As an educator in NYC I have had the pleasure of working in a variety of schooling setups, from one-on-one tutoring, homeschooling co-ops, to traditional schools. I’ve also been fortunate to talk to a lot of different people about how they approach learning and education. “How interesting it would be,” I thought to myself, “if someone put these together into an interview series and we could gather and share thoughts and maybe even reimagine the ways we educate our kids!” And well, that pretty much brings us to right now.
In addition to providing reading guides, learning activities, and creative writing lessons and prompts, I am delighted to also share some great insights in this interview series as well. I hope you enjoy.
Luckily I got the chance to speak with Justine and Cynthia from Learn + Live Letter. This wonderful pair not only homeschool their children they teamed up to start a business to support families in educating their kids. It was a real pleasure to pick their brains about teaching philosophies, fostering a love of learning, their own journeys, and how we can support each other and our kids whether you homeschool or not. They always have something cooking on their IG like going live to share upcoming unit study ideas on May 15th. Give them a follow and check out their great community of parents.
Interview with L+L
1. I'd love to know more about how you started L+L, specifically how did it come from idea to realization? But what I am especially curious about is what educational "philosophies" are supported in the work you do, and what are the hopes you have for this project as you continue?
A lot of people don't know this, but we actually launched L+L within two months of deciding we wanted to do it! Cynthia had actually talked about us starting our own curriculum for years, but in Justine's mind, this was something years down the road. Then the pandemic hit, and suddenly we saw so many parents forced into homeschooling and starting to panic. This was really sad to us, because we LOVE homeschooling so much—it seemed such a waste for so many families to get their first taste only to feel overwhelmed, unsupported, and certain that they never wanted to do this again. Justine worked for a parenting website with a lot of other parents of kindergarten-age children, and she started putting together what were essentially tiny unit studies around a theme for her coworkers, each with one activity they could do per day of the week. Everyone loved them, and a little seed of an idea was born. She started to think that homeschooling would feel so much more attainable for parents if lessons (and supply lists!) were packaged into a neat little email that arrived every couple of weeks and told you what you needed to buy, what to read, what to do, and also did all the legwork of making sure you were checking all the academic boxes—and, of course, in a play-based style that kids love! She told Cynthia about the idea the next morning, and, just two short months later, the Learn + Live Letter was born!
As far as philosophies, we wanted to create a program that took ideas from our favorite homeschool philosophies and combined them into one packaged unit study. We loved how Charlotte Mason homeschooling encouraged the use of beautiful, well written books. We appreciated how Montessori considered the fine and gross motor skills and independence of a child. We love the story telling aspect of Waldorf homeschooling. And we wanted to create a springboard for parents who wanted to follow a child-led homeschool approach but needed a place to start. We believe the research that has shown that children need to play and explore and spend time outside to learn best, so we encourage a play-based learning experience that is flexible enough to allow for all of these things. We have found through our own homeschooling journeys that all of these things are possible together. You don't have to choose only one method or philosophy. That's what Learn + Live does! It takes the best of all of these homeschool philosophies and presents it to parents in a simple, flexible, empowering way so that they can make it work for their family.
The results have been even better than we could have dreamed, and we're so excited to continue expanding our offerings and fine-tuning our subscription process in the next year. Because we've been building this plane as we're flying it, there have been a lot of logistical hurdles we've had to hack and overcome, and one thing we look forward to in the next year is being able to provide even more materials up front and even more flexibility in how our program can be adapted for each family. We're actually making some big announcements about our subscriptions for the 2022/2023 school year next month, so we'd love you to follow us on Instagram if you'd like to stay updated!
2. This may seem like a broad question, but in the time since starting L+L, have you noticed any changes or shifts in the way people approach learning and schooling?
As a veteran homeschooler, Cynthia is constantly reminded that there is not one right way to educate your child. Every child is different and the approach we take should be child-centered. As we write unit studies, we try to give parents a variety of ideas so that they can find what works best for their child. Once they have identified what does work, we encourage them to modify whatever activities they do to make it work for their child. This is exactly why we do not script our program—one way of talking will not work for every child. While a parent could certainly follow our unit studies step-by-step and have a really fun, enriching school week, that is not the only way to do L+L—and we love it when we see families making choices and modifications to make something work better for them. We say often that our program is intended to be a springboard to help you find your best homeschool, and seeing the moment they make that L+L mental switch and the joy it brings their family is so rewarding.
3. I really admire and appreciate that part of L+L is the support you give to parents. Why was this necessary for you to include and how do you manage it?
Thank you! It is so important as a parent to feel supported—to feel seen, for your struggles and your wins. Justine often says she would never have even thought homeschooling was the right journey for her if she hadn't seen Cynthia doing it first and hadn't had her instrumental support those first few years. We know some parents homeschool in isolated communities, and that can be very challenging. Parents and caregivers homeschooling without support are so much more likely to feel like they are failing, even when they are simply experiencing a common developmental roadblock. For us, it is just as important for the parent or caregiver to find joy in homeschooling as it is the child. We wanted to help parents get started with homeschooling (or simply get started with this new approach), but also help them address the challenges that come along the way, again and again even years down the road. We know there are many homeschooling coaches in the community that sell their services in this regard (and many of them do great work!), but our approach is to bake that support in for free to anyone who is looking for it through our social media platform. And once people subscribe, they receive even more specific assistance to help reinforce a sense of community, belonging, and empowerment as they work through our program.
4. And lastly, do you have any advice for parents, whether they homeschool or not, on how to foster a love of learning in our children?
Value connection above all else. A child will not remember the worksheet, or even maybe the lesson itself, but they will remember how they felt doing the work. A child won't know how they learned to read, but they will remember if they felt capable or inadequate. So, as much as you can, focus on the process and adventure of learning—not on grades and checking boxes. Read for the love of the story, and for the time you get to spend together doing it. Foster curiosity by making time and space for deeper focus and exploration, encouraging critical thinking and endless exploration over right and wrong answers. Take learning to the real world as much as possible through field trips, incorporating them in daily tasks, writing cards and thank-you notes, seeking out specialists in your community, and whatever else brings a lesson to life. Remember: The point of education isn't to learn everything you need to know for a test or even to cross everything off a list within a year—or even 12 years. Instead, we're striving to raise well-rounded, capable people who know how to find answers, are interested in finding them, and feel connected to even parts of the world they haven't personally experienced yet.
If you are interested in learning more about their unit studies or ways to use Learn + Live Letter for you family, check them out here.
And if you enjoyed this piece and think others will too, I hope you will consider sharing it with a friend or on your social. My gratitude is endless.
And lastly, who would you like to read an interview from? Principals? Scientists? Librarians? Drop me a comment and let me know!
Wow, that last question especially...what wonderful answers. Love this interview.
Great Interview. Looking forward to the series.