Free Range Learning

With more kids at home now . . . here is a book for parents, family members and friends who want to maximize this time for a deeper learning experience for their children and themselves. Free Range Learning will encourage and excite those who want their children to reap important benefits from this period of “sheltering in place,” learning at home. This is a book for anyone simply wanting some fresh ideas at this time, or those who wonder if a commitment to ongoing homeschooling might actually result in longer term benefits! The material in this book is backed by scientific and educational studies, along with the testimonies of scores of parents and kids from around the world. The work here is applicable for young people from pre-school through high school. Studies indicate that adults who were homeschooled are: * More likely to vote, volunteer and be involved in their communities than graduates of conventional schools. * Read more books than average. * More likely to have taken college level courses than the population as a whole. * Tend to be independent and self-reliant. Children are naturally “free range” learners. They build knowledge and skills naturally, within the full spectrum of their daily lives, while observing, exploring and pursuing their interests. This book guides any parent or educator in assisting that process.

"Educator advises those who want to improve career possibilities because they do not have college degrees or feel trapped in a job or situation beneath their capabilities. He presents ways to take advantage of new opportunities available outside traditional university settings that value the "hidden credentials" of people's knowledge and skills learned from personal and work-related experiences"--

This is an essential handbook for families considering or just beginning home schooling. Free Range Education is full of family stories, burning questions, humor, tips, practical steps, practical advice, and resources (mostly UK). You are already your child's main educator, and in this invaluable guidebook other home educators show how it can work for you as well. They provide: -Answer questions concerning how home-schooled children can socialize; money issues; exams; and time off for parents themselves -Inspiring accounts and stories from graduates of home-schooling - their jobs, training, and lives -Resources, contacts, networks, and websites -A friendly overview of the legalities involved in home education (though it deals mostly with UK laws, it will also prove useful to parents in North America and elsewhere).

Learn to raise independent, can-do kids with a new edition of the book that started a movement In the newly revised and expanded Second Edition of Free-Range Kids, New York columnist-turned-movement leader Lenore Skenazy delivers a compelling and entertaining look at how we got so worried about everything our kids do, see, eat, read, wear, watch and lick -- and how to bid a whole lot of that anxiety goodbye. With real-world examples, advice, and a gimlet-eyed look at the way our culture forces fear down our throats, Skenazy describes how parents and educators can step back so kids step up. Positive change is faster, easier and a lot more fun than you’d believe. This is the book that has helped millions of American parents feel brave and optimistic again – and the same goes for their kids. Using research, humor, and feisty common sense, the book shows: How parents can reject the media message, “Your child is in horrible danger!” How schools can give students more independence -- and what happens when they do. (Hint: Teachers love it.) How everyone can relax and successfully navigate a judge-y world filled with way too many warnings, scolds and brand new fears Perfect for parents and guardians of children of all ages, Free-Range Kids will also earn a place in the libraries of K-12 educators who want their students to blossom with newfound confidence and cheer.

Teacher turned home-educator Anna Dusseau explores the purpose of education, how children learn and the benefits of home education. She addresses key questions and suggests activities and ways to start homeschooling.

The author of Yarn Harlot returns with more hilarious personal stories about all the ups and downs of being a knitter. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (a.k.a. the Yarn Harlot) returns to pen another hilarious, insightful, and poignant collection of essays surrounding her favorite topics: knitting, knitters, and what happens when you get those two things anywhere near ordinary people. Free-Range Knitters shares stories of knitting horrors and triumphs and knitting successes and defeats, but, mostly, it shares stories about the human condition that ring true for everyone—especially if you have to have a rather large amount of yarn in your house. Praise for Yarn Harlot “Stephanie Pearl-McPhee turns both typical and unique knitting experiences into very funny and articulate prose.” —Meg Swansen, Schoolhouse Press “I laughed until my stitches fell helplessly from my needles!” —Lucy Neatby, author of Cool Socks Warm Feet “A sort of David Sedaris-like take on knitting—laugh-out-loud funny most of the time and poignantly reflective when it’s not cracking you up.” —Library Journal

Free range poultry sounds simple - and it can be given the right skills and reasonable expectations. This book has been written to provide easily consumed technical information and real-life examples from growers who range from large scale production to mixed farming of meat and egg production to help you get started in free range poultry. Topics covered include: - Sourcing stock - Pastures for poultry - Health management - Biosecurity - Regulations Plus nine case studies. Each case study is unique—just as your enterprise will be. The examples we use range from large-scale, highly sophisticated production and marketing units to a farm with an eclectic mixture of meat and egg organic production, and all points in between. AgGuides are compiled by highly regarded industry experts to provide easy to follow advice on agriculture and support the Tocal College external study program for agriculture. AgGuides are compiled by highly regarded industry experts to provide easy to follow advice on agriculture and support the Tocal College external study program for agriculture.

The perfect baby book for new moms and dads! You’ve just had a baby. Everything is perfect. Then the hospital sends you home—without an instruction manual... Baby expert Gina Ford comes to the rescue with her newly revised hour-by-hour, week-by-week guide. One of Great Britain’s top parenting experts, she draws on more than twenty years of experience researching and studying the natural sleep rhythms and feeding patterns of babies to ease the stresses and worries of new parents. In this new edition, you’ll find everything you need to know to get your newborn to sleep through the night. In addition to advice on sleep training, Ford shares her expertise on feeding schedules, colic, crying, teething, illness, pacifiers, separation anxiety, and setting up the perfect nursery. With this easy-to-follow guide, Ford will have your whole family sleeping through the night—happily and peacefully—in no time.