I am so excited that you've made the decision to join me as I help you guide your child through the transformative process of de schooling and rediscovering the joys of learning. First let me congratulate you on taking this significant step. The fact that you've trusted me enough to let me support you on this important, exciting, and sometimes daunting journey of homeschooling means a lot.
Because you're here, I already know two important things about you. First, I know that you care deeply about your child's education and well being. You've chosen to homeschool because you believe that the public school system doesn't meet the needs or values you hold for your child's growth. You've taken the bold step to provide an environment where your child can thrive, free from the constraints and harm often found in traditional schooling.
The second thing I know is that you recognize the need to undo the negative impacts that the public school system has had on your child. You bought this course because you want to help your child regain their confidence, independence, creativity, and passion for learning. You understand that the transition from public school to homeschooling involves more than just changing the location of their education.
It's about fundamentally shifting how they experience learning and growth. Maybe you've seen other homeschooling families who seem to have it all figured out, and you wonder why you and your child are still struggling with confidence and motivation. You might worry about how to foster creativity and a love of learning in your child after years in a restrictive school environment.
Let me assure you what you are feeling is completely normal. I've been there too. Homeschooling, especially after public school, can be really challenging. In my 16 years of homeschooling my seven kids and helping thousands of moms, I've developed unique methods and tools to help children rediscover their love of learning and to rebuild their confidence, as well as helping moms feel confident that they are giving their child the best learning environment, experiences, and support that they can.
This course is designed to guide you through de schooling, helping your child to regain their independence and creativity, and creating an enriching homeschooling experience that benefits both you and your child. Let's get started.
About Me
Let me tell you a little bit about myself. So I live in Naples, Florida with my husband and my seven children, and we've been homeschooling for the past 16 years. Now, with this method that you're going to be learning, we've graduated two kids from high school at the age of 16 and plan to follow suit with the rest of our kids.
My oldest made the Dean's List in college at age 17 without any formal experience in a classroom setting, any experience with standardized testing, writing papers, et cetera. So this method truly works when the child gets to become the master of their education. Over the past 16 years, I've developed my own frameworks and philosophy around empowered learning and living.
Transitioning from public school to homeschooling, and we're going to call that de schooling, is a topic that comes up often from the families I've helped over the years. I've developed the Empowered Learning Method to reset your beliefs, habits, routines, and expectations for homeschooling, so that you get the perfect start to your homeschooling journey.
Course Overview
Let's talk about the course overview. We're going to start by doing a public school detox, breaking down the limiting beliefs and the behavioral issues that might be affecting your child heading into your new homeschooling journey. With Fresh Eyes, we're going to talk about the six empowered principles, the philosophy of how you will be homeschooling, which will also affect your parenting in an abundance minded versus scarcity way.
From there, we're going to have real implementation with our five empowered habits.
Foundations
Let's first talk about some foundations of this program. Let's briefly look at three key influences on my empowered learning method. Now, 16 years ago, when I was considering homeschooling, these authors had a huge impact because I began to understand how a child's brain works, that our children are wired to want to learn, that it doesn't need to be forced upon them by an adult, but we stand as mentors to support them on their own unique journey.
Now, the first of these key influences in my life and in this program was John Holt. Now he was an American educator, author, and advocate for homeschooling. He was a critic of the American public education system and believed that traditional schooling was often ineffective and even harmful to children.
And he argued that. Parents should be the ones guiding and trusting their children and supporting them in their education. These are some of my favorite books that he's written. How Children Learn and How Children Fail are excellent books to start of John Holtz. The next key player is John Taylor Gatto.
Now he critiqued The compulsory schooling and its history and spoke out about this often, even as a teacher for 30 years in the New York City public school system. He was always looking for ways to give his students freedom and control in the school setting. And his books are absolutely incredible. And he really wanted to encourage real world learning.
And he provided a lot of that for his students in public school. And he wrote some incredible books. The Dumbing Us Down is one of my favorites and Weapons of Mass Instruction. And the third key player is Peter Gray. Now his phenomenal book came out well into my homeschooling experience. It came in about 2012, but
His key takeaways were the importance of play leading to real learning, and the role of parents as mentors. Now, he was an American psychologist, researcher, and scholar. He is best known for his work on the interaction between our children's education and play, and how it all happens at the same time. One of my favorite books of all time is his book, free to learn why unleashing the instinct to play will make our children happier, more self reliant and better students for life.
This is probably my favorite book, hands down for homeschooling and parenting. Okay. So beyond theory, beyond the philosophy that those authors totally rocked my world and understanding that children want to learn, and we just need to help set out that path comes down to my time tested method. With my Empowered Learning Method, I take these principles from Holt, Gatto, and Gray, and others, and I combine them with my 16 plus years of homeschool experience, my experience of being a mom to seven kids, and my experience helping thousands via Instagram, my coaching program, and my Empowered Homeschool Club.
Now that you have some background, let's get into the core of the program.
Identifying Negative Effects
Let's talk about identifying toxic effects of public schooling. When you take the free will out of education, that turns it into schooling, said John Taylor Gatto. He also said compulsory schooling is a tyranny that destroys the natural love of learning. And that is the whole purpose of this program to restore that natural innate love of learning in your child.
So I want to talk a little bit about this pyramid. At the bottom, we have foundational value. Then we have belief. Principle, practice, and result. So in every aspect of your life, in your child's life, every result in your life are the results of beliefs and values, whether you are aware of them or not. So to kick off our course, it's really important to understand the negative effects that may be hurting your child because of that public school experience and mindset before we proceed to understand a far better approach 📍 to raising your child. More times than not, those toxic traits affect every part of how our child sees the world and themselves. So let me give you an example of how this pyramid works. Here's an example, a foundational value. All people are children of God. That would lead us to a belief that all people have value and worth.
And if we believe that, then the principle is all people should be treated with respect and kindness. And if we believe that to be true, a practice would be that you are kind, generous, and respectful to all people you meet. And what is the result? The world is a better place because people receive kindness from you.
