Adriane Thompson, founder of Raising Kids With Purpose, shares her transformative journey from controlling parenting to creating an environment that meets children's developmental needs through intentional family culture.

• Shifting from viewing parenting as controlling children to understanding and meeting their developmental needs
• Creating strong family culture through shared values, family meetings, and consistent modeling
• Understanding that big emotions and behaviors in children signal unmet needs, not "bad kids"
• Helping neurodivergent children by recognizing their unique nervous system needs
• Building a family where unconditional love and acceptance form the foundation
• Recognizing that our own nervous system regulation directly impacts our children
• Starting with awareness of our triggers and patterns from our own upbringing
• Using values as an anchor during challenging parenting moments
• Creating consistent family time to strengthen connections

About our guest

Adriane Thompson is a certified parenting coach living in Surprise, Arizona, with her husband, three energetic boys, and two Aussiedoodles. She’s passionate about helping parents navigate challenges with a connection-based approach and is the creator of the P.U.R.P.O.S.E. Parent Transformation Program, a 12-week coaching experience designed to help overwhelmed parents break generational cycles, build emotional resilience, and foster a strong family culture rooted in mutual respect.
With over five years of experience in coaching, education, and mentoring, Adriane has a gift for breaking down complex topics like neurodevelopment, emotional regulation, attachment, and family dynamics into practical, life-giving strategies. She shares value-packed blog posts and printables at Raising Kids With Purpose, offering tools that support parents on their journey toward more peace and joy at home.
When she’s not coaching, you’ll find Adriane hiking, camping with her family, leading local mom groups, or mentoring high school girls at her church. She believes in the power of connection, kindness, and lifelong learning to make a lasting impact on the world.

Connect with Adriane

raisingkidswithpurpose.com
@raisingkidswithpurpose on Instagram

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

Karen Glass discusses the power of narration in education, sharing her journey from homeschooling mom to Charlotte Mason education expert and author of "Know and Tell: The Art of Narration."

• Narration is simply telling back what you've learned, a natural human activity we use to build relationships
• Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy centers on two key principles: "children are born persons" and "education is a science of relations"
• Narration develops multiple cognitive skills including comprehension, memory, ordering of thoughts, and communication
• The progression of narration moves from oral telling (ages 6-9) to written narration (10-12) to formal composition (junior high and high school)
• Narration can be applied to any subject and take many forms—oral, written, artistic, dramatic, or even through building models
• Children don't always enjoy narration, but it works effectively regardless, developing communication skills that serve students throughout life
• Special needs children can benefit from narration through alternative expressions like drawing, building, or dramatic play
• The mental processes involved in narration help students build connections between subjects and with their prior knowledge

About our guest

Karen Glass has been studying and learning about Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education since 1994. She homeschooled her four children who are now all adult graduates, but her passion for this life-giving view of education has not diminished and she welcomes opportunities to share it with others. She has spoken at homeschool conferences, taught online classes, conducted teacher training at schools, and served as an adjunct professor to teach college-level classes. She is the author of several books based upon Charlotte Mason’s ideas, including Consider This, Know and Tell: The Art of Narration, In Vital Harmony, and most recently Much May Be Done with Sparrows. After living in Krakow, Poland for almost 25 years, she now lives in rural Indiana where she continues to read, learn, teach, and write.

Connect with Karen

Order Know and Tell

Learn more about Karen's work

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

Alex Shevrin Venet shares how educators can build unconditional positive regard that helps children feel valued regardless of behavior, improving their ability to regulate emotions and engage in learning.

• Trauma affects behavior by triggering stress responses that appear as choices but aren't really choices
• Co-regulation (calm adults helping dysregulated children) precedes self-regulation
• Restraint collapse explains why children often "fall apart" after holding it together at school
• Children behave better when they feel safe, not when they're punished or shamed

More about our guest

Alex Shevrin Venet is an educator, author, and professional development facilitator based in Vermont. She teaches graduate teacher education at Vermont State University. Alex works with educators around the country to strengthen their trauma-informed education practices, with a focus on empowering teachers to create systemic change. 

Connect with Alex

Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education

Becoming an Everyday Changemaker

UnconditionalLearning.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

Brock Murphy, co-founder of Parent ProTech, shares critical insights about helping families navigate the challenging digital landscape that's targeting our children. He draws on his unique background spanning government work and SpaceX to offer practical strategies for protecting kids while building healthy relationships with technology. In this episode, we cover...

