Learning Outside the Lines

In this episode I discuss the benefits of working a paid job or volunteer service and how they can help with future jobs, college applications, scholarships, and life. Both a job or volunteer service can teach responsibility, accountability, communication skills, problem solving, time management, and follow through with a commitment. Even if your student doesn't have the time for a paid job, there are many volunteer or other opportunities that require fewer hours but can still offer many of the same learning opportunities. I feel strongly about this topic and offer some examples and ideas to find opportunities for your student.

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In this episode I talk about a term I heard last week called "lawnmower parenting" and what that means and how we can change some of things we might be doing. Many of us are guilty of this "mowing down of obstacles" for our kids and I realize we are coming from a place of love and caring. However, helping our children by doing so much work FOR them, is hurting them in the long run. Children NEED to learn to work through the entire process and whether they succeed or fail, it's all part of learning. There are many examples of parenting overstepping what they should be doing FOR their young adult children and it's become an epidemic and a problem.

Ultimately, parents need to let go and empower kids to problem solve and work through the process on their own. They also need to take on some responsibility outside of their own world thru a job, volunteering, or service of some type so they can see how what they do affects others. Lastly, we as parents, need to be accountable enforcing consequences with our kids when they don't follow through or when they fail to do what they were supposed to do. While this can be really challenging, it does work!

I hope this didn't seem too much like a soapbox issue but I do think the topic is valid and necessary to address.

Send me comments, suggestions for episodes, or questions to [email protected]

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or Instagram @ Lattebooks2read where I post books and resources for learning.

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Today's interview with self directed high school student, Moira Ward, gives a wonderful view of self directed education and what can be done with passion and the freedom to pursue an interest and talent. Moira has been storytelling and writing for years and talks about both.

She got her start with a program called NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month which is each November. It's a great start for anyone interested in writing.

She shares her favorite and least favorite parts of writing, as well as, the process she goes through to create a novel.

She also gives great analogies for the process necessary in any art form or interest!

Please check out Moira's writing, at her website or follow her on instagram @moira.a.ward

or on tumbler & twitter @moiraaward

Send me comments, suggestions for episodes, or questions to [email protected]

Find me on FB where I post articles, encouragement, and relevant resources

https://www.facebook.com/learningoutsidethelinespodcast/

or www.learningoutsidethelines.com

or Instagram @Lattebooks2read where I post books and resources for learning throughout the week.

Thanks for listening!

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I want to thank everyone for all their support and feedback over the last few months of this new podcast. I've learned a lot and will be making a few changes going forward to clean things up and improve content.

In this new season each month will focus on a topic or theme where we can dive deep into the issues.

In this episode we'll be talking about high school and how a self directed education can lead to success.

The parent isn't really a teacher anymore, but rather, a facilitator and support person. High school kids need to learn responsibility for life and we need to let go of doing so much for them.

We can help them by looking at their goals and working backwards.

We can use their interests and goals to develop a high school plan, regardless if that's a 4 yr plan or even a 2 yr or 5 yr plan.

Whenever possible, find resources for their interests such as mentorships, internet communities, job shadowing, etc so they can get a true idea of all aspects of a job or career. This is a really useful and important resource for homeschool high schoolers.

Self directed education is different for each person but can be so valuable in that students are learning, problem solving, and finding resources on their own. Kids in school are often told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it and lack the ability to work independently.

Send me comments, suggestions for episodes, or questions to [email protected]

Find me on FB where I post articles, encouragement, and relevant resources

https://www.facebook.com/learningoutsidethelinespodcast/

or www.learningoutsidethelines.com

or Instagram @ Lattebooks2read where I post books and resources for learning.

Thanks for listening!

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In this episode I talk a bit about planning but not in a structured way.

I discuss planning for peace of mind and our own reality based on our needs and our kids' needs.

I understand everyone wanting a "perfect" homeschool routine but what that looks like is often an unrealistic vision. We have to examine our reality and determine what is realistic for us as a teacher and our kids.

I share my own recent experience with planning and how I had an epiphany regarding classes I had signed up my kids for and realizing they were not a good match.

I talk about incorporating game into our homeschool life this year and the benefits of gameschooling.

I also talk about planning some field trips and travel to museums, zoos, etc when the crowds are lower and you can get a much richer experience with 1:1 attention from staff and the exhibits.

I also remind you not to listen to the naysayers and critics! This is your decision to homeschool and you've already done the thinking and research to know this is the best decision for your family and your children.

Send me comments, suggestions for episodes, or questions to [email protected]

Find me on FB where I post articles, encouragement, and relevant resources

https://www.facebook.com/learningoutsidethelinespodcast/

or www.learningoutsidethelines.com

or Instagram @ Lattebooks2read where I post books and resources for learning.

Thanks for listening!

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In this episode I share my excitement and take aways from my state homeschool conference, the HSC Conference in San Jose, CA.

-Homeschool conferences are great for affirming why parents take charge of their child's education. The homeschool community is growing, vibrant, strong, and very insightful. It's wonderful to be able to talk with others sharing the same ideas, values, and experiences. It's also a safe place to share and ask questions for parents that may not have a community to do that. With such a diverse group of parents and depth of experiences, it's a wealth of information for all age levels.

