We explore why reading scores have fallen, what the Science of Reading actually demands in classrooms, and how AI can scale productive practice without replacing human connection. Vivek Ramakrishnan shares data, bright spots from states like Mississippi, and a grounded look at tutoring tech that helps kids decode for real.

• national reading trends and why they predate the pandemic
• foundations beneath fourth-grade comprehension scores
• what the Science of Reading supports and what it rejects
• bright spots in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama
• why early literacy beats late remediation
• explicit instruction, decodables and fluency development
• differences between math rules and English patterns
• how AI scales individualized practice and feedback
• classroom constraints, noise and practical setup
• empowered learners and the moment self-correction clicks

About our guest
Vivek Ramakrishnan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Project Read AI, an AI-powered literacy platform for educators and students alike. Project Read's Science of Reading tool suite allows teachers to generate personalized decodable texts, fluency passages and more, while its AI Tutor delivers personalized, 1-1 early literacy tutoring using speech recognition. Through its bottoms-up, teacher-driven approach, Project Read's AI tools have been adopted by educators in over 50% of US elementary schools. Viv previously was an award-winning teacher at Freedom Preparatory Charter Schools in Memphis and Co-Founder of One City Schools in Madison, Wisconsin. He holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he received the Stanford Social Impact Founder fellowship to help start Project Read.

Connect with Vivek
Project Read AI
One City Schools

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to [email protected]. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

Andrew Pudewa, founder of the Institute for Excellence in Writing, joins us to unpack how skill-first teaching unlocks motivation, builds real confidence, and quite literally reshapes the brain for better thinking. We trace the invisible steps the mind takes to write a single sentence, then show how to lower the cognitive load with structure, small wins, and a steady climb: easy plus one.

• the true goal of writing as expressing ideas, not feelings
• why motivation follows mastery and “kids like what they can do”
• the cognitive steps of writing and why it feels hard
• breaking tasks into “easy plus one” to lower load
• building a language database through read‑alouds and poetry
• using structure and style: outlines, units, and checklists
• feedback that builds: edit to legal, A/I grading
• separating spelling from composition early on
• mixed‑age groups benefiting from repetition and modeling
• tech and AI as tools, not replacements for thinking
• resources: IEW, Arts of Language Podcast, Memory practices

About our guest
Andrew Pudewa is the founder and director of the Institute for Excellence in
Writing. Presenting around the world, he addresses issues relating to teaching, writing, thinking, spelling, and music with clarity, insight, practical experience, and humor. His seminars for parents, students, and teachers have helped transform many a reluctant writer and have equipped educators with powerful tools to dramatically improve students’ skills. 

Connect with Andrew
Institute for Excellence in Writing
andrewpudewa.com
The Arts of Language Podcast

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to [email protected]. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We explore how Education Savings Accounts move accountability to families, why universal eligibility builds durable coalitions, and what it takes to grow small pilots into statewide “oaks” that actually meet demand. Matt Ladner shares lessons from Arizona, Texas, Florida, and West Virginia on funding design, flexibility, and political strategy.

• ESA as flexible, multi‑use accounts beyond vouchers
• Texas milestone and scale context for a “big acorn”
• Shift from means‑tested to universal eligibility
• Coalition building across income and zip codes
• Special needs origins of choice and lived accountability
• Bullying as top driver for switching schools
• Demand‑driven design: formula funding, no lotteries
• Funding parity and the West Virginia shortfall lesson
• Plural supply: private, public courses, microschools, tutors
• Teacher autonomy and co‑creation with families
• Legal headwinds and why courts often uphold programs
• Optimistic outlook for a more vibrant, plural system

About our guest
Matt Ladner has been writing about education policy for decades and he has been instrumental in the creation of school choice policies all over the country. He blogs at Next Steps and he is a Senior Advisor at Heritage’s Center for Education Policy. Previously, Matt held roles with the Arizona Charter Schools Association, EdChoice, and ReimaginED. Ladner is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and received a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Houston.

Connect with Matt
The Heritage Foundation
Next Steps Blog
Twitter

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to [email protected]. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

Dr. Jo Boaler shares her groundbreaking work in mathematics education, exploring how beliefs shape learning and how we can transform math instruction to help every student succeed.

