Kolbecast

AMDG. “They are children of God and they are worthy of an education that reflects God’s beauty.”  

What does a classical education even look like in grades K-5? Curriculum Director Maggie Hayden and Principal Nicole O’Connor join the Kolbecast to answer just that question. Maggie and Nicole explain how they rebuilt the Kolbe elementary curriculum to reflect classical methodology and principles of Ignatian education. “We were looking at what things the little kids have to know in K-2 to be able to do third through fifth, then sixth through eighth grade, and up to high school,” Maggie explains.  

Maggie and Nicole discuss what goals are appropriate at each grade level, and areas of concern to watch for; break down the reason behind the recent curriculum development and the Catholic, classical methodology that inspired Maggie and Nicole’s work; dismantle misconceptions about classical education; give sneak peeks at new materials coming soon; and pack in dozens of helpful tips for parents of K-5 students.   

Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant 

Other relevant links: 

Learn more about Kolbe’s early education programs by reading the posts below—and download a free week-long preview of each program to explore for yourself:

Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to [email protected] and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  

We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey! 

The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

AMDG. Host of EWTN’s More2Life podcast, founder of CatholicCounselors.com, and developer of the CatholicHÔM app Greg Popcak joins the Kolbecast to share his wisdom on making your home into a living, vibrant domestic church. “What does a domestic church spirituality even look like,” Dr. Popcak asks, “that would treat family life— the craziness, the busyness, the scatteredness of family life— as a feature, not a bug, of Catholic spirituality?”  

In today’s episode, Dr. Popcak reveals his insights from years of counseling homeschooling families and parents, including some common pitfalls to beware of; explains what an “emotional bank account” is, and how to make sure your children’s stay full; analyzes the scientific data on how to raise your children into faithful, Catholic adults; reveals where burnout comes from -- and how to treat it; unpacks what we mean by a “domestic church,” and how you can make your home into one; and shares his advice for those interested in pursuing a counseling career.  

Whether you’re a homeschooling parent looking to deepen your family connection and faith, or a student considering a future career in counseling, this episode has something for you. 

Links mentioned & relevant: 

Related Kolbecast episodes: 

Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to [email protected] and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  

We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey! 

The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

AMDG. Clinical counselor Art and psychologist Laraine Bennett join the Kolbecast to discuss anxiety and mental health, the temperaments, their recent publications, and so much more.  

Art and Laraine talk about how anxiety can manifest dramatically differently in different people, and how to identify it in your life or in the lives of your children; explain what anxiety is and how to approach it; break down what NOT to do if you recognize anxiety in your children, and present helpful strategies you can implement in your home today; and the tie between scrupulosity and anxiety.  

Links mentioned & related:  

Relevant Kolbecast episodes 

Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to [email protected] and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  

We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey! 

The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

AMDG. Author, editor, and professor Joseph Pearce joins the Kolbecast to introduce his new book, Classic Literature Made Simple: 50 Great Works of Literature in a Nutshell. Joseph’s new book is an excellent introduction to classic literature for any Kolbe student, or the perfect all-in-one guide for parents who want to be able to discuss great works of literature with their students, without having to set aside hours from their busy schedule to read the books.   

Joseph discusses his work as a publisher, including advice for Kolbe students who are interested in having their writing published someday; reveals his one “must-read” book, and a book you might be surprised to see on his list of 50 great works; shares his insight on how to read great works of literature, and how to respond if your children push back against the great works. He also gives a behind-the-scenes look at his writing process and hints at his newest project: Great Books for Good Men.  

Visit his website jpearce.co and check out his podcast The Authority.  

Joseph Pearce’s books mentioned in this conversation:  

Related Kolbecast episodes: 

Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to [email protected] and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  

We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!  

The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

AMDG.  

“When I get to heaven, I’ll ask him.”  

“What if he’s not in heaven?”  

“Then you can ask him.”  

First introduced to Fulton Sheen through her research on his famous converts, historian Cheryl Hughes tells the fascinating story of Fulton Sheen’s life. Dr. Hughes brings history to life with hilarious anecdotes and touching narratives. Listen in to hear facts such as the surprising connection between Fulton Sheen and Frank Sinatra; his Emmy acceptance speech, including the writers he credited for his success; Sheen’s opposition to secularism and communism; his friendship with Pope Saint John Paul II, who learned English through listening to Fulton Sheen; the miracle attributed to Fulton Sheen, and the current status of his beatification process; and details such as Sheen’s real height, Irish Catholic upbringing, and more.  

