How to teach your child to read (a step-by-step guide for parents)
This is the episode that finally answers the big question: how do I actually help my child learn to read? In it, I share a clear, step-by-step guide parents can use every day.
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How to make money as a home educating parent
Most advice on making money is hustle culture. This episode is different - two real income streams I’ve built discussed in detail, a framework to map your own, and six realistic lanes parents like us are using to make extra income right now.
The fight over how to teach reading (and what matters instead)
Parents are drowning in arguments about phonics, whole language, and balanced literacy. Here’s the truth behind the Reading Wars, and what really matters for your child.
Why reading makes us panic (and what children’s brains are really ready for)
Part one of this series uncovers why reading timelines get parents so worried, and what the science says about how and when children are really ready.
Ten things a home educating parent should NEVER do
After years of doing this, and speaking to thousands of other parents, I’ve found there are ten things that will categorically make home education harder than it needs to be. This episode puts every one of them under the spotlight.
Why home educating is the most important work there is
As a home educator, there’s a good chance you’re not valuing yourself, or your role, nearly as much as you should. Today I want to show you why I believe you’ve taken on a level of professional responsibility and weight that most people never will.
The myth of the self-directed child, Part One (why freedom isn’t enough) 🎙️
Why so many children struggle to take initiative - even with total freedom - and what the science of motivation, autonomy, and brain development tells us they actually need instead.
If I was starting home ed all over again, here’s what I’d do (part one) 🎙️
Everything we'd do differently if we could take ourselves right back to the start of this journey again.
The truth about “school readiness” (what developmental science actually says) 🎙️
What really happens in a child’s brain before and after they turn five? And what are the hidden costs of deciding that formal learning should “start” at that age? Let's look at the neuroscience, the developmental timelines, and four key reasons why the idea of “school readiness” is so deeply flawed.
The 11 things children need to reach their full potential (part two) 🎙️
Part One explored five conditions that built a foundation. This second half moves into the deeper developmental drivers that shape capability and confidence from the inside out.
The 11 things children need to reach their full potential (part one) 🎙️
In this two-part series, I walk through 11 essential conditions that help children reach their full potential - backed by science, and shaped by real life. Part One covers the five foundational pieces every child needs to grow well.
What every parent MUST know about the AI Generation
AI is replacing the very jobs we’ve always raised our children to aim for. In this urgent episode, I unpack where AI is at right now, what the next decade might look like, and how we can prepare our children for a future more different than we can imagine.
What if my child never learns maths? (and what the research actually says) 🎙️
We’ll look at what most people actually need maths for, how numeracy develops without school, how quickly kids can catch up later, and why the data shows the school system isn’t delivering the results we think it is.
The 7 skills that make home educating WORK 🎙️
How do I actually guide my child’s learning and growth? I know I don’t want to be a teacher, I know I want to be more like a mentor, or coach, or guide, but...how do I do that? What does it look like in practice?
We were SO wrong about how children develop resilience
I was sent an email recently that I want to talk about here. It was based around the kinds of questions this parent gets from her mother: "How will your child cope in life if they aren't made to do things they don't want? If...
How Do You Know You're Teaching Your Child To A High Enough Standard?
Homeschoolers and unschoolers are often asked how they can be sure of this, and today I'm going to give you a path to answering it.
Are Parents Qualified To Teach Their Children?
Being a trained teacher involves a lot of things. But it’s important to understand that a good deal of that training relates to skills that apply specifically to a school setting...
The Word 'Educate' Doesn't Mean What You Think It Does
I have a short but incredibly empowering tidbit for you today: If you look at most current definitions of the word ‘educate’, they will talk about the act or process of imparting knowledge or skill. They will focus on systematic instruction, teaching, and schooling. But the Latin word it came...
Opening Our Roadschool
Sunday, 10am, a week before Christmas 2022. I’ve just pulled our car and caravan onto a narrow strip of gravel near the highest point of Arthur’s Pass. Arguably the most stunning of three alpine passes that traverse the Southern Alps on the South Island of New Zealand, and...
Why Are You Still Sweating Over Academics?
What you think you need to teach your homeschooled children: math, science, history, language. What you really need to teach them: How to question How to explore How to communicate How to fail How to listen How to believe in themselves How to understand others How to respect differences in...
Does Homeschooling Develop Resilience?
Yes, life can be hard. Yes, it will throw challenges at you. But many of the things we talk about as being hard when it comes to school don't transfer to navigating true, rewarding life challenges.