• Starting her career in London schools where she discovered anyone can learn math with the right opportunities
• Joining Stanford and later collaborating with Carol Dweck to spread growth mindset ideas through YouCubed.org
• Explaining how neuroscience reveals five brain pathways used in math thinking, with two being visual pathways
• Discussing how beliefs about math physically shape the brain's ability to learn
• Highlighting the damage caused by fixed mindset praise like "you're so smart"
• Describing how math anxiety activates the same fear center in the brain as seeing snakes or spiders
• Advocating for celebrating struggle as essential for brain growth and learning
• Explaining why standards should be organized into big, connected ideas rather than isolated skills
• Sharing how integrated math instruction (rather than separating algebra, geometry, etc.) mirrors real-world math
• Introducing Strugly.com, which rewards persistence and connection-making rather than speed or accuracy

About our guest
Dr. Jo Boaler is a Stanford Professor. Formerly, she was the Marie Curie professor of mathematics education in England, and a mathematics teacher in London comprehensive schools. She is the author of 19 books, numerous articles and a White House presenter on women and girls. Her latest book is: Math-ish: Finding Creativity, Diversity and Meaning in Mathematics. She co-founded www.youcubed.org and www.Struggly.com. She was on the
writing team for the 2023 California Mathematics Framework and was named as one of the 8 educators “changing the face of education” by the BBC.

Connect with Jo
Visit YouCubed.org, Strugly.com, and Mathish.org to learn more about Dr. Boaler's work and access free resources for teaching and learning mathematics.

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to [email protected]. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

Elle Rowley shares her transformative journey from struggling high school student to successful entrepreneur and educational innovator creating alternative learning environments for children in her community. Through personal experience and experimentation, she's developed a thriving microschool model that prioritizes curiosity, community, and child-led learning.

• Finding educational approaches that honor different learning styles and children's natural curiosity
• Creating educational communities that thrive despite philosophical differences among families
• Building Solly Baby as an entrepreneurial "master's program" driven by problem-solving and curiosity
• Converting a barn into a one-room schoolhouse that evolved into multiple campuses
• Allowing children to initiate and lead their own learning projects like plays and community-building
• Focusing on whether education amplifies rather than diminishes a child's natural curiosity
• Starting small with available resources rather than waiting for perfect conditions

About our guest
Elle Rowley is the host of the show Down the Well, founder of the award-winning baby carrier company Solly Baby, and partner at Levin Capital, a private equity fund focusing primarily on female and family-owned businesses. She lives in Bonsall, California with her husband and four children on a backyard farm with a little barn that they have turned into a one room schoolhouse for the community.

Connect with Elle
To learn more about Elle's work, follow her on Instagram @ellerowley or check out her podcast "Down the Well" which explores motherhood as a transformative journey rather than merely a self-sacrificing one. 

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to [email protected]. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

Chad Carlson shares how One Stone Lab School uses human-centered design to transform education by treating students as end users rather than products. He describes their unique approach that removes traditional grades, subjects, and bells in favor of personalized growth frameworks that prepare students for the real world.

• One Stone's origin story as an innovative school designed alongside students to make learning relevant and meaningful
• How human-centered design principles are applied to education through continuous iteration and student feedback
• The shift from viewing students as products to seeing them as end users of education
• One Stone's daily structure including Design Labs, interdisciplinary experiences, and mentor relationships
• Their growth transcript system that assesses 24 skills across contexts, replacing traditional grades
• The difference between durable skills (empathy, communication) and cognitive skills
• How colleges respond to their innovative transcript (accepted by 190+ institutions)
• The importance of human relationships over technological solutions in education's future

About our guest
Chad is the Director of Research & Design of the One Stone Lab School in Boise, Idaho. Chad joined One Stone in 2016 and helped design and lead the implementation of One Stone’s innovative, student-driven Lab School. He is currently leading One Stone's initiative to scale the school’s Growth Framework learning model and support schools in their transition to becoming transformative, future-ready schools.

Connect with Chad
Visit onestone.org to learn more about their model and trainings, or email [email protected] for discovery calls to discuss how these principles might work in your educational setting.

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to [email protected]. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

Alice Pries shares her educational journey from growing up in Brazil to homeschooling her four children in Miami, offering valuable insights about different educational approaches and empowering parents. She provides practical advice for parents who want to take a more active role in their children's education while acknowledging that different approaches work for different families.

• Grew up in Brazil where private K-12 education was expensive but necessary for university access
• Parents sacrificed luxuries to provide quality education, instilling a strong sense of responsibility
• Immigrated to the US at age 12, experiencing significant educational and cultural differences
• Discovered homeschooling through meeting homeschooled athletes on her high school diving team
• Left a career in finance to focus on educating her children after her first son was born
• Recommends approaching homeschooling in phases rather than being overwhelmed by the entire K-12 journey
• Reading aloud to children is the most important educational activity parents can do
• Created The Cultured Classroom to share educational resources and empower other parents
• Believes in seasonal approaches to education - different methods might work for different periods in a family's life
• Sees microschools as a valuable option that combines personalized attention with professional guidance

About our guest
Alice Pries is a Miami-based homeschool mom of four and the founder of The Cultured Classroom, where she shares educational tips, resources, and field trip experiences to support fellow parents. Passionate about classical education, she helps families blend timeless teaching methods with modern tools.