Links mentioned & relevant: 

Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to [email protected] and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  

We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey! 

The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

AMDG. “Go be a pilgrim of hope! There’s somebody in your life who needs the story of hope.”  

Pilgrimage leader, author, and catechist Joan Watson joins the Kolbecast to share everything you need to know about the Jubilee Year of Hope. Joan explains the biblical and historical roots of the Jubilee Year, and how the laity were the impetus behind the first Jubilee. She dissects the imagery behind the special Jubilee doors opened only once every twenty-five years and reveals ways to receive indulgences this year without even leaving your hometown. Joan gives her advice for those traveling to Rome, the must-see pilgrimage sites she visited this year, fasting recommendations for the Jubilee Year, and so much more. 

Links mentioned & relevant Kolbecast episodes: 

More about and with Joan: 

Other related links: 

Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to [email protected] and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  

We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!  

The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

AMDG. Clinical Director and Co-Founder of the Martin Center for Integration and host of This Whole Life podcast Kenna Millea joins the Kolbecast to discuss the ins and outs of relationships under a Catholic lens. “If you don’t like relationships here,” Kenna comments. “I think heaven’s going to be a big bummer— because that’s what it’s going to be.”  

Kenna offers her expert insight into common challenges in family dynamics, from the relationship between the spouses to how parents interact with children.  She unpacks how our relationships with others can impact our relationship to God and how the sacraments can impact our social life. Kenna shares her advice for those interested in pursuing a career in Catholic therapy and explains the differences among the types of mental health fields. Finally, Kenna suggests a selection of mental health books for families looking to strengthen their relationships with one another and build a happy, holy home. 

Links mentioned & relevant: 

Related Kolbecast episodes: 

Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to [email protected] and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  

We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!  

The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

AMDG. “When a child opens a book, I don’t want him to be overwhelmed by what’s on the page. I want him to open the book and be excited.”  

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at Kolbe’s publishing branch? Kolbe team members Stasha Becher, Carol Gilpin, and Stephanie Foley bring you an insider perspective on Kolbe’s publishing program, from development to product review. The group discusses why Kolbe launched their publishing branch; how they integrate classical principles into their books, even at a Pre-K level; the science behind their font size and word count choices; advice for people who want to become copy editors or graphic designers; and a glimpse into their upcoming and past projects.  

Relevant links: 

Related Kolbecast episodes: 

Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to [email protected] and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  

We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!  

The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

AMDG. “Advent is all cozy and sparkling lights… but Lent on the other hand, kids do not look forward to as much.”  

Looking for a new way to engage your children during this Lent? All About Advent and Christmas author Katie Bogner and illustrator Shari Van Vranken join the Kolbecast to announce their new book, All About Lent & Holy Week: Sharing the Seasons of Repentance & Salvation with Children. Their new Lenten guide is suitable for students of all age levels, with multiple layers of content for students to engage with. “That is something I very rarely see in a book,” Curriculum Director Maggie Hayden comments, “I feel like it just met the whole group at a level where they are interested.”  

The group’s conversation ranges over a wide variety of liturgical topics, including Lenten practices, such as prayer, fasting, and almsgiving; each member shares their family’s Lenten practices, providing a wide variety of inspiration to draw from. The group also discusses the feast days in Lent, both how we should celebrate them and why. Finally, the group discusses all things Holy Week, and strategies to engage children of every age level in the holiest week of the year.

Links mentioned & relevant: 

Related Kolbecast episodes: 

Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to [email protected] and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  

We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!  

The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

AMDG. Reading is a daunting topic for many homeschooling parents. Luckily, Kolbe teachers and Master’s Level Education Specialists Kristi Cramer and Jenny Todesco are here to help. 

Kristi and Jenny answer the most-asked questions about reading, providing easy-to-digest answers and actionable steps that you can begin today. Tune in to learn how to assess your child’s reading ability at home; when your child should begin reading; common difficulties to watch out for and when to reach out for help; and the resources available in Kolbe Academy for struggling readers. “In education, there’s a rule of thumb,” Jenny comments, “if by third grade, a student is struggling in reading… [that] is when you would start looking at some interventions.”  

This episode is the all-in-one guide for homeschooling parents embarking on the journey to literacy, filled with a wealth of knowledge and practical tips you can implement today.  

Related Kolbecast episodes & relevant links: 

Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to [email protected] and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  

We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!  

The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!