The Joy of Slow, Leslie M. Martino
The Joy of Slow, Leslie M. Martino
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The Joy of Slow
Restoring Balance and Wonder to Homeschool Learning

Author: Leslie M. Martino, Ainsley Arment

Narrator: Leslie M. Martino, Ainsley Arment

Unabridged: 8 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 08/13/2024

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

A parent’s guide to cultivating an unhurried lifestyle and education that help their children thrive

In a culture that prizes productivity, efficiency, and success, it’s easy to feel as though we’re constantly falling short and to lose sight of joy. The homeschool community is not exempt from this pressure, but longtime educator Leslie Martino shows parents how to slow down to recapture the delight and depth that are hallmarks of meaningful learning. In The Joy of Slow, she offers practical guidance on:
creating daily rhythms that celebrate the ordinary and make space for spontaneitysupporting children as they explore personal interests and engage in self-directed learningtracking students’ progress in ways that might be overlooked by traditional assessmentsprioritizing connection with other people and the natural world    While parents of young children are more likely to embrace a slow childhood that nurtures wonder and imagination, panic often sets in as kids grow older, and parents worry about preparing them for the world beyond school. These fears are exacerbated by learning challenges, unspoken competition among peers, and standardized assessments. The Joy of Slow offers a much-needed reset, inspiring parents to prioritize the needs of each individual child and to help them find renewed freedom and passion.

* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF which contains the Slow School Manifesto and Socratic questions from the book.

About The Author

Leslie M. Martino has over twenty years of experience teaching—as an elementary school teacher, a home educator, and an adjunct lecturer for graduate courses focused on the role of the teacher in supporting children’s individual work preferences. She homeschools her four children and works as an educational consultant, writing curricula, training teachers, and coaching parents to approach learning in an interest-based and child-directed way. She is a speaker on topics of education and motherhood and is also a contributing writer for the Wild + Free homeschooling community.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Darcy on January 22, 2025

I really enjoyed this book. It was more of a deep intellectual vs cheerleading writing style that gave me many things to ponder and come back to often.......more

Goodreads review by Christina on April 23, 2025

This book is a treasure. I want to come back to it over and over for years to come. Very inspiring with the big picture of why it’s important to leave space in your life and homeschool for slower pursuits, but also gives lots of practical ideas of how to actually do that. At times the author’s descr......more

Goodreads review by Christine on November 24, 2024

Such a wonderful and encouraging book. I am a homeschool mom of three and this book has been so uplifting and full of great ideas for us to implement in our slow living journey. I love how she talks about life as continually working on our own balancing scale. The chapters on connection, project tim......more

Goodreads review by Ashley Arnold on February 06, 2025

Some great takeaways and reminders - we choose homeschooling because of the freedom to learn. So much slowing down I need to do, particularly when it comes to personal connection, and showing my kids I care about THEM, and not what they remember or learned.......more

Goodreads review by Amber on January 27, 2025

Think of this as The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry meets homeschool. Beautiful well-rounded review on the effects and benefits of slowing down in your homeschool, or slow schooling as she calls it.......more


Quotes

The Joy of Slow offers a transformative perspective on education and family life. Leslie’s captivating storytelling and insightful reflections encourage a slower, more intentional approach to homeschooling. Drawing from personal experiences, she illustrates how unhurried attention uncovers hidden wonders and deepens connections with our children. Leslie’s practical guidance empowers parents to integrate slow schooling principles, fostering deep learning alongside meaningful engagement. As a home educating parent navigating a constantly changing educational landscape, Leslie’s book resonated deeply, offering hope in a fast-paced world. The Joy of Slow is essential for anyone seeking a richer journey through homeschool learning and parenting.
—Leah Boden, author of Modern Miss Mason
 
In The Joy of Slow, Leslie Martino offers us a peaceful vision for homeschooling that transcends traditional approaches. This book urges families to home in on their values and build meaningful roots rather than racing through childhood. With a commitment to nurturing understanding instead of shallow mastery, and supporting interest-led learning over checking off boxes, she helps families educate for hope and purpose. The Joy of Slow is a compass for those who seek to embrace a more deliberate, enriching, and ultimately fulfilling homeschooling journey.
—Jennifer Pepito, author of Mothering by the Book and founder of The Peaceful Press
 
In a world that promotes a childhood lived on fast-forward, The Joy of Slow beautifully carves the path toward a revolutionary education where students can learn not at the speed of light but at the speed of love. And Leslie Martino, with her hard-earned wisdom, deep curiosity, and tranquil heart is the perfect one to guide us through it.
—Erin Loechner, author of Chasing Slow and founder of Other Goose
 
Slow down! Read this book, one soul-nourishing page at a time. Let it guide you into the life you crave—one where learning and living go at the pace of joy. Leslie Martino weaves educational theory, personal experience, and practical activities into a beautiful vision of a homeschool life. She celebrates a child’s patient curiosity and shows parents how to unleash it. The result? A slow, joyful life of learning, rather than a rush to academic achievement. I wish I had had this book when I began my homeschooling journey.”
—Julie Bogart, author of The Brave Learner and Raising Critical Thinkers and founder of Brave Writer
 
There are multitudes of gifts tucked into the pages of The Joy of Slow, but what I appreciate most is the framework provided to bring legitimacy and honor to the work happening in my home. I’ve always understood how slow living and learning works with younger children, but fear and uncertainty threatened my resolve with my teens. After reading Leslie’s work and seeing how even her teen thrives amid the “joy of slow,” I’m more confident than ever that my family is resting in just the right spot.
—Amber O’Neal Johnston, author of A Place to Belong and founder of Heritage Mom