Connect with Alice
Find Alice Pries on Instagram at The Cultured Classroom, where she shares educational tips, resources, and inspiration for parents looking to enhance their children's learning experiences.

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to [email protected]. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

Dr. Yong Zhao challenges us to keep children at the center of education by acknowledging their uniqueness and building learning systems around that core idea. His approach aims to give kids the skills they need for meaningful future work instead of the synthetic tasks often imposed throughout traditional K-12 education.

•  Education should build on student strengths, not force mastery of every weak spot
•  Meritocracy fails by judging all kids with the same yardstick instead of honoring diverse talents
• Schools lost the race with tech by neglecting to prepare students to use it well
•  “Personalizable education” means kids drive their learning journey, not just receive “personalized” lessons
•  Real learning happens through solving authentic problems, not completing artificial assignments
• Humans are natural learners who need autonomy to discover strengths and interests
• Tech isn’t good or bad—what matters is how we teach kids to use it productively
• Systems should avoid one-size-fits-all and give schools more freedom
• Nothing works for every child—education must adapt to differences
• We should help kids create the future, not just prepare for it 

About our guest
Dr. Yong Zhao is a Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas. He previously served as the Presidential Chair, Associate Dean, and Director of the Institute for Global and Online Education in the College of Education, University of Oregon, where he was also a Professor in the Department of Educational Measurement, Policy, and Leadership. His works focus on the implications of globalization and technology on education. He has published over 100 articles and nearly 40 books, including: Duck and Cover- Confronting and correcting dubious practices in education, Teaching students to become self determined learners, What works may hurt -side effects in education, Never send a human to do a machine’s job.

Connect with Yong
zaolearning.com

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to [email protected]. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

The rapidly accelerating capabilities of artificial intelligence are creating an urgent need to rethink how we prepare young people for a world where machines will soon outperform humans in many cognitive tasks.

• Schools train students in what ChatGPT already does best
• AI power doubles yearly, reshaping the workforce
• The “school-to-career” escalator model is collapsing
• Content delivery dominates, but agency and values matter most
• Don’t trade kids’ mental health and relationships for small GPA gains
• Students need entrepreneurial skills to solve real problems
• Hands-on, career-focused learning deserves equal respect with academics
• Families should explore AI tools as “curiosity machines”
• Future success depends more on AI collaboration than college prestige

About our guests
Ted Dintersmith is a change agent focused on the impact of education and innovation. His professional background spans technology, entrepreneurship, and public policy. He has been the executive producer of several films that have premiered at Sundance, including the acclaimed Most Likely to Succeed. Ted’s most recent book What School Could Be: Insights and Inspiration from Teachers Across America is based on a trip he took to all 50 U.S. states during a single school year. In 2018, he received NEA’s prestigious “Friend of Education” Award.

Garrett Smiley is the Co-Founder of Sora Schools, an education startup. Sora is a virtual, project-based high school where students explore their interests, learn however is best for them, and gain exposure to future careers and fields of work. Prior to Sora, Garrett co-founded a charity which built wells in developing nations called Drops of Love. Garret also directed a university startup incubator called Core Founders at Georgia Tech, and started an education non-profit that worked with foster kids to develop financial literacy called Flip. Garrett worked as a Venture Partner at Contrary Capital where he scouted, invested in, and mentored startups in the Atlanta area.

Connect with Ted and Garrett
Sora Schools
Ted Dintersmith
Most Likely to Succeed
What School Could Be

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to [email protected]. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

Matt Eicheldinger, NYT bestselling author and educator, shares his journey of persistence and the power of meaningful connections with young people. He centers on building trust and creating space for kids to develop confidence, curiosity, and resilience.

• Becoming a teacher because he enjoyed kids and had parents who modeled empathy
 • Writing his first book for struggling readers, facing 600+ rejections before succeeding
 • The impact of small moments that resonate with students years later
 • Playing "the long game" with disengaged students by building trust before pushing academics
 • The importance of boredom as a catalyst for creativity
 • Creating space for silence and reflection in our overstimulated world
 • Showing vulnerability by sharing rejection letters with students
 • Helping children develop identity beyond academic achievement

About our guest

Matt Eicheldinger is a New York Times bestselling author, storyteller, and educator who brings humor and heart to every story he tells. With a knack for finding the extraordinary in everyday moments, Matt has captivated readers with books like Sticky Notes: Memorable Lessons from Ordinary Moments and Matt Sprouts and the Curse of the Ten Broken Toes, and continues to write stories that capture the imagination and heart for readers. Beyond the page, Matt shares relatable stories with his hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, and has amassed over 100 million views where he makes people laugh, think, and appreciate the small moments in life.

Connect with Matt

https://matteicheldinger.com/
The Matt Sprouts Series
Sticky Notes
@matteicheldinge

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to [email protected]. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool