When I first dipped into the homeschooling world, it didn’t occur to me that there would be homeschooling trends to keep up with. The word “homeschooling” didn’t exactly equal “cool” at the time. 😉
However, fast forward almost two decades and there’s a whole new vernacular. Within the world of home education, there’s been a surge forward in both numbers and “coolness.” There is lingo and it’s really kind of great, but when I first began coming across it, I began to wonder if I’d missed a bunch of these opportunities. Maybe I hadn’t known as much as I’d thought about supporting my children’s learning. Perhaps I hadn’t offered my kids the full creative opportunity I could have without “loose parts play” or Waldorf play silks. Was I paying attention to STEM in their play? And how did we manage eating without a “snack plate,” “monkey platter” or something of the sort?
Then, maybe kind of like a great grandma who hears the word “attachment parenting” and thinks back carefully, I realized that these are not new things really. They just have new names. (I say “great grandma” because truly, the value of connected baby and toddler care was somewhat lost to many for a few decades).
When we first decided to take the less travelled road of home education, I read lots of books available that time – John Holt, John Taylor Gatto, Susan Wise Bauer, David and Micki Colfax – and some others. I was interested in them all, drawing from them the ideas that worked for my family and leaving those that didn’t. There was not the wide variety of books that there are now.
Then, I just started about the business of living and learning alongside my kids and being part of local community. Days were full of joys and challenges. We had a full and active network of unschooling and homeschooling families and as my kids became a bit older, I went from being a newcomer to co-facilitating an active network for several years. Combining that with my paid work, I didn’t have a lot of time or need to look elsewhere. Eventually, our local network became huge (or so it seemed to me) and co-facilitating wasn’t something that made sense for my kids and their time and interests anymore.
At that time, I realized that while the kids may have moved from the need to be in home ed community in regular ways, I hadn’t. The needs that had been met by gathering regularly with other homeschool mothers to chat, be encouraged and plan together hadn’t gone away, although they had changed course for me as well. I had a few parents who I wanted to continue to be in touch with socially to maintain good connection (and I am and we do!), but the need to continue to explore ways of living and learning and participate in community around theories and ideas were mostly mine alone. The other parents had also been at this home education deal for a couple of decades, some longer, and seemed ready to move on. For me, moving on meant digging even deeper into possibilities and ideas around learning, family and community, encouraging others where possible.
Enter the online world. I had been in online homeschooling and unschooling networks for the purpose of local organizing. My kids had done various online events and courses as well as an abundance of gaming. I’d read some blogs and listened to a few podcasts. I sometimes reserved our library books online, lol. It wasn’t that I was offline. It just hadn’t been my main source of information and connection about home education.
So, when I decided to consciously take some time to dip back in, I was in for a surprise. The world of homeschooling and unschooling had changed! The landscape was FULL. Maybe not full – there’s always room at the table for experience and perspective – but abundant. The online possibilities have provided a vehicle for home educating families to share their experiences both locally and globally and I’m convinced we’re all better for it. Yet it still can be a lot to take in.
One of the things I’ve noticed is that a certain amount of vocabulary has emerged. The main “new to me” words I heard starting out those almost 19 years ago were: homeschooling, unschooling, strewing, co-op, field trip, copywork and read-aloud. I think that was it. I don’t remember hearing other new words. Venturing back more deeply to the online world a very few years ago presented quite a growing edge.
So, here we go! These are some of the terms that I came across. They weren’t necessarily all new to me, but seemed previously unfamiliar in the context of home education
STEM
Science
Technology
Engineering
Math
Here is one that became common to all types of education. Believe it or not, as we first dipped our toes into home ed, STEM was not a word I’d heard! It hasn’t actually been around as many years as we might think. I did hear of it not too, too long afterward, but it hadn’t initially made its way on as a label or draw to multiple products, resources and programs.
Now, obviously science, technology, engineering and math themselves are not new. They have been around a while! What is newer is the idea of them being grouped together to create an acronym. Starting in the science world as a way of prioritizing these areas to address potential shortages and safeguard them for security purposes, they made their way to public education and then to some degree, to the world of home education.
At some point a few years in, we would head out to a museum or gallery and a program would be advertised as being STEM or covering those areas. Toys and games now often have the acronym in the description as a catch phrase to highlight their educational value in those subjects.
