Derek Cook’s Reviews > The Four-Hour School Day: How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life > Status Update

At our house, school revolved around family life, not family life around school. Education was a priority, but education wasn’t limited to reading, writing, and math. It was about learning how to live and love well.

The most effective and efficient path to helping our kids find their unique giftings and passions is to create an environment that fosters self-led learning through encouraging experiences, exploration, and experiments. Self-directed learning does not mean no adult involvement. It means no adult forcing or controlling.

It’s important to understand that a child’s interest doesn’t have to turn into a passion or a career in order to have educational value. In fact, the opposite is true. When we allow our kids to follow what interests them for as long as it holds their attention, we send a clear message that their interests have value - that message gives them the courage to experiment and feeds their love of learning.