how children learn

167: Grammar and Punctuation and Other Unschool Writing Stories

 
This week,
I'm sharing some feedback about episode 166.
I'm telling four unschool writing stories: 
What About Grammar and Punctuation?
Learning About Punctuation the Lewis Carroll Way
Wanting to Know How to Spell
The Writing Game: No Shortage of Writing Ideas
I'm also discussing each story.
I have some resources to share.
And I'm talking about podcast chapters.
 
Show Notes
My Unschooling Books
Curious Unschoolers: Kindle
Curious Unschoolers: paperback
Radical Unschool Love: Kindle
Radical Unschool Love: paperback
My Amazon Author Page
 
Imogen's novels
The Crystal Tree
The Shattering Song
 
Blog Posts
What About Grammar and Punctuation?
Learning About Punctuation the Lewis Carroll Way
Wanting to Learn How to Spell
The Writing Game: No Shortage of Writing Ideas
 
Podcasts
Our Writing Unrules for Unschoolers
More Unschool Writing Ideas and Resources
 
Resources
Grammarly
Capitalize My Title
 
Where You Can Find Me
Youtube
Sue Elvis
 Instagram
stories_ofan_unschoolingfamily
Blog
Stories of an Unschooling Family
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so that we can spread the word about unschooling. A quick review or rating would help too!
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment.  I hope you will consider leaving some feedback that I can share with listeners in next week's episode!  
 

166: Unschooling Sausages and Other History Stories

This week:
I'm telling you where I've been for the last 3 months.
I'm sharing a new podcast format idea.
I'm talking about podcast chapters.
I'm asking for some feedback.
I'm reading 3 unschooling stories that are tagged history and geography (and also English and unschooling).
I'm commenting on my stories.
I’m sharing some resources.
 
Show Notes
 
My Unschooling Books
Curious Unschoolers: Kindle
Curious Unschoolers: paperback
Radical Unschool Love: Kindle
Radical Unschool Love: paperback
My Amazon Author Page
 
Blog posts
Unschooling Sausages
How Light Can Turn into Deep and Serious
Watching History as it Happened
The Writing Game
 
Resources
Tudor Monastery Farm 
Wartime Farm
Edwardian Farm
Victorian Farm
The Hollow Crown
Richard III: The King in the Carpark
The Crown
Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets
 
Where You Can Find Me
Youtube
Sue Elvis
 Instagram
stories_ofan_unschoolingfamily
Blog
Stories of an Unschooling Family
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so that we can spread the word about unschooling. A quick review or rating would help too!
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about this episode.  I hope you will consider leaving some feedback that I can share with listeners in next week's episode!  
 
 

159: Turning Waiting Times into Unschooling Adventures

This week, I'm talking about how we can make the most of waiting times by filling them with adventures.
I'm also discussing:
Perfection and how it stops us from doing important and enjoyable things.
How we can be adventurous parents.
My vlogging plans.
How life and our typical unschooling days change as our kids get older and their needs and interests change.
How we don't need to set assignments for our kids after they've enjoyed an adventure.
The Curious Unschoolers Book Club
My Baby Loss Club website.
I'm also sharing two stories of when my kids were younger:
An Adventure Hiding in Every Moment
The Photography Girls Head into the Bush
 
Show Notes
 
My Unschooling Books
Curious Unschoolers: Kindle
Curious Unschoolers: paperback
Radical Unschool Love: Kindle
Radical Unschool Love: paperback
My Amazon Author Page
 
Blog Posts
 An Adventure Hiding in Every Moment
The Photography Girls Head into the Bush
The Bush Walk
 
Podcast
Episode 2: Mistakes, a Teenager's Love of Learning, and Loose Change
 
The Curious Unschoolers Book Club
The Curious Unschoolers Book Club Is Now Open!
The Book Club Link
 
Where You Can Find Me
Youtube
Sue Elvis
 Instagram
stories_ofan_unschoolingfamily
Blog
Stories of an Unschooling Family
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so that we can spread the word about unschooling. A quick review or rating would help too!
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about this episode. Share your waiting time adventures! Join us in the Curious Unschoolers Book Club. And please join me on Instagram!
 
 

158: Old and New Stories, a Book Club and Other Unschooling Things

This week, I'm sharing some old stories and some new ones, as well as some news.
I talk about:
When my kids were younger by sharing a snow story and a homeschooling camp story.
How my ideas about how kids learn have changed.
How Gemma-Rose (15) has been enriching her own life.
Our family passion for musicals.
How our kids can come alive when they are involved with their passions and using their talents.
How young kids can join in with things we might think are too advanced for them.
My new Curious Unschoolers Book Club.
How Imogen, Sophie and I are travelling to Canberra on 31st August to meet up with other unschoolers.
 
