StorySchooling

Attempting to require learning kills it. In case you haven't experienced this yourself, a solid body of research, supports it. But is our only other option letting children do whatever they want? Maria Montessori writes that it is the mentor's job to nurture the will, not break it. Autonomy is a powerful force that can be leveraged (not broken or manipulated) for the child's learning and growth, t...

End the power struggles and extrinsic motivators in your homeschool and find peace and joy in learning with your child. In part 2 of our conversation with Ian and Emma, they advise us on how to shift our role as homeschool parents from being a taskmaster (which is exhausting and typically doesn't produce great results) to becoming a guide. Ian and Emma simplify this by first helping us underst...

Do you have a child who's 15 and hasn't caught that spark that drives extensive and passionate study? Oliver and Rachel DeMille, authors of A Thomas Jefferson Education (TJEd) did, too. In this episode, Emma DeMille Cox (daughter Oliver and Rachel DeMille) and her husband, Ian, share the story of Emma's sister, Eliza. Eliza was 15 and had not yet dived into the rigorous study of Schola...

Our conversation continues with math teacher and homeschool mom Candice Parks, who specializes in helping neurodivergent learners thrive in math. Candice offers encouragement to homeschool parents who struggle in math (or teaching math) themselves. She discusses the meaning of neurodivergent and how you can use whole, engaging, "storyschooling" approaches to math to leverage each child&#...

Elementary school math teacher and homeschool mom Candice Parks shares the wisdom she has gleaned from teaching for 20 years in conventional and homeschool settings. She shares how she gets her students to care and to think by learning math in context of a child's real-world experiences and curiosity, asking the right questions, and allowing her students to meander down unexpected rabbit trail...

Isabel Jarrett shares how her homeschool education, rich in stories and play, led to a science research gig at the University of Washington (not to mention great joy and empowerment in her life.) She also works mentoring the next generation in stories and play at Stone Soup Theater. Isabel lives in the Seattle, Washington area.

Sandy asks Angel's nine-year-old son all about his life and what he's learning--his mountain summit training and achievements, his business studies and goals, and his desire to learn Russian and algebra . We've heard from parents and young adults who were self-directed learners and immersed in stories. Today we get to hear from a child who is in the middle of it. Charles's intervie...

In this episode, homeschool mama Maria Peters tells us the story of how clearing out their busy schedule, which gave her young son lots of time to pursue an interest in drawing, which became a passion. That one passion has been the catalyst of learning skills and knowledge that span subject matter. This is one case study that illustrates this principle: when we allow our children to pursue their o...

Kieva tells her story of how she grew up immersed in stories and following her passions. How did she develop the grit to get into and survive law school? Did her story-based, passion-driven education actually help her do those things? How?

Leverage the full power of stories with your homeschooler or co-op students by understanding the five levels or lenses through which you can explore a book. Angel, Sandy and Claire also discuss what makes a story conducive to engaging discussion, as well as some of their favorite book discussions of all time.

We had the privilege of speaking with Amber O'Neal Johnston, a renowned advocate for inclusive education who shares her journey of homeschooling her four children while embracing the principles of Charlotte Mason. Amber faced a significant turning point in her homeschooling journey when her daughter began expressing discomfort about her identity, questioning her skin color and heritage. This momen...

Many parents fears their child getting bored. We sign them up for lots of activities, sports and other lessons so they don't get bored. And when they plead boredom when they're at home with nothing to do, we often cave and let them watch screens. "After all, they've been so busy and learning so much," we might justify to ourselves. In part two of our conversation with Claire...

One of Stephen and Claire Jones's primary goals for their children is that they learn autodidact skills to become lifelong self-directed learners. In this episode they share four pillars that support this goal: great stories, fostering relationships, weekly mentor meetings, and the right guardrails. Stephen is a professor in the business school at the University of Washington, Bothell campus....

Angel's son Saul shares his experience being raised immersed in stories and freedom to direct his own education, including: 1. How he navigated attending school for the first time in seventh grade, and what he learned academically and socially. 2. His experience attending college at 14 and why he chose that path. 3. His work experiences. 4. His early experiences with risk-taking and how they l...

Our conversation with Hannah and Dana continues as we dive into what it looks like to prioritize autonomy and process over results, and why that actually leads to better learning and growth.

Hannah and Dana's family of nine have traveled the U.S. in a tour bus and are now building their own earthen home together. What learning and growth has occurred through these real-world experiences with a common purpose--intellectually, socially, in skills and character development?

Jennifer Jarrett is founder of Leadership Education Academy for Families (LEAF) in Snohomish, Washington. She shares how she has raised her three children (now ages 21, 17 and 17) immersed in stories and meaning. Her goal for her children is a love of learning, along with the confidence and ability to learn on their own. Jennifer also shares how she has used two of her passions--theater and scienc...

Sandy, Angel and Dr. Wilde discuss what to do when you know that stories are one of the most powerful vehicles for learning, but your child isn't interested.

Pediatrician, author and TEDx speaker Dr. Mary Wilde shares her insight on fostering the growth that the child innately seeks--through respecting the child and involving them in grown-up work. --How do we show respect for a child? --How does grown-up work foster growth and how does it differ from, and go far beyond, just chores? https://drmarywilde.com/ Use coupon code CPFREEX1 for a free trial of...

Shara Jackson Harper, a clinical therapist, shares her professional insight on the life-altering benefits of trusting our kids with their own education and life choices, and how we can better engage with and support them by being a "Creative Collaborator". Shara specializes in women's mental health and life transitions She is the mother of five children whom she homeschooled for ten...

Christina recently enrolled her homeschooled kids in school, but their family band continues to be a pillar of their education. Christina's husband, Ryan, shares his unorthodox approach to teaching his children piano. Sandy and Angel focus on letting kids do REAL things in the real world, and specifically how giving kids opportunities to contribute their talents and skills to a REAL collaborative...

Kristi continues her story and Sandy and Angel help analyze the learning and growth that it yielded. --Why developing passion is important. --The skills that matter more than academics.

Kristi--homeschool mom and chief experience architect at Forethought Wealth--shares the learning and growth that happened when she decided to let her son Harrison pursue his passion and dig up their yard to build a mountain biking jumpline.

Ben Savitt, a homeschool dad and teacher at an alternative high school for ten years, tell us what happened when he let his 7-year-old daughter and her friends plan and execute a camping trip. He teaches us how to develop mutual trust with our children, and be a resource (not a taskmaster) as they lead out, do the work and even fail.

Elise, age 23, tells us about her experience growing up as a self-directed learner. The foundation of her education was great books, real experiences and pursuing her passion for dance.