Simple.
With kids, I take a Popsicle stick and smooth pc of wood.
Safety, with correct basics.
Sometimes I will apply a crayon, or dry erase marker ( non tox) to the "edge" and just practicing what they are to do. The mark will come off, and one can see what the are "removing".
Adults.
Get a Old Hickory Paring knife for $4 or less at the hardware store. This is a 1095 Carbon steel blade.
Magnification, and 10x is great, still even a 5x hand held magnifying glass or inexpensive Harbor Freight "head" magnifier. This is like the Opti-Visor brand that sells for more money but HB has one for like $6 that you were like a ball cap and just bring the lens down (brim) to see, and raise when you don't need.
Handy for guns all too.
You have a stone, I usually suggest a Norton India combo coarse fine, it is not that big of a deal.
Sharpie Marker.
Now look at the Old Hickory edge real good, under magnification.
Put this knife down onto a old magazine and raise the back (spine) up so when you push the edge, it sticks.
Take note of that angle.
If you lower the spine, the knife might not "stick", nor might it if you raise spine too high"
Piddle with this, heck get a protractor if you want to measure, not needed still a neat educational bit.
Point being, there is a angle the metal is removed and where that metal is being removed.
Now take the sharpie marker and mark the edge.
This is going to sound really dumb, still it works...
Cardboard, just a nice flat, smooth piece and go slow, not much pressure pretend this cardboard is the stone.
Let the "stone" do the work, light pressure at this point to just hold and control the knife.
That cardboard, will remove the marker, and you can see where you are removing the marker.
All we are doing is getting the hang of this, not having to worry about actually sharpening, or "messing up" a nice knife and for sure a $4 knife".
Folks get the hang of this and then repeat with the stone.
With the stone, the deal is to get a burr raised on one side, from tang to tip.
This means that edge is sharp, from tang to tip.
Do the other side until it to raises a burr, now the edge is congruent from tang to tip...
This is where folks get frustrated - don't.
Just light pressure to remove the second burr, and flip flop ever so light, on both sides.
Wire edge refers to thinking a knife is sharp, but it not, as folks feel that burr and the first time something is cut, the burr messes up, and the knife is dull.
Flip flop...lightly.
Then using only the weight of blade...pull the spine, stropping, one side then the other. You don't need compounds just keep it simple to get the basics.
That OH steel is easy to sharpen and learn on. It will get real sharp! Stay that way, and only need a light touch up, depending on use.
HTH
Steve