What did we do without the STEM label?
We did STEM. That’s right. Our life included all kinds of science, technology, engineering and math in the form of K’Nex, Lego, wooden blocks, Rubik’s Cubes, computer and video games, coding, books, websites, TV shows, board games, electronic snap circuit kits, puzzles, simple machines kits, practical mechanics, computer repair, bicycle repair, tent and fort assembly, science museum memberships to name a small number. An enormous amount of STEM happens in everyday play and practical life. We just didn’t worry about calling it anything special.
STEAM
STEAM has the “A” added to STEM for “Arts.” A few more years into the 21st century, the A was added, paying homage to the role that creativity had in STEM fields. I’ve read there was some controversy over whether the Arts should be included.
No worries for us because the Arts were already a part of our life naturally.
We didn’t need to wait to hear whether the Arts were going to be integrated in any sort of new way into school or homeschool curriculum. They were part of our life anyway. Scuplting, building, symmetry, painting, musical instruments, choir, choreography development, fine carpentry, creating purposes and storylines for building structures and then adapting them as needed, experimenting with the sound of homemade instruments … already happening. Even without hearing the term STEAM, we were living it as it came up in life.
LOOSE PARTS PLAY
According to www.funandfantasticplay.com, Loose Parts is the name given to “any natural and man-made that can be used to expand upon children’s play.” It goes on to say that the concept came about in 1972 by architect Simon Nicholson “to describe the use of open-ended materials in a child’s environment, which he believed was strongly linked to creativity and critical thinking later in life.”
So that means the label itself had been around and I was certainly aware of the concept of this sort of thing, but I didn’t hear it being used by that label.
How did this play out for us without paying attention to the label?
So I think it basically consisted of open-ended opportunities to play and create with a bunch of little stuff! At our place this could be natural things like acorns, sticks and pebbles or it could be marbles, buttons and jacks. Often they found their own in the form of game pieces like dice, dominoes and mini dinosaurs. I didn’t have a Loose Parts tray or anything. We just got things out as their play called for it or I set some things out if I saw something of potential interest. When we were outdoors, a couple of kids were particularly adept at collecting their own little items to save and bring home. They would often combine all sorts of things in their play, although I don’t think all kids are as into this as others. “Loose parts play” is great, but if a child is not into it, they can still be creative in other ways.
POETRY TEATIME
Poetry Teatime is an opportunity to take a quiet, relaxed time in the day to pair refreshments (tea, scones or otherwise) with poetry. The food and drink can vary depending on what your family enjoys or the particular mood of the day. The same flexibility applies with the choice in poetry.
Julie Bogart shared this concept after noticing how enjoyable it was with her own children. She has a website Poetry Teatime which highlights all sorts of ideas and resources.
Did anything similar play out at our house?
Sort of? We have never had poetry teatime as such, but we definitely paired a lot of food with stories and conversation. Sometimes it was around the table, more often it was on the couch and always, it was relaxing. There is something about pairing food and drink with almost any shared experience that has the potential to make things a little more enjoyable.
BIG, JUICY CONVERSATIONS
Coined by Julie Bogart (as far as I know – I’m open to correction), Big Juicy Conversations reference those rich, deep chats we have with our kids. They offer us a window into the thoughts and feelings our child might be having and an opportunity to express our own thoughts and perspectives. It gives the opportunity for an exchange of ideas rather than testing a child’s knowledge with things like comprehension or narration.
In our family?
Big, juicy conversations were happening all the time. I think people sometimes thought about in the context of discussions about books and that happened here too, but I don’t think big, juicy conversations need to be a “bookish” thing. We had deep, rich conversations about all kinds of things – sports, arts, the news, faith, economics, movies, video games, nature, friendships and more.
MORNING BASKET
Sometimes also known as Morning Time, this is an opportunity to connect as a family as the day begins to spend time diving into things together, whether it’s music, stories, prayer or conversation. Families can use this time for whatever makes sense for their particular style … memory work, art study (often known as “picture study” in the Charlotte Mason world). It doesn’t need to be in the morning … it can be anytime that suits a particular family. There is an entire Morning Basket podcast full of ideas that can be found here.
Our house?