So I want you to understand that foundational approach. Cause now we are going to look at the results of public schooling on your child and ask why questions until you get to the foundational value at the base. This is a really great exercise. So these are some public school results. Okay. The first we're going to talk about that result, something that you might be experiencing and seeing in your child.
These are also things that you might be able to detect in yourself. If you too have been in the public school system. I know that I have had to overcome a lot of these things. So let's look at this result. The child doubts her abilities and worth. That's going to lead to the practice frequent grading and public comparisons.
That was the practice. The principle ranking and sorting students is necessary. The belief academic performance shows value of child and the foundational value Competition and hierarchical thinking. Okay. Let's try another one. Student struggles with self directed learning. Now this is a really core result.
If your child has been in the school system, that is because teacher centered lectures and learning were the practice. Teachers are the primary source of knowledge was the principal. Children are empty vessels to be filled with information is the belief. And the foundational value is that hierarchy and top down transmission of knowledge.
It's key that that's how kids learn. Let's look at another one. Social stress and conformity issues. That is the result. Are children feeling this constant stress in the school setting? The practice is age segregated classrooms and social cliques. The principle is socialization should happen primarily with same age peers, which I would add is not replicated anywhere else in any period of time through our child's life, where they will experience being at the same age all the time.
That leads from the belief, which is social skills are best developed in a school environment, which leads to the foundational belief, age based segregation and peer centric socialization. Are the valuable foundation. Okay, so here are the foundational values of public school and the effects they produce.
Public School Effects Part 2
Okay, so we're going to be talking about the base of that foundation that is going to lead to beliefs. It's going to lead to actions and results. This is really important for you to understand if your child has been in the system of the public school, or maybe they haven't yet, but you were in the school system.
And until you can understand those public school foundational values and how they can affect your beliefs and your actions, your understanding of yourself and your capabilities. You aren't going to be able to raise your child in a positive abundance minded, growth minded environment for homeschooling.
So let's cover some of these. We're going to be talking about overly structured learning and theoretical instruction, skepticism of children's capabilities, teacher directed instruction, conformity and standardization, institutional and classroom centered learning and extrinsic motivation. So the first one is the overly structured learning and theoretical instruction.
Perfect example of what a traditional public school classroom looks like. Lots of box checking and rote memorization of useless facts. I went to public school. I remembered a lot for those exams, but very little has stayed with me through the adult years. A lot of the things that I learned in public school were out of context.
I wasn't in the museum experiencing the artist for myself or having kinesthetic hands on experiences to understand what I was learning. So this is one of the big flaws of public school. Emphasis is placed on structured classroom based learning and theoretical knowledge, right? So learning in that little cubicle.
Play and real world experiences are often viewed as secondary or extracurricular activities rather than integral parts of the learning process. Now we're going to be talking about the value of those real world experiences that play all of those things that actually stay with our children for years and decades because they are experiencing them firsthand.
The second foundational value of the public school is the teacher directed education. So you can think of control through authority. Okay. Education is directed by teachers and administrators who determine what and how children should learn. I can tell you, as you learn the method in the next couple sections, you're going to start to see that your kids will up as you turn the baton over to them to come to figure out what they're interested in and passionate in.
And they have this real motivation and drive to learn when they get to have a say. There is a little room for student autonomy or self directed learning and children are expected to conform to predetermined educational pathways. So once again, no free will. No choice in what they're learning, how it's taught, any of those things.
We are treating each child like they are robots, and they have to have the same learning capabilities, bandwidth, developmental level, all of those things. Okay, the third, institutional and classroom centered education. So this is really learning as an institutional activity, okay? The free will is totally gone.
As John Taylor Gatto said is essential in a child's education. So education here is largely confined to the classroom and the school as an institution, right? They're not going to the cultural event in town. They're not going to a dance performance and having these real experiences. They're not going to the concert.
They're not going to the historical museum and getting to see what the people are like from the location that they live in, right? They are, Learning everything in the box in this institution, a school and the role of family and community is often limited to peripheral support with little integration into the formal learning process.
So those things are kind of pushed out. The idea is that learning happens in one place, right? We don't learn at home. We don't learn at museums. We don't learn in other places on road trips with the family, seeing the country that we live in. Learning happens in this one box. Conformity and standardization.
So this is like children becoming cogs in a machine. Now, if you've learned any of the history of the public school, it's phenomenal. John Taylor Gatta, one of his books talks about that. the underground history of the public school system. will blow your mind, but it truly public school was established to make workers that can't think for themselves, that know how to work and that just can perform duties, right?
So that is honestly and literally the beginning of the history of the public school system. So the system emphasizes conformity. Obedience and the importance of standardized testing, creativity and individuality are often stifled in favor of uniformity and measurable outcomes. And we see this across our nation.
We see this around the world that this conformity completely stifles creativity, being independent, thinking independently, having critical thinking skills, right? We're going to talk a little bit more about that later. The next one is extrinsic motivation and standardized curricula. So this is learning driven by external pressures.
So there is a real thing between an abundance mindset and a scarcity mindset. The public school system 100 percent is driven by the scarcity mindset, right? Rules, expectations, pressure to look and act a certain way every single day. I don't care what your background is that you want to think differently.
Thank you. We have these external pressures, right? So children are motivated by grades, rewards, and the threat of punishment. I can tell you one little side note. When our subconscious brain is taking over, when we're going on a walk, when we're out playing and we feel free, Guess what happens? That's when all real learning happens.
That's when we grow and progress, when we come up with our best ideas, and when we problem solve. And it's no different for our children. When we feel the opposite of that, when we feel pressure to perform, when we have harsh deadlines, It shuts off that creative part of our brain, that subconscious part of our brain.
So we are doing work to check a box. So that learning doesn't stick, right? Because that learning was only happening because of pressure or threat of punishment. Standardized curricula dictate what is learned. Often disregarding individual interests and curiosity. So we're shutting off any of the things that inspire the child.
