Project-Based Homeschooling: Mentoring Self-Directed Learners [Paperback]

Lori McWilliam Pickert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 27, 2012

Amazon Bestseller
 
Project-based homeschooling combines children's interests with long-term, deep, complex learning.
 
This is an essential experience for children: to spend time working on something that matters to them, with the support of a dedicated mentor. This book is an introduction and guide to creating the circumstances under which children can teach themselves.
 
The author gives parents concrete tips for helping children do challenging, meaningful, self-chosen work. From setting up a workspace that encourages independence to building a family culture that supports self-directed learning to concrete suggestions for a step-by-step approach to inquiry-based investigation, Project-Based Homeschooling shares techniques for mentoring independent, confident thinkers and learners.
 
"[A] rare book that both inspired me to make changes in the way I homeschool and gave me the practical means to make them." -- Lucinda Leo

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Anyone who considers themselves the ultimate guardian of their children's education ... will find ideas to think about and act upon." -- Amy @ Kids in the Studio

"Although the title says 'Project-Based Homeschooling,' it is really something that any parent could incorporate into their lives, homeschooling or regular schooling." -- Jennifer Lumb

"There is so much practical, useful information in this book. Any parent would benefit from reading it and learning from Pickert about the importance and significance of letting children (and adults) take ownership of their own learning. ... Pickert gives us the tools to be great mentors to our kids." -- E. Latshaw

"There are only a handful of books that I can honestly say have changed my life. This ... is one of those books." -- Dawn @ The Outskirts Nature Journal

"[T]his isn't just a homeschooling book.  It is a guide to parenting." -- Annie @ Bird and Little Bird

From the Inside Flap

Project-based homeschooling combines children's interests with long-term, deep, complex learning. This is an essential experience for children: to spend time working on something that matters to them, with the support of a dedicated mentor.

This book is an introduction and guide to creating the circumstances under which children can teach themselves. It gives parents concrete tips for helping children do challenging, meaningful, self-chosen work.

From setting up a workspace that encourages independence to building a family culture that supports self-directed learning to concrete suggestions for a step-by-step approach to inquiry-based investigation, Project-Based Homeschooling shares techniques for mentoring independent, confident thinkers and learners.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (June 27, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1475239068
• ISBN-13: 978-1475239065
• Product Dimensions: 0.4 x 6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,418 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Education & Reference > Schools & Teaching > Education Theory > Administration
  • #13 in Books > Education & Reference > Schools & Teaching > Homeschooling

More About the Author

Lori Pickert founded and for several years ran a small private school with a Reggio-inspired, project-based curriculum. Establishing a reputation as a progressive educator, she traveled the country speaking, giving workshops, and training teachers as an educational consultant.

She began homeschooling her sons when they were 4 and 7, using the same approach to learning: interest-based learning, authentic art, and parent as learning mentor. She has been writing the Camp Creek Blog and mentoring other homeschooling families since 2007.

She is the author of Project-Based Homeschooling: Mentoring Self-Directed Learners.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Changed the Way We Approach Life August 28, 2012

By E. Latshaw

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is completely amazing. We immediately added project time to our day and both of my children are completely engrossed in the process of creating. Right now, my three year old pretty much just wants to do art and make pictures and that is completely fine. My seven year old is working on a book of drawings of dinosaurs. He's using a book he found in the library on drawing dinosaurs and is totally going to town with it. But along with that, he's been writing descriptions of the different dinosaurs, and engaging anyone and everyone in discussions about dinosaurs. He's taken a science class devoted to dinosaurs. He reads books about dinosaurs. He is the dinosaur guy.

And that's what project-based homeschooling is. And really, the book should be called project-based learning or leading a project-based life because this is not just for kids and not just for homeschoolers. My son looked at me the other day and asked me what my project is. I had to think about my project, but I was finally able to tell him and now I work on my project while my kids work on theirs.

There is so much practical, useful information in this book. Any parent would benefit from reading it and learning from Pickert about the importance and significance of letting children (and adults) take ownership of their own learning. We can learn so much more when we're invested in the process and when we want to know what is being offered to us.

