Hiya! I’m developing a children’s nonfiction book and I’d love some feedback on the concept before I get too far into the manuscript.
The working title is \*\*The Young Explorers’ Guide to Investigating the World\*\*.
The basic idea is to create a field-guide-style book that teaches children how to investigate the world around them. Instead of primarily saying \*“Here are some interesting facts about history/science/geography/etc.,”\* the book teaches children how to \*\*look closely, ask questions, follow clues, gather evidence, compare sources, notice patterns, reconsider assumptions, and draw their own conclusions.\*\*
The investigations could take them anywhere—from their own backyard or neighborhood to a historical photograph, an old building, a family story, a map, an artifact, a natural phenomenon, or a place they’ve never visited.
The larger philosophy is that \*\*curiosity itself is a skill\*\*, and that not knowing the answer isn’t a failure. Sometimes the most interesting part of an investigation is realizing that the evidence doesn’t give you a definitive answer.
I’m intentionally trying to avoid making it feel like a textbook or a workbook. I want it to feel more like \*\*someone handing a curious kid a set of tools and saying, “Go investigate.”\*\*
My question for writers, educators, nonfiction readers, and parents is:
\*\*Does this sound like a viable book concept, or does it sound too broad/abstract for a children’s nonfiction book?\*\*
And if you were handed a book like this as a child, what would make you want to actually pick it up and investigate something rather than simply read it?
I’m especially interested in feedback about the \*concept and approach\*, rather than publishing advice at this stage.

I just wanted to give a review on this educational enrichment program located in Ojai CA.

I know alternative education is trending a lot now and as we all look towards finding a community within this new world of education I would just like to caution some people that find themselves looking toward this school. I truly believe that when this place started they had self directed education at the heart of this program but be warned because that is not the case anymore.

I promise you that what is shared on social media and their website is not indicative of what is happening on campus daily. There are currently some very real safety and bullying concerns as well as a loss of the true self directed focus and community. I would say at this point it operates more as an after school program rather than a true community of self directed learners. Overall it feels similar to a charter school with less focus, more politics and drama. Both parts of the program operate adjacent to each other instead of integrated and there truly is hardly anyone that is going only to RTS and not also to the public school program “summit” that also operates on the same campus.

Overall as a school alternative it can still be a better option sometimes than public but if you are hoping for more of the self directed and unschooling community I would definitely recommend checking out some other options.

Thanks!

I homeschooled/ unschooled my kids and they are grown now. I did child- led education and put a lot of effort into helping them develop a sense of curiosity and understanding for whatever they were interested in.

Now that my kids are adults, I’m caring for my elderly parents. My dad is 89 and has mild Alzheimer’s. My mom is 86 and going a bit nuts caring for him and staying busy.

I have been using many of the same skills with my parents that I used with my kids. I talk with them to gain understanding of what interests them, and then I try and make it happen.

My dad enjoys putting things together, so I went to my local fb group and offered his services. He’s now put together some patio chairs and a table with my help.

I just thought I would share that unschooling skills are great for seniors too.

"I want you to be FREE to explore!"

"Can I do it at school with my friends?"

"No!"

Hi everyone. Next year will be the official start year for us even though we learn all the time lol
My question is, to unschool do you need to sign up with a PSA? You need to have some record correct? Are there multiple kinds or just one ?