Show Notes
My Unschooling Books
Curious Unschoolers: Kindle
Curious Unschoolers: paperback
Radical Unschool Love: Kindle
Radical Unschool Love: paperback
My Amazon Author Page
 
Blog Posts
 
I Am a Pirate King!
When Unschooled Kids Charge Off on Their Own Learning Adventures (includes links to mentioned musicals)
 
The Curious Unschoolers Book Club
The Curious Unschoolers Book Club Is Now Open!
The Book Club Link
 
Books by Father James Tierney
The Bush Boys books
 
Where You Can Find Me
Youtube
Sue Elvis
 Instagram
stories_ofan_unschoolingfamily
Blog
Stories of an Unschooling Family
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so that we can spread the word about unschooling. A quick review or rating would help too!
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about this episode. Join us in the Curious Unschoolers Book Club. And please join me on Instagram!

156: Building Strong Relationships with Our Kids

This week, I'm sharing 3 stories about my young adult son Callum (who likes to grin!):
How I Removed an Engine from a Car
Engines, Muscles and Spending Time with Dad
My Fridge Adventure
I talk about building strong relationships with our kids by:
Taking an interest in their passions.
Spending time with them.
Being daring and adventurous parents who like to have fun.
As well, I talk about:
Self-directed learning.
Being honest.
I also share a couple of reviews for my books Curious Unschoolers and Radical Unschool Love.
 
Show Notes
 
My Unschooling Books
Curious Unschoolers: Kindle
Curious Unschoolers: paperback
Radical Unschool Love: Kindle
Radical Unschool Love: paperback
 
Youtube
Sue Elvis
 
Instagram
stories_ofan_unschoolingfamily
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so that we can spread the word about unschooling. A quick review or rating would help too!
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about this episode. (You could tell me how many times I said the word 'grin' in this episode!) And please join me on Instagram!
 

153: More Unschool Writing Ideas and Resources

My author daughter Imogen joins me for a bumper episode about unschool writing.
In episode 148, we talked about how unschooling children learn to write. This week, we continue the unschool writing discussion by answering a couple of listener questions and then sharing some ideas and resources for anyone, young child to adult, who wants to improve their writing skills.
We also talk about:
The Global Homeschooling Summit and give a taste of Imogen and Sophie's interview.
My soon-to-be-published unschooling book Radical Unschool Love.
My daughter Charlotte's new design project: her Red Bubble shops.
 
Show Notes
 
Go Teen Writers
Go Teen Writers blog
Go Teen Writers book: How to Turn Your First Draft into a Published Book
Go Teen Writers Facebook Group
 
NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo
Camp NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program
 
Blogging
Blogger
Wordpress
 
Books
Plot and Structure: Techniques and Exercise for Crafting a Plot That Grips Readers from Start to Finish by James Scott Bell
Revision and Self-Editing (Write Great Fiction) by James Scott Bell
 
Bird by Bird: Some Instruction on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
 
Podcasts
Episode 148: Our Writing Unrules for Unschoolers
Writing Excuses
 
Charlotte Elvis
Charlotte's Redbubble Shop
The Stories of an Unschooling Family Red Bubble Shop
Instagram: charlotte.elvis
 
Imogen Elvis
Website
Write.Rewrite.Read
Youtube
Imogen Elvis
Write. Rewrite. Read
Imogen's novel
The Crystal Tree
Instagram
Write. Rewrite. Read
 
Sue Elvis
My Unschooling Books
Curious Unschoolers: Kindle
Curious Unschoolers: paperback
Radical Unschool Love: Kindle
Radical Unschool Love: paperback
Youtube
Sue Elvis
Instagram
stories_ofan_unschoolingfamily
 
The Global Homeschooling Summit
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so that we can spread the word about unschooling. A quick review or rating would help too!
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about this episode. Or you could just stop by and say hello. And please join me on Instagram!
 

149: My Unschooler's Homeschool Registration Visit

This week, I'm sharing details of my daughter Gemma-Rose's homeschool registration visit. I discuss the following questions:
Can registered homeschoolers unschool?
How do we write homeschool plans when we don't know what our unschooling kids will be interested in?
How can we fulfil homeschooling registration requirements without forcing kids to learn things they're not interested in? 
Is forced learning real learning?
I also talk about:
How we might be tempted to push our kids to use their talents or extend their interests.
How kids can surprise us. They're often not like us. They do things on their own timetables and not ours.
And I share my latest unschooling book news.
 
