Frequently asked questions
Is Livewell Learning Studio an accredited school?
Livewell Learning Studio is not a school. We are a private membership-based learning studio intended for home-schooled children. Each parent will need to determine which homeschooling option they intend to follow with the Dept. of Education for California. Part of your membership includes a parent education curriculum as well, to guide you through managing your child’s homeschool “attendance records” and complete file.
Although we work in tandem with a credentialed educator who creates a customized curriculum plan for each child, we do not have teachers that teach a lesson plan or a curriculum. We have Trained Guides that facilitate the learner-driven study hall. The Guide is always present to assist the Lion when they stumble and need assistance on a problem. They are there to help the child problem solve and guide them to think critically in solving their own problems. Your child will have access to credentialed tutors should they need a deeper level of support in their personal studies.
Attendance is not required at our studio. Parents will have digital access to their child’s learning tools at all times, therefore having full access to complete “schoolwork” at home.
Who is Livewell a fit for?
Many kinds of families are interested in Livewell! Some Livewell families are experienced homeschoolers who are looking for more community, or support framework for higher level academic subjects. Other Livewell families were previously enrolled in public or private schools that just weren't meeting the needs of their children: due to rigid, dry curriculum; ineffective teaching; lack of inclusion for kids who learn differently; a toxic peer culture; or some combination. Some Livewell families want to take advantage of the increased enrichment we offer. All of our families appreciate that we respect Parent Rights and the family unit. And some Livewell families simply realized that the old way of educating kids wasn't making sense for the 21st century and decided to join the revolution!
Why does Livewell Learning Studio require private membership?
Many home-school families love the idea of enrichment education, qualified socialization and quality experiences for their children. By creating a private membership for our Children’s Ministry, our families can still home-school, have a say in what their child is taught and ensure that they won’t be coerced or impacted by School Board regulation, requirement, policy and legislation. We are a group of private citizens making a decision to support each other in the private domain.
What is a learner driven program?
At Livewell Learning Studio the children run the studio by agreeing together what their rules are for behavior and treatment of one another. These are called their "Studio Covenants" and "Rules of Engagement". Children, especially in the younger grades, are provided with appropriate guidance throughout this process. These rules and covenants are regularly discussed in the studio. Often, these are revised by the children as they work through challenges and discover better ways of interacting with one another. All of this happens with Guide support and some guardrails established. Children also budget their time by choosing their areas of focus for the day and adjusting these based on their performance. We believe strongly that children achieve more when they have control of their learning.
Why a learner driven program?
At Livewell Learning Studio we believe in helping the children to love learning through teaching them HOW to learn. An important part of this is encouraging children to take responsibility for their own behavior and hold those around them to a high standard. When something isn't working, we want our members to work together to solve the problems, not look for an adult to solve it for them. This creates a sense of ownership, independence, and confidence that will serve them well in all areas of life. Research shows that children who have a true feeling of ownership for their education learn and retain more.
What are the logistics? What does a normal week look like?
Our days start at 9am and end at 3:30 with 30 minute drop off windows. Our program is open 5 days per week for our members and drop-in attendance. We offer full and part-time memberships. Children will be immersed in creative learning opportunities, quality social engagement and exciting enrichment experiences. They will learn from experts/guides that are knowledgeable and passionate about each specific enrichment program we offer. Children work independently on their academic coursework in the mornings, and afternoons are dedicated to project-based learning and real life experiences.
How do you ensure children are learning and growing?
We work with parents to measure progress in several ways:
1) Children set Daily, Weekly, and Session goals regularly.
2) Children work to mastery. Working to mastery means a child doesn't move on if they get anything less than 84%. In a traditional school setting, after the exam the student moves on regardless of their score. For example, if the student scored an 70% (and that's not a terrible grade) it means they missed 30% of the material. This gap only widens as the material gets harder. At Livewell, children will work until a skill is mastered. We utilize robust real-time data for each of our e-learning tools. At any given time, parents, and Guides can determine what a given child is engaging with and how they are faring. Technology enables us to monitor how each child is progressing and can ensure mastery of the given subject has been achieved before moving on.
3) In our Lion Studio, we utilize individual paper, digital, and video portfolios where each child showcases their best work. We help parents measure growth in areas including Science, Math, History, Language Arts and Ventures.
4) In our Lion Studio, we record presentation expos for friends and families of our members where the children display and demonstrate their work. The expos demonstrate what the children did and learned during their 4 to 7 week session.
5) Although not required, standardized assessments are offered each Fall and Spring to provide benchmark data.
Do you provide records, report cards and transcripts?
Because we are not a school, Livewell doesn’t provide report cards or transcripts; however, when you become a member in our Community, our parent curriculum can guide you on how to create one and help you through the process. When you homeschool thru a California PSA (Private School Affidavit) you are responsible for keeping your own records, creating your own report cards and transcripts. Transcripts are typically only needed for High School grade levels. Here is a great resource for you to learn more about Report Cards and Transcripts for your homeschoolers.
A growing number of colleges and universities around the United States are admitting homeschoolers, including prestigious universities like Harvard and Yale. Some, like UC Riverside, actively recruit homeschoolers. The application process may be a bit different. Applicants may decide to submit samples of their work, letters of recommendation, and CLEP and Stanford Achievement Test scores. The bottom line is that, if a homeschooler wants to pursue post-secondary education, they can certainly do so and do so within some of the finest universities.
Does Livewell offer rolling admission?
If we have space, we are happy to accommodate your application for immediate consideration. We try to maintain an equilibrium of all ages. If there is a spot available for your child's age, we can take the next steps in the membership process.
How does Livewell work with children that have diagnosed/undiagnosed learning challenges?
At Livewell, we are not trained to serve children with serious learning disabilities and challenges. That said, many disabilities go undetected or acknowledged, and sometimes parents aren't always aware.
We are aware that it is never easy to learn of, or admit that your child may be experiencing some setbacks or challenges. Following advice from Maya Angelou, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better." We want all of our members to thrive, and we are committed to communicate candidly with parents about challenges we are witnessing and experiencing with their children. It is the responsibility of the parent to get proper testing, assessments and work with professionals to understand the reason for the child's academic, behavior, speech or processing delay and to provide the child the necessary support. Membership with Livewell may be cancelled if it is determined that we don't have the resources to properly serve and support a child.
How does Livewell approach gender/race/age theory, ideology, and expression?
At Livewell, we have made the decision to remove our studios and Guides from this conversation completely. We believe this discussion requires parental leadership and explanation. Every family has a different value and belief system, and Livewell respects the Parent/Child relationship. Because we are a blended age-studio, our members range from age 3-17 in some cases, and we don’t believe there is a one size fits all discussion that is appropriate for all ages. With the direction that society is going and societal norms being challenged/accepted/modified, we encourage every family to address these topics at their comfort and pace, depending on the age of their child/ren. Most importantly, we will also not judge anyone for their decisions, their values or the way parents choose to explain to their children. We will always seek to be kind and respectful to everyone, and we will promote that within your children as well.
Frequently asked questions
Is Livewell Learning Studio an accredited school?
Livewell Learning Studio is not a school. We are a private membership-based learning studio intended for home-schooled children. Each parent will need to determine which homeschooling option they intend to follow with the Dept. of Education for California. Part of your membership includes a parent education curriculum as well, to guide you through managing your child’s homeschool “attendance records” and complete file.
Although we work in tandem with a credentialed educator who creates a customized curriculum plan for each child, we do not have teachers that teach a lesson plan or a curriculum. We have Trained Guides that facilitate the learner-driven study hall. The Guide is always present to assist the Lion when they stumble and need assistance on a problem. They are there to help the child problem solve and guide them to think critically in solving their own problems. Your child will have access to credentialed tutors should they need a deeper level of support in their personal studies.
Attendance is not required at our studio. You will have digital access to your child’s learning tools at all times, therefore having full access to complete “schoolwork” at home.
Who is Livewell a fit for?
Many kinds of families are interested in Livewell! Some Livewell families are experienced homeschoolers who are looking for more community, or support framework for higher level academic subjects. Other Livewell families were previously enrolled in public or private schools that just weren't meeting the needs of their children: due to rigid, dry curriculum; ineffective teaching; lack of inclusion for kids who learn differently; a toxic peer culture; or some combination. Some Livewell families want to take advantage of the increased enrichment we offer. All of our families appreciate that we respect Parent Rights and the family unit. And some Livewell families simply realized that the old way of educating kids wasn't making sense for the 21st century and decided to join the revolution!
Why does Livewell Learning Studio require private membership?
Many home-school families love the idea of enrichment education, qualified socialization and quality experiences for their children. By creating a private membership for our Children’s Ministry, our families can still home-school, have a say in what their child is taught and ensure that they won’t be coerced or impacted by School Board regulation, requirement, policy and legislation. We are a group of private citizens making a decision to support each other in the private domain.
What is a learner driven program?
At Livewell Learning Studio the children run the studio by agreeing together what their rules are for behavior and treatment of one another. These are called their "Studio Covenants" and "Rules of Engagement". Children, especially in the younger grades, are provided with appropriate guidance throughout this process. These rules and covenants are regularly discussed in the studio. Often, these are revised by the children as they work through challenges and discover better ways of interacting with one another. All of this happens with Guide support and some guardrails established.Children also budget their time by choosing their areas of focus for the day and adjusting these based on their performance. We believe strongly that children achieve more when they have control of their learning.
