Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids Robyn Robertson

 

Math- How We Learn

Kohila Sivas is the creator of the revolutionary MathCodes Method™ a unique system designed to recover learning loss in math. Kohila blended the math hacks she discovered to demystify math and merged them with a coaching methodology that can transform any struggling student.

 

She also created the Meta-Learning DeStress Method™, a method grounded in brain science and neurolinguistics. This method helps the stressed-out learners to destress themselves by talking to their brains and teaches them how to learn to learn.

 

She developed these systems over 23 years working one on one with over 1600 struggling students.

 

Kohila was once a struggling math student herself and is now a Math and Learning Success Coach, reformed tutor, ex-teacher, BI and Math Interventionist, #1 Best Selling Author, Master NLP Practitioner, and Certified Hypnotherapist

 

She is also a fearless entrepreneur, parent, and a lifelong fighter and learner.

 

Since 2018, she and her partner Rod Bellamy have trained passionate educators to launch and grow independent Learning Success Coaching practices using her methods.

In This Episode

In this episode Kohila and I talk about how to learn and the brain science of learning.

 


The difference between coaching and tutoring
Learning how to learn
When the environment is right, all things thrive and that's what our children need for learning
Looking at our individual children and the power of knowing our WHY
Math fear and anxiety
Approaching math as a language
Why Kohila does not recommend worksheets and timers and what parents can do instead
As a learning success coach - the foundation is about building the relationship, not the academics

 

Kohila believes that the best way to support our children is by helping them to become life long learners. We can do this by creating the right encouraging environment, looking at our individual children and knowing our why.

Resources

Kohila provides a wealth of support for both learners. You can learn more or reach her through her websites https://www.fearlesslearners.coach/ and https://www.mathcodes.com/

 

Facebook

 

Listen to my interview on MATH with Kohila

 

Looking for more support in your homeschool and unschooling journey? I’ve got you! Check out my Patreon Community where I offer monthly Live Q&A on all your homeschool, unschool and self directed learning questions. For the summer of 2022- this live support is open to ALL Patron levels. You also have access to my downloads, special videos, insights and interviews with my family! https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

 

Honey! I’m Homeschooling Club on Clubhouse App offer free weekly discussion groups and support.

 

Follow me on Instagram

 
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 

Literacy- Games and Storytelling

Michael Low is a writing teacher and curriculum developer with over two decades of experience.  He's also a tabletop game designer who designs and runs story-telling games for kids from 7-13 that use the inspirational, collaborative nature of role-playing to get kids writing page after page for the sheer joy of it.  You can find his writing classes (homeschool accredited) at LuckOfLegends.com, and his print to play at home monthly games and podcast at StoriesRPG.com.

 

If you are a regular listener to the show, receive my email newsletter, follow me on social media or are part of the community through Patreon or Clubhouse you will probably know a few things about my beliefs around learning;

 

1. That learners need to have agency in their lives and learning. Yes, that includes our children.

 

2. I am a big believer in games and the gamification of learning. In fact Gameschooling is something that I think everyone can incorporate into their homeschool at some point.

 

3. Learning should be joyful and meaningful. Sure, it can be challenging. But it doesn't have to to be rigorous just to prove it's good or worthy. Learning is not meant to be shameful. It's meant to be fun.

 

Michael Low also believes in the power of games, (role playing games especially), learner agency and meaning in learning. He also believes in the power of story. That's why he is dedicated to helping young learners write, speak, think, collaborate, think critically and fall in love with storytelling.

In This Episode

I love hearing insight from educators that have chosen to create and support learners in diverse ways that look nothing like what happens within the classroom walls. Learning to write through play? Looking for fun and collaboration in the writing process? Games and stories that engage our children from start to finish? Then listen to this episode. In this episode Michael and I dive into:

 


The power of learner agency
Why School is a badly designed game
The gaps in the education institution and how we'd like it to shift
His measurement of success~ teaching the skills learners need to learn on their own
You can't learn if you don't trust
Deschooling
The amazing gifts and joys of role playing games
Learning to write through play and games
Collaborative Story Telling Engagement

Resources For Parents and Homeschoolers

Michael's games and classes are Homeschool Accredited.

