Raising Lifelong Learners
253 episodes - English - Latest episode: 25 days ago - ★★★★★ - 187 ratingsThe 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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Episodes
RLL#147: Homeschooling Tips For Wiggly Kids
March 02, 2022 08:00 - 45 minutes - 62.9 MBThis series is all about homeschooling a child with ADHD. Today, Colleen shares her best tips for homeschooling a child who struggles with sitting still and is often "wiggly" throughout their learning.
RLL#146: ADHD And Your Homeschool, An Overview
February 16, 2022 06:00 - 38 minutes - 52.2 MBIn this episode, we kick off our new series all about homeschooling with ADHD. Today, our focus is an overview of ADHD, and how it impacts your child and your homeschool. Colleen also shares tips for successfully homeschooling your child with ADHD.
RLL#145: Emotional Overexcitabilities And Your Gifted Child
February 09, 2022 06:00 - 35 minutes - 48.9 MBIn this episode, we continue our overexcitabilities series for parents of gifted children. Today, the focus is on emotional excitabilities and gifted children. Colleen discusses what these overexcitabilities are and how to support and help your child.
RLL#144: Imaginational Overexcitabilities And Your Gifted Child
February 02, 2022 08:00 - 36 minutes - 50.3 MBIn this episode, we continue our overexcitabilities series for parents of gifted children. Today, the focus is Imaginational Overexcitabilities and gifted children. Colleen discusses what these overexcitabilities are and how to help your child.
RLL#143: Intellectual Overexcitabilities And Your Gifted Child
January 26, 2022 16:39 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBThis continues our overexcitabilities series for parents of gifted children. Today, Colleen explores intellectual overexcitabilities and gifted children.
RLL #142 Gifted Children and Sensual Overexcitabilities
January 19, 2022 15:00 - 35 minutes - 48.3 MBIn today's episode, we continue our overexcitabilities series for parents of gifted children. Today, the focus is sensual excitabilities and gifted children. Colleen discusses what these overexcitabilities are and how to help your child.
RLL #143: A Parent's Guide To Friendship For Gifted And Twice Exceptional Children
November 10, 2021 20:11 - 31 minutes - 42.9 MBFriendships are a topic that parents tend to worry about when it comes to our kids. Add in the eccentricities and quirkiness that often accompany giftedness, and it can be worrisome for many families. Join Colleen and Shawna as they discuss the ins and outs of navigating friendships for our gifted and twice exceptional children.
RLL #141: Eclectic Homeschooling Works For Gifted Kids
October 20, 2021 07:00 - 24 minutes - 22.5 MBTaking an eclectic approach to homeschooling when your child is gifted or twice exceptional makes sense. In fact, I believe it to be one of the best ways to engage and challenge a gifted learner. Today, I am sharing 101 reasons why!
RLL #140: Psychomotor Overexcitabilities And Gifted Children
October 13, 2021 14:22 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBIn today's episode, we continue our overexcitabilities series for parents of gifted children. Today, the focus is psychomotor excitabilities and our gifted children. Colleen discusses what these overexcitabilities are and how to help your child.
RLL #139: The Importance Of Play For Your Entire Family
October 07, 2021 00:49 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MBIt's easy to think of examples of how play helps young children and preschoolers. But what about older kids, teens, and even adults? The importance of play for your entire family is significant and the focus of our discussion today.
A Guide To Overexcitabilities And Gifted Children
September 30, 2021 18:15 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MBGifted children tend to have multiple intensities. These intensities are also referred to as overexcitabilities. In today's episode, Colleen introduces the theory of overexcitabilities and shares support and encouragement for parenting gifted children with intensities.
5 Things You Need To Know About Homeschooling Gifted Kids
September 22, 2021 07:00 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBIf you are homeschooling a gifted or twice exceptional child, it probably looks different than you expected. Today, Colleen is sharing 5 Things You Need To Know About Homeschooling Gifted Kids. This a a real life, honest look at what it is really like!
RLL #136: Homeschooling Your Gifted Child With Interest-Led Learning
September 15, 2021 13:39 - 12 minutes - 11.1 MBOne of the advantages of homeschooling your gifted child is the ability to incorporate their interests and passions into your learning. But how does it work in real life? This is a snapshot of what homeschooling your gifted child with interest-led learning is all about.