I don’t know that we did anything that could exactly be called Morning Basket, but we did have quite predictable times that we came together for stories and conversation. We had a basket of ever changing and varied books by the couch to snuggle up with each morning and as the kids got older, we usually had a read aloud or two on the go. A big part of our together time also involved watching shows together and making up dances to the theme songs. So, maybe not Morning Basket exactly, but many of the same elements of connection and discovering things together were there.
FOREST SCHOOL
Forest School is hard for me to define exactly in the context of home education because it didn’t originate as part of it but was incorporated more as a part of the regular education process in Scandinavia and then as part of outdoor education programs, as I understand it. Children don’t necessarily need to be homeschooling to go to Forest School. However, it’s another term or concept that has taken off in the home ed world and it’s not uncommon for homeschooling or unschooling kids to go to Forest School one day a week.
It’s essentially nature immersion over a period of time, ideally a couple of different seasons so that kids can see the changes bit by bit. New skills are introduced, both individually and collaboratively within different activities and open time.
Our family?
Finding some favourite conservation areas and hitting them up at various times of year was likely the closest we came. We had a group of friends who also liked to get together and run around in natural spaces. There was a lot of adventuring, but very little direct instruction when we were just meeting for a hike. We did have several times where a staff member from the conservation authority provided tours and programming, but often we joined in on whatever public events were happening … night-time snowshoeing through the woods, winter night-time owling, firefly walk, maple syrup festival, marsh and pond exploration, falconry, monarch butterfly banding. We also worked a sugar bush here and there, so I think we did alright. Oh and camping … yes, I feel we did fine! That being said, there might have been some additional skills we could have learned from Forest School and having that set day a week that I could plan to be at work would have certainly been convenient.
GROWTH MINDSET
“Individuals who believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies and input from others) have a growth mindset … They worry less about being smart and put more energy into learning.” Harvard Business Review
Based on the work of Carol Dweck, Growth Mindset became a known concept within education, particularly in the mid- 2010s ( always sounds funny to name that decade) and made its way into the homeschooling world, particularly in the form of Big Life Journal.
Our life?
I don’t know exactly. I tend to think this way, but likely just didn’t frame it in these terms. Growth Mindset resonates with me in some ways such as not being limited and being open to trying hard and differently. An example of this would be supporting my children in things of interest that I could see weren’t necessarily a talent, but that they were very interested in and wanting to improve at even if it wasn’t their main strength.
In other ways, it doesn’t always resonate. Sometimes it’s okay to just “be” and not always work harder, try harder, etc. It’s not always about getting ahead even when it’s something you’re interested in.
WILDLINGS
Wildlings is just kind of what it sounds like. Children being wild and free in nature. What’s interesting to me is that at the time that we began our journey, much of the focus was on NOT being too wild – at least not in front of people! There was this societal assumption that not going to school would result in children who didn’t know how to stand in line, wait their turn, grasp social norms. In short, they might be wild! Funnily enough, cultural norms have shifted to the point that being wild is celebrated in the home ed world and pictures of children out exploring, climbing and adventuring abound.
Our family?
For the most part, just have a look at what I’ve included under forest school! That being said, wildlings refers to something quite a bit less structured than forest school, so I guess, I could include camping, beaches, playgrounds and backyard play. However, not all my kids or the ones we spent time with would be considered wildlings. Some were quite a bit more interested in being inside and clean and that’s okay too!
GAMESCHOOLING
This can be a way of honing into particular topics through games or simply a way to recognize that we are always learning. If parents are trying to support their child in certain skill or knowledge areas, they might tap into particular games that have a lot of vocabulary, numbers, geography, etc.
It can also simply acknowledge and celebrate the learning in everything. Games can be a great way to connect and learn. There are some really great ideas at My Little Poppies here.
At our house?
We had lots of games and played a variety, and we may actually play more games now than in our younger days. I absolutely noticed that we learned and grew from games. I say “we” because I learned a bunch too, especially since one of the kids was particularly interested in trivia games.
LEARNING PODS
According to Learning Pods Canada, Learning Pods are “small groups of children who come together to learn outside of a traditional school setting.”
