aaronswartz

Good point. The poetic reciters learn many thing, but intentionally avoid learning to read and write. They surely have jobs and raise families. So far as my studies indicate, none of the reciters for thousands of years were literate.

I brought this aside forward to indicate that things we believe about educational needs may not explain it all. Now, what you describe above is homeschooling and tutoring. Gentler versions of regular education. Unschooling really means what it says. Kids learn what seems important to them at the time and in ways which they themselves choose. Unless we 'school their minds to mush', kids love learning everything and if allowed, would come to adults with questions. Unschooling does include adult input as requested. Reading, writing, math and world studies would be gobbled up by a mind filled with wonder.