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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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.

Cultivating Commitment and Follow Through

Commitment is a virtue that invariably separates the successful from the rest. As parents, educators, and caretakers, our foremost job is to embed the value of commitment within our children, transforming them into resilient and passionate lifelong learners. It’s important to think about the nuances of nurturing commitment. Shifting to Intrinsic Motivation The initial approach…
LISTEN HERE Cultivating Commitment and Follow Through

How a Return to Outside Play Will Help Our Kids Thrive with Ginny Yurich

In our fast-paced, digitally-driven world, the enchantments of screens often lure both children and adults indoors, disconnecting us from the wonders of the natural world. Ginny Yurich, the visionary behind the “1000 Hours Outside” movement, seeks to restore this balance, offering profound insights into the impact of nature on child development and homeschooling.  Inspired by…
LISTEN HERE How a Return to Outside Play Will Help Our Kids Thrive with Ginny Yurich

Nurturing a Strength-Based Approach to Learning in Homeschooling

Strengths-based learning can play a crucial role in crafting your child’s educational journey. Understanding the distinctions between a strengths-based and a deficits-based approach to education is important, underscoring the importance of acknowledging and fostering your child’s unique strengths, talents, and abilities.  Understanding Strengths-Based Learning So what are the fundamental distinctions between a strengths-based approach and…
LISTEN HERE Nurturing a Strength-Based Approach to Learning in Homeschooling

Building Social-Emotional Skills While Helping Others

Parenting is a journey filled with opportunities to shape the character and values of our children. One aspect that deserves our attention, particularly when raising neurodivergent kids, is cultivating empathy and a sense of service.  Understanding Empathy Empathy is a cornerstone of emotional and social development in children. It’s about understanding and sharing the feelings…
LISTEN HERE Building Social-Emotional Skills While Helping Others