Learning pods became an increasingly common term a short time into the pandemic as school families began to figure out what to do in response to school closures or safety and homeschool families figured out ways to stay connected in small groups, at least. In my area, quite a few groups of families banded together. In some ways this is similar to homeschool co-ops. One difference is that learning pods often hire someone to lead/teach, and, for the most part, homeschool groups usually pool the time and resources of parents. It might be a rotation of parents or it might be someone specific who has offered or been asked to facilitate something specific. A second difference is that co-ops can become large, whereas learning pods are intentionally kept small.
And us?
We have been involved in lots of group settings, both co-ops and smaller groups. Although we often had specialized leaders on group field trips or programs and one time hired a theatre group leader, most of the time it was actually just a few of us getting together – no outside hire.
I would say that learning pods are more of an alternative, smaller ratio response to school, while unschooling and homeschooling are each a lifestyle in family and community.
To see an example of concentrated group learning, you can read my post Exploring Great Literature with Teens in an Unschooling Way here. To read about times we have connected with people with specific skills, you can read Homeschool High School Ideas – Mentorships for Teens here.
RABBIT HOLES
Rabbit holes are opportunities to dive more deeply into a topic or area of interest. People of all ages have always done this, but it’s a term I now frequently see in online writing about home education. “Going down a rabbit hole” might be something a family does for an hour or an afternoon while they dive deeper into something, or it might be something a child does on their for a long period of time while they satisfy their interest about something.
What did it look like for us?
Someone spending months immersed in dinosaurs – movies, documentaries, reference books and encyclopedias, stories, shows, scenes set up with model dinosaurs
OR
Noticing a new attraction on a drive somewhere one day and chatting about what each of thought of it, then looking it up together when we got home and pouring over the website for a while.
HYGGE
Hygge is the Danish practice of cosy, simple, comfortable living, particularly throughout the darker, colder months of the year. There is more to it than that but because it’s more of an essence than anything quantitative, you might want to look up and see for yourself. It isn’t directly related to homeschooling, but it’s become very common to read online about bringing hygge into your homeschool. In fact if you do a search on “bringing hygge into your homeschool,” you’ll see … 😉
Our home?
Well, we live in a moderately cold climate and also happen to live in a cosy, quaint house – AKA small and old 😉- so some of the components of hygge happened pretty naturally. I have a tendency toward nostalgia, so we had reminders of people, places and kids’ creations. I like to be cosy, so we had various quilts and knitted blankets. I also enjoy stories, familiar shows, popcorn and hot chocolate. I like warm, familiar comfort food like casseroles or chilli and I enjoy candles of various kinds.
So, yes … I think we had some hygge going on although I didn’t hear the term until a very few years ago.
MAMA
My daughter was scanning some blogs with me lately and asked, “Why does everyone seem to be calling themselves and others ‘Mama’ ? I thought that was more of an old-fashioned word.”
“Me too,” I replied. “I think it’s mainly used online and at homeschool conferences. I don’t hear it in everyday conversation.” I think?
This was one of the most interesting findings for me online. I don’t mind it … I mostly just notice it. I think it’s become a way of cheering each other on, encouraging, celebrating motherhood. “You’ve got this, Mama.” “I see you, Mama.” “Hang in there, Mama.” “You rock, Mama.”
It’s not just the word I notice, but the collective accolades and support. I’m not sure if it’s a changing homeschool culture or just mums who are a few years younger than me (okay, a decade or so), but I don’t remember those sorts of verbal assurances and I could have used them from time to time!
SELF-CARE
I think I was doing self-care (although likely not enough), but it wasn’t really as much a thing at the time. There weren’t many blogs or books dedicated to it that I can remember …?
“Homeschool parent” as an identity in and of itself is more pronounced now, I think, and along with it, comes an awareness of taking care of your needs in order to be able to be able to care for others.
How did this roll out for me?
Maybe not very well. I don’t remember people talking about specifically. It was more just about grabbing breaks when we could and trying to build natural chances to take a breath during the day.
The jury is still out for me in terms of how far to take this one. Self-care means different things to different people. There can almost be a guilt about not doing enough or a particular type self-care and I don’t think parents need to be stressed about making sure they’re not stressed – but I think self-care is really good to recognize.
So, there we have it! Just a handful of terms that I’ve noticed are new to me over the past several years – a sign of the growing network and presence of home education.
I imagine there are more! Do any others come to mind?
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