When School Becomes a Struggle: Knowing When Your Child Needs Support
The school year is underway, but what happens when a child continues to struggle long after the adjustment period?
Erin Plumb talks with guest host Kathryn Collins about the signs parents should watch for when a child may need extra academic, social, or emotional support - from school avoidance and homework battles to difficulty with reading, writing, math, organization, or following instructions.
๐ฅWhat are some signs to watch for (tears, fears, avoidance etc)?
๐ฅHow can learning challenges affect a childโs confidence and behaviour?
๐ฅHow parents can start a productive conversation with their childโs teacher and questions to ask.
๐ฅ What support is available through the Learning Disabilities Association of Windsor-Essex Families donโt necessarily need a formal diagnosis to reach out. (Including academic programs, tutoring, executive-function support, social-emotional programs, and youth coaching.)
๐ฅ What to look for and what to do next.
๐ฅ What are a few practical things parents can do to support learning while protecting their relationship and their childโs confidence?
This episode is a must for a parent who is thinking, โThis sounds like my childโ and wondering what to do about it.
More Than Math Facts: Building Confident, Capable Math Learners
What happens when a child decides, โIโm not a math personโ? And how early does that belief begin?
Yvette Lehman and guest host Kathryn Colins explore what it really takes to build confident, capable math learnersโand why the answer is about much more than math facts. Yvette is an Ontario Certified Teacher with over 16 years of experience across the classroom, district leadership, and math education. She now serves as Chief Academic Officer for Make Math Moments,
๐ฅ The role teachersโ own attitudes and beliefs about mathematics play in shaping how students see themselves as learners.
๐ฅ Why games and joyful experiences can be powerful entry points to mathematical thinking.
๐ฅ How productive struggle helps students develop reasoning and resilience, and why we need to rethink how we approach fluency and math facts.
๐ฅHow do you teach a classroom full of students who are all at different levels?
๐ฅ How assessment that actually helps teachers understand how children think
๐ฅ The importance of small-group instruction, purposeful practice, repetition and automaticity, and the challenge of deciding what mathematics is truly essential when teachers are faced with an overwhelming number of curriculum expectations.
Most importantly, Yvette challenges us to look beyond โCan the student get the answer?โ and ask:
How does this child think about mathematicsโand what do they need from me next?
Because the goal isn't simply to get children through the math curriculum.lehman
It's to help them see themselves as capable mathematicians.
Teaching Reading the Right Way | What Every Parent and Educator Should Know
Learning to read is one of the most important skills a child develops and is not natural. It must be explicitly taught. Reading requires an understanding of how the brain learns to read, as well as evidence-based practices that help learners build a strong foundation.
Mary-Anne Mouawad is the Founder and Director of The Reading Clinic and a literacy educator with more than 25 years of experience supporting children, youth, and adults on their reading journeys. Mary-Anne shares her passion for the Science of Reading and explains why explicit, systematic, sequential, and multisensory instruction matters.
In this episode, youโll discover:
๐ฅ Why many educators feel unprepared to teach children how to read and why understanding the Science of Reading is essential
๐ฅ The four key components of effective reading instruction and what they mean.
๐ฅ The connection between decoding and language comprehension, and why both are necessary for reading comprehension
๐ฅ The difference between phonological awareness and phonemic awareness, and why these skills begin with listening before reading and writing
๐ฅ How young children can build early literacy skills through rhyming, songs, chants, syllable activities, and sound play
๐ฅPractical strategies for parents, including ways to support pre-reading skills with young children
๐ฅ Why older students who struggle with reading need assessment to identify specific areas for support
๐ฅ How educators can use evidence-based resources and approaches aligned with the Science of Reading
๐ฅ Why choosing a literacy tutor or support provider who understands how reading develops matters
Beyond Grades | What Kids Really Need to Succeed
๐๐ง ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐๐ญ๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ, ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐จ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐?
Guest host Kathryn Collins sits down with entrepreneur and youth advocate Rob Heller, founder of the Boost Program. Rob shares how a search for life skills training for his own teenage son led him to create a program that is now being used by schools and organizations across the country.
Together, they explore why social-emotional learning matters more than ever, the impact of smartphones and social media on youth engagement, and the skills that help young people build confidence, resilience, responsibility, and self-leadership. Rob also discusses the importance of practice, the role of caring adults, and why he remains optimistic about the next generation.
Academic success alone isn't enough. Skills such as communication, responsibility, goal setting, self-awareness, and resilience can be taught and practiced.
๐ฅ Information isn't the same as learning.
๐ฅ What is the impact of Social media and phones from the eyes of our youth?
๐ฅ What action can we take to build the skills and character our children and youth need for life?
