Podcast - Raising Lifelong Learners

The Raising Lifelong Learners podcast helps parents — especially homeschooling parents — encourage their differently-wired kids to learn, explore passions, cultivate creativity, and become fascinated by the world around them. Join host Colleen Kessler — educational consultant, gifted specialist, author, and speaker — for interviews, audioblogs, tips, and encouragement to help your differently-wired kiddos become lifelong learners — children who know that they can find the answers to anything they want to know if they can just view their world with play, passion, and fascination.

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Kids — you can use the button below to be featured on an upcoming episode of the Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast. When leaving your message: say your name, age, and home state. Then tell what you wish other people understood about your brain, how it works, or how you think about things.

Celebrating Wins: Why Noticing the Small Stuff Is a Gamechanger in Your Homeschool

Boxes of curriculum stacked up, sticky notes everywhere—maybe a half-read book on neurodiversity is stashed in your kitchen. You’re balancing the chaos of a Monday morning and half-wondering if anyone notices the actual learning happening. And then, out of nowhere, your kid—who yesterday lost it over a math worksheet—manages to focus for ten minutes straight…

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Homeschooling to Celebrate and Nurture Your Child’s Spark

If you’ve ever watched your child’s face light up as they narrate a passionate interest—maybe it’s dinosaurs, coding, bugs, musical theater, or even the precise gauges of old locomotives—and then felt your heart sink when the “real world” seems to dim their enthusiasm, you need to know: you’re not alone, and you’re in the right…

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The Power of Connection in Homeschooling Neurodivergent Kids

You’ve decided to embark on this incredible journey of homeschooling your differently-wired kiddos, and it’s no small feat. Together, let’s explore one of the most powerful tools in your homeschool toolkit: connection. In this deep dive, we’ll weave our way through the whys, whats, and hows of prioritizing connection in your homeschool. Why Connection Matters…

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Understanding Impulse Control in Gifted and Neurodivergent Kids

Impulse control is a topic that resonates with many homeschooling parents, especially when it comes to gifted, twice-exceptional, and neurodivergent children. This struggle is all too familiar, and if you’re feeling overwhelmed, know that you’re not alone. Impulse control is crucial for social success, emotional regulation, and academic growth. It’s essentially the ability to pause…

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Understanding Executive Function Skills in Gifted and Twice-Exceptional Children

Navigating the complexities of raising gifted, twice-exceptional, and neurodivergent children is both rewarding and challenging. As homeschooling parents, you might often wonder why your child can tackle difficult subjects effortlessly yet struggle with day-to-day activities. The answer often lies in executive function skills. What Are Executive Function Skills? Think of executive function skills as the…

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Understanding Asynchrony in Gifted Children

When we talk about gifted children, it’s easy to imagine young prodigies excelling well beyond their years in academics. But what we often don’t consider is that these advanced abilities can come with unique challenges that aren’t always visible on the surface. One of the most common and sometimes bewildering aspects of raising a…

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