They have a very strict course that they have to follow because of that external pressure. And guess what? They have to bring home grades. They have to show grades to mom and dad, which adds to that pressure, right? And being judged. Skepticism of children's capabilities. Now this is emphasis on adult led learning.
Something that the authors that I shared with you earlier were, completely against. And so many case points of children that have grown through the teen years, that had that independence to grow into themselves, follow their own passions. Okay, so there's an underlying assumption that children require constant guidance and control to learn effectively.
Adults are seen as the primary source of knowledge and authority, and children's natural abilities to learn independently are often undervalued. Thank you So I want you to think about this. We've been raised in a culture because of the public school system to believe I can only get my child to like learning if an adult is telling them exactly what to do.
I can tell you from my 16 years of homeschooling with this method I'm going to teach you. There is nothing further from the truth. I have four of my children that have their own businesses because they were motivated, that have taught themselves their own instrument, their own language, that have learned so much and become masters in different aspects of their lives.
Because they were not adult led, they were intrinsically motivated themselves. Okay. So here's some of the results you may see from these toxic principles that we talked about. Remember the base of that pyramid. So those things that we talked about compliance over creativity, social comparison, reduced motivation.
I want you to think, can you see this in the behavior or the limiting beliefs of your child? Okay. Loss of autonomy, fear of failure, fear of trying anything new because you might mess up. Fixed mindset development, attention and focus issues, low self esteem, reduced critical thinking, conformity pressure, limited passion for learning, reduced motivation, aggressive or withdrawal.
Dependence on external validation. So we're going to briefly go through these. These are really important and there's going to be a worksheet at the end. So don't feel like you need to remember all these things, but I want you to think about something that I've experienced with working with hundreds and hundreds of moms over the years.
on this homeschooling journey when they put their kids in school. And then by the time they brought them out of school, they saw this light, leave their eyes going from being home and going into the school system. So I want you to think about what is it that you have seen missing in your child? Is it that excitement to be creative, to think, to play independently?
As we go through this, we are going to end with a worksheet where you can. Write out the things that you see in your own child so that we can rework those in the next section. Okay, so the first one is compliance over creativity. The rigid structure and rules in public schools can lead to children prioritizing compliance over creative thinking and problem solving skills.
Okay, so they've been so accustomed to being told what to do that when they are on their own accord, they can't quite think for themselves, create, or problem solve without being told what to do. The next one, reduced motivation. Standardized testing and a one size fits all curriculum can diminish intrinsic motivation to learn, making education feel more like a chore than an engaging activity.
So is this something that you see in your child? Attention and focus issues. The often overstimulating and crowded classroom environments can contribute to difficulty concentrating and paying attention. Aggression or withdrawal. Exposure to bullying or peer pressure can result in aggressive behavior or social withdrawal and isolation.
Now lots of times if your child has been in the school system for a while, a lot of these traits and behaviors show up when they're home. Pulling away from the family, being aggressive with the family, these can be results because of the public school experience. Dependence on external validation.
Constant grading and evaluation can lead children to seek approval from external sources rather than developing internal motivation and self worth. Anxiety and stress, high stakes testing, homework, and academic pressure can contribute to significant stress and anxiety, sometimes leading To chronic conditions, low self-esteem, frequent comparisons to peers and negative feedback can damage a child's self-esteem and self-worth fear of failure.
The fear of making mistakes or failing can inhibit risk taking and the development of a growth mindset where challenges are viewed as opportunities to learn. And I can tell you that children are designed to want to take risks because in those risks, they come to find out what their strengths are and their weaknesses are.
Loss of autonomy. The lack of choice and control over their learning can result in feelings of helplessness and a reduced sense of autonomy. Conformity pressure. The emphasis on conformity and fitting in can suppress individuality and discourage children from expressing their true selves. Where they want to fit in, where they don't know how to stand alone or be a part or be confident in who they are.
They would rather just fit in with a group. Social comparison. Constant evaluation and comparison with peers can lead to feelings of envy, jealousy, and inadequacy. Reduced critical thinking. A focus on rote memorization and standardized testing can stifle critical thinking and problem solving skills.
Limited passion for learning. The standardized curriculum might not cater to individual interest, leading to a decreased passion for learning and exploration. And I would say the standardized curriculum really doesn't cater to any group because it's organized for the masses. Fixed mindset development.
Children might develop a fixed mindset, which is often the case, believing that their abilities are static and unchangeable based on their performance in a standardized educational system. So the opposite of the fixed mindset is the growth mindset. And that's what we're going to be diving into soon. Now that you know these and can see the problems with the foundational principles, we now need to replace those harmful principles with solid, empowering ones.
Before we get to the empowered principles though, please fill out the identifying negative public school effects worksheet.
6 Empowered Principles (Intro)
The six empowered principles. Now, the six empowered principles we're about to explore are not just theory. They are the bedrock of successful, joyful homeschooling. They matter because they directly address and replace the harmful foundations we already identified in the public school system. By embracing these principles, you'll create an environment where your child's natural love of learning can flourish and you will gain confidence in your ability to provide a rich, empowering education.
So welcome to the heart of the course, the six empowered principles. These principles form the acronym THRIVE, which encapsulates our approach to homeschooling. Each principle is designed to create an environment where your child can flourish, learning in the most natural and effective way possible.
Let's dive into each principle and explore how it can transform your homeschooling journey.
Public School Detox
Public school detox, de schooling. Now, what is de schooling anyway? You've heard me talk about it in this program. De schooling is the transitional process of shifting away from traditional schooling methods and mindsets towards a more natural, child led approach to learning. And I would also say, as you go through this de schooling process, It's going to replace those scarcity beliefs in your child about themselves and their capacity and capabilities to an abundance mindset.
Now, there are six areas of de schooling. Let's talk about those. The first is unlearning. So it's a lot of undoing of what school's done. So it's going to be shedding ingrained habits. expectations on the child and beliefs about education that may limit their learning potential. The second is decompression.
