WILD +

FREE

“All good things are wild and free”

Henry David Thoreau

About Wild + Free was created by a growing

community of homeschoolers to give their kids an education based on adventure, wonder, and freedom.

Before schools existed, children were taught at home by their parents. Today, the internet provides us a way for us to continue homeschooling and connect with a community that supports each other.

Wild + Free provides a platform to hear inspiring lessons and stories from homeschoolers around the world.

Get involved in the

Sign up for monthly content bundles written by mamas in the community. Bundles come packed with downloadable articles, tutorials, podcasts, videos, nature journals and more

Attend hosted events

Connect with Wild + Free on Instagram @wildandfree.co

Follow fellow homeschoolers to see their daily adventures and lessons

DELIGHT WONDER

ADVENTURE WILD

TRAVEL FAMILY

Content Bundle Themes

Sample Wild + Free Curricula

The life of Joy Prouty might seem completely atypical if it weren’t such a familiar storyline: A family uproots itself and travels west to live on a homestead in the face of incredible odds.

This isn’t just the Ingalls’ story in Little House on the Prairie. A year ago, Joy and her husband Don, along with their four children, uprooted themselves from California with its smog, stress, and traffic and moved to a farm in Washington State for a much simpler way of life.

The Proutys homeschool their children. And while it’s nothing like working at the lumber mill, Joy makes a living by conducting photography workshops and sessions all across the country on scattered trips. There’s no covered wagon, but they get to see a lot of the prairie on road trips.

How to start a book club:

Charlotte Mason A Fine Arts Day

Schedule

Scripture Memory Scripture Memory Scripture Memory Scripture Memory Scripture Memory Picture Study Hymn Study History History Hymn Study Music Study History Literature Literature History Drawing Bible Bible Bible Bible Poetry Literature Nature Study Geography Literature

Copywork Copywork Copywork Copywork Copywork Math Math Math Math Beginning Reading (Gr.

Beginning Reading (Gr. Beginning Reading (Gr. 1, 2) 1, 2) 1, 2) Personal Dev.

Math Math Math Math Math Diction Science Grammar (Gr 5, 6) Diction Science Grammar (Gr. 5,6) Typing Assigned Reading Typing Grammar (Gr. 5, 6) Assigned Reading Assigned Reading Assigned Reading Assigned Reading

Math Math Math Math Math Science Diction Grammar Diction Science Grammar Grammar Assigned Reading Grammar Grammar Assigned Reading Assigned Reading Science Assigned Reading Assigned Reading

Math Math Math Math Math Science Science Grammar Science Science Grammar Grammar Assigned Reading Grammar Grammar Assigned Reading Assigned Reading Science Assigned Reading Assigned Reading

Dictation Dictation

Learn Your History

Homeschooling has been practiced for much of our history, and was the dominant form of education until the formation of public schools in the early 16th century and later, the introduction of compulsory school attendance laws

3% of all children were homeschooled between 2011 and 2012

77% use a homeschooling catalog, like Wild + Free

Homeschooling, or more preferably home education, has been practiced by families and communities for decades

In the past, it was an option only for the elite

Approved curriculums are legally required in some areas

Reasons for homeschooling:

Dissatisfaction with local schools

Control over your own child’s learning and development

Pros One-on-one instruction Less probability for bullying Extra attention for special needs children Increased family bonding and emotional

development Better options for families in rural areas or

those who travel frequently Less time behind a desk and taking tests

leaves more time for outdoor and extracurricular activities

Cons Loss of income. Homeschooling requires

a stay-at-home parent or paid tutor Decreased socialization with peers of

different ethnic and social backgrounds Public or family criticism Inadequate standards of academic

quality A clean house. It is hard to keep your

home clean when it is used for full-time for schooling

And the list goes on…

Requirements / Licenses for Teachers

Compulsory education is required of persons by law and was popularized by Pluto in ancient times. In some countries, education needs to take place at school. Other countries allow homeschooling. Education in the U.S. does not need to be at home and age requirements vary from 5-8 to 15-18.

Homeschool parents in the U.S. do not need any licenses or certifications. Studies of homeschooled children have not shown to do better with parents who have obtained teaching credentials than those without.

Tuition $ Homeschool can cost very little or be expensive. It can generally cost a little more than public school but less than private. In addition, homeschooling for high school tends to be more expensive than elementary school. In the end, it doesn’t matter how much money you earn to give your child a quality education

$ Wild + Free offers monthly bundles for $29 or just $19 for a monthly subscription.

