Reading

Many find it hard to believe, but children at self-directed democratic schools do learn how to read, largely without any adult intervention. On this episode of the Alpine Valley School podcast we hear from two graduates who learned this essential skill - from video games. Listen now and hear how these articulate adults address the all-important subject of learning to read! Show Notes Page.

Writing

We’re continuing our “core skills” series (which we started with Learning to Read) by discussing how students at a self-directed democratic school learn the essential skill of writing. We’re joined on this episode by AVS graduates Jesse and Vanessa who talk about how the extensive communication they engaged in at school translated into their adult lives as interesting communication careers. We all know written communication is foundational, and you can find out how our students engage with, and find their passion for, the written word on this episode of the Alpine Valley School podcast! Show Notes Page.

Arithmetic

In this final episode of our Core Learning podcast series, our guest Bruce Smith talks about how students at self-directed democratic schools learn math. Bruce has decades of experience as a staff member in self-directed education, and has worked at several different schools around the US. While at Alpine Valley School, he was the resident math teacher and he outlines how the language of numbers shows up in student’s daily lives and how classes, when they happen, are structured. Show notes for this episode (including a full transcript) are available at: www.alpinevalleyschool.com/podcast/ep38