Today I continue my conversation with Francaen McCall to find out a bit more about the Waldorf Steiner philosophy and what makes it such a special part of Functional Education. Many homeschool families choose to follow this approach, but why? Join us to learn more and be inspired - this may well form part of your own practice of homeschooling now or in the future.

Resources:

Functional Education

Waldorf Steiner NZ

In today's episode I am joined by the lovely and oozing with enthusiasm founder of Functional Education, Francean McCall. She speaks with inspiration of her love of teaching children using the Waldorf Steiner approach, blended with other learning philosophies, from her many years of experience and personal growth as a teacher. Listen in to hear of Francean's passion to support all home educating learners, whatever their needs and differences may be, through her online classes.

Resources

www.functionaleducation.com

This week I am exploring the art of using the valuable tool of imitation to teach children writing. Sometimes we can get caught up in the fear of providing detailed instruction to children about grammar rules, how to compose sentences, how to 'express themselves' through writing. What if it wasn't as complicated as we have been led to believe? What if writing is more about expressing ideas from those gleaned in different contexts and from great mentors - authors? Giving your children tools and skills that will lead them into fullness of life is what today's episode is all about. Building simple, solid foundations is part of the molding process through education, join me to learn more.

Resources:

However Imperfectly by Andrew Pudewa

Charlotte Mason Made Easy by Stephanie Walmsley

Today, I give a little bit about our victory here in New Zealand with regards to the un-consulted amendments that were going to be introduced to the Education Law, meaning Home Education legislation would be wide open to changes and requirements by this or any future government. We pushed back and won! In light of this however, many parents have expressed concern and fear around providing evidence to the Ministry of Education of our children's progression in learning. Does this mean testing? Will we need to meet certain expectations in line with assessments in schools? Join me for reassurance that we can identify progress through other means and it's not so hard.

Resources:

https://nchenz.org.nz/recordkeeping (A specific resource was compiled to guide parents through record keeping processes, this can be accessed in the 'members only' area) https://hslda.org/teaching-my-kids/recordkeeping

S3E10 | Record Keeping

I have personally seen the benefits of providing simple work experience opportunities for my homeschooled children. There is no curriculum to follow for it though and not even a set of expectations - just an amazing opportunity awaiting your teen. Today I'll take you through my experiences and offer you some great insights and tips to help you create the opportunity for your student/s. You've got nothing to lose!

www.homeschoolcoaching.nz

Today is different. Just five days ago, the Minister of Education put out a press release quietly and stealthily with no prior consultation with the homeschooling community or representatives, which could impact the future of home education enormously. This podcast is a conversation with four other experts in the field and was done on behalf of The National Council of Home Educators to discuss its implications and how we can move forward positively. This needs to be heard! Thanks for listening.

Show Guests:

www.Cynthiahancox.com

www.starkravingdadpodcast.com

www.functionaleduation.com

www.engagingminds.com

Today I invite you to join me to find out why we need to keep lessons short for our children and how we can do that. Concentration spans for children are notoriously short, yet sometimes we are still expecting too much. The reality is a cliché, I know - but when it comes to quality time for learning for our students - less is usually more.

Resources:

Katie Pureti

Ambleside Online - A Charlotte Mason Education

How do we help our children when they feel bored? Is it our role to keep them busy so they don't experience boredom? In today's episode I talk about five key features of the benefits of boredom for children. It's an essential part of helping their brains develop and learn key skills that they cannot learn any other way. Join me to be encouraged in your practice of homeschooling for ways you can help your children do better through boredom.

Resources:

However Imperfectly - Andrew Pudewa

How Children Fail - John Holt

Please note: These links may provide Sheena Harris with a commission.