TPP 408: Leslie Martino on Sparking Kids' Learning Through the Joy of Slow
episode
Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
44 min
1 speaker
8 chapters
transcribed 7 hours ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
What challenges do neurodivergent parents face with traditional school timelines?
So again, in the idea of slow is about honoring a child's interests and looking for where their passions show up and respecting the time it takes to really cultivate authentic skills. You know, sometimes we say we want children to do something really well or know something really well, and then we give them like two weeks to do it. And it's like that's more like a two-year process, but you know, slowing down enough to realize that learning sometimes takes longer than we are giving it.
I'm Debbie Rieber and welcome to Tilt Parenting, a podcast featuring interviews and conversations aimed at inspiring, supporting, and informing parents raising differently wired kids. As the parent of a neurodivergent child, you've probably had to let go of the traditional timelines we're often told our kids should follow, especially when it comes to school milestones, and that requires a big adjustment for us as parents. But what if we all took a step back and focused more on slowing down? That's exactly what my guest today, educator and author Leslie Martino, encourages us to do. With over 20 years of experience as a teacher, homeschooler, and adjunct lecturer, Leslie has a deep passion for helping parents and educators embrace a slower, more child-directed approach to learning.
She homeschools her four children. and also works as an educational consultant and parent coach, and her new book, The Joy of Slow, Restoring Wonder and Balance to Homeschool Learning, is a powerful guide to this philosophy. In this conversation, we dive into how slowing down in education leads to deeper understanding and makes space for joyful, spontaneous learning. Leslie shares how creating a learning environment that values curiosity and playfulness, not just during structured learning times, but throughout the day, can actually foster lifelong learners. We also talk about the importance of connection and relationships in both parenting and education. and how that connection is really at the heart of nurturing children who love to learn.
Even if you're not homeschooling, I promise you're gonna take away so much from this episode. And I have a request. If you like this episode after you've listened to it, send it to someone who you think would also get a lot out of it. You can just forward it in your podcast app or shoot it in an email and help me spread the word for this one. All right, here is my conversation with Leslie. Hey Leslie, welcome to the podcast.
Thank you so much for having me, Debbie.
Yes, I'm so happy to have this conversation with you. I really enjoyed your book and we're gonna get into that in a few minutes, but I always start my conversations by asking my guests to tell whatever they want to share about their personal story. But really what I'm most interested in is your why and how that's connected to the work that you do in the world and the lens through which you approach your work.
Okay, well I feel like to tell the whole story of my why starts in my childhood.
Bring it on.
Um because I try to make those connections, you know, as I'm growing and developing and I'm working with children and some of the things I notice, I start noticing and remembering about myself when I was younger as well. But I've always loved working with children and I've found myself doing that in some capacity, even when I myself probably could still be described as a child and teenager, loving younger children and working with children. But When I finally realized that I wanted to teach, which coming to that decision involved a lot of reflection about my childhood, about my brother, about my parents in education. I was very traditionally educated. My parents are from the Caribbean. They came to this country with a very strong sense of education is very important.
They instilled that in us. But at the same time, my mother was the type of learner that really invited wonder and curiosity and imagination into learning. And some of my best learning experiences were not in that traditional setting, they were at home with my mom.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What challenges do neurodivergent parents face with traditional school timelines?
0:00–6:51
2
How did Leslie’s childhood and early teaching experiences shape her ‘slow’ philosophy?
6:51–12:49
3
Why does slowing down in education lead to deeper understanding and joy?
12:49–18:21
4
How can parents create space for spontaneity and natural responses in busy lives?
18:21–24:04
5
What role does playfulness play in both parenting and learning environments?
24:04–30:27
6
What practical steps from *The Joy of Slow* can families apply today?
30:27–35:35
7
How does Leslie’s book connect curiosity, wonder, and balance for homeschoolers and traditional learners?
35:35–41:30
8
Where can listeners learn more about Leslie’s work and connect with the Tilt Parenting community?
41:30–44:47
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
TPP 266a: A Conversation with Poet and Advocate LeDerick Horne
TPP 522: A Whole Child Approach to ADHD with Phil Boucher, M.D.
TPP 091a: A Conversation With Steve Silberman About His Book “Neurotribes”
TPP 521: A Conversation with Dr. Peter Gray About Restoring Childhood
TPP 253a: Advocate and Author Jonathan Mooney on Why Normal Sucks
TPP 520: Dr. Özgür Bolat on Why Rewards Backfire and the Real Science of Motivating Kids