This is really significant when your child has been in the system at school and you're bringing them home. Decompression allows time for both children and parents to recover from the stress of school. An overstructure of formula schooling. The third is rediscovery. Rekindling a child's natural curiosity and love for learning, often through unstructured play and exploration, right?
So it's taking them from a hyper stressful, hyper structured environment, and bringing them home to a liberated place where they can think for themselves, make decisions, play, and have a lot of downtime. To decompress, to get excited about passions and hobbies and exploring again. Okay. The fourth area is a mindset shift.
Moving from an externally driven curriculum focused approach to an internally motivated, Interest led style of learning. And we're going to talk about how that's done in the next section. Family adaptation, adjusting family dynamics and routines to support a more flexible, integrated approach to education, changing up your day, changing up your week so that you're working more like a family machine and you're supporting one another.
There's flexibility. There's some structure, but there's also downtime for free play. And the last one is trust building, developing confidence in a child's innate ability to learn and grow without constant external direction, helping them build trust. means that you need to begin with trusting your child.
They have been in this program of schooling where they have been told what to do every moment of their day. So we're going to be transitioning in that de schooling with that last section of trust building where they can begin to trust themselves. Picking their own books, picking their own projects, and feeling that confidence again.
So it's really about breaking free from limiting beliefs about what learning should look like, right? The model of the public school system shows us at this grade you have to know this, you have to be an expert in this kind of math, this kind of history. Well, this is very different. We are breaking down these limiting beliefs of what the child needs to look like, the things they need to know, how their brain is filled with facts, right?
It's about liberating the child, breaking free from those limiting beliefs and letting the child begin to explore and live a real. Positive, happy, invigorating life for many children and parents. It's a healing process, honestly, allowing time to recover from negative experiences in the school system. So for some kids, it takes some months to have that de schooling before you begin to plan out your homeschooling journey.
But the bottom line is you should be able to see a change in your child. Through the deschooling process, that light return to their eyes, the excitement for new adventures out of the house, building and baking and trying new skills, having new experiences because their beliefs have been shifted and they feel that abundance again, in their hearts.
Deschooling helps your child rediscover natural learning rhythms that may have been suppressed. Now, this one's really important. As I mentioned before, some of the foundational leaders. to this method have studied how children learn. they've observed them in a school setting. They've observed them outside of a school setting.
And we know for a fact that that natural learning rhythm is deep within our children. And oftentimes the school experience suppresses that. So this opportunity for de schooling helps the whole family rediscover natural learning rhythms together. By taking the time to de school you're building a strong foundation for your entire homeschooling journey.
Remember, we're breaking down those limiting beliefs and we're giving space and freedom for some healing to happen for that child before they begin a new experience, which will be homeschooling.
Signs of Successful De-Schooling
So I just want to talk about what it looks like for a successful experience of de schooling. What are the signs of successful de schooling?
Honestly, de schooling delivers. Real authentic childhood to our kids. No expectations, no pressure. They can be in the wild building forts, foraging mushrooms, playing, asking you for help, baking something in the kitchen, building something with Legos. It's really when the child finds that peace within them again, that was suppressed.
In their school experience when there was a lot of pressure on them. So these are some of the signs of successful de schooling. Number one is comfort with unstructured time. So this is once again the opposite of what they experienced in school. Comfort with unstructured time. They're at peace with it.
Your child begins to explore topics of interest on their own, starting projects or investigations without prompting, which demonstrates a rekindled intrinsic motivation to learn. This is real, folks. This is real. That de schooling process helps them to get excited about new experiences that they can provide, asking for help with something they want to learn about, but that child is alive again.
Okay. Another sign of that successful de schooling is natural daily rhythms emerging. You observe your child naturally falling into productive routines that align with their energy levels and interests rather than adhering to externally imposed schedules. Showing an ability to self regulate. So I love this one.
As you are finding this time that your child has had to make space for themselves, to think for themselves again, you are going to begin to see routines that they're building in their day or they're allowing you to help build in their day. Because they get to run their day based on their own energy levels and interests, not what their teacher is telling them.
Another successful sign is renewed curiosity and questioning. You notice an increase in your child's inquisitiveness, asking deeper questions about the world around them and showing genuine interest in discovering answers, indicating a restored natural love of learning. So once again, that child Left to their own devices is innately driven to ask questions, to be curious, to want to understand where this slug that they found in the front yard, what does it eat?
Where does it live? And so as your child is finding that peace through the de schooling, they're going to be asking deeper questions. They're going to be wanting help researching things in a book online. And this is really a sign that that natural love of learning has been restored. Improved mood and reduced stress.
Your child exhibits a more positive outlook, with fewer signs of anxiety or frustration related to learning, suggesting a release from the pressures often associated with traditional schooling. So nobody is enforcing really strict deadlines or really strict expectations during this de schooling process.
They're beginning to trust themselves. Their nervous system is calm and relaxed. And so those signs of anxiety and frustration in learning. Disappear. They are allowed to learn and grow at their own pace. Self initiated learning projects. Your child begins to explore topics of interest on their own. This is the most wonderful thing to witness.
Starting projects or investigations without prompting, which demonstrates a rekindled intrinsic motivation to learn. So they are beginning to be self initiated in the things that they are passionate about. Things that they want to improve on, asking for help, wanting to understand the world around them, but it's starting within.
Now, as we've gone through that, we are going to pause and I want you to finish and fill out this de schooling action plan before we move forward.
Trust
Trust, embracing children's natural learning ability. The trust principle is about having faith in your child's natural ability and desire to learn. It's recognizing that learning isn't something we do to children, but rather a process we support them through. This principle asks us to shift our perspective from seeing ourselves as the source of knowledge to being facilitators of discovery.
By embracing this principle, we acknowledge curiosity as the true engine of education. Trust is critical in the learning process for several reasons. When we trust in our children's ability to learn, we foster their intrinsic motivation. They learn because they want to, not because they're forced to.
