Friday Feature: The Learning Outpost

Colleen HroncichLast fall, I had the chance to tour four Las Vegas microschools through theNational Microschooling Center. Each one had a very different vibe, but they were all full of kids who were happy to be learning.The Learning Outpost, started by former public school teacher Felicia Wright, was one of the unique stops on the tour. Felicia loved teaching, but she was often frustrated in the public school system. She began homeschooling her children and started a YouTube channel to teach families how to homeschool from a teacher ’s perspective.This year, Felicia took a giant leap forward and started her own microschool to provide a special learning experience for her children and others in the community. She now has 19 kids ages 5 –11 taking part in The Learning Outpost (TLO).“We separate the children out so we can reach them at their level. Room 3 is our pre ‐​reader/​beginning reader room—I always say kindergarten, first, and second. Room 4 is our really good readers and students who are really good with math, which is like third, fourth, and fifth. It ’s really ability based, but I use the language of grades because it ’s easy to understand right off the bat.” If kids are strong in one area and weaker in another, they can go back and forth between the rooms if they’re mature enough.In addition to Felicia, TLO has two mentors who lead the groups, giving the microschool a ratio of 10 students per men...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs