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 to REALLY measure your child's progress 🎙️
When you first step away from the school system, you leave behind all their built-in ways of measuring progress - the grades, the tests, the reading levels...In this week's mini-episode, I'm sharing the simple daily practice we use to record, track, and review progress in our family.
What to do when your child avoids hard things
"I'm having a hard time striking the right balance between following my child's lead, and making sure they're also doing hard things and putting in effort."
The ONE thing I wish I knew before leaving the school system 🎙️
You hear a lot about what you’ll need when you first choose to live life without school. The resources, curriculum options, books you should read, the local groups to join. But there's something else that matters more than any of that.
The hidden cost of being a "good student"
I've been thinking a lot about this line in my post from the other day: "We've created a world where a child's greatest achievement is being low maintenance."
What if your child hasn't found their spark yet? 🎙️
With all the talk about following children's interests and nurturing their passions early, this is a common worry. But understanding what's really happening during this stage of childhood will completely change how you see your child's play.
In 2038, the world will ask your child who they are. Will they know?
If you saw my social post a couple of days ago, you'll know I spoke about the two thousand, three hundred and forty days a child spends in a classroom during their schooling life. It’s a staggering number when you stop and think about it. For more...
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