Learner Spotlight: Everett Family

The Everett family didn’t set out to independent study but have totally embraced the lifestyle. Since both Ben, first grade, and Caroline (Caddie), kindergarten, have an immunodeficiency diagnosis, it is much safer for them to do school at home. These two iLEAD Exploration learners are thriving in their family’s learner-led independent study. Ben and Caddie definitely embody this month’s school-wide learner outcome: curiosity. 

The questions and interests of the children drive instruction in the Everett household. One time Ben wondered how many cars on his street were white. He made an estimate and charted tally marks as he walked through the neighborhood, testing his hypothesis. Caddie collected shells at the beach and made a bar graph showing the different kinds of shells she found. These are a few examples of the way the Everett family facilitates self-initiated math in everyday life!

The quest for knowledge abounds with Caddie and Ben. Before going on a cruise to Alaska with his family, Ben wondered what color the ocean would be at night. He knew that the water appears blue during the day because it reflected on the color of the sky. He predicted the color of the ocean would be clear at night since the sky would not be visible. He was so interested in this experiment that his parents let him stay up until 11:00 p.m. (since it was summer in Alaska) to test his prediction! Ben also loves math and was accepted to the Summer Institute for the Gifted. His project was “How to Make the Fastest Hot Wheels Car.” Ben measured and charted variables that affected the speed of the cars in order to determine the winner.

Caddie loves to learn about famous people in history. She has studied Marie Curie, women’s rights activist Emily Pankhurst, Marie Antoinette, painter Frida Kahlo, Amelia Earhart, King Tut, and Queen Elizabeth I. Caddie loves art and enjoys taking online classes at Outschool. She even created original art about penicillin for the cover of the August issue of Pediatric Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Any visit to Caddie and Ben’s house reveals how much they are learning. One memorable time his EF came by, Ben shared his Found Art Museum. He had written descriptions about each piece of artwork displayed around the house. Another time Caddie asked how she could save astronauts from sunburn. She experimented with many creative ways to answer this question. 

Caddie and Ben attended some unique day trips with their parents this year. They were excited about a numismatist they met at a coin show. They also wrote about their trips to an airplane museum, the Aquarium of the Pacific, and the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Ben and Caddie asked questions to learn more about the things they were curious about. These kids are excited to learn wherever they go.