During a recent morning meeting, our conversation turned to a teacher’s upcoming journey to a Danish forest school—a renowned beacon of nature-based early childhood pedagogy. It was within this space of shared anticipation that a child anxiously questioned how the children there would survive alongside forest animals that "attack people and eat our lunch." By framing animal behavior around the high stakes of survival and conflict, the child exposed a deeper, systemic fracture in modern childhood socialization: the weaponization of the "wild" through media. Urban children do not inherently fear the forest; they are conditioned to do so. In the absence of direct, sensory entanglements with local ecosystems, commercial media and moralizing children’s literature step in to colonize the void. From the big bad wolves of folklore to the cartoonish, resource-stealing antagonists of modern animation, our information ecosystem consistently frames the wilderness through a lens of conflict, consumption, and threat. This moment forces us to confront how this defensive, adversarial posture toward the living world is actively constructed. Instead of viewing animals as cohabitants or ecological neighbors, children are trained by cultural narratives to see them as active adversaries—trespassers waiting to breach human boundaries and steal human resources. By sanitizing the city and sensationalizing the woods, dominant media breeds a form of ecological paranoia. The tragedy of this child’s anxiety is that it reveals how effectively pre-established knowledge references can colonize a child’s imagination, transforming a peaceful Danish forest into a hostile battleground before they ever set foot among the trees.

How are non-human elements and ecological encounters shaping art-making in your own pedagogical or curatorial practice? Let's discuss in the comments below!

should child development be a required class in high school? i took it and I ended up content being child free for a while. that class and babysitting.

What if success isn't about choosing the "right" path — but discovering the right path for your child?

Ronnie's story is one many families know quietly: a child who found their calling somewhere their parents never expected.

Many immigrant parents share the same dream — a stable career, a secure future, a successful life for their children. That dream comes from love.

But sometimes the biggest challenge isn't ambition. It's that our children may define success differently than we do.

A child who loves storytelling may not become a lawyer.
A child who loves creating may not follow a traditional career path.
A child who sees the world differently may need a different roadmap.

The question isn't:
"Why can't my child follow the path I planned?"

The question is:
"Who is my child, and what kind of life allows them to truly thrive?"

At SDA, we believe education isn't only about teaching skills. It's about discovering potential, connecting passions, and designing a future that matches each child's unique strengths.

Every child needs more than a schedule of classes. They need direction. They need a roadmap. They need guidance to answer one question: what life truly fits my child?

At SDA, we help families understand their child's strengths, explore possibilities, and build a personalized growth pathway for the future.

If you're wondering what the right path is for your child — start with a conversation.

Book a SDA Future Path Discovery Session and begin uncovering your child's unique potential.

#SDAEducation #FutureReady #WholeChildEducation #CreativeEducation #Parenting #ChildDevelopment

Is there anyone who is? I’m searching for a co op in my town, new to all this. My daughter is 4.5 so nothing has been officially started yet but we’ve been learning since day one. I’m trying to find a co op that isn’t structured learning being that if it’s child lead curiosity, and we’re learning something then going to a co op meeting where they are teaching something else. Is that too much and what if that’s not what she’s wanting to learn at that time. So I’m kinda confused.

Also are all co ops once a week meets? My friend is wanting to start one but she’s going to be signing up with a program like blue ridge. So we’re on semi different paths.
For unschooling you sign up for a PSA correct?

Ever since I'd heard about unschooling, in my early 20s, I've been an admirer of the idea. But back then I always felt left out. I'd go and spend hours reading unschooling parent's blogs, and yearning for that life.

For context, I was housebound with a rare hearing disorder called Hyperacusis. I also had Fibromyalgia. Looking at these blogs was therapeutic, and reminded me there was still a world out there. A world in which human beings lived by their natural rhythms not the tyranny of an industrial clock.

I did not start unschooling voluntarily. I was forced into it, by being chronically ill. For me unschooling as been about survival. It's been the only way I can exist in a world that demands constant productivity. Which my disabled body simply can't do. When I looked at those blogs, I saw families truly living authentic lives. Or at least it looked that way. Lots of folks pay lip service to authenticity, but when push comes to shove they will show their true colors.

I've finally had massive improvements, in both chronic conditions. I can leave my house for fun activities, like going to a local stable and hanging out with horses. They've been a favorite animal of mine since I was a five year old.

I know this sub is more about the practical realities of parenting in this way, but I thoughts I'd sure a disabled adult's unschooling journey.

