Over this school year, I have started really diving into the concept of what I call, “The 4 Es– Expose Explore Experience Evaluate.” It came about from the response I provided to a question from a new homeschool mom, but then I really sat with it. I realized that I had been keenly aware of these very concepts for a while, and had been putting most of them into practice.
As a homeschooling mom, you want to give your child the best possible education—but it can feel overwhelming to know if you’re “getting it right.” That’s where the 4 E’s can becomes this can become a powerful framework. It helps you guide your child through discovering their strengths and interests without pressure.
- Expose
- Explore
- Experience
- Evaluate
Expose
Expose your kids to new subjects, ideas, and careers—they can’t dream about what they don’t know! Then, let them explore what sparks their curiosity, asking questions and digging deeper. When something clicks, experience it through hands-on learning, classes, or real-world opportunities. Finally, regularly evaluate—is this the right path, or is it time to pivot? This approach allows you to customize their education with confidence, helping your child build clarity about their future, while giving you peace of mind that you’re leading them well.
When you look at those words, the first 3 probably look pretty similar. And you’d be right. So let me break it down.
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Explore
It’s almost like we are spending a LOT of time outside right now. I’ll even add in, when weather and location permit- do it barefoot! Children and even teens, and yes, even adults (myself included) are exploring and discovering SO MUCH for the first time. I’ll even say this; we were literally made for outside. Genesis 2:15 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” In some countries, forest therapy is a genuine prescription. Exploration can be as close as your back yard or as far away as another continent. I love the Julia Rothman books, as well as The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs. They have enriched our outdoor exploring SO MUCH. From identifying mushrooms and moss, to birds. To learning about wind patterns from the way tree limbs grow, or sun from what grows in an area. But it doesn’t even have to be that complicated. Flip over a rock to see what crawlies are hiding underneath. Hand them a magnifying glass. One of Athena’s favorite things is when I glue/tape 2 toilet paper rolls together for her to use as “binoculars.” She will spend an easy hour wandering the backyard looking through. Get out of the walls of your home and explore. Even if you live in a city, you would beblown away by what you can find if you take the time to intentionally look!
Experience
This one may actually be self explanatory, but here it is anyway. Give your child as many experiences as possible. Make homemade applesauce. Take them taping for Maple Syrup. Include them when you work in the garden. Go on field trips to historical sites. I don’t care who you are, or where you live; it is historical; you just have to find it. Allow your children to get messy. We very often play with everything from ooblek, to water beads, to mud, to ice & snow, lemon juice and baking soda….all of these things are fun and filling sensory input, but are also building foundations of chemical reactions, viscosity, states of matter, Newtonian fluid, and more. We even love watching live-streams of various animals. You can youtube live streams of everything from Eagles, to Bears, to Sharks, and so many more. Monterey Bay Aquarium has a live-stream of their Sea Otters. A few times a day the keepers come in for feeding and enrichment. We have learned SO MUCH about sea otters from just putting on the live stream as our “background noise” during the day, and pausing to watch and listen when they come in! Every experience is worthwhile.
Evaluate
This is a general thing that you can be doing all of the time while doing the first 3 Es. Whether you are homeschooling, or just a really cool parent, evaluation is important. You may evaluate that your child seems to really enjoy when you go to historical sites that include hands-on learning activities. You may observe that your 2nd grader has an affinity for remembering and identifying plants. Your high schooler may, in their own silent way, let you know that they enjoy handicrafts like embroidery or sewing. As you take a hike, ask your child questions about the colors, the textures, the smells, and sounds. Their responses may not only surprise you, but help you evaluate how in-tune they are. In the same way, it’s usually pretty obvious when your student is just not into something. That doesn’t mean you have to avoid it entirely, but it can help you gauge what is worthwhile, what you may actually need to spend extra time on, and what you want to dive into head first.
As most of us are gearing up for warmer weather, many of us are wrapping up our homeschool year in the next few months, and gearing up to begin again in July. Before you panic about your child jumping from a tree stump, take a moment to assess if they can “reasonably” make that call for themselves. While making your spring and summer plans, make sure they’re more than just amusement parks, but include some real exploring too. While you could skip the mud pit and rain puddles, you COULD let your children take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!
Find more content like this:
- Education in 2025: 8 Key Trends Reshaping How We Teach and Learn
- Performance Series Test
- Elementary Science
- Elementary Math
Anna attended the University of Valley Forge where she met her husband and graduated with a degree in Secondary English Education with a concentration in Medieval and Renaissance Literature. Anna is a licensed Pennsylvania teacher and homeschool evaluator. She has over 20 years of child care and teaching experience including Vacation Bible School, Advanced Placement Courses, Honors, College Prep, Life Skills, Online Teaching, and Coaching. Anna has been a yearly speaker at the Rooted in Faith Homeschool Conference. She has been teaching with True North since 2021.
You can get to know her better at her blog, The Nurtured Bee.
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