School Shorts

Marianne Brown, a literacy expert with 30 years of experience, talks about a lightbulb moment when a struggling reader helped her discover the playground tip that helps with reading. Using the analogy of a slide, Marianne helped the little girl go from not being able to read a single word, to fully reading within just 10 weeks.
She discusses the science behind why some children struggle and how oral language, conversation, and the alphabetic code are key to supporting students.
With lots of practical strategies for parents to use ..and an explanation of why patience and repetition are important in building literacy.

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If your child has ever needed learning support or additional education needs you might be familiar with the terms SENCO and LSC, but for many families this is unfamiliar jargon for very important roles within a school. In this episode, Lizzie Bayliss talks about how educators in these roles support students.
We also discuss her journey from founding a fashion company to becoming a deputy principal and setting up the Everyday Collective, a project aimed at inspiring educators through encouraging continuous learning and reflection.
There is also advice here for parents on building strong home-school relationships. Lizzie encourages open communication with teachers and school staff to ensure children receive the support they need.

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How to set confident, compassionate boundaries that actually deepen your connection with children and don't negatively impact your relationship. Obstetric social worker and renowned Parent Educator Gen Muir is the author of Why Kids Need Boundaries.
Gen shares her own parenting struggles and says it's a myth that boundaries threaten attachment. However, we talk about the most effective way to set clear limits that also foster trust and reduce conflict.
I first came across Gen when I discovered the High, Low, Buffalo conversation prompt for families. It has been a gamechanger in our house and I speak about how it has helped open up conversations and information from our kids that we might not have got otherwise.
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Last time we spoke with AI consultant to schools, Bex Rose, the feedback was running hot! From people who wanted to know about the AI tutor she created for her daughter, to people interested in more information about how AI is being used in schools already ..and those who expressed very real concern about the impact digital technology has on brain development and learning and human relationships.
In this episode, we discuss that feedback with Bex and we are also joined by Papamoa Primary Principal Matt Simeon to talk about how the school has been an early adopter of using AI with staff. It is another discussion which is sure to raise more debate around the merits and concerns around the best use of AI.
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Cara Zelas is a U.S-based early childhood educator who speaks at conferences and in classrooms around the world about her work with 'Big World of Little Dude'.
She shares how parents can build essential life skills at home, including resilience, manners, and emotional regulation. She also unpacks how technology is currently used in classrooms and why she believes digital apps should never replace face-to-face interaction.
This is NOT a discussion to try and make parents feel guilty about screen-time or devices. No-one here is pretending we are perfect parents! What it IS is a discussion around bringing in human connection skills that set kids up for the world in which they will operate with artificial intelligence very much embedded in their lives.
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