I came across a post today in a Facebook homeschooling group

in which a very concerned mother was asking for advice on how to handle her 5-year-old’s situation. Apparently, her child is not interested in writing, and as she works full time, she is worried he is falling behind the standardized public school curriculum in America.

I tried to provide a bit of encouragement and perspective as best I could:

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I hope you’ll check out those educators and books I mentioned in the comment.

Even if you don’t, though, the main takeaway (as far as I am concerned) from this mother’s worry and over concern is this: the pressure typically put on kids and parents by compulsory schooling institutions and modern culture is tremendous. This is all the more strange when we consider that children all learn at different speeds, and that even if a child doesn’t learn to read or write until age 12, they’ll still be able to read, ultimately. Is it worth it to give them a deep-seated neurosis and complex about it?

Please enjoy the video above. I was blown away by my son’s progress tonight as he read the text from a video game he recently purchased.

Prior to my filming (which seemed to add a little perceived pressure) he was reading even faster.

As much as it may be the “wrong” thing to say in the eyes of “mainstream culture,” do you know how he learned? He learned through watching YouTube videos and playing video games. Then he became more and more interested in text and began to read packages on drinks, candy, etc, and signs on storefronts such as the laundromat.

Unschooling is nothing “special.” It is simply natural learning. The fact that we as humans are ALL natural learners is pretty damn cool, though, isn’t it!

Enjoy!