 

Learning To Write Through Play- Luck Of Legends

 

Podcast and Stories- Stories RPG

 

Luck Of Legends

 

Michael's Blog

 

Peter Gray- Free To Learn

 

Listen to my interview with Dr. Peter Gray. Or my episode on Building Literacy At Home.

Looking for more support in your homeschool and unschooling journey? I’ve got you! Check out my Patreon Community where I offer monthly Live Q&A on all your homeschool, unschool and self directed learning questions. For the summer of 2022- this live support is open to ALL Patron levels. You also have access to my downloads, special videos, insights and interviews with my family! https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Honey! I’m Homeschooling Club on Clubhouse App offer free weekly discussion groups and support.

Follow me on Instagram

 

Sponsor Shout Out- Night Zookeeper

 

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Night ZooKeeper!

 

Is your child a reluctant writer? Do they struggle with reading? If your answer to either of these questions is YES, then Night Zookeeper may be just what you’ve been looking for.

 

Night Zookeeper is an online learning program for children aged 6 to 12 years old and uses a gamified approach to help to keep kids engaged and focused on developing awesome reading and writing skills, all while having fun at the same time!

 

Some of the features we love include the educational games, the fun challenges, the personalized feedback and the super safe community pages, where children can work with each other and lear

It's Called Unschooling

I don’t like labels. I feel that as learners outside of the institution of school we don’t have to rush putting ourselves into a new box or label. 



Or that our learning life (unschooling life) is how we choose to define it. But as a friend recently shared with me (as we had a very interesting conversation about unschooling, control, trust and partnership), that having parameters around a word (or label) can be helpful. And I think that when it comes to unschooling, the waters are becoming muddied. 

What Is Unschooling

Let’s start with the definition of Unschooling. John Holt originally coined the termed unschooling. Here’s an excerpt from The Foundations of Unschooling, a Keynote given by Pat Farenga and found on the John Holt GWS website:



“Holt never felt the word “homeschooling” was adequate to describe the learning he was talking about—learning that didn’t need to take place at home nor look like school learning. John knew that many children want to be out in the world, to be in the community and learn the lay of the neighborhood because, like most healthy humans, they are social beings—it is in our nature to be social, curious, and to learn. So John used the word “unschooling” to describe this type of learning—after already trying out the word “deschooling,” coined by John’s friend Ivan Illich, and found to be too harsh by the public. Unschooling didn’t fare any better and John himself, by 1981, was using the word homeschooling interchangeably with unschooling.”



Here are two different explanations or definitions that I think describe it best:



“Before I talk about what I think unschool­ing is, I must talk about what it isn't. Unschooling isn't a recipe, and therefore it can't be explained in recipe terms. It is impossible to give unschooling directions for people to follow so that it can be tried for a week or so to see if it works. Unschooling isn't a method, it is a way of looking at children and at life. It is based on trust that parents and children will find the paths that work best for them - without depending on educational institutions, publishing companies, or experts to tell them what to do. Earl Stevens (The Natural Child Project)



“Unschooling is when the learner chooses the how, what, where, when and why of their learning”. Judy Arnall

Unschooling Isn't..

Unschooling isn’t another method we can now use to get our kids to meet our hidden expectations under the false pretence of freedom. Unschooling is not another way to do school work or get that school work completed. 



Unschooling isn’t a method. But Unschooling can include a class or be school-like, as long as that is what the learner chooses. Sure unschooling can have academic goals, if that is what the learner chooses. But the ultimate goal of unschooling is trust. And trust takes time. And a whole lotta deschooling! 

