Rewild Your Homeschool: Natural Rhythms for Neurodivergent Learners
One of the most fundamental changes I experienced during my years in the wild was my shifting perception of time. Time was measured by the changing light, how hot the fire had gotten, and how hungry I was or wasn't. Little in my life had prepared me to manage time by these cues. I had learned to read face-clocks but failed to anticipate how much earlier the sun sets in a wooded valley than on a ridge. I was forever getting lost and cooking dinner in the dark. It was a beautiful, messy way to learn, and one that brought me closer to both nature and humanity. Many of the ways humans have historically learned—through story, movement, nature, and community—are still highly effective today, especially for neurodivergent students.
In this post, I would like to share some strategies for incorporating ancestral experiences like these into your child’s instruction, be it through homeschooling, micro-schooling, or informal family learning. You don’t have to abandon academic standards to make space for these approaches. Just start with the body, the senses, and the rhythms that have always guided human learning.
Ways to let the light into your child’s learning—
Acknowledge the sun's progress through the instructional day. This might mean performing a short ritual at solar noon or transitioning from a mellow physical activity at sunrise, for students who begin their days predawn. A sundial placed in the yard offers incidental instruction and provides the context for big questions, and an app makes the timekeeping easy.
The moon's waxing and waning can frame instruction from the material's introduction on the new moon, a degree of mastery two weeks later on the full moon, and application or extension of the material through the next two weeks.
Mark the solstice and equinox, but also more tangible phenomena like the first blooms or leaves on a native tree the class has identified, the first snow, or the arrival of migratory birds. In a homeschool or microschool, these events can shape the syllabus. The first observation of worm castings in the spring could determine when the class starts their tomato or pepper seeds indoors. They would then transplant them outside after the region's last frost, another natural event to anticipate.
Teach students how to take their pulse and tap out the beat with their foot for others to see. Have them do this at rest and then again immediately after exerting themselves.
Build both rest and exertion into the day.
Measure duration in familiar terms. For example, make a few pots of macaroni with them and then describe a given duration relative to how long it takes to cook the noodles (they usually take 10 minutes). Or have them walk a mile at a relaxed pace and describe a given duration in those terms (probably 30-40 minutes, depending on their ages).
Use timers that measure continuously, like hourglasses or candle-clocks
Encourage awareness of a beat by clapping out syllables or to the meter of a poem. Have them experiment with clapping to music on a 1-3 beat vs a 2-4 beat.
Support natural sleep patterns when possible. Allow naps and slow starts, but incorporate fresh air and sunlight into the day to encourage alertness while learning is available. When daylight is available, avoid artificial lights. When offering screens, leverage features like "Night Shift" to adjust the color temperature for evening viewing. Remember to manually reduce screen brightness as daylight fades, to better support the circadian rhythm.
Recap together after activities, to embody a cadence of reflection and closure. Do the same after conflict and shared challenges.
Bringing it all together
Embracing these ancient rhythms isn't about perfectly replicating life in the wild, nor does it require disregard for modern conventions like the Common Core. It's about fundamentally shifting how we perceive time and learning, anchoring our days to the deep, intuitive ways humans have always thrived. By tuning into the cosmos, nature here on Earth, and even our own internal clocks, we offer all children—especially our neurodivergent learners—a more embodied, joyful, and deeply resonant educational experience. Start small, observe, and trust that the rhythms that guided our ancestors can beautifully guide your learning journey too.