This trust builds their confidence and self esteem as they see what we believe in their capabilities. It also encourages them to take risks in their learning, knowing that it's okay to make mistakes. Lastly, trust creates a positive learning environment where exploration and questions are welcomed and valued.
One of our biggest challenges in applying the trust principle is overcoming our own doubts and fears. Many of us have been conditioned by traditional schooling to believe that learning must look a certain way. We might fear that our children will fall behind if we don't control every aspect of their education.
Overcoming these doubts involves trusting the learning process and recognizing that growth often involves periods of uncertainty. Remember, every child develops at their own pace, and what might look like falling behind could actually be a period of internal processing and growth. Trust in action.
Applying the trust principle in your homeschooling journey involves several key actions. First, focus on providing a rich and diverse learning environment rather than a rigid curriculum. This could mean having a variety of books, art supplies, and building materials available. Second, be attentive to your child's interests and questions.
Using these as spring boards for learning. Third, allow ample time for exploration and what might seem like unproductive play. Often this is where the deepest learning occurs. Lastly, resist the urge to over schedule or over structure your child's time. Trust that in the right environment, with your support, your child will naturally engage in meaningful learning.
Hands-On
📍 📍 The next principle is hands on. Prioritize play and experiential learning. The hands on principle is about prioritizing experiential learning and play in education. It recognizes that children learn best when they're actively engaged with their environment, using their senses and bodies to explore and understand the world around them.
This principle values play not just as a break from learning, but as a crucial educational tool. It emphasizes the importance of tactile and kinesthetic approaches moving beyond abstract concepts to concrete experiences. And I thought it'd be fun to share this photo of my daughter years ago when we were exploring architecture in the East.
And I found her by the tree one day. Having these hands on experiences from books that we had read and stories that she had listened to, pictures that we had found online, documentaries that we had watched, and she had incorporated that beautifully with these kinesthetic experiments outdoors. Hands on learning is critical for several reasons.
First, it significantly enhances understanding and retention of concepts. When children physically engage with what they're learning, they create stronger neural connections. making the knowledge more lasting. Secondly, hands on experiences naturally develop problem solving skills as children get to figure out how things work.
Like in this picture, this approach also encourages creativity and innovation as children are free to experiment and think outside the box. Lastly, hands on learning builds skills that are directly applicable to real world situations, bridging the gap between theory and practice. So play is a powerhouse when it comes to learning.
It's not just fun, it's a crucial tool for cognitive, social, and emotional development for our kids. Through play, children naturally explore their environment and take risks. which is essential for learning. Play also develops crucial executive function skills like planning, organizing, and decision making.
Perhaps most importantly, play makes learning enjoyable and intrinsically motivating. When children are having fun, they're more engaged and more likely to persist in challenging tasks. As I mentioned in this photo, I remember coming out and watching my daughter try to build these and work through problem solving, working through her little towers collapsing.
And so because it was fun and engaging, she stayed for hours until they were the way that she had envisioned them. Applying the hands on principle in your homeschooling involves several strategies. First, create an environment rich in materials for exploration. Think art supplies, building blocks, scientific equipment, tools, etc.
Next, look for ways to incorporate hands on activities into all subjects. For example, use manipulatives in math. conduct experiments in science, and create models or dioramas for history. Allow plenty of time for open ended exploration and experimentation without predetermined outcomes.
Finally, use real world projects to apply learning. Cooking for math and chemistry, gardening for biology, building for physics, and so on.
Real World
The next principle is real world. And now this is applying knowledge through authentic experiences.
The real world principle is about bridging the gap between academic learning and real life application, something that we rarely see in the public school system.
It emphasizes the importance of connecting what children learn to authentic situations that they encounter in their daily lives and will face in the future. This principle challenges the artificial divide that's created between school and real life, recognizing that true learning happens when knowledge is applied in meaningful context.
By embracing this principle, we prepare our children, not just to know things, but to use that knowledge effectively in the world.
So real world learning is critical for several reasons. Firstly, it enhances the relevance of what children are learning. It increases their motivation and engagement. When children see how knowledge applies to real situations, they are more likely to invest in the learning process.
Secondly, it develops practical skills alongside academic knowledge, giving children a more well rounded education. Real world learning naturally improves problem solving and critical thinking skills because children have to navigate complex, authentic situations. Perhaps most importantly, this approach prepares children for future careers and life challenges by giving them experiences and applying knowledge.
In meaningful ways. Now, this is my son. As he watched my husband with his axe, chopped trees down to make firewood. He was ready for this real life experience and he learned how to do it safely and properly under my husband's supervision. And so he began to use that real life experience to help in the yard and it improved his confidence and those skills have carried on with him throughout his life.
Applying the real world principle in your homeschooling involves several strategies. Consider incorporating community service and volunteering into your curriculum. This not only applies learning but also develops empathy and civic responsibility. Use real world problems as the basis for learning. For example, studying local ecology through a conservation project.
Engage in entrepreneurial projects that apply math, writing, and interpersonal skills. Seek out mentorships or apprenticeships in areas for your child's interest, allowing them to learn directly from practitioners in various fields. Remember, the goal is to consistently connect learning to real authentic experiences.
Making education a living, relevant part of your child's life. This same son who loved building things and creating things. I sought out friends of ours that had experience in engineering and construction, and we would have them over for dinner and dessert so that he could have experiences with experts that could teach him and guide him.
Individual
The next principle is individual. Honor unique learning styles and paces. The Individual Principle is about recognizing and honoring the uniqueness of each child in their learning journey. It acknowledges that children have diverse learning styles, develop at different rates, and have unique strengths and interests. This principle moves away from a one size fits all approach to education, and instead embraces the idea of tailoring the learning experience to each child.
It values the diverse ways children think and learn, understanding that there are many paths to knowledge and skill development. And this is a tender picture to me in sharing this because two of my seven kids have dyslexia. So this ability to focus on the individual and how they learn and those strengths in their learning, just diving into dyslexia has been incredible to be able to guide those children and support their strengths.
