Podcast
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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Homeschooling Your Neurodiverse Kid
You have neurodiverse kids. They are gifted. They are twice exceptional. They have anxiety, perfectionism, or sensory processing disorder. They are on the autism spectrum. They have a mix of neurodiversity. I am right there with you and I want you to know that It is possible to thrive as a homeschooler. I believe with…
Parenting in the Moment with Your Child
One of my favorite tips to share with homeschooling families and families of differently-wired kiddos is the importance of parenting in the moment – being fully present with our kiddos…even if you’re a mom who’s juggling all the plates and has laundry spilling over in the living room! Intentional Parenting And Homeschooling The best part…
Create a Custom Homeschool
Many of us homeschool moms began this homeschooling journey in the first place because we knew our quirky and differently-wired kiddos needed something unique to support their academic success. Maybe traditional school wasn’t a good fit for your students. Certainly one of the main benefits of homeschooling is the opportunity to tailor your schedule and…
Knowing If Your Child is Gifted
So you have a bright learner. Maybe he has a vivid imagination. Maybe he scores well on achievement tests. Maybe you notice exceptionally early cognitive abilities or strong interests. But there’s a difference between bright kids and gifted kids. Let’s talk about how to identify gifted learners. All Gifted Students Are Not The Same Something…
Should I Accelerate My Profoundly Gifted Child?
One reader wrote to me with a question about her profoundly gifted, or exceptionally gifted, child. Because gifted learners often move at a significantly faster pace than their age peers, parents wonder if it is in the best interest of their gifted children to allow them to finish middle school or high school ahead of…
My Neurodivergent Kiddo Needs So Much Help…
I’ve gotten so many excellent questions recently from readers and listeners. These questions not only represent the very issues I hear about from many parents I work with, they also resonate with the struggles and worries I’ve faced in my own journey as the parent of a child with neurodiverse or twice-exceptional challenges. Here is…