Last Updated on August 26, 2024 by Sarah McCubbin
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One of the best ways to encourage independent learning in children and teens of all ages is to tap into their curiosity about a subject. Maybe you have seen it…hopefully you have…the moment one of your kids latches onto a topic and then nothing you do will stop them from learning about the Thing they want to know.
As parents of nine kids, my husband and I have always pursued helping our kids find what they love. We have limited time and resources but we never want to live with a scarcity mindset. If they love it and their motivation can match ours, we will do whatever we can to help them take action toward their goal or to learn what they need to know.
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But before that can ever happen, our kids and teens need to love learning. They need motivation to pursue self-directed learning in any environment they are in. I have found this to be true with all my kids they are spending the year in school or being homeschooled. If kids don’t love the learning process, the challenge of teaching them is 20x harder.
As parents we want our kids to become lifelong students who thrive in their academic work as they become more in charge of their education. Taking ownership of their learning drives student motivation in any environment. When their studies helps them accomplish their own learning goals, it results in a situation where parents are actually partnering with their kids in their education and not just acting as the teacher.
Over the past 17 years, I’ve had a chance to use a lot of resources. I love curriculum…pretty manipulatives…amazing courses. But in that time, I’ve also noticed that my kids enthusiasm doesn’t usually match mine! They enjoy learning but actual curriculum is hit or miss.
So I love resources but I’m always looking for the ones that grab my kids motivation because frankly, it will be so much easier for me! Recently, I was offered a chance to use some of The Waldock Way units and resources.
One click into their website and I could tell I was looking at something different and fun!
Since using The Waldock Way, my daughter is constantly demanding to do more homework. She avoids it normally…and now she is demanding it!
What The Waldock Way Offers:
Like many curriculum companies, Waldock Way offers a variety of resources to guide student learning. But what they actually offer is so much more.
- Resources that are colorful
- Printables focused on a particular niche topic rather than a whole textbook subject
- Designed to support your child’s natural curiosity
- Topics with a spine and lots of rabbit trails built in
- Resources for History, Geography, History, Science, Holidays and more!
Their goal is “to bring you tips, tricks, inspiration, and unique resources that help ignite a love of learning in your children…encouraging you to follow your children’s lead and learn alongside them every day.”
Inside the Waldock Way Unit Studies
The heartbeat of The Waldock Way are the beautiful unit studies they offer. As with many things, I don’t think that term is good enough to actually describe what is inside each product. They are truly “print and go.” But even better…they are so kid and mom friendly.
We were able to use the Spy Academy Unit study. At around 90 pages, this unit study is thorough and FUN. It was an all inclusive study filled with academic and hands on activities. I went ahead and spiral bound mine to make it easier to use. However, if you were using it with multiple children of different ages, you could hand out different “fun pages” to your kids so they could work on age-appropriate activities while you are reading.
The unit studies at The Waldock Way are perfect for independent study for older elementary or middle school students. Or they offer a great way to do fun family-style learning. Students of all ages (including the parents) will love these units. They work load can be modified to help students become more self-directed. If something in the unit is “too hard” simply don’t do that piece or save those pieces until a parent is available to help.
Interest-Led Unit Study Features
- All-in-one packaging promotes good time management
- Curriculum is colorful
- Activities are actually interesting
- Appeals to a variety of learning styles
- Topics are fun and unique…different from most standard curriculum topics
- Perfect for the self-directed learner or groups
Discovery Decks Promote Independent Learning For Curious Kids!
So as we tried out different products at Waldock Way, our surprise favorite ended up being the Discovery Decks! At first glance, they look like simple cards with QR cards on each of them, but once you take a closer look, they are actually a portal to independent learning and a child exploring their own interests without a lot of help from mom…hooray! Ok, that sounds awesome, but what ARE Discovery Decks?
Discovery Decks are a set of printable cards with questions on each card focused on a main topic. My kids and I did the Mythical Creatures Discovery Deck. I printed the pack, and cut the cards apart. Once my 6 year old daughter learned how to use a QR Code Reader, she was over the moon with these cards. She is a busy busy kid who gets bored waiting for me to do the next thing with her. She begs for these cards.
I think I’m going to have to get the entire set Discovery Decks are a great way to help your kids discover and learn in a way that fosters curiosity and critical thinking. Each Discovery Deck has 20 common questions that many children are curious about along with a QR code to a video that will help them answer the question and learn more.
Discovery Decks encourage elementary students to take ownership of their learning and provide access to engaging learning material without requiring mom to really prep for anything. These cards can be laminated and put on a ring for easy on-the-go access!
They are perfect for students with reading struggles as well because they provide a whole “unit study” of content without relying on the student to read anything at all.
UnSchooler Friendly History, Science, Literature, Holiday Studies and More
Are you a mom who wants to cover all the bases but also wants to cultivate independent learning experiences that are fun and will make your kids come alive? The Waldock Way works hard to create products that are fun to use from the moment you open them. I call them “Unschool Friendly” because they truly support a child learning something that is interesting to them without all the legwork of mom trying to find all the pieces and parts.
If you lean toward that relaxed learning but don’t want your day to fall apart while you try to juggle homeschooling, little kids and life, then Waldock Way unit studies are worth checking out! If you have a kiddo that is difficult to motivate, let them look over your should at all the amazing options on Waldock and see if a particular topic piques their interest. The best part…no waiting! You can grab what they want to try, print it off and be ready to go by lunchtime!
Homeschool parents love to argue the benefits of different styles of homeschooling. But no one really argues against learning outcomes based on teaching what a child is interested in. We all know that works! The challenge has always been finding resources that are simple to use, engaging for students and manageable for parents.
The learning needs for children greatly vary. One of the biggest challenges of homeschool parents is finding resources that cultivate the development of independent learners at all ages. There are plenty of “independent” options for middle and high school but relatively few for elementary.
Often parents gravitate to online options for independent learning. And that is fine…but it can also become tiresome for every subject. The Waldock Way bridges the gap by creating resources that have that user friendly feel, include some technology but also include hands-on activities.
Sarah McCubbin and her husband and 9 kids live in Ohio. She loves talking about all kinds of education topics and is passionate about helping families find the best education options in each season! Socially awkward growing up, she loves to help families teach life skills, social skills and leadership.
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