• Building on relationships as the foundation for digital safety conversations rather than leading with restrictions 
• Understanding the neuroscience behind teen technology use - "overdeveloped accelerators and underdeveloped brake systems"
• Creating community standards around technology use to combat the "everyone else has it" pressure
• Recognizing that content previously considered extreme has become normalized and easily accessible
• Looking at technology access holistically rather than just focusing on phones
• Partnering with schools to create consistent approaches to technology both in and out of the classroom
• Staying informed about platform changes and understanding the social features hidden within educational apps
• Getting involved in your child's digital world by participating in their online activities
• Finding resources to help navigate the constantly evolving digital landscape

More about our guest

Brock Murphy is a graduate of Texas A&M University with time spent in the agriculture industry, at the White House, and at SpaceX. After being approached by parents and teachers to solve various problems about new technology and applications, he co-founded Parent ProTech to help empower families and educators with the tools and knowledge needed to safely navigate technology.

Connect with Brock
Visit ParentProTech.com for resources to help your family navigate technology safely or sign up for their newsletter to stay informed about changes in the digital landscape.

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

Engaging students in meaningful thinking and learning is essential for effective education. We explore the principles of creating a thinking classroom with Dr. Peter Liljeddahl, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, purposeful tasks, and a supportive learning environment.

What we'll cover...
- Discussion of non-thinking behaviors observed in traditional classrooms  
- Introduction to the 14 key practices for building thinking classrooms  
- Importance of random group formations for collaborative learning  
- Strategies for implementing thinking tasks into classroom routines  
- The role of teacher-student dynamics in fostering engagement  
- Emphasis on valuing mistakes as learning opportunities  
- How to incorporate playful and non-curricular tasks into learning  
- Insights into Dr. Liljedahl's further resources and books

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe for more insights on transforming education through innovative practices!

About our guest...

Dr. Peter Liljedahl is a Professor of Mathematics Education in the Faculty of Education and an associate member in the Department of Mathematics at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. Dr. Liljedahl has authored or co-authored 9 books, 26 book chapters, 27 journal articles, and over 50 conference papers. 

His research interests are creativity, insight, and discovery in mathematics teaching and learning and teacher development. He consults regularly with schools, school districts, and ministries of education on issues of teaching and learning, assessment, and numeracy. 

Connect with Peter...

Building Thinking Classrooms - the book!

Building Thinking Classrooms website

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

Ever feel lost when a child erupts in frustration? You’re not alone! In this episode, we dive deep into understanding childhood anger, why it happens, and—most importantly—how to guide kids toward healthy emotional regulation.

Our guest, Samantha Snowden, an expert in emotional intelligence and child development, shares powerful tools for parents, educators, and caregivers to help children manage big emotions with compassion and confidence.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Why compassion is the key to emotional development
✅ The root causes of anger and how to address them
✅ Practical strategies for emotion identification and regulation
✅ How culture and language shape a child’s emotional understanding
✅ Post-regulation reflection: Helping kids learn from emotional moments
✅ How to foster emotional intelligence and self-awareness in everyday life

If you're raising or teaching kids, this episode is packed with insights to help you build emotional resilience and create a supportive learning environment. 🎧 Hit play now and join the conversation!

Connect with Samantha

Instagram: @anchored_sam

SamanthaSnowden.com

Anger Management Workbook for Kids

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

Discover how homeschooling can revolutionize your child’s education and fit seamlessly into your family’s lifestyle. This episode features Elan Page, the founder of Homeschool Our Way, who shares her inspiring journey from a lifelong learner to a trailblazer empowering families, especially families of color, to embrace homeschooling with confidence. Whether you’re new to homeschooling or looking to refine your approach, this episode is packed with practical tips and encouragement.

We explore critical topics like setting family goals, selecting the right curriculum, and managing work-life balance while homeschooling. Learn about valuable resources like educational savings accounts (ESAs) and how they can open doors for a personalized learning experience. From overcoming challenges to finding homeschool co-ops and expert support, we’ve got you covered.

At its core, homeschooling fosters student autonomy and creates opportunities for personalized, mastery-based learning. Elan highlights the importance of representation and community, ensuring every child feels seen and valued. Don’t miss this empowering conversation that’s full of actionable advice to make homeschooling work for your family.

More about our guest
Elan Page, a native of Dallas, Texas, is a lifelong learner who is passionate about helping other families of color access the freedom and fulfillment that homeschool offers.

