School Shorts

Follow these top 10 school safety tips from Police Officer Constable Bryan Ward and empower your kids and students to have the confidence to navigate their day at school to the walk home.
If you grew up in New Zealand, Constable Bryan and his canine partner Bobby probably taught you everything you know about being a safe "kiwi kid." Today, he’s joining us on School Shorts to bring those timeless lessons into 2026.

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Learning to read isn’t just about sounding out words even though the biggest part of reading instruction that gets spoken about publicly is phonics. Education journalist and author Natalie Wexler explains why in this episode. She points out that at a certain point student's reading progress flattens out unless they haven't also had teaching that helps to build fluency, background knowledge, vocabulary and comprehension. Wexler talks about how some children can 'read' words but still not understand what they're reading. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As countries around the world look to a structured approach to literacy to try and lift achievement results, what can educators learn from the experience in Mississippi, USA.
It went from having the second-worst reading statistics in 2013 to 9th in 2024. What was behind the rapid increase in achievement?
Kymyona Burk lead the change as State Literacy Director and reflects on what was done well and what might have been done differently.
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How to encourage risky play and why it matters. Gill Connell from Moving Smart explains the importance of allowing kids to step outside their comfort zones while maintaining a safe environment. Gill talks about how the language we use can either instil fear or encourage courage in children.
They discuss the power of the 'wonder word' and the "zone of uncertainty," where children can explore and learn from their experiences, and the role of parents as guides rather than barriers.
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Counting down the most popular activities on the Roam with Kids app with Renata Wiles. If you are looking for activities that appeal to the whole family, the most-viewed cafes and playgrounds for families and new ideas for the holidays then this episode has some tips for you. Renata aims to have these tips extend worldwide so stay tuned as Roam grows and she can update with more information from cities around the world.
Other than the family-friendly insights, Renata and Melissa also speak about tips for being able to say 'yes' to more spontaneous adventures and the current discussion about more shade for playgrounds.

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