Individualized learning is critical for several reasons. First, it maximizes each child's potential in learning by working through their natural strengths and preferences. This approach boosts confidence and self esteem as children experience success in their learning. It also significantly reduces frustration and enhances enjoyment in learning as children are not forced to conform to methods that don't work from them.
Additionally, this individualized approach prepares children for a diverse and specialized world. Where understanding one's unique strengths and how to leverage them is crucial for success. Every child has a unique set of strengths and abilities. Some children excel in traditional academic areas like math or language, while others shine in creative pursuits like art or music.
Some children have remarkable physical sports, and they excel in sports or dance, while others have strong social skills, showing natural leadership or empathy. By recognizing and valuing this wide range of strengths, we can help each child develop confidence and find their own path to success. Remember, intelligence and capability come in many forms, and what matters is nurturing each child's individual gifts.
Applying the individual principle in your homeschooling involves several strategies. Start by carefully observing and documenting your child's learning preferences. Do they learn best through reading, listening, hands on experiences, or a combination? Offer choices in how to approach learning tasks. For example, allowing a history lesson to be completed through a written report, a dramatic presentation, or a visual project.
Be willing to adjust the pacing of learning based on your child's needs, moving quickly through areas of strength and slowing down where more time is needed. Finally, make a point of celebrating and nurturing your child's unique strengths, whether they're in traditional academic areas or in other forms of intelligence like music, athletics, or interpersonal skills.
Remember, the goal is to create a learning environment where your child can thrive in their unique way.
Voluntary
The next principle is voluntary. Foster autonomy and self direction. The voluntary principle is about fostering autonomy and self direction in your child's learning journey. It emphasizes the importance of allowing and encouraging children to take the lead in their education.
This principle recognizes that when children have a say in what and how they learn, they're far more engaged and motivated. It's about moving from a top down approach where adults dictate all aspects of learning to a collaborative approach where children are active participants in shaping their educational experience.
Voluntary learning is critical for several reasons. First, it significantly increases engagement and motivation. When children choose what to learn, they're naturally more interested and invested in the process. This approach also develops critical thinking and problem solving skills because children learn to make decisions about their own education.
Voluntary learning builds self confidence and independence as children see themselves as capable learners who can direct their own growth. Perhaps most importantly, this principle prepares children by teaching them how to take initiative in acquiring new knowledge and skills. Now, this photo that I'm sharing is a really wonderful photo to give this example of being Autonomous.
My daughter in this photo at a young age was gifted with being able to play the piano by ear. She loved music. And on this journey of being autonomous in our homeschooling and using these principles I'm teaching you, she began to find, she found a program and taught herself how to play the guitar. She asked for recording equipment.
For Christmas one year, and through using different programs online, professional programs, learned how to write music, and you can fast forward five years after planting that seed of autonomy in her designing and curating her own education, now she has produced and has music on Spotify, and she's 18 years old, so this autonomy principle is so powerful, this volunteering, Being interested in what you're passionate about and that driving you forward is a super powerful principle.
Giving children choices in their learning is a powerful way to implement the voluntary principle. This doesn't mean children have complete free reign. but rather they have options within a supportive structure. You might offer choices in what subjects or topics to explore, allowing your child to follow their interests, provide options in how to learn through reading, watching videos, hands on projects, or field trips.
Allow flexibility in when and how quickly to move through material. Encourage your child to set their own goals and evaluate their progress. Remember, the aim is to gradually increase the level of choice and self direction as your child develops and demonstrates responsibility. So in our home, following this method, once my children are teenagers, they have these principles down.
And so they beautifully organize their day in their homeschooling and they are set for the day and on their own path.
Applying the voluntary principle in your homeschooling involves several strategies. Start by creating a learning environment rich in resources and supplies from books, educational games, Tools in the kitchen, art supplies.
So your child has many options to explore. Involve your child in curriculum and schedule planning, asking for their input and preferences. Use open ended projects and inquiry based learning approaches that allow your child to take the lead in their exploration. Importantly, teach and model decision making skills.
Show your child how to weigh options. Consider consequences and make informed choices. Remember fostering autonomy is a gradual process. Start with small choices and increase the level of self direction as your child grows in capability and confidence.
Environment
Environment. Create rich, diverse learning spaces. Now the Environment Principle recognizes that learning doesn't just happen in our minds, it's deeply influenced by our surroundings. This principle is about intentionally creating spaces that invite exploration, creativity, and discovery. It goes beyond just the physical setup of a room, to include the resources available.
The incorporation of outdoor spaces and the overall emotional atmosphere. By focusing on the environment, we can create conditions that naturally support and enhance learning. And this is a simple picture of one of our many homeschooling rooms. We call them an art room, but I design it to inspire my kids.
We're going to talk about that a little bit later. Now the learning environment is critical for several reasons. A well designed space naturally stimulates curiosity and engagement, inviting children to explore and learn. Diverse environments support different learning styles and activities, allowing children to find what works best for them.
The right environment can also reduce stress and enhance focus, making learning more effective, and enjoyable. Additionally, by creating intentional learning spaces, we model the value of continuous learning, showing children that education is an important and integrated part of life.
Nature plays a powerful role in learning environments. Outdoor experiences offer unique opportunities for hands on learning, physical activity, and connection with the natural world. Even indoors, incorporating natural elements like plants, natural light, or nature themed decor can have a calming and focusing effect.
I know in our home, we always have a little corner that we call the nature station. And when we find things, Shells, twigs, maybe a mushroom. My kids know exactly where to bring it. And we keep a little microscope, a magnifying glass. And so it's a very special place in our environment, indoors, to celebrate nature.
You can connect your curriculum to nature through science experiments, nature journaling, or use natural materials in art. This approach not only enhances learning, but also helps develop environmental awareness and appreciation for the world around them. Remember, the environment in this principle includes both indoor and outdoor spaces.
Applying the environment principle in your homeschooling involves several strategies. Consider setting up diverse activity areas, a reading nook, an art station, a building area or a quiet study space. Regularly rotate and refresh learning materials to maintain interest and cater to evolving needs and interests.
