Many families leave traditional educational institutions because they value individual freedom and recognize the ways in which compulsory mass schooling can halt creativity and deter originality in the name of obedience and conformity. But too many wind up replicating the same systems at home. They import the same packaged curriculum and testing, the same gold stars and check marks, the same coercion and control inherent in the brick-and-mortar holding pens where so many children spend the bulk of their early lives.

Today, homeschoolers are increasingly ridding themselves not just of schools but of traditional notions about schooling. These so-called “unschoolers” allow children to explore topics they are passionate about, while being supported by the abundant resources of both real and virtual communities.