Why a learner driven program?
At Livewell Learning Studio we believe in helping the children to love learning through teaching them HOW to learn. An important part of this is encouraging children to take responsibility for their own behavior and hold those around them to a high standard. When something isn't working, we want our members to work together to solve the problems, not look for an adult to solve it for them. This creates a sense of ownership, independence, and confidence that will serve them well in all areas of life. Research shows that children who have a true feeling of ownership for their education learn and retain more.
What are the logistics? What does a normal week look like?
Our days start at 9am and end at 3:30 with 30 minute drop off windows. Our program is open 5 days per week for our members. We offer full and part-time memberships. Children will be immersed in creative learning opportunities, quality social engagement and exciting enrichment experiences. They will learn from experts/guides that are knowledgeable and passionate about each specific enrichment program we offer. Children work independently on their academic coursework in the mornings, and afternoons are dedicated to project based learning and real life experiences.
How do you ensure children are learning and growing?
We work with parents to measure progress in several ways:
1) Children set Daily, Weekly, and Session goals regularly.
2) Children work to mastery. Working to mastery means a child doesn't move on if they get anything less than 84%. In a traditional school setting, after the exam the student moves on regardless of their score. For example, if the student scored an 70% (and that's not a terrible grade) it means they missed 30% of the material. This gap only widens as the material gets harder. At Livewell, children will work until a skill is mastered. We utilize robust real-time data for each of our e-learning tools. At any given time, parents, and Guides can determine what a given child is engaging with and how they are faring. Technology enables us to monitor how each child is progressing and can ensure mastery of the given subject has been achieved before moving on.
3) In our Lion studio, we utilize individual paper, digital, and video portfolios where each child showcases their best work. We help parents measure growth in areas including Science, Math, History, Language Arts and Ventures.
4) In our Lion studio, we record presentation expos for friends and families of our members where the children display and demonstrate their work. The expos demonstrate what the children did and learned during their 4 to 7 week session.
5) Although not required, standardized assessments are offered each Fall and Spring to provide benchmark data.
Does Livewell offer rolling admission?
If we have space, we are happy to accommodate your application for immediate consideration. We try to maintain an equilibrium of all ages. If there is a spot available for your child's age, we can take the next steps in the membership process.
How does Livewell work with children that have diagnosed/undiagnosed learning challenges?
At Livewell, we are not trained to serve children with serious learning disabilities and challenges. That said, many disabilities go undetected or acknowledged, and sometimes parents aren't always aware.
At Livewell, we are aware that it is never easy to learn of, or admit that your child may be experiencing some setbacks or challenges. Following advice from Maya Angelou, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better." We want all of our members to thrive, and we are committed to communicate candidly with parents about challenges we are witnessing and experiencing with their children. It is the responsibility of the parent to get proper testing, assessments and work with professionals to understand the reason for the child's academic, behavior, speech or processing delay and to provide the child the necessary support. Membership with Livewell may be cancelled if it is determined that we don't have the resources to properly serve and support a child.
Do you provide records, report cards or transcripts?
Because we are not a school, Livewell doesn’t provide report cards or transcripts; however, when you become a member in our Community, our parent curriculum can guide you on how to create one and help you through the process. When you homeschool thru a California PSA (Private School Affidavit) you are responsible for keeping your own records, creating your own report cards and transcripts. Transcripts are typically only needed for High School grade levels. Here is a great resource for you to learn more about report cards and transcripts for your homeschoolers.
A growing number of colleges and universities around the United States are admitting homeschoolers, including prestigious universities like Harvard and Yale. Some, like UC Riverside, actively recruit homeschoolers. The application process may be a bit different. Applicants may decide to submit samples of their work, letters of recommendation, and CLEP and Stanford Achievement Test scores. The bottom line is that, if a homeschooler wants to pursue post-secondary education, they can certainly do so and do so within some of the finest universities.
How does Livewell approach gender/race/age theory, ideology, and expression?
At Livewell, we have made the decision to remove our studios and Guides from this conversation completely. We believe this discussion requires parental leadership and explanation. Every family has a different value and belief system, and Livewell respects the Parent/Child relationship. Because we are a blended-age cohort, our members range from age 3-17 in some cases, and we don’t believe there is a one size fits all discussion that is appropriate for all ages. With the direction that society is going and societal norms being challenged/accepted/modified, we encourage every family to address these topics at their comfort and pace, depending on the age of their child/ren. Most importantly, we will also not judge anyone for their decisions, their values or the way parents choose to explain to their children. We will always seek to be kind and respectful to everyone, and we will promote that within your children as well.