Incorporate technology thoughtfully, ensuring it enhances rather than dominates the learning experience. Importantly, involve your children in designing and maintaining their learning spaces. This gives them ownership and teaches valuable skills in organization and design. Remember, the ideal learning environment will look differently for each family and may change over time.
The key is to create spaces that support and inspire learning in ways that work for your unique situation. So in our family, like I said, We use our space very intentionally, and we always have a little corner that we call our pen pal station, where you can find envelopes, stationery, thesauruses, dictionaries, um, pencils, stamps, and all the things to inspire them in that journey of writing.
And once again, we are using our space to thoroughly inspire our kids.
5 Empowered Practices
The Five Empowered Practices. Peter Gray said self education through play and exploration requires enormous amounts of unscheduled time. Time to do whatever one wants to do without pressure, judgment, or intrusion from authority figures. That time is needed to make friends, play with ideas and materials, experience and overcome boredom, learn from one's own mistakes, and develop passions.
From principles to practice, bringing Thrive to life. Now we've explored Thrive principles, which provide a strong foundation for your homeschooling journey. However, principles alone aren't enough to transform your homeschooling experience. That's where practices come in. The five empowered practices we're about to explore are how you will bring these principles to life in your daily homeschooling routine.
Remember it's your daily habits and actions that will create lasting change And truly embody the Thrive approach
practices matter because they're where the rubber meets the road in your homeschooling journey by consistently applying these practices, you'll reinforce and internalize the Thrive principles, you'll start to see tangible results, which will build your confidence in this new approach.
Moreover, as you're going through them day by day, you will begin to learn how to adapt the principles to your family's unique situation with time. It's one thing to understand a concept intellectually, and it's another to apply it successfully in your daily life.
Implementing these practices is a journey.
So start small and build gradually. You don't need to overhaul your entire approach overnight. Expect challenges along the way. They're a natural part of the learning process for both you and your children. Celebrate small victories to maintain motivation. And as you implement these practices, you'll likely need to adjust and refine them to fit your family's needs.
This flexibility is a strength, not a weakness
now that we've explored the principles behind our approach, it's time to look at how we can put these ideas into action in our homeschooling. These five practices are designed to help you implement the thrive principles in your daily homeschooling life.
They're practical, adaptable, and powerful tools for creating an empowered learning environment.
Morning Habits
So the first practice is morning habits.
Morning Habits for Independence is about creating a structured yet flexible start to your homeschooling day that fosters autonomy in your child. This practice involves establishing morning routines that gradually increase your child's responsibilities.
It includes dedicated time for self directed learning and encourages your child to set their own daily intentions and goals. The key is to create a predictable framework that allows your child to take ownership of their morning and set a positive tone for the days ahead.
Strong morning habits is crucial for several reasons.
Firstly, it builds self reliance and confidence as children learn to manage their own time and tasks.
This is my five year old daughter with her habit tracker, excitedly checking off her habits as she goes throughout them in the morning.
Starting the day with accomplished tasks sets a positive tone, creating momentum for learning. These habits also develop essential executive functioning skills like planning, prioritizing, and time management. Perhaps most importantly, well established morning routines can significantly reduce stress and conflicts, making your homeschooling days smoother and more enjoyable for everyone.
To apply this practice, start by collaborating with your child to design a morning routine that works for your family. Include a mix of personal care tasks, like making the bed or preparing breakfast, and learning preparation. Like gathering materials or reviewing the day's plan. Within the structure incorporate choices.
For example, letting your child choose the order of their tasks or select their first learning activity. As your child grows more comfortable with the routine, gradually increase their responsibility. Remember the goal is to foster independence, not perfection. Be patient and supportive as your child learns to manage their morning.
Your first action step is to hold a family meeting to discuss what an ideal morning would look like for everyone. List out all the tasks and responsibilities that typically happen in your morning. Then identify one task that you can start shifting to your child's responsibility. This could be as simple as having them prepare their own breakfast or pack their learning materials for their day.
Finally, work with your child to create a visual morning routine chart. This chart will serve as a guide and reminder, helping to establish these new habits. Remember, start small.
Consistency is more important than complexity at this stage.
Practice 2 - Project Time
Practice two, project time. Now project time is a scheduled period in your homeschooling routine dedicated to self directed, interest led learning. During this time, children choose their own topics and activities to explore in depth. It's an opportunity for extended hands on learning experiences that can span days, weeks, or even months.
Project Time allows children to dive deep into their interests and that fosters a genuine love of learning and they get to develop skills like research, planning, and problem solving.
Project Time is crucial for several reasons. It cultivates intrinsic motivation by allowing children to pursue topics they're genuinely interested in.
This self directed approach leads to deeper, more lasting understanding as children fully engage with those chosen subjects. Project Time builds confidence and autonomy as children learn to manage their own learning process. It is, and it naturally encourages creativity and critical thinking skills as children navigate open ended projects and solve real problems.
These skills are invaluable, not just for academic success, but but for lifelong learning and future careers.
And this is a special picture to me when my twins were obsessed with everything rock and mineral. We had all the books, we got all the books from the library, and they would spend days upon days, weeks upon weeks, studying everything they could about rocks and minerals, illustrating in their little notebook, and writing notes.
And it was a treasured season for them. And those things that they learned have carried with them and stayed with them. And they've gone on to start rock and mineral clubs with friends, and gone to local chapters of rock and mineral clubs as well.
To implement project time, start by scheduling regular slots in your homeschooling routine.
These could be daily periods or longer blocks a few times a week.
Create an environment rich in diverse resources and materials to support various types of projects. Your role during project time is to be a facilitator, or like a mentor, offering guidance as asked for, but resist the urge to take over.
Encourage your child to document their process and reflect on their learning. This could be through journals, photos, videos, or presentations. Remember, the goal is to foster independence and deep learning, so be patient and allow for productive struggle. As your child navigates their projects,
your first action step is to introduce the concept of project time to your child and get them excited about it.