๐ฅ One caring adult can make a lasting difference. Parents, educators, coaches, and mentors all have the power to positively influence a young person's confidence, mindset, and future.
๐ฅ Confidence and resilience grow through practice.
๐ฅ There is reason for optimism!
The Prism Lighting the Table: Navigating IEPS, Neurodiversity and Relationships
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ, "๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐ง ๐๐๐," ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ?
Lisa Richer is a neurodiversity consultant, speaker, coach, and founder of Journey2Bloom.
One of Lisa's most powerful insights is that "neurodiversity is the prism lighting the table." Rather than viewing differences as deficits, she encourages families and educators to see neurodiversity as a lens that brings new understanding, perspective, and opportunity to every conversation.
๐ฅ What an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is and how it differs from a 504 Plan in the United States
๐ฅ The biggest concerns and challenges parents often face when a school recommends an IEP
๐ฅ Practical strategies for navigating what can feel like a complex and overwhelming process
๐ฅ Why clear communication and strong partnerships between families and schools are essential
๐ฅ The importance of keeping the child at the centre of every discussion and decision
๐ฅ How Lisa helps parents prepare for meetings and feel more confident advocating for their child
๐ฅ A real-life example of how expert guidance can help families achieve better outcomes
๐ฅ No parent has to feel alone.
AI in Education: Designed to Support the Role of Educators, Parents and Professionals
Guest host Kathryn Collins sits down with Derek Crager to explore how AI is beginning to reshape learning in practical, student-centered ways. Derek is the creator of Pocket Mentor, an AI-powered platform designed to provide real-time, voice-based support for learning and reflection. Derek shares why Pocket Mentor is grounded in a โhuman-firstโ approach - where AI is designed to support, not replace, the role of educators, parents, and professionals.
For students who hesitate to speak up, it creates a private space to build confidence. For those ready to go further, it removes limits on how deeply they can learn.
Key points:
๐ฅ Students are not accessing the world wide web - only the information in the data base of the program.
๐ฅ What about accuracy?
๐ฅ What about over-reliance or the human connection?
๐ฅ How can tools like this can offer immediate support when traditional systems are limited by time, cost, or availability?
๐ฅ What does this mean for a generation of children growing up with AI: the opportunities, the risks, and the responsibility to use it with intention and clear boundaries?
Itโs a balanced, forward-looking discussion about how AI can enhance learning, support confidence, and expand whatโs possible - when we keep people at the center.
Grounded in a belief that AI should enhance human potential, Derek advocates for responsible, bounded systems that prioritize accuracy, accessibility, and human connection.
More Than Behaviour: Understanding the Mind-Body Connection in Children
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐โ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ?
Guest host Kathryn Collins sits down with Lisa Denahy, founder of Create Calm, to explore what it really means to support a childโs emotional and behavioural regulation. We often focus on what we seeโtantrums, defiance, big reactionsโbut beneath it all is something deeper: the connection between the mind, the body, and a childโs developing sense of self.
Lisa shares a powerful shift in perspectiveโฆ from controlling behaviour to creating the conditions where children feel safe enough to learn how to regulate themselves.
Key points:
๐ฅ Why discipline needs to be redefined
๐ฅ The role of movement, breath, and the nervous system
๐ฅ Why children need us to model the skills we expect from them
๐ฅ How โtesting limitsโ is actually a sign of trust and growth
๐ฅ Simple, practical ways to build regulation before challenging moments happen
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฌ๐งโ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐งโฆ ๐ข๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซโ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ.
With an MS in Yoga Therapy and BA in Psychology, over 30 years as a school administrator and SEL curriculum developer, and certification as an advanced educator and trainer, Lisa is highly skilled at creating accessible, evidence-based, successful curricula for behavioral and emotional regulation, as well as physical and mental health.
The Child Who Felt Invisible - and the Superpower That Changed Everything
Some children shine in obvious ways. Others quietly wonder if anyone truly sees them.
Guest Host Kathryn Colins speaks with Dr. Mark Perloe, a retired IVF specialist and grandfather, whose relationship with his two grandsons inspired him to write his first childrenโs book. One grandson is highly focused and neurodivergent. The other sometimes feels invisible -but uses humour as his superpower to connect.
๐ฅ How children who feel unseen can discover their own strengths
๐ฅ The power of humour, empathy, and kindness in building confidence
๐ฅ The unique role grandparents and adults can play in nurturing emotional well-being
๐ฅ Why noticing and valuing every child creates stronger families and communities
๐ฅ How Milo's story has helped to build a connection between siblings. How did Mark and his cousin work together to make publishing Milo's Superpower possible.
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply see a child - and help them recognize the superpowers they already have.