An oath to slow down and take back childhood
Learning the Freestory Village Way, part 1
When I think about how best to summarize the educational approach Freestory Village will embrace, the words PLAY, STORY and TIME come to mind. There is a reason “story” is in our brand name - but I will elaborate on that more in a future newsletter.
American culture celebrates doing hard work, and values only play-based learning for kids under 5. What if we got it all wrong? What if kids need A LOT more play, for a lot longer?
Nancy Carlson-Paige, an early childhood development expert who wrote Taking Back Childhood says “We have decades of research in child development and neuroscience that tells us that young children learn actively - they have to move, use their senses, get their hands on things, interact with other kids and teachers, create, invent.”
She goes on to say… “But play is disappearing from classrooms. Even though we know play is learning for young kids, we’re seeing it shoved aside to make room for academic instruction and rigor.”
David Sobel wrote: “We want our children to splash in mud puddles, but we also want them to score well on those first-grade entrance evaluations. And deep down, we want our children to go to to good colleges, and therefore, it’s never too early to get them on the right path.”
We have this false belief that earlier is better. Kindergarten has become more about hard-core academics and preschool is quickly following suit. When in fact, the studies show that this early approach can actually cause long term harm.
I would elaborate that play-based learning works far beyond childhood. As adults who participate in commerce and business, we know that “facts tell, and stories sell.” Storytelling uses the arts of play and imagination to captivate and persuade through words.
If we want our kids to be successful adults, business owners, parents, etc we should care deeply about their ability to be creative, use their imagination and be great storytellers. A great storyteller does not emerge from a life of compliance, towing the line, passing tests, checking boxes, and meeting standards. Even if your kid is more the “engineer type,” their ability to story tell and present is what will set them apart in the future and give them new and better opportunities to their less imaginative peers.
In our home, we are taking a more Scandinavian approach and didn’t force any formal academics before 5. When Fin turned 5, we started to expose him to phonics and math, but by no means was it rigorous. Now that he’s 7 (the age of reason), he has the aptitude to take on more, listen longer, and focus. I am shifting our home-education approach to find him the right opportunities to nourish his gifts and engage his mind. I am studying how he learns and trying to adjust and not just “meet the standard” and check the boxes. He is reading and writing, but doesn’t LOVE it. I’m sure his public schooled peers are “ahead” in that regard. But I do know that by the time he’s age 10 or so, there will be no difference. He will be “at grade level” and most likely beyond. The homeschooling journey requires long term vision. Don’t get short-sighted on meeting standards when they’re young.
Julie Bogart, of the Brave Writer curriculum encourages parents to remove all timeline pressures. She says…
“All you have is time. There’s no law in the book that says your child has to be in college at 18, or ready for high school at 14, or reading by 9. These are made up, to suit a big bunch of people passing through an impersonal system.”
The 18-year plan is completely arbitrary. What if it takes your kid 20 years to get their “GED.” Does it matter in the grand scheme of their life? Maybe it will take them 14 years. The point is….make your own timeline, or don’t have one at all.
DEPROGRAMMING UNDERWAY.
With this deadline pressure removed from my psyche, I’ve currently stopped forcing Fin to get through the next book in his reading curriculum or grit through a writing sample. I offer it, but don’t force it. Instead we have have found stories we love to read together… sometimes we snuggle up on the couch with a good snack and read together. I use books without many pictures so that his mind co-creates the story. Or I read aloud, put out butcher paper and crayons and let the magic happen.
Don’t get me wrong, Fin is a kid who thrives on some structure. Not too much, not too little. He just wants to know “what to expect.” So as I curate his education, I am well aware we are not suited for a totally free-flowing approach. He feels most confident when he knows what the plan is for the day. Routine and rhythms are our best friend.
If you’re a home-educator out there reading this and wrestling with self doubt around your ability to educate your kid. Let me reassure you, you are indeed qualified to steer your child’s education. This does NOT mean that you have to be the one to teach and instruct your kid on every subject and every moment of their learning journey. Relieve yourself of this responsibility.
Your qualifications as a home-educator are three-fold:
1. Have the calling and desire to home educate, because without this strong desire, you won’t have the perseverance to see it through. Home educating is not for the faint of heart. (P.S. I strongly recommend Ainsley Arment’s book The Call of the Wild and Free. Read this and see if it ignites a calling in you too, as it did for me).
2. Foster a good relationship with your child on this journey so you can truly collaborate with them and understand their character, gifts and how they best learn. Homeschooling is all about the 3 R’s: Relationship, Relationship, Relationship.
3.Curate a custom education for your child that nourishes their gifts using a variety of approaches, from self-directed, 1:1, group-based and outside mentorship opportunities.
There is NOTHING wrong with someone else teaching your kid. IF you trust and align with that teacher’s philosophies. Maybe the school systems are broken, but that doesn’t mean outsourcing some of your child’s education is wrong. There are some amazing, life-changing teachers out there who truly care about your kids. Find them, meet them, use them.
This is where Freestory Village comes in. Maybe you have the desire to home educate your kid, but you also have entrepreneurial dreams for yourself. Your kids will learn a lot by watching your pursue your dreams. You need help and your kids could benefit from other mentors and some enrichment programs outside the home.
Freestory Village will fill this need. We’re currently assembling the right team of educators who will be a little bit Waldorf-Reggio-Mason, a little bit academic, and a WHOLE lot of Wild & Free.
What’s that?
Wild and Free is a community founded by Ainsley Arment and it embraces the belief that childhood is a time for wonder and creativity, and that children learn because they want to, not because they’re forced to. The Wild & Free way believes in giving children an abundance of opportunities, time and access to beauty (art, music, their imaginations, nature etc).
Freestory Village expands on Wild & Free’s belief to nurture a path where PEOPLE of all ages (not just children) can build a life based on purpose, not perfection.
Join us in building purpose-driven-productive human beings.
The next two newsletters will feature more experts on the topic of childhood education. It’s not my job to be the expert on everything, but rather invite a network of specialists in on this journey to create the village with me.
If you’re an alt. educator and would like to be interviewed or contribute to the shaping of the Freestory Village educational approach, please get in touch!
Cheers & Peace!
-Brooke
805 914 7537 | Brooke@freestory.co
So thoughtful! Thanks for educating my kids ; ) 😍😘