Have a brainstorming session where you discuss potential project ideas based on their current interests. It could be anything from building a model of the solar system to writing and illustrating a story. Next, set up a designated space for projects, ensuring it's stocked with basic supplies.
Finally, schedule your first project time session.
Start with a shorter period, perhaps 30 minutes to an hour, and gradually increase as your child becomes more comfortable with this style of learning. Remember the first few sessions might be a bit chaotic as you both adjust, but stick with it. The benefits of project time will grow over time.
Practice 3 Real World
Practice three.
Real world learning experiences. Now, real world learning experiences involve taking education beyond textbooks and into authentic situations. This practice is about connecting academic concepts to their practical applications in everyday life. It involves engaging with your community and environment to create meaningful learning opportunities.
Through this approach, children solve real problems and face genuine challenges, making their education immediately relevant and applicable.
Real world learning experiences are crucial for several reasons. They significantly enhance retention and understanding by providing concrete contexts for abstract concepts.
This approach develops practical skills and knowledge that children can immediately see the value of. It naturally increases motivation and engagement as learning becomes relevant to their lives. Perhaps most importantly, these experiences prepare children for future careers and life challenges by giving them practice in applying knowledge to real situations.
This bridges the gap between school and real life, making learning a living, applicable process. Now this is a special picture to me when we were diving into all things about Japan, the culture, the food, and I was able to use this opportunity to invite a mentor, a friend of ours, to teach my kids real Japanese calligraphy.
We learned about things in books, we watched documentaries, we went to different cultural events, And this was a real world learning experience where they could learn from my wonderful Japanese friend how to do real Japanese calligraphy.
To implement real world learning experiences, start by incorporating daily life activities into your lessons.
Use cooking for math and chemistry, gardening for biology, household budgeting for economics. Engage in community service or local issues to teach civics and social responsibility. Turn field trips into rich learning laboratories. A visit to the local business can teach economics. A nature hike can be a biology lesson.
Invite experts and professionals to share their experiences as I shared in this photo, either in person or virtually. Remember, the goal is to make connections between academic concepts and their real world applications. So always encourage your child to reflect on how what they've learned relates to the wider world.
Your first action step is to plan a real world learning experience using an upcoming family activity or errand. This could be grocery shopping, a visit to the bank, or even a home repair project. Identify the learning opportunities within this activity. For example, grocery shopping can involve budgeting, math, it can include nutrition, health, and even environmental science, discussing food sources and packaging.
Prepare some guiding questions to help your child observe and reflect during the activity. Finally, schedule a debrief session after the experience to discuss what was learned and how it connects to other areas of life. Remember, the key is to make learning a natural part of everyday life, so start with something simple and build from there.
And one of the reasons I truly love real world learning experiences is because our kids don't ever feel like there are sessions of I'm learning and I'm not learning. It all flows into one another. When we have these real world learning experiences by just living, And talking through those experiences, it means that our children will always love learning because they love their life.
Practice 4 PLPs
Practice four, personalized learning plans.
Personalized learning plans are individualized educational roadmaps designed for each child. These plans are tailored based on the child's unique strengths, interests, and goals. Unlike rigid one size fits all curricula, these plans are flexible and adaptable, evolving as your child grows and their needs change.
Creating and implementing these plans is a collaborative process between you and your child, ensuring that their voice is heard in shaping their education.
Personalized learning plans are crucial for several reasons. They maximize your child's learning potential by aligning education with their individual strengths and interests.
naturally increasing their engagement. These plans effectively address individual needs and learning styles, ensuring that no child is left behind or held back. By involving children in the planning process, they foster a sense of ownership over their education. Additionally, this practice builds important life skills like self awareness and goal setting, preparing children for future academic and career planning.
To implement personalized learning plans, start by assessing your child's current levels, including personal interests and goals. This might involve informal observation and discussions to assess how you can help them best. Next, research and gather diverse learning resources that align with your child's learning style and interests.
Work with your child to set both short term and long term learning objectives. These could range from mastering specific skills to completing passion projects. Remember to regularly review and adjust the plan. Flexibility is key. As your child grows and evolves, so should their learning plan. And one of the beauties of these personalized learning plans is the more that they are a part of their educational journey and they get to call the shots and make the choices, they will have the skills as they get older and older to run their entire educational journey.
Your first action step is to create an initial, personalized learning plan with your child. Start by scheduling a one on one meeting in a relaxed setting. Have an open discussion about their interest, what they feel they're good at, and what they'd like to learn or achieve. From this conversation, work together to identify one specific learning goal for the next month.
This could be anything from improving a particular skill to exploring a new subject of interest. Finally, collaborate on choosing resources and activities that will support this goal. Remember, this is just the starting point. Your personalized learning plans will grow and evolve over time as you both become more comfortable with this approach.
Practice 5 - Enviro
Practice 5. Creating Enriching Environments
Creating enriching environments is about thoughtfully designing both physical and emotional spaces that support and enhance learning. These environments are resource rich areas that invite exploring and discovery. They strike a balance between structure and flexibility, allowing for both focused work and creative exploration.
Enriching environments aren't limited to a dedicated schoolroom. They can be created throughout your home and extend into your community and natural surroundings. The key is to create spaces that reflect and support your family's learning goals and values. Now, as I mentioned before, we call our homeschooling room the art room, because I want my kids to know that they can learn in any space, inside, outside.
And since we naturally gravitate towards the arts, we've always called it the art room. And this is a picture of one of our many art rooms. That's dedicated to be that enriching environment on the far right is our nature station. As I mentioned before, we have science tools that they can explore more. We have art supplies within reach.
I keep them open and enticing pencils and colored pencils, a globe. All the things to inspire my kids and be at eye level so that they can do the work of childhood, which is playing, learning, growing, and problem solving.
Enriching environments are crucial for several reasons. They naturally stimulate curiosity and engagement, inviting children to explore and learn.
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