will not understand that natural learning does not involve children following a curriculum, taking exams, being socialised (through peers), using textbooks, etc. At best they will think that you are a bit daring, slightly unusual, experimenters.... at worst they will think that you are dangerous, putting your kids at risk or should be reported.... How can you show them that natural learning is OK?
L_A_U_G_H: Lubbock Area Unschoolers Growing at Home
L_A_U_G_H: Lubbock Area Unschoolers Growing at Home is a support group for Lubbock-area families homeschooling for the joy of it.
DFW School Free Education Zone
The DFW School Free Education Zone is a support group for parents/guardians of home-learners. These are unschoolers, believing that child-led learning is preferable to curriculum use.
Plano Family Unschoolers Network
This is a group for unschoolers, unschool-learning, and unschool-curious in the Plano/DFW, Texas area.
Unschooling Dads
This list is a place for unschooling dads. Whether you're an advocate, long-time unschooler, novice, or somewhere in the middle, you're welcome here. This list is for dads only.
Flower Mound Family Unschoolers Network
An email group for families in the Flower Mound/DFW area who have chosen to unschool.
101 Reasons to Unschool

Wondering why anyone would unschool their children? Well, here are lots of reasons why unschooling is a good choice. From the fun aspect, to the superior learning, to the avoidance of the unpleasant parts of school, this list gives you lots to think about if you are considering the unschooling approach to the education of your children. 

HUG Underground
This is the list for members of the Houston Unschoolers Group Underground, a radical unschooling group.
Learn in Freedom
This site is about learning in freedom, taking responsibility for your own learning. It shows you how to use your own initiative in learning, so you can use schools and teachers just when they are helpful to you, and voluntarily chosen by you. There's a specific page on this site to show you how to get started in learning in freedom, and there are plenty of other pages on this site about other subjects.
Homeschooling Creatively
This list is a place where parents can come to understand and give value to our creative children as we home/unschool with them. The focus will be on discussing alternative ways (versus public school methods) to help our creative children learn which best suits their learning style and respects their complex personality traits, taking a look at creating a success-based learning environment that draws on the strengths of our creative learners while providing support-based opportunities to gently guide their intense natures.
Unschooling Forum at vegsource.com
Unschoolers meet to talk and share ideas at this vegsource.com message board.
Is Unschooling Legal?
Although it hasn't been tested in court, as far as this mother is concerned for her family unschooling is perfectly legal in the state of Texas. Here's how she sees unschooling fits the Leeper decision for her and her family.
North Texas Natural Learners (NTNL)
North Texas Natural Learners (NTNL) is an inclusive, secular support and activity group for unschoolers and other homeschoolers. Their base is Denton, though their membership extends to all of north Texas.
Ark-La-Tex Homeschoolers
This is an inclusive, informal group for the Southwest Arkansas, East Texas, and Northwest Louisiana area. This group is available for homeschoolers who are not religious based, and who would like to meet on a regular basis for educational outings as well as social events for the children and adults alike. They meet for Park Days and schedule several inexpensive group field trips a month. Homeschoolers as well as unschoolers are welcome.

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