This Golden Hour

In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Pat Farenga from Boston, Massachusetts. Pat grew up in New York and eventually ended up in Boston for postsecondary studies. After completing his Master's degree, and with the challenge of finding available work in the early 1980s, Pat ended up working at a bookstore in Boston. Unbeknown to Pat, this bookstore was below the office of John Holt, one the most influential figures for the modern unschooling and homeschooling movements. When John Holt died in 1985, Pat became the publisher of the well-known homeschooling newsletter, Growing without Schooling (GWS), and president of Holt Associates. More recently, Pat has finished preparing all 143 issues of GWS and has made these available online. Mr. Farenga is an unschooling father of 3 daughters, an accomplished pianist and saxophonist, and he is a prolific writer, best known as the author of The Beginner's Guide to Homeschooling (1998) and Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book of Homeschooling (2003). During our conversation, we discussed many of the unfortunate problems with the conventional school system and how it is designed to stifle curiosity and the love of learning. We also talk about how homeschooling and unschooling allow families to escape the arbitrary benchmarks that plague schools and their students. This episode is of interest to all who are seeking an alternative to conventional schools, and we are given access to many resources to help us improve education and lifestyle.

Connect with Pat Farenga
https://www.johnholtgws.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/Johnholtgws
Books
Deschooling Society
Instead of Education
Teach Your Own
How Children Fail
How Children Learn
In Search of Excellence

Resources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothering_(magazine)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svWynGm

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In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Ama Mazama from Philadelphia, but talking to us today from Guadalupe. Dr. Mazama is a professor and department chair in the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University. Her work is focused on Africology, African American studies, and African American Homeschooling among others topics. For several years, black families have been the fastest growing racial demographic among homeschoolers. Dr. Mazama, a black homeschool mother herself, has advanced much of the research about black homeschool families and their motivations to exit the conventional system. Dr. Mazama and I broach the topics of homeschooling in various cultural contexts, the importance of fostering critical thinking, creativity, and curiosity in learners, and the potential implications of racial protectionism in education.Connect with Dr. Mazama
Dr. Ama Mazama's WorksArticles
Why More Black Families are Choosing to Homeschool Their ChildrenExploring the Rise in Black Families Choosing to Homeschool Their ChildrenBlack Homeschooling: Racial Protectionism, Cultural Relevance, and Favorable Social and Academic Outcomes

Books
17 Dry SeasonsMorning by MorningThe Dictionary of African Divinities by Kiamuya Mazama - no link

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In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Julie Bogart from Cincinnati, Ohio. Julie is a homeschool mother of five, grandmother of three, author, speaker, host of the Brave Writer podcast, and business owner and founder of Brave Writer. She is passionate about writing and providing resources to homeschool families and others, including excellent online courses. Julie was introduced to homeschool by her future husband’s friend, and specifically loved the idea of tailoring her children’s education to each individual. We delve into the nuances of her journey in homeschooling, her beliefs about fostering critical thinking in children, her lifelong curiosity, and her vision of the future of homeschooling. Julie also shares a wealth of practical advice for making your homeschool experience more joyful and impactful.
Connect with Julie
bravewriter.com@juliebravewriter
Books
Better Late Than EarlyA Fever in the Heartland Resources
Konos

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In this episode, host Timmy Eaton discusses a common mistake made by new homeschool families. People just starting the homeschool journey want someone to tell them exactly what to do and what to get. And that's backwards, because you started homeschooling so that you could increase freedom and flexibility and customize your learning and lifestyle. The better way is to establish your purposes, priorities, and goals and then customize a plan that suits your situation. HELP, home education and lifestyle principles, is a process Timmy uses with homeschool families, and it is the most effective way to help them develop their own plan. When homeschool families implement the principles of HELP, they learn and live the way they desire, and homeschooling becomes much more enjoyable and fulfilling.

This Golden Hour
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In today’s episode, we get to spend time with Mary Prather from Atlanta, Georgia. Mary is a homeschool mother of two who have both graduated and are currently working on their respective degrees in university. When her children were young, Mary was a public school music teacher and advocated for parents sending their kids to school. But things changed when her daughter was in second grade. Mary’s homeschool friend helped her get started and the Prather’s have never looked back. At first, Mary’s parents were quite concerned, but after only a year they saw the benefits of homeschooling and the progress of their grandchildren. Throughout our conversation, Mary shares countless tips and resources for homeschool families. Among these resources are Mary’s own materials from her business called Squilt, which stands for “super quiet uninterrupted listening time.” Squilt evolved from Mary’s husband encouraging Mary to start a blog which led to many people requesting her lessons on music appreciation for their families. Mary continues to nurture her blog, Homegrown Learners, and enjoys working with her husband in Squilt.

Connect with Mary
https://www.squiltmusic.com/
https://www.homegrownlearners.com/

Books and Curriculum
For the Children's Sake
The Well-Trained Mind
Saxon Math
Foundations in Personal Finance

Websites
www.sonlight.com
https://classicalconversations.com/
https://ihomeschoolnetwork.com/
https://pambarnhill.com/
https://ourjourneywestward.com/ and https://ourjourneywestward.com/product-category/no-sweat-nature-study/
https://chalkpastel.com/

This Golden Hour
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