Philosophy:: The Charlotte Mason

Method ::

The philosophy of the Wild + Free community is loosely based off the Charlotte Mason Method, but many families use multiple approaches as their children grow and they find what works best

Charlotte Mason was a British educator who had a vision for “a liberal education for all.” This was during the late 1800’s when the quality of education was based of social class. Her work led to to formation of the Parents’ Educational Union, her own school and a school for teachers, the “House of Education”

Philosophy:: The Charlotte Mason

Method ::

Charlotte Mason saw the child as a person who must be educated fully, and not just their mind. Her philosophy was “Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life.”

She emphasized discipline intended to teach good habits and character To educate children fully, you must give them living thoughts and not dry facts. This

was done by using books written in narrative by a passionate author. Children would later narrate back the book and connect it to their own ideas

Children learn about artists, composers, knitting, foreign languages, animal anatomy, and more

Finally, adequate time should be spent outdoors learning the living ways of nature

“Children should be encouraged to watch, patiently and quietly, until they learn something of the habits and history of bee, ant, wasp, spider, hairy caterpillar, dragon-fly, and whatever of larger growth comes in their way.” – Charlotte Mason

homeschool mamas and children

FOLLOW

jennifernaraki

Put a few blooms out with a magnifying glass and field guides and boom! Your market bouquet is then categorized and budgeted as curriculum. That’s how it works, right?

79 likes

Jennifer Naraki

Ran down to the beach to gather shells for @naturepalexchange today, Completely forgot it was Memorial Day Weekend. As if Venice Beach wasn’t already crazy enough. In the midst of our shell collecting, my littlest almost grabbed hold of a… ahem… personal, protective device. We left unscarred, and with a pretty lil collection of seaside treaures. Phew.

jennifernaraki

61 likes jennifernaraki

56 likes

Ezra + Silas discovered this Water Strider in the creek today. They spent a good twenty minutes hovered over it, observing it’s every movement. They were so excited. Their enthusiasm warmed my heart. What a beautiful way to learn. We will do a lil research about these creatures , and draw them in our Nature Journal.

Grace. My boys. Nature. Books. Homeschool. Music. Vintage. Fine fare. Photography.

Jennifer Dees FOLLOW

jendydees 135 likes

Anyone else besides me have to tell your son this week, “Don’t leave your machete on the porch”? Raising boys is fun .

jendydees 154 likes

jendydees 176 likes

We made homemade instruments for our handicraft fair today. These are tin ukeleles and a washtub bass!

Insect presentations today. He did one on leeches, even though they aren't really insects. And he likes to add humor in everything he writes. So far, I am loving these teenage years.

changed by the gospel, homeschooling mom and wife, painter, nature trip go-er

I've asked the kids to start keeping track all the wildlife we see every day. So far, it's four black bears, two hairy woodpeckers, twenty bighorn sheep, a colony of loud ground squirrels outside the airstream door and an uncountable amount of beautiful elk.

At each location we visit, the kids document their favorite memory from that area by drawing and writing in a memory journal. Today they hiked amongst a glacier and watched a black bear eat dandelions. But what did choose as their favorite memory of the day? Roasting marshmallows back at our campsite.

Miners often came in here to trade for goods from the general store with nuggets of gold they found earlier in the day. Even today, prospectors still flock to the BLM office filing mining claims to get in on a piece of the action.

@cityofrocksnr was the girls' 100th Junior Ranger badge and the 113th park we have visited. They got to pick out a present each from the visitor center. Ava got a coyote, Mila picked a hawk and Luka chose a fox. With about 300 more, there is a lot of exploring left to do!

Mali Mish FOLLOW Family of 5 and a cat living, working & exploring in an Airstream since 2008. Every day is an adventure. Contact: us@malimish.com malimish.com

malimish_airstream 985 likes malimish_airstream 954 likes

malimish_airstream 806 likes malimish_airstream 995 likes

Pioneers and advocates for homeschooling see education at home being a natural extension of life. They believe it is the best way for a child to learn, no matter what the school system has to offer. I believe that in the U.S. we are lucky to have a good educational system despite some its drawbacks. I love the fact that homeschooling brings families even closer together. However, I think that older children might benefit equally from a public school or private school as they learn independence and are able to take more advanced classes from universities. Younger children are more likely to learn best in the comfort of their own home as they learn and develop their interests in their own time.

It isn’t hard to see that homeschooling kids are happy, thriving, and living adventurous lives. However, it’s just as easy to look at beautiful Instagram pictures and compare your own difficult life to someone’s perfect pictures. We don’t always see the struggles of forcing a child to read or do math projects. Homeschooling is good for helping kids get extra attention in the subjects they need. What I like about the philosophy of this program and Charlotte Mason, is the incorporation of learning multiple subjects from one interest, such as reading a book about the prairie, cooking a traditional Western meal, building a toy wagon which can lead to lessons on engineering or arts and crafts. The best part of Wild + Free is knowing you belong to a community when it may seem like you’re alone in a homeschooling visions.

My thoughts about the program...