Our Gifted Homeschool Curriculum Overview: 2021-2022
September 08, 2021 13:50 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MBFinding gifted homeschool curriculum can be a challenge for homeschooling parents. Having a chance to take a peek inside someone else's homeschool is one of the best ways to get inspired and learn what works. With this in mind, I am sharing everything we are planning for the upcoming school year in our homeschool.
RLL #134: Can I Help My Child Become More Optimistic?
September 01, 2021 23:28 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBWhen your child is struggling with a negative mindset, it can affect all aspects of learning and family life. That's why a question that often comes up is "Can I help my child become more optimistic?" The answer is most certainly, "Yes." This episode of the Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast is all about how you can make a difference and help your child develop skills to become more optimistic.
RLL #133: Homeschooling Middle School Using Your Own Interest-Based Curriculum
August 25, 2021 14:00 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBCreating your own interest-led middle school curriculum is not only possible, it's preferable for many gifted and twice exceptional children. In this episode of the podcast, Colleen shares how she encourages her tweens and teens to take on more responsibility for their education and how to get started creating your own interest-led, middle school homeschool curriculum.
RLL #132: Homeschooling A Gifted Child Who Struggles With Reading
August 18, 2021 14:08 - 53 minutes - 48.5 MBThis is the second episode in our series with Marianne Sunderland, from Homeschooling With Dyslexia. Today, we are specially discussing gifted children and dyslexia. This conversation includes testing, using assistive technology, and most importantly, encouragement that you are the best person to help your child succeed in learning and in life!
RLL #131: Homeschooling A Child With Dyslexia - It's More Than Reading
August 11, 2021 17:29 - 58 minutes - 53.4 MBHomeschooling a child with dyslexia has it's own unique challenges and opportunities. The more we learn about dyslexia, the more we understand that homeschooling a child with dyslexia is about more than just reading. In this episode, we talk with Marianne Sunderland, She has been homeschooling for 26 years and is considered an expert in helping children with dyslexia. In fact, seven of her eight kids have dyslexia.
Homeschool Planning For Kids: Helping Your Child Get Organized
August 04, 2021 16:00 - 58 minutes - 53.2 MBEvery year about this time, we begin to plan for and discuss our upcoming homeschool year. It's like a homeschool mom annual ritual. But what about our children? Homeschool planning for kids is a helpful skill to develop and is essential as our children graduate and move into the world. In this practical and down to earth episode of the Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast, Colleen and Shawna discuss the in's and out's of helping your child plan their homeschool days, weeks, and months.
RLL #129: Nurturing Your Gifted Toddler
July 28, 2021 07:00 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MBIn this episode of The Raising Lifelong Learner's podcast, Colleen addresses a common concern - the uncertainty of parenting and nurturing a gifted toddler.
RLL #128: Helping Anxious Children And Their Siblings
July 22, 2021 13:51 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBColleen answers a frequently asked question today on the Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast: How do you help siblings understand when one child has anxiety? This episode is all about helping anxious children and their siblings.
What It's Really Like To Homeschool A Twice Exceptional Child
July 15, 2021 00:58 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MBThere are a lot of misconceptions about twice exceptional children and homeschooling. In this episode of the Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast, Colleen shares what it's really like to homeschool a twice exceptional child, both as a gifted education specialist and a homeschooling parent.
RLL #126: What’s The Difference Between Interest-Led and Strength Based Learning?
July 07, 2021 16:00 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBIn this special episode of the Raising Lifelong Learner’s Podcast, Shawna Wingert shares valuable information about getting started with strength-based learning in your homeschool. She also answers a frequently asked question: What is the difference between interest-led and strength-based learning?
RLL #125: Is Your Child Profoundly Gifted?
June 30, 2021 07:00 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBWondering if your child is profoundly gifted? What does profoundly gifted even mean? In this episode, Colleen discusses how to determine if your child falls into the profoundly gifted category. She also shares the reality of homeschooling a profoundly gifted child.
RLL #124: Homeschooling With Purpose, A Conversation with Pam Barnhill
June 23, 2021 07:00 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBColleen is joined by her good friend and fellow veteran homeschool mom, Pam Barnhill. Honest and practical, they talk about planning, what gets in the way on a Monday morning, and provide access to resources that will help homeschoolers at any stage. If you homeschool or are even thinking about homeschooling, this episode is for you!
