Early in my homeschooling journey, I was still very much a traditional teacher at heart. It’s taken me a long time to learn new ways to think about a child’s learning. One of the things I have been thinking about is the value of “output.”

Output can be described as what we ask students to do so that we can see what they have learned. This may be in the form of quizzes, comprehension questions, essays, or more creative assignments. As teachers, we rely on this output to assess how well a student understands what is being taught.

The unschooling philosophy turns that idea on its head. It says that, in a sense, learning is a child’s personal -even private- business, and that we can’t possibly hope to measure all of the connections they make and understanding they gain as they interact with the world around them. At best, we may get a glimpse of all they really know and comprehend.

Which got me thinking: what happens when we don’t require assignments?

Here’s what I discovered:

Conversations are very revealing

As my kids and I have discussed topics of importance to them I’ve gained real insight, not only about what they know, but about how they are interacting with that knowledge. And of course, the discussion itself sparks new thoughts – for all of us.

Listening-in has its place

Now, I’m not advocating being a snoop here, but it’s amazing how much I learn when my kids simply aren’t paying attention to the fact that I’m around. Take, for instance, our many hours spent driving to various activities. I swear at least half the time the kids forget I’m there as they dive into discussions. Staying in the background, but tuned in, gives me all kinds of information about what they’re learning.

Authentic output happens

When kids aren’t required to constantly show us what they are learning through traditional output, they have the time and the space to create output that is meaningful to them. And because they are creating it for their own purposes and pleasure, it gives us a much better glimpse of what they have learned and what information they deem important.

For example, my son is passionate about song-writing and producing music. Last year, as he was doing a deep-dive into paleontology, he was inspired to take what he was learning and make it into a parody of Taylor Swift’s “The Last Great American Dynasty.” Deciding to make it into a music video, he enlisted the help of his sister, who happened to be teaching herself digital art at the time. Hours of collaboration ensued, and you can see the end product below.

So, what happens when “output” is not a requirement? Actually, some pretty cool stuff!