The most important take-away for me is that project-based learning can be *part* of an overall educational plan and not the whole plan. I was always under the impression that is was the whole enchilada or order Chinese instead. But you can do this and be a classical homeschooler or a Christian homeschooler or an eclectic homeschooler or even an unschooler.... Project-based learning works for all kinds of kids and all kinds of homeschools. And not just homeschoolers. This would be great for public or private school kids whose parents want them to take some ownership of their learning. Pickert gives us the tools to be great mentors to our kids. Now we have to do it! Read more ›

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Real strategies for REAL learning! July 6, 2012

By Deirdre Keating

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been following Lori Pickert's blog for years, and been wishing for a way to share her ideas in book form. Alleluia, it's here!
Some of the main things I've taken from Lori's writing:
1. Project-based learning is based on trust.
Traditional classrooms rely on the teacher knowing exactly where students will be (or at least hope to be) by the end of the quarter---the answers are already known. In trying to implement Lori's process into our school's honor program, I learned how essential trust was in allowing children an authentic say in what they learn and how they learn it---trust in our children's eagerness to do real work and in their love of meaningful learning.
2. Project-based learning doesn't have to be all or nothing.
I'm guilty of taking a lot of ideas to the extreme as a way to discount them. Yes, PBL is child-led, but that doesn't mean the teacher is just passively following along. I love the way Lori clearly paints the significant role parents or teacher play in supporting and mentoring their students. I'm a big believer in memorization, both math facts and poetry---and my kids aren't going to choose that on their own. But I find that by allowing the majority of their home-learning to be self-led projects, they are much more receptive and enthusiastic about my pet projects.
3. Setting matters.
I love the way Pickert stresses the role of environment in a child's learning. Everything from observing their parent as a reader or someone who creates, or FINISHES projects to the table space and wall display and quality art materials---it all communicates what we value to our chidren much more loudly than anything we could say in words....
The book spells out the different steps in implementing student-directed project, and every chapter has an inspiring list of specific ideas/formats. My only complaint is I want more--- I can't wait to read what Pickert publishes next. Read more ›

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome! July 6, 2012

By Teri

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is incredible. In addition to teaching how to do project-based homeschooling it's like a manual on how to live. It's going to make a huge difference to anyone reading it. I can't recommend it highly enough. It's like the author is taking the reader gently by the hand and calmly and encouragingly leading them through the approach. It's encouraging, it's inspiring, it's incredibly instructive. It was a joy to read.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars It needed more... January 20, 2013

By hsmama

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I received this book on Tuesday and am done on Sunday. I like the overarching idea of the book, but found it really lacking in how to get started. If my kids have never done a 'project' how do I engage, or not engage, in a way that they self-motivate actual projects? How do I even take the first step, if they aren't running up to me chanting, "Mommy Mommy I want to build a solar system out of Styrofoam!" After the initial introduction to what project-based homeschooling is, the rest of the book is repetitive. I felt each chapter reiterated the same thing just differently. SO, on one hand I would recommend the book to home-schoolers to some degree, with these caveats, I am not sure she hit it with the depth I needed or wanted. Let your kids do projects, value them, and help them with resources, not advice. Great. How do I help them start the first time?

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars loved this book so much!! very helpful! September 25, 2012

By Candace

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I ordered this book not knowing what at all to expect. Honestly, I feared I was wasting my money on yet.another.how.to.homeschooling book.

I am happy to report that I was very wrong. What I have experienced while reading this book and since changing my mindset a bit has been amazing. Honestly, I think it was just a paradigm shift for me and not so much a drastic change in the way we homeschool. The author's blog is also very helpful!!

I have one child who homeschools the "project based" way on her own. And I do mean to a T! As I have read this book, I have found myself nodding and agreeing and reading in wonder at how much this book describes Hannah!!

But, I do have 2 other children and I would like to slowly but surely encourage this type of self-directed learning in areas that might interest them.

Here are some of the key points to this "method" that make a lot of sense to me:
helping our kids become self-motivated learners
encouraging them to learn new things
teaching them how to find out those new things - research, etc.
giving them the tools & resources & space they need
play = learning
hands on = learning of the best kind
learning and researching things they LOVE and are interested in
allowing your child the freedom to determine AND manage their work
I love this. All of it. The book has lots of lists of "suggestions" for how the parent can help and what the parents role is in the different stages of your child's project. I love these lists, very helpful for me. Sometimes, when thinking about something new, it is helpful for someone to gently come alongside me and say, "yes, do this. no, not that...."

Something else that I appreciated about this book was that the author didn't try to persuade you to do it her way or the highway. "...the point of project-based homeschooling is to devote some time to helping your child direct and manage his own learning. This does not have to comprise your entire curriculum. (Though it can.) It does not have to be the primary focus of your learning life. (Though is can.) But it is essential." (Project Based Homeschooling, p. 10.) I love this freedom she allows so much. I didn't feel bound by her methods and suggestions, but I was very encouraged that doing at least some of this in my home would be a very good idea.

What I *hope* to do on my blog is share some projects Hannah has done in the past {documentation} and share how we progress in this in the future. (I already have 2 posts in the drafts on the blog waiting to be published of Hannah's previous projects.) Read more ›