There are big box stores, and there are boutiques. Big box stores offer the undeniable advantages of buying power, market share, and convenience. But sometimes, we want something smaller and more personalized. That is part of the reason many parents and teachers across the country have launched or joined microschools.

Like a boutique compared to a big box store, a microschool offers a more tailored experience than a traditional, factory-style school. Its small scale is both its biggest strength and its greatest limitation.

So, when is a microschool the right choice?

Microschools are nimble. They offer more personalized attention and flexibility. In the one we ran, learners could advance more than one grade level per year—and most did. 

This brings up an important reality about resources. Most private schools—unless they are large or explicitly focused on learning differences—do not have the specialists on staff to fully support students with certain challenges. If you need help with a child who would benefit from specialized support, be it academic, social or emotional, a public school or a school designed for their challenge will by far be your best option. Public schools are required to provide these services at no cost, while private schools, if they offer them at all, often charge additional fees.

For students without those needs, microschools can be incredibly effective. Not only could our learners move ahead when they were ready, we could also quickly identify and address gaps in their understanding. That level of responsiveness was only possible because of the small size. But that same small size has trade-offs. Fewer students mean fewer sports teams, clubs, and extracurricular options. The number of students to the number of options is directly related. A microschool won’t be a one-stop shop.

Still, we loved our years of microschooling. And if you’re drawn to the idea of personalization and allowing learners to move at their own pace—rather than keeping in step with a whole class—homeschooling offers those same benefits, but amplified.

In our next post, we’ll take a closer look at homeschooling—how it can be leveraged to create a curated educational experience, and the pros and cons of various homeschool structures. 

A recipe for growth is to fail early, cheaply and often. How comfortable are you with seeing your child fail?

For some parents, it's as natural as breathing. They don't even see the struggle as struggle, they just see growth.

For some parents, it takes a lot of work, but they want to give their child the gift of struggle, so they accept that they (as parents) will have some struggle in the process, too.

For some parents, it is too uncomfortable. It is not where they want to be.

The reality is you cannot remove all failure and struggle from your child's life. Life will test them for the skills of independence and resilience at some point, even if you won't. It's coming. 

Adapting to new skills and experiences is easier when you are younger (early). The stakes are lower when you are younger (cheaply). Failure is guaranteed with some frequency if you participate in an environment that asks for independence, mastery and excellence (often).

Are you ready to fail?

It's time for a business fair! 

Just in time for holiday shopping... Our first annual Children's Business Fair. There is no reason for science to have all the fair fun. We're hosting a fair for young entrepreneurs to show their small business savvy. 

Apply here.
Spread the word via the FB Event Page here.

In learner-driven spirit, we ask that all businesses be the child's business. 

• Parents of younger children may sit in their booth, but the children are to be responsible for setup, sales and interacting with the customers.
• This event is designed to give children a taste of selling a product. Please let them have that experience.
• Any parent seen selling to the customer or promoting the child’s product will result in disqualification from the competition.

Details

In a traditional classroom, subjects are presented each year, and everyone moves in lockstep. How well you learn this material based on the yearly timeline is recorded as a grade. In our studio, learners work on their Core Skills (reading, math, grammar/spelling) based on their own timeline. They create daily, weekly and session goals to keep in step with their yearly goals. Learners do not move on until they have mastered the material. This is a much higher level of accountability than the traditional model of grades. 

In the traditional model, you could spend a year getting B's or C's, moving to the next grade level, and progressing while not understanding a good chunk of the material. Requiring mastery is asking for more accountability. 

It also allows learners who love to learn the freedom to challenge themselves and move more than one grade level a year.

How can learners be accountable to parents if grades aren't sent home? Parents can see their learners' progress anytime on Mastery Book, our transparent tracking program. Tracking mastery is a higher level of accountability and transparency. 

The idea of no assigned homework in Elementary School can be misunderstood. 

There is plenty of time to accomplish all school-based elementary academic goals at the studio. There is no need to do additional schoolwork at home.*

No homework makes after-school sports and activities easier to manage. Personal interests have breathing room, whether athletic, academic, artistic or just time to play! All these can be enjoyed after school. As well as relaxed family time to enjoy reading together, taking a bike ride together, cooking together, taking a trip to the beach, or attending a car show with Dad. The list is endless. With so many ways to enrich your time at home, it's a shame to have school take up your family time. No homework means more time to shape a rich family life. Not to be less involved in your child's life.

*Please note that elementary learners may choose to work on their academics at home for various reasons. Sometimes, they wish to work at home on a that they're especially enjoying. Sometimes they work at home to avoid falling behind, allowing them to advance alongside their peers as their peers start to transition to an older studio. Parents need to coach their child on the importance of working at school and encourage their child to use school time to complete work. 

Middle School will often have work to do at home if they are not focusing and managing time well at school.