When you first step away from the school system, you leave behind all their built-in ways of measuring progress - the grades, the tests, the reading levels...In this week's mini-episode, I'm sharing the simple daily practice we use to record, track, and review progress in our family.
"I'm having a hard time striking the right balance between following my child's lead, and making sure they're also doing hard things and putting in effort."
You hear a lot about what you’ll need when you first choose to live life without school. The resources, curriculum options, books you should read, the local groups to join. But there's something else that matters more than any of that.
I've been thinking a lot about this line in my post from the other day: "We've created a world where a child's greatest achievement is being low maintenance."
With all the talk about following children's interests and nurturing their passions early, this is a common worry. But understanding what's really happening during this stage of childhood will completely change how you see your child's play.
Homeschoolers and unschoolers are often asked how they can be sure of this, and today I'm going to give you a path to answering it.
Being a trained teacher involves a lot of things. But it’s important to understand that a good deal of that training relates to skills that apply specifically to a school setting...
I have a short but incredibly empowering tidbit for you today: If you look at most current definitions of the word ‘educate’, they will talk about the act or process of imparting knowledge or skill. They will focus on systematic instruction, teaching, and schooling. But the Latin word it came...
Sunday, 10am, a week before Christmas 2022. I’ve just pulled our car and caravan onto a narrow strip of gravel near the highest point of Arthur’s Pass. Arguably the most stunning of three alpine passes that traverse the Southern Alps on the South Island of New Zealand, and...
What you think you need to teach your homeschooled children: math, science, history, language. What you really need to teach them: How to question How to explore How to communicate How to fail How to listen How to believe in themselves How to understand others How to respect differences in...
Yes, life can be hard. Yes, it will throw challenges at you. But many of the things we talk about as being hard when it comes to school don't transfer to navigating true, rewarding life challenges.
