In this episode, I talk all things books with Nicole who is the creator of the Instagram page, Book Led Learning. We discuss what it looks like to create a culture of reading within your family, being open to our children choosing the books that speak to them versus controlling their choices, and how books not only connect us to knowledge and information, but to one another.

We touch on the differences in when children read and how they interact with books, incorporating fiction and non-fiction, the beauty of audiobooks, book parties, and being willing to read books again and again to your young children.

Nicole offers great suggestions for books parents can read, too, and shares some things you may not know about her.

We briefly talk about their journey to homeschooling but you can hear a more in-depth discussion on my second episode, “When Did You Know” where Nicole was one of the five moms who shared her story.

Kid’s Books mentioned:

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Elephant and Piggie series

Life of Fred

Who Was biography series

Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

Basher Science (ages 6-9) https://www.scholastic.com/site/branches.html

Recommended Parent Reading:

The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease

The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie

The Enchanted Hour by Meghan Cox Gurdon

The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller

The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson

Find more of Missy's writings and offerings @letemgobarefoot and www.letemgobarefoot.com.  You can purchase our ebook, Life Unschooled: A Guide to Living and Learning Without School.

On this 3rd episode of the Let 'em go Barefoot podcast, I have a conversation with Robyn Roberston, the creator of the Honey! I'm Homeschooling the Kids podcast and community. Robyn and I talk about flexibility, how we evolve as parents as our children grow and change, and the power of supporting our kids, ourselves, and receiving community support. Plus, you get to hear about a special interest of Robyn's that may surprise you! 

Find all the wonderful ways to connect with Robyn below:

This 2nd episode of the Let 'em go Barefoot podcast is a compilation of stories from five mothers across the United States and Canada answering the question, "When did you know the traditional schooling model was not right for your family?" 

Several moms have a background in education, including teaching in public schools, but as you will hear, their teaching experience does not make them feel more qualified to homeschool. If anything, it encouraged them to take the leap because of what they witnessed in the classroom setting. 

Each mother brings much to the table with their insights and experiences of living and learning with their children. To hear more from each family, links are below to follow along. (In order of appearance.) 

Nicolette on Instagram @mamas.roots.are.showing

Holly on Instagram @innershiftcoaching & on the web at www.innershift.ca

Erin on Instagram @ever.learning  & on the web at www.everlearning.ca

Nicole on Instagram @book.led.learning

Heesun on Instagram @mozeyingalong

Find more of Missy's writings and offerings @letemgobarefoot and www.letemgobarefoot.com.  You can purchase our ebook, Life Unschooled: A Guide to Living and Learning Without School.

In this first episode of the Let 'em go Barefoot podcast, I have a conversation with my son about his experiences as a (mostly) lifelong unschooler. We discuss common misconceptions about self-directed education and reflect on his K-12 learning journey. He offers insights on parenting and education that drive home the importance of a parent's presence and respect for each child's unique unfolding. We also have a little fun at the end with a few questions of "Would You Rather?" and he ends with some great advice for parents, whether you homeschool or not.

Blog post referenced:

Misconceptions about Self-directed Education - Let 'em go Barefoot (letemgobarefoot.com)

Find more of Missy's writings and offerings @letemgobarefoot and www.letemgobarefoot.com.  You can purchase our ebook, Life Unschooled: A Guide to Living and Learning Without School.