Show Notes
Podcasts
Episode 27: The Tricky Business of Registering an Unschooler as a Homeschooler
Episode 45: How Registered Homeschoolers Can Unschool
 
Blog Posts
My homeschool registration and record keeping posts
 
Youtube
Sue Elvis
 
Instagram
stories_ofan_unschoolingfamily
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so we can spread the word about unschooling. A quick review or rating would help too!
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about anything I talked about in this episode. You could just stop by and say hello. And please join me on Instagram!

148: Our Writing Unrules for Unschoolers

This week, my daughter Imogen and I are chatting about unschool writing. How do unschoolers learn to write? We share my writing unrules which are based on my observations of my children who all love writing.
We talk about:
Imogen's writing story: how she learnt to write, her university degree, how she is turning her passion for writing into YA novels
How free play is the foundation for creative writing
How drawing is a form of writing
How we learn by following someone else's example
How motivation for writing must come from within a child
Books and reading
How English workbooks are unnecessary
The progress of my unschooling books
And lots more!
 
Show Notes
 
Imogen Elvis
Website
Write.Rewrite.Read
Youtube
Write. Rewrite. Read
Imogen's novel
The Crystal Tree
Instagram
Write. Rewrite. Read
 
Podcasts
Homeschool Solutions with Pam Barnhill
Episode 150 of the Exploring Unschooling podcast with Pam Laricchia.
 
Books and Authors Mentioned
Jackie French
Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak
Rick Riordan
Alice in Wonderful by Lewis Carrol
 
My Instagram
stories_ofan_unschoolingfamily
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so we can spread the word about unschooling. A quick review or rating would help too!
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about anything we talked about in this episode. You could just stop by and say hello. And please join me on Instagram!
 

147: A Big Chat About Unschooling Teenagers

My daughters Imogen and Sophie join me to talk about unschooling teenagers:
What do teenagers need?
Should parents introduce more structured learning during the high school years?
Or do teenagers need to be free to continue to explore their passions?
What should we do if a teenager doesn't appear to have any particular passions?
What about university?
Do parents keep teenagers safe by keeping a tight hold on them? Is this the responsible thing to do?
Or do we keep teenagers safe by giving them their freedom to discover who they are?
Should parents be friends with their teenagers?
Is it never too late to build close relationships with our teenagers?
Is it essential we do this?
These are just a few of the many questions we discuss during our big chat about unschooling teenagers!
 
Show Notes
 
Imogen Elvis
Website
Write.Rewrite.Read
Youtube
Write. Rewrite. Read
Imogen's novel
The Crystal Tree
 
Sophie Elvis
Instagram
thetechnomaid
tough.turtle
Youtube
Sophie Elvis
 
My Instagram
stories_ofan_unschoolingfamily
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so we can spread the word about unschooling. A quick review or rating would help too!
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about anything we talked about in this episode. You could just stop by and say hello. And please join me on Instagram!

144: Reading Out Loud and a Generous Christmas

This week, I'm answering some questions about reading out loud:
What is our reading out loud process?
Should we have a time (for reading) built into the flow (of our day)?
What if this time crowds out other projects our children are working on individually?
How do we choose books?
 
I talk about
Why I never enjoyed listening to books being read aloud as a child
How I used to regard reading out loud as the dessert of my kids' education rather than the main course.
How we should move over and let our kids occupy the reader's chair
How we have to be patient while our kids are learning how to read out loud
My reading-out-loud experiment: What happened when I stopped correcting my daughter when she made reading-out-loud mistakes
 
I also return to the topic of Christmas presents:
Do presents belong only to the commercial side of Christmas or do they have spiritual significance?
Can we tell others to be generous?
Or do we only learn about generosity by experiencing it ourselves?
 
Show Notes
Blog Posts
Respecting Kids and Christmas Presents
The Reading Out Loud Experiment
A Main Course of Reading Out Loud
Listening
 
Instagram
stories_ofan_unschoolingfamily
 
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy my podcast, please consider sharing the link so we can spread the word about unschooling. A quick review or rating would help too!
Please feel welcome to visit my blog Stories of an Unschooling Family to leave a comment about anything I talked about in this episode. Or you could just stop by and say hello. And please join me on Instagram!
Perhaps you have a question or topic you'd like me to discuss in a future podcast episode. Please let me know so that I can add it to my planning notes for next year.
This is my last episode for 2018. I'm taking a break over Christmas. Please join me again in 2019! Happy Christmas!