How do unschoolers do "sex education?" Lainie Liberti “Sexuality is a huge part of our experience as human beings on this planet... there's no reason to deny or be embarrassed or have shame around it…” Robyn Coburn “It’s not one conversation that you have…” Sandra Dodd “The parents who lay down ultimatums … are just making noise.... because kids do what they’re going to do.” Rachel Fiske “I think what we all want is for our kids to have a healthy sex life….” Quinn Sjogerman “... your job...

The flexibility of a homeschooling lifestyle makes it possible for families to travel and learn all over the place. Maybe these travelers can inspire us to realize the whole world is our classroom and that wherever we go we can have a learning adventure. And it may be that new horizons are out there just waiting for us to find them. Today we hear from world-travelers Ama, Alice, Adam, Nina and Lainie.                 And from musical-traveler Tom Chapin: You and I are...

Today we hear about danger and safety from Ben Hewitt, Sandra Dodd, Renee Cabatic, Gever Tulley and Lenore Skenazy. For a longer version of the interview with Gever Tulley click here.

Can unschooling make the world a better place? Gillian Goddard says the way we treat children is the training ground for victim behavior and perpetrator behavior. Teresa Graham Brett says “the children in my life have challenged me to live according to the values of liberation, freedom and respect as a parent and human being.” Sue Patterson didn't think she had anything to say about global change. (But then she did.) Jan and Jason Hunt co-authored the article "Creating a Peaceful World...

One of the hidden benefits to unschooling is that it can help parents learn, heal and grow. Ben Hewitt (a “high school dropout” and author of many books including Home Grown) is gaining self-confidence and growing his patience. Katie O’Connor (director of Talking Stick Learning Center) is unlearning old beliefs and expanding her curiosity and joy. Teresa Graham Brett (a social justice educator) is healing old patterns in order to be the compassionate parent she wants to be. Jonathan...

Sometimes people say “Unschooling isn’t working for my child” or they say, "We tried unschooling but it didn’t work." I asked Sandra Dodd, Nina Haley and Sue Patterson: When, why and how does unschooling fail?

Today we hear how unschoolers find and build community from veteran unschoolers Rose Sorooshian, Sandra Dodd and Sue Patterson.  

Ama Mazama, Ph.D., is an African American Studies scholar at Temple University. She has published 14 books, most recently African Americans and Homeschooling: Motivations, Challenges, and Opportunities. She is also the mother of two home-educated children. Today we hear why she believes homeschooling to be the best educational option for African American children.

Back in ancient times (before aol!) someone asked Sandra Dodd how her kids learned things without a curriculum. She answered: "I just strew their paths with interesting things." And the term "strewing" was born. Today we hear more about this idea from Sandra, and also from expert strewers Deb Rossing, Katie O’Connor and Pam Larrichia.

If you've never met an unschooled teen - you should really fix that. I think they are some of the very best type of humans on the planet. Today's episode covers a couple tips of the iceberg of the enormous wide world of self-directed teens. Sandra Dodd raised three unschooled teens and has watched many many others grow up. Rose Sorooshian was once an unschooled teen. Joel Hammon supports self-directed teens at the Princeton Learning Cooperative. Nia Steiner left school as a teen thanks...

  Today our unschooling friends talk about how saying Yes to your child can foster a rich and joyful environment for learning. Pam Lariccha on how to say yes intentionally, with learning in mind. Scott Noelle on finding the “high-quality” Yes. Sandra Dodd "If there’s no good reason to say No, then say Yes!" Joyce Fetteroll  “Don't drop all your parenting rules at once. Just say 'Yes' more.” Tom Chapin sings about the Wonderful World of Yes.