That Deschooling Work

So parents, please do the work. That Deschooling work! This work is important because if you want a change, if your kids want a change, need a change, then you will need to do something different. But first, before we begin to do something different, we need to start thinking differently. We need to shift our perspective.So ask the questions:What does learning really mean to me? What is school? Education? What were my experiences? When did I truly get to learn for learning's sake? How did my educational experiences shape me today? My learning? Were these goals mine? Were they my parents goals? Obligations? 



If I let my children choose the how, what, where, when, why of their learning, how will I feel? What if they only choose video games? Why is hours outside or reading a book or writing a story more important to me than hours on a video game (or substitute something else that pushes that uncomfortable button)? You really can’t skip the Deschooling pr

Literacy and Digital Tech

Josh Davidson was one of the first students in the United Kingdom to complete an MA in Digital Art. In every professional role he has had, he has tried to retain his creativity and enthusiasm for new approaches and ideas. It is this willingness to experiment in his work that led to him being recognised with several industry awards. He is the creator and Managing Director of Night Zookeeper; a magical, inspirational brand where children discover and create their own imaginative animals. These animals join an interactive world, which encourages children to learn to read and write. Their unique creations can feature in storybooks, an animated series on Sky Kids and even in a collectable card game. The TV series was the first in the world to be co-created alongside children and had 150,000 entries. 

Josh is a passionate public speaker on games, literacy education and creativity. He has spoken at many international conferences including MipJunior, Apps World, Future Book, Kidscreen, the Children's Media Conference, Edinburgh Book Festival, London Book Fair and the Sharjah International Book Fair. Additionally, he has been interviewed across BBC stations in the United Kingdom and has given keynotes at Creative Mornings London and many more. His storybooks have been published by Oxford University Press and translated into several languages. 

In This Episode 

In this episode we spoke about the value of holding on to creativity and gamification in our learning world. As a child with dyslexia, Josh understands what it's like to have numerous stories in your head but getting them out is what is difficult. Creating a digital platform for reading and writing was his way to support the kids like himself that have all the stories in their heads, but have trouble getting them out.

Josh and I we explored the importance of supporting learning in our quickly changing technological world through:


Using the internet as a space to create, not just consume


Learning through Gamification


Digital stories and games


Building literacy through digital tech~How digital technology for literacy broadens the world, connects kids and gives a voice

Resources

You can find Josh on Twitter @thewikiartist

You can learn more about Night Zookeeper through their website. If you are in the US connect HERE. Canada connect HERE. If you are in the UK connect HERE. Australia connect HERE.

Looking for more support in your homeschool journey? I’ve got you! Check out my Patreon Community where I offer monthly Live Q&A on all your homeschool, unschool and self directed learning questions. For the summer of 2022- this live support is open to ALL Patron levels. You also have access to my downloads, special videos, insights and interviews with my family! https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Honey! I’m Homeschooling Club on Clubhouse App offer free weekly discussion groups and support.

Follow me on Instagram

If you would like to listen to another wonderful episode on building literacy in the home through natural learning, check out this episode: https://imhomeschooling.com/building-literacy-at-home/

 
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Untigering, Unschooling & Deconstructing Success

Iris Chen is an author, unschooling mom, deconstructing tiger parent, and founder of the Untigering movement. She joins me on this episode to talk about their unschooling journey, Tiger Moms, Untigering, and Deconstructing Success and Expectations.

We Explored...

