Welcome
Building a rich learning life through books, curiosity, and care.
Updated February 19, 2026
Table of Contents
Welcome to parMINDary—we’re so glad you’re here.
The parMINDary blog is a resource for the philosophy and practice of meaningful, reading-centered learning at home. Here, learning is values-aligned and designed to flow naturally across subjects and daily life, rather than being broken into rigid lessons.
This site is a growing library. You can search for specific topics, browse the blog, or explore categories to follow ideas that resonate with your family.
Below, you’ll find more about me, how this site is created and curated, and the values that guide everything published here.
Thank you for visiting—and for caring about learning done thoughtfully.
About Me
I didn’t begin this work with a plan to “do education differently.” I began it as a parent, paying attention.
Like many families, we started with the assumption that there was a right path to follow. Over time—through reading together, asking questions, and noticing how learning actually showed up in our home—we realized that curiosity, relationships, and time mattered more than rigid structure. Homeschooling became less about replicating school at home and more about creating a learning life rooted in books, conversation, and thoughtful exploration.
parMINDary grew out of that experience. It’s a place to reflect on reading-led learning, child-authored ideas, and the slow work of building understanding. I believe children are capable of deep thinking when given respect, guidance, and space—and that adults serve best as thoughtful stewards rather than directors.
Before becoming a homeschooling parent, I worked in healthcare administration and earned an MBA, along with professional certification as a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA). That training shaped how I think about systems, information, and responsibility. I value accuracy, ethical decision-making, and long-term thinking, and I bring those principles into how I evaluate educational ideas and create learning resources.
I don’t believe there is one right way to learn, and I’m not here to offer prescriptions. Instead, I share what we’ve learned, ask careful questions, and build tools that families can adapt to their own values and contexts.
“parMINDary is an invitation—to read deeply, think gently, and trust that meaningful learning grows when we pay attention.”
Maria Parmer, MBA, RHIA
Editorial Process
parMINDary is shaped by lived experience, careful reading, and reflection over time. Every post is created with the goal of being useful, humane, and trustworthy.
How content is developed
- Ideas emerge from real questions, observations, and conversations within our learning life.
- Children’s books are read in full and revisited over time, not skimmed for themes or trends.
- Educational ideas are considered across contexts—developmental, relational, and practical—before being shared.
How content is evaluated
- We prioritize clarity over volume and depth over speed.
- Claims are grounded in observation, established knowledge, and thoughtful synthesis rather than novelty or hype.
- Posts are revised as understanding grows; learning is treated as iterative, not fixed.
What you won’t find here
- Prescriptive programs or one-size-fits-all solutions
- Trend-driven recommendations without context
- Content designed to pressure, compare, or perform
This editorial approach reflects a commitment to care, accuracy, and long-term usefulness—for families reading today and returning years from now.
Core Values
1. Reading as the Root of Learning
Deep reading is foundational to thoughtful education. Books are not supplements or assignments, but starting points for inquiry, imagination, and connection across subjects and lived experience.
2. Learning Through Creation
Understanding grows through making. Writing, building, observing, documenting, and experimenting are essential ways learners process ideas and express meaning.
3. Values-Centered, Secular Humanist Orientation
Parmfolio and parMINDary operate from a values-centered, secular humanist worldview. Learning is connected to meaning, ethical responsibility, care for others, and stewardship of the natural world—without adherence to religious doctrine or institutional ideology.
4. Flow Over Fragmentation
We prioritize learning that flows naturally across time and subjects, rather than isolated lessons or rigid schedules. Education should feel coherent, humane, and responsive to real life.
5. The Parent as Guide, Not Taskmaster
Parents are honored as thoughtful guides and co-learners. Our resources support confidence and clarity without asking families to recreate school at home.
6. Visibility Without Pressure
Learning deserves to be seen and remembered. We value documentation and reflection that make growth visible while avoiding comparison, standardization, or performative outcomes.
7. Gentle Systems, Strong Foundations
Behind the scenes, we believe in simple, well-designed systems that quietly support creativity, publishing, and long-term learning—without dominating the learning experience itself.
8. Respect for the Learner
Children are capable thinkers, readers, and creators. We respect their ideas, pace, voice, and evolving understanding of the world.
To read more about our values in action, visit our homeschool philosophy post: Homeschooling With Books
Where To Go Next:
- The Start Here page for a high-level overview of parMINDary
- The parMINDary Philosophy page for foundational ideas
- The Reading & Patterns pillar for long-term themed exploration
- The Learning Through Stories page for reframing required subjects
- The Seasons & Culture page for learning through nature’s rhythms and traditions