-Temple Grandin was the keynote speaker and she was a fabulous reminder and advocate that kids may learn, see, and process things. We need to help and support our child in how they learn best and even if we aren't the best teacher for them, we can find mentors, classes, and resources to help them. If you haven't seen the Temple Grandin movie, it's free on Amazon Prime and I highly recommend it. She has many books as well you can check out.

-Self Directed learning was a key theme at this conference. While it's difficult to break free of school standards and grade level standards, more people are understanding what self directed learning is and how it's beneficial. It's for all age levels and the more interested and invested the child is in their learning, the more they will retain and the meaningful the learning is.

-I gave a workshop on "Making Books and Foldables to encourage writing and learning" and the linked handout is available for free on my website. There's a link to a free PDF book, many free resources, amazon books, and a few youtube videos. I'm just offering this handout as a free resource that I hope can be of help.

-September is going to be "High School" month with interviews, resources, and topics relevant for homeschooling high school.

Send me comments, suggestions for episodes, or questions to [email protected]

Find me on FB where I post articles, encouragement, and relevant resources

https://www.facebook.com/learningoutsidethelinespodcast/

or www.learningoutsidethelines.com

or Instagram @ Lattebooks2read where I post books and resources for learning.

Thanks for listening!

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In this episode I share some of my thoughts on learning to read.

I'm a proponent of letting go of arbitrary ages to teach reading and waiting until a child is ready and motivated whether that might be age 4 or 7 or 10. Don't push it. Wait until the are interested, ready, and motivated. One thing you can do at any and all ages is to read a loud. Read to your infants, your toddlers, and all ages of kids. Read daily in some format, it doesn't have to be hours. Even reading just at bedtime is important. Audio books can be a good resource as well. Another important key is to make books and reading a part of your daily life and home. Be a role model for your kids and letting them see you reading and seeing books in your space is important for kids to see that books are a valuable part of life.

Resources:

-Video for learning the letters and their sounds: Leapfrog Letter Factory

-Beginning phonics readers: Bob Books and my all time favorite-Now I'm Reading by Nora Gaydos. Each of these series have multiple levels.

-Explode the Code series is a phonics workbook that I've used for 4 children.

-Two on line programs we've used are Starfall and Reading Eggs

I don't have a schedule or specific guide to use these resources. While we do sit down and do work daily, there is no set amount of time or number of lessons. It just depends on each child what they can handle.

As an additional resource I would encourage anyone to listen to Reading: What Every Parent Needs to Know by Julie Bogart. Julie is a long time homeschool mentor of mine and this video is very helpful in thinking about your child and their needs in learning to read.

Send me comments, suggestions for episodes, or questions to [email protected]

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(Full Disclosure: Amazon links are affiliate links and I receive a small percentage of the sale if you choose to purchase thru the link, however, the price is the same regardless!)

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In this episode I want to encourage people to let go of "grade levels" and meet your child's needs where they are.

Parents think their child is "behind" or "gifted" if they are behind or ahead of arbitrary grade level standards, when in reality, the child is at their own level and we need stop comparing.

We need to stop looking at a specific grade level book and look instead at the content of the program or book and see if those are the skills that your child needs. Look at the table of contents to see what the content is instead of just assuming the "grade level" on the book is what they need.

We often get stressed when we hear friends with kids in school doing certain things in school and we worry because our child might not be doing the same things. We need to let go of these comparisons and know that our child is learning what they need when they need it. We know we shouldn't stress about it but we do it anyway, it takes a long time to let go of the societal expectations. But we need to consistently remind ourselves.

Julie Bogart of www.bravewriter.com talks about teaching to our child's strengths, not their weaknesses. We need to focus on what they are interested in and what their strengths are to teach what they need to know, it will make such a big difference.

Quit focusing on grade levels, focus on their interests and what they need. You are NOT IN SCHOOL so you don't need to follow their schedule. You WILL cover all the concepts, just in your own schedule, which is exactly why you are homeschooling.

Send me comments, suggestions for episodes, or questions to [email protected]

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In this episode I share an alternative view regarding the popular view that all children should try team sports.

Send me comments, suggestions for episodes, or questions to [email protected]

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Summer is a time for MANY questions regarding curriculum or programs people are looking to use in the fall. This episode gives tips to get more useful information when asking for input on FB and web forums.

Instead of asking general questions such as "what's the best preschool curriculum?" or "what's the best 1st grade science curriculum?" Ask more specific questions with more information.

1. Don't just give grade but give the child's age because some programs focus more on age than grades. Grades can have a wide age range and abilities.
2. What type of learner is your child? Do you need shorter lessons? Offer more specific info about your learner to get you more targeted information.
3. What do you need a parent? Do you want a more structured lesson plan or something more loose?
4. Use the SEARCH function so you can see what has already been offered up on the same topic. Sometimes you will learn about a topic or idea you hadn't thought about and it is something you are very interested in.
5. Once you do have a curriculum or program in mind, take advantage of the sample lessons or trial period. This is valuable for your child to try it out but also for the parent to see if they like it or not.

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