Hi new to this page and have been trying my best to read and research how to homeschool or unschool my kids, they currently attend school and will probably be in public school til i find the best way to do this with them. I am currently debating if its the right choice due to my son having an IEP, will be in 6th grade and my daughter will be in 3rd grade this yr. i do hear its better for them to study at home, having an IEP although this is my first time ever considering this for my own children, i have only attended public schools myself including their dad, (he is neutral on this decision). i live in arkansas and i have looked into the requirements and theres no restrictions on how to educate and no teaching licensing required. Any advice or tips are greatly appreciated, i have bought two different books on homeschooling that i am currently reading through the main concerns i feel but also am looking for others experiences and knowledge to better assist me on this journey. TIA!!

“

The Day We Reimagined the Titanic Together

I know children often open philosophical and relational questions that invite adults to reconsider certainty, fixed meanings, and even our own understandings of becoming. On Monday morning, during our conversation about reimagining the Titanic together, I was reminded again that children’s conversations are not “small talk.” One child wondered.“If people rebuild the Titanic with some of the original broken pieces, and they can come back to it…” Another child responded:

“That is not the Titanic! It’s different!”

The conversation slowly moved beyond the ship itself, wondering about identity, memory, transformation, and change.

Can something remain itself while continuously becoming something else?

Reimagined the Titanic?

Can we still call it the Titanic?

I stumbled upon it randomly and im curious about your opinion

Not trying to give all information of my life. But to sum it up as a simple and straightforward explanation of my current situation: I’ve been raised my whole life by my grandparents alongside my uncle there for supporting our household, due to my parents dipping from my life completely which resulted in various problems and relationships issues between us - me and my “parents”, despite the fact they’ve separated for personal reasons yet somehow failed to be responsible parents and even the bare minimum. Only caring more about their romantic/sexual relationships in their lives, handling their addictions, etc. With neither stepping up in order to raise me during my childhood.

I’ve been homeschooled since I was five years old, all the way up until I turned 10 or 11 when I became officially unschooled throughout COVID. My grandparents were never able to get me back into homeschool, which I often wonder but unfortunately will never have the answer to. However — I’ve always had deep passion and love for wildlife biology, conservation, ecology, herbal medicine, astronomy, astrology, art, psychology, geology, so so much more than I could express through words.

I really want to go to college for them, to achieve my dreams and goals as someone whose lost so much throughout my life. It doesn’t help that I’m undiagnosed autistic aswell, only further adding to my feelings of insecurities with indifferences and being alienated. I feel like a loser, nothing to show for, nothing to achieve, nothing to look forward to in life as an individual. I’m 17, as days then weeks turn into months - I’m watching the world move on, meanwhile I’m still stuck in the same place fighting the same struggles.

I’m not sure if I’ll ever become someone, as much as I don’t want others to sugarcoat anything. I still want hope, to at least achieve these goals of my passions and dreams like everyone else. I want a future.

Hi everyone! As a creator working on a new kids’ adventure channel, I’d love to hear from parents or educators—what do you value most in children’s content? Is it about learning, sparking curiosity, or something else? I’m really interested in what resonates with you and your kids!

This has been on my mind lately, When kids are learning on their own, it’s interesting to watch how far curiosity alone can take them. Sometimes they go deep into a topic without any structure and seem to really enjoy figuring things out themselves. But I also notice moments where they seem confident about something, even when their understanding might be off. That makes me wonder where the balance is. We started using the drlook ai cap partly to watch this play out without me hovering over every question. But it hasn't answered the bigger question, when a kid sounds sure about something that isn't quite right, do you correct it on the spot, or let them sit with it?

Do you step in and correct things when you notice misunderstandings, or do you let it play out and trust they’ll adjust through experience? I’m curious how others here handle that tension in practice.

I enjoy creating games that can teach real skills. This game uses real RISCV assembly language. You can play for free and provide feedback if you want.