Our Approach

In our community, we trust the human spirit and celebrate all learning and all learners.  We practice grace, courtesy, and respect. We know that learning stops under stress and that curiosity thrives when there is clarity.   Our community provides freedom with meaningful support. This means that character and self-love are nurtured in a warm working environment.

We align our practice with Montessori and self-directed learning philosophies and invest daily in mindful moments, journaling, and nature study.  We have a comprehensive understanding of resources and enjoy sharing the best from Waldorf, Mason, Dewey and the rest in our space. We're also available to support with frameworks and materials to ensure continued progress towards personal goals.

The Schoolhouse will relocate to downtown Wake Forest this fall! The space that we share is carefully designed to provide access to meaningful materials, foster self-direction, and encourage cooperative learning with others.   It is a place where children are trusted to engage in learning and connect with a community.

We consider education to be the sum of everything that is learned and applied in a meaningful life.  We invest deeply in meaningful relationships with ourselves and others.  Mindful pauses, journaling, and learning in collaboration with others are all embedded within our practice.  This allows all members to experience autonomy and support for learning within community.

 We know how to support all types of readers!  We talk and listen to build language.  We explore written words, sentences, story, and structure.  We use reading to complete tasks, gather new knowledge, learn from others, and escape into imaginary worlds.  We write with precision and creativity to show what we know and share what we imagine.  

 We will work together from concrete to abstract. Schoolhouse families have full access to our Montessori materials and support.  We work together to approach mathematical conversations that build understanding and fluency in the areas of reasoning, arithmetic, geometry, and algebra.   

In our work together, we find that young people experience reassurance and growth together when given ample opportunity to share time together in nature.  Our meetings include time outside together  - both simply and with intentional tools, lessons, journals, guidance, and shared wonder and joy.

In addition to a complete Montessori and teacher developed materials library, participants in our programs are provided with classroom supplies and daily journals.  We use the SeeSaw platform (much like a closed Instagram account) to build individual portfolios and share learning within our community.

We prioritize human interaction and leverage technology as a tool. In the schoolhouse, we take advantage of our time together and use physical texts and resources first.  We also celebrate that technology offers homeschool families powerful access and consider its use a life skill.  We use technology responsibly and offer curated links in our schoolhouse menus.