After a brief return to traditional schooling, the Page family made the collective decision to embrace homeschooling as the future for their daughters. Elan then drew on her own learnings from starting the homeschooling process, and she created Homeschool Our Way to help other families of color avoid the overwhelm she had experienced in starting something new. 

Homeschool Our Way offers a weekly podcast, an online course called the Homeschool Launch Blueprint and other resources to empower families of color to educate their children with confidence and clarity. 

Connect with Elan
Homeschoolourway.com
Follow Elan on Instagram @homeschool_ourway

Also mentioned in this episode

Homeschool Legal Defense 

Pren

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

Join us as we sit down with Peter Fitzpatrick, co-founder of FawnFriends.com, to explore the creation of Willow, a robotic plushie designed to support neurodivergent children in their emotional growth. Peter shares his personal journey, from his experiences with ADHD and familial challenges to the innovative hackathon project that gave birth to Willow. Discover how this cuddly AI companion is transforming the landscape of emotional support for children and their parents, without replacing traditional methods.

We also examine the broader implications of AI in child development and mental health, highlighting AI's unique ability to scale educational support and provide tailored assistance. Peter's insights challenge us to consider how robots might enrich our lives, encouraging us to look beyond metal and circuits to see potential companions in child development and emotional well-being.

More about our Guest
Peter is building Willow, a robotic plushy that helps neurodivergent kids grow up to be successful by helping them learn to regulate emotions, set and pursue goals, and build more secure relationships. Peter, co-founder of FawnFriends.com, is a student of child psychology, how robots can help children mature successfully, and emotional wellness.

Connect with Peter
FawnFriends.com
Sign up for the Fawn Friends weekly newsletter

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

How do we create learning environments that foster curiosity while helping kids develop real-world knowledge and skills? Since 2018, Prenda has helped open over 1,000 microschools across the US making small, effective learning environment accessible to thousands of families. Microschooling is a rapidly growing educational model, but how does it work? In this episode we'll peel back the layers of Prenda's mission to "empower learners," revealing how a community-focused approach can create learning environments where kids genuinely thrive.

Imagine transforming education from a fear-based model to one that champions intrinsic motivation and real-world readiness. Prenda makes that vision a reality by fostering environments that emphasize choice, while also equipping students with vital life skills and personal accountability.

More about our guest
Kaity Broadbent currently serves as Chief Empowerment Advocate and Head of Marketing at Prenda Microschools. As co-host of the Kindled Podcast she's focused on spreading the word about how microschooling can revolutionize education. In her previous role as Prenda's Head of Learning she helped articulate Prenda's unique microschool learning model ensuring that Prenda students and guides have access to high-quality, effective learning practices. Prior to Prenda, she was an ASHA certified Speech Language Pathologist. She plays "Adventure Kait" in Prenda's free literacy curriculum and she's the mother of 4 very curious Prenda kids.

Connect with Kaity
Follow Prenda on all social outlets @prendalearn
Follow Kaity personally on instagram @kaity_forthekids
Find more information about Prenda at Prenda.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

How can technology reshape education to cater to every student’s unique learning journey? Join us as we explore this question with Dr. Kristen DiCerbo, the Chief Learning Officer at Khan Academy, who shares her transformative insights into personalized and mastery-based learning. Discover how Khan Academy's new AI tool, "Khanmigo" is revolutionizing learning as it helps educators address the diverse needs of students worldwide, breaking free from the constraints of traditional educational models.

Dr. DiCerbo highlights the challenges teachers face, such as managing large classrooms and addressing special education shortages, and how technology can alleviate these burdens. By leveraging platforms like Khan Academy, educators can provide tailored learning experiences that empower students and nurture creativity. We delve into the ways technology can reduce teacher burnout, foster stronger student-teacher connections, and transform teaching roles to be more focused on creating meaningful educational experiences and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

More About Our Guest
Dr. Kristen DiCerbo is the Chief Learning Officer at Khan Academy, where she leads the content, design, product management, and community support teams. Dr. DiCerbo’s career has focused on embedding insights from education research into digital learning experiences. Prior to her role at Khan Academy, she was Vice-President of Learning Research and Design at Pearson, served as a research scientist supporting the Cisco Networking Academies, and worked as a school psychologist. Kristen has a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Arizona State University.

Connect with Khan Academy
khanmigo.ai
khanacademy.org

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