Parents of young children – meaning anywhere from birth to about age three – often ask me how best to “begin unschooling”.

I tell them that since kids are born unschoolers – literally – there is no need to begin.  It’s already happening.  The key is to avoid stopping or hindering it, which often happens when subjects are introduced as something a child “needs to know” by someone other than the child.

Kids are masters at figuring out what they need to know.  All parents need to do is acknowledge that self-directed learning is innate, both in their children and in themselves.    Sandra Dodd said it perfectly in her blog “Just Add Light & Stir” when she wrote:  “When unschooling is working best, nobody is talking about learning.”