In this episode of our podcast, Manisha Snoyer welcomes Kristina Garner, the founder of Blossom and Root, a highly-regarded, nature-based secular homeschooling curriculum for grades PreK through 6th. Kristina, who is also an educator and homeschooling mom, discusses her journey from her pre-homeschooling days to the creation of Blossom and Root, inspired by her desire to integrate nature into learning.
Read our in-depth reviews of Blossom and Root and River of Voices on Modulo.
Kristina shares insights into nature-based education, her personal attraction to this method, and the myriad benefits it offers, especially for children with ADHD and sensory processing challenges. She addresses common misconceptions about the program and offers advice to parents and caregivers on maximizing its benefits, emphasizing that no special training is required to use the curriculum effectively.
The conversation then shifts to Kristina’s other major project, River of Voices, a secular U.S. history program celebrated for its anti-racist and decolonized approach. Kristina explains how it stands apart from traditional history curricula and discusses the developmentally appropriate age for children to start learning history.
Lastly, Kristina hints at future plans for Blossom and Root, discussing her ongoing curriculum development process and offering advice for parents interested in creating their own homeschooling materials. This episode is a deep dive into innovative educational approaches with one of the pioneers in the field.
Watch it on YouTube
Resources
Blossom and Root official website
Blossom and Root Families on Facebook
A River of Voices History of the United States Vol 1
Contact Kristina: <kristina@blossomandroot.com>
Other curriculum mentioned
Power of the People Art-Based American History Curriculum
Books and Other Resources
Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
Benefits of Unstructured Time by Darby Fox in Psychology Today
Charlotte Mason from Wikipedia
Know and Tell: The Art of Narration
Colorado State history requirements
Made in Asian America: A History for Young People
Relevant Posts and Resources by Modulo mentioning Blossom and Root
Top 12 All-in-One Homeschool Curricula
The Best Secular Science Programs
Cognitive Diversity and Homeschooling
Our 6 Favorite Environmental Science Curricula
Modulo's Free Curriculum Wizard
Affiliate Disclaimer
We found and fell in love with Blossom and Root years before we developed an affiliate relationship with them. That said, we now have a partnership and do receive a commission if you purchase Blossom and Root through our website or show notes. This is at no cost to you and helps further the work we’re doing getting high quality resources into the hands of parents. We also have affiliate relationships with some of the other resources mentioned in the show notes, as well as with Amazon. We strive to be as unbiased as possible and only recommend the highest possible quality curriculum and resources to parents. Thank you so much for supporting our work!