RLL #123: When Your Child’s Giftedness Is Disguised
June 16, 2021 15:00 - 14 minutes - 12.9 MBGiftedness is often disguised in our brightest kiddos. In this episode, Colleen explains how even as an expert in the field, her son's giftedness was difficult for her to uncover. Practical and encouraging, you don't want to miss this honest look at parenting gifted children.
RLL #122: A Special Conversation With Homeschool Graduate, Trevor Kessler
June 09, 2021 07:00 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBIn this very special episode, Colleen is joined by her son and new homeschool high school graduate, Trevor. This is a must listen for any homeschool parent wondering how their child will feel about the decision to homeschool once the journey is done.
RLL #121: Finding Homeschool Community (for our children and ourselves)
June 02, 2021 15:00 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MBOne of the challenges of homeschooling is finding a community that works for your child's needs and interests. In this episode of The Raising Lifelong Learner Podcast, Colleen and Shawna discuss the reality of finding a homeschool community for our children and for ourselves.
RLL #120: A Different Kind Of Family Togetherness with Celeste Orr
May 26, 2021 15:00 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MBDo you want more for your family? Do you have bigger dreams and a desire for deeper relationships with your kids? Join Colleen in this encouraging and practical conversation with Celeste Orr, from Togetherness Redefined. They discuss creating meaningful connections with our children and sustaining a deeply satisfying family life.
RLL #119: The Best Advice I Can Give You Is To Become A Student Of Your Child
May 19, 2021 07:00 - 57 minutes - 52.9 MBOne of the best pieces of advice I give a parent is to become a student of their child. To really pay attention and discover what your child is interested in, passionate about, or wants to explore further so you can use that information to design the best homeschool ever. In this episode, we revisit a conversation with Andrew Peterson all about how to practically become students of our children.
RLL #118: Accepting Our Quirky Kids As They Are (not how we want them to be)
May 12, 2021 07:00 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MBParenting gifted and twice exceptional children can bring an entire host of fears and guilt, when our children are struggling or not typically developing. In this episode of The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast, I am thrilled to welcome Denaye Barahona, Ph.D. We discuss our shared experience as moms coupled, with our expertise in supporting neurodiverse children. We consider the importance and gift of authentically accepting our kids as they truly are.
RLL #117: Encouraging Empathy In Our Gifted And Twice Exceptional Kids
May 05, 2021 07:00 - 30 minutes - 28 MBEmpathy is a word we emphasize a lot when it comes to our children's social and emotional development, but what does it really mean? Even more so, how can we encourage empathy in our gifted and twice exceptional children? In today's episode, Colleen and Shawna tackle the topic of empathy,
RLL #116: A Conversation With Dr. Meg Meeker About The Unique Needs Of Our Children
April 28, 2021 07:00 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MBThis encouraging and informative conversation with Dr. Meg Meeker, is all about her expert perspective on meeting the individualized needs of our children. She is bit of a hero of mine, so I am thrilled to share this episode.
RLL#115: Does my gifted child really need a label?
April 21, 2021 07:00 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBAt some point most parents of gifted kids will ask, “Does my gifted child really need a label?” In this audioblog episode, Collen tackles this question and looks at the pros and cons of giving your gifted child the "label."
RLL#114: Supporting The Social and Emotional Needs Of Gifted And Twice-Exceptional Kids
April 14, 2021 07:00 - 59 minutes - 54.3 MBHow do we best support the unique social and emotional needs of gifted and twice-exceptional kids? In today's episode, Emily Kircher-Morris of The Neurodiversity Podcast joins Colleen to discuss the specific, intense needs of our neurodiverse children and how we can best help.
RLL#113: The Powerful Relationship Between Confidence And Learning In Our Homeschools
April 07, 2021 07:00 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBHomeschooling a gifted/2E child is often far more about helping our children develop confidence as learners than it is teaching any one subject. In this episode of The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast, we talk about the relationship between confidence and learning, as well as some of the ways we can intentionally help our children in this area.
RLL#112: FAQ "How Do I Work With My Child's Doctor or Therapist?"
March 31, 2021 07:00 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBIn this bonus episode, Colleen and Shawna answer a homeschooling mom's question about doctors, therapists, and homeschooling. What do we do when doctors don't support our decision to homeschool? How can we prepare for therapist visits and doctor appointments? When is it time to switch to a more homeschool friendly doctor?
