Raising Lifelong Learners
The Raising Lifelong Learners podcast helps 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.
Show episodes
This week on the podcast we're diving into a topic that's near and dear to so many of us: friendships for neurodivergent kids (and yes, for us as parents too). With a new school year kicking into gear, worries about social connection and "finding your people" can rise to the surface—especially for families navigating n
Executive Function Struggles in Homeschooling: Why Smart Kids Can’t Find Their Shoes (and What to Do About It)
This week’s episode of the podcast is all about executive function—what it is, how struggles in these skills show up in homeschoolers, and, most importantly, what you can do at home to support your child as they grow. Whether your child is gifted, twice-exceptional, or has a neurodivergence like ADHD or autism, these i
Finding Your People | Why Community Matters for Homeschoolers of Neurodivergent Kids
This week on the podcast, Colleen revisited one of the most common, sometimes thorny, and always essential homeschool topics: finding your people and creating a support system, especially when you’re parenting and homeschooling neurodivergent, gifted, or otherwise outside-the-box kiddos. After 17 years on this journey,
This week on the podcast, we dive into a topic close to the hearts of many parents and educators: helping neurodivergent kids build flexible thinking skills. Whether you’re parenting or teaching gifted, 2e, ADHD, autistic, or otherwise wonderfully-wired kiddos, you know that rigid thinking can turn even minor changes i
This week on the podcast, we’re diving deep into a topic that comes up all the time in our community: helping our neurodivergent kids make decisions. If you’ve ever watched your creative, outside-the-box thinker freeze up over choosing a research topic or panic trying to pick a co-op class, you’re not alone. Decision-m
Summer is here, and with it comes the perfect chance to hit pause on the box-checking frenzy and really connect with our kids. In this week’s episode of the podcast, we dive into one of my favorite topics: creating joyful, low-pressure family memories (without overloading your plate—or your calendar). Why Fun Matters (