"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it." Maya Angelou

Iris describes herself as a deconstructing, recovering Tiger Parent. The process of Untigering and Deschooling has been a gradual change. In this episode we explored:


The definition of a Tiger Mom
Achievement, Expectations, Trauma and Tiger Parenting
Why she is Untigering
Unschooling and deschooling
Children of Immigrant Parents- Finding compassion, empathy, truth and seeking to do better
Fear and Scarcity Mindset in Parenting
Success and Decolonizing our ideas of success
How we can sit back a little, observe, support, encourage and allow our kids to figure things out for themselves
Unschooling and Boundaries
Burnout and Deschooling
The importance of community

Resources and Community

Iris offers wonderful resources and community support for parents that are on the journey of deschooling, deconstructing and decolonizing. Check out:

Untigering Book

Untigering Website

Facebook

Facebook Group

Instagram

Membership

Mentioned in the episode- Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mom

If you are looking for more support in your homeschool journey- I’ve also got you! Check out my Patreon Community where I offer monthly Live Q&A on all your homeschool, unschool and self directed learning questions. For the summer of 2022- this live support is open to ALL Patron levels. You also have access to my downloads, special videos, insights and interviews with my family! https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Honey! I’m Homeschooling Club on Clubhouse App offer free weekly discussion groups and support.

Follow me on Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode, check out my interview with Akilah S Richards~Educational Freedom

 
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 Steps To Begin Homeschooling

Thinking about homeschooling? Or are you ready for a homeschool refresh? Here are 7 steps to help you begin homeschooling.

1. Get clear on your WHY.

What are your deeper reasons for homeschooling? How is this connected to your family's core values and purpose? When we are clear on our reasons to homeschool and opt out of the main system, the decisions we make in the future will be in integrity with our family and our children. (Check out my episode: https://imhomeschooling.com/getting-started-101-values-and-guiding-purpose/ For example, if our reason to homeschool is because our child is struggling at school because of an unsafe environment, (possibly because of a bullying issue), then our main "why" is safety. But going deeper, bringing our child back into an environment built on love, trust and building connection is our true focus. With a focus on love, trust and re-connection our choices in our homeschooling environment should first be all the ways we can build that.

2. Take the time to become a student yourself.

Learn more about homeschooling styles, how the brain works, parenting, childhood and learning. Take in podcasts, books, webinars, chat with other homeschoolers and learn other points of view. Better yet, take this time to get to know your child better. What do they love? What are they curious about? The most important part about taking this time to learn is that you will begin to model life learning to your children. (My interview with Dr. Peter Gray is a wonderful place to begin)

3. Learn Your Local Regulations.

Homeschooling is not legal in every country. Check out your local education regulations and requirements. This website lists international homeschool laws: https://hslda.org/legal/international. I also recommend you check out local homeschool advocacy groups.

4. Visualize your ideal homeschool.

Have your children visualize and map out their ideal homeschool year. Does their vision match yours? What about your partner's vision? Does your vision look like hours bent over workbooks and the rest of your family's look like adventure, play and creative pursuits? Use whatever works for you to lay out your vision; A poster, video reel, journal. What would it take to start building toward this vision?



This is also a good time to learn about and begin DESCHOOLING. (I explain Deschooling more in this episode but I also recommend checking this episode on DESCHOOLING) Briefly, Deschooling is a process of letting go of the singular beliefs we have attached with learning and kids. Beliefs that learning has to be done in a certain way, within certain times, within a certain kind of environment. Deschooling means possibilities. It’s a time to deconstruct the expectations, concerns, worries, beliefs around school, learning, and education. This takes time. Here are a few reflection questions that I recommend you use to begin:




What is the difference between school, education and learning?
How do I define success? Where does that definition come from?
What did school look like for me? Was I successful? Did I feel like I failed? Where and why?
How did they make me feel?
If I could change those failures or successes, what would that look like?

5. Supplies? Curriculum?

Before we rush into purchasing anything, I suggest you begin the first 4 steps. Take the time to play, explore and find out more about your children and your homeschool dreams. When you are recognizing interests, curiosity and values, matching supplies and deciding on which (or if any) curriculum becomes easier and longer lasting. This is because it becomes a choice aligned with YOUR family, not someone else's expectations or decisions.



You may see that your child that needs many hours of movement or outside time in a day will not benefit from a curriculum that requires 3 hours of sit down bookwork. You may find that when your child is given space to read on their own terms, with st