RLL#111: Homeschool Graduate Turned Business Owner, Samantha Shank
March 24, 2021 07:00 - 50 minutes - 46.1 MBHave you ever wanted to ask a homeschool graduate what they thought about their homeschool experience? Are you curious about what an adult life after homeschool looks like? Colleen gets all the answers from Samantha Shank, a brilliant homeschool graduate, highly successful business owner, and highly gifted, multi-talented individual.
RLL #110: Rethinking Achievement and Helping Kids Thrive At Home
March 17, 2021 07:00 - 10 minutes - 9.95 MBEducation and achievement doesn’t have to look like school, and it doesn’t have to follow a prescribed path. In this audio-blog episode, Colleen shares the reality of rethinking achievement and how homeschooling helps our gifted children thrive.
RLL #109: Homeschooling High School with Heather Woodie
March 10, 2021 08:00 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBHomeschooling high school, particularly when your child is gifted, has its own unique set of challenges and rewards. In this conversation with Heather Woodie, from Blog, She Wrote, Colleen explores the ins and outs of homeschooling gifted high schoolers. Encouragement, practical tips, and real examples you won't want to miss!
RLL #108: A Conversation About Self-Care with Shawna Wingert
March 03, 2021 08:00 - 35 minutes - 32.7 MBSelf-care has become an increasingly popular topic in recent years, and for good reason. As parents, we simply have to take care of ourselves in order to take care of our children. But what about our kids? How do we help them learn coping skills and emotional regulation? Join Colleen and Shawna as they discuss practical strategies for their own self-care and for their kiddos.
RLL #107: Learning as an Unschooling Family with Robyn Robertson
February 24, 2021 08:00 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MBWe are convinced homeschooling is the best way to educate our gifted and 2E kids, through self-directed learning and unschooling. This week, Colleen speaks with Robyn Robertson of Honey, I'm Homeschooling the Kids about unschooling. The conversation continues at https://raisinglifelonglearners.com/episode107
RLL #106: Young Gifted Children | Reflections from Parents
February 17, 2021 08:00 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBResearch shows that parents are pretty accurate when identifying their young children as gifted. Today's episode is an audioblog of a post that first appeared on the website, where Colleen asked parents to think back to when their young children were infants or toddlers and share in their own words what traits and characteristics made them realize their child was gifted. More over at the website, rll.bz/podcast
RLL #105: Parenting ADHD and Autism with Penny Williams
February 10, 2021 08:00 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBToday, Colleen speaks with Penny Williams of Parenting ADHD and Autism about how we really need to be okay with who our neurodiverse kiddos are and learn how to celebrate their differences. Parenting them takes intentionality. This is a terrific conversation to glean wisdom from two parents who have faced struggles that are common in parenting atypical kids.
RLL #104: A Conversation on Mindset with Shawna Wingert
February 03, 2021 08:00 - 40 minutes - 37 MBToday, Colleen and Shawna Wingert have a conversation about mindset, specifically to help gifted and 2E families move away from rigid and inflexible thinking. They also discuss the incredible resources inside the RLL membership community, The Learner's Lab.
RLL #103: Entrepreneurial Mindset with Brian Weisfeld
January 27, 2021 08:00 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBToday, Colleen speaks with Brian Weisfeld, girls' entrepreneurship advocate and author of The Start Up Squad, about how encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset can be a key component to helping all kids, boys included, to develop important life skills, follow their passions, and reach their full potential.
RLL #102: A Conversation about Connection with Shawna Wingert
January 20, 2021 08:00 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MBThis week, Colleen has a conversation with Shawna Wingert about connection: how important it is to foster connection with your kids, encourage the relationships between siblings, and build a culture of connection as a family and as part of your community.
RLL #101: Project-Based Learning with Cindy West
January 13, 2021 08:00 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MBListen as we speak with Cindy West of Our Journey Westward about how she has used project-based learning to interest and excite in her homeschool, and her recommendations on how to get started on the path to this form of learning in your own home.
RLL #100: A Celebration of 100 Episodes
January 06, 2021 08:00 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBWe're celebrating our 100th episode with favorite snippets and comments from the past 99 episodes, all related to our quirky, gifted, and/or 2e families.
RLL #99: Guest Host Shawna Wingert Reads from Raising Resilient Sons
December 16, 2020 08:00 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBToday's episode is guest-hosted by Shawna Wingert of Different by Design Learning who shares the first chapter of Colleen's book Raising Resilient Sons: A Boy Mom's Guide to Building a Strong, Confident and Emotionally Intelligent Family.