Life Matters

There's disagreement between academics and literacy experts about the best method for teaching children to read. Is balanced literacy or explicit phonics better for learning? Plus in Tiny Tasters, alternatives to calorie counting and ahead of Remembrance Day, the stories of underage soldiers in WWII.

The federal government wants to replace the 'gamble responsibly' message with harsher warnings about betting risks. We look at how gambling addiction happens and whether it'll cut through. Plus, how to deal with growing HECS debts and why the internet pushes us to extremes.

In the first nine months of this year, we lost more than 425 million dollars, collectively, to scams, so what can you do to avoid being scammed and can we get better at stopping these crimes from taking place? Also, how can you ease pre-work-week, Sunday night anxiety? And meet the wombat lady of Flinders.

Higher energy prices have prompted those in power to rethink who should own and control the electricity we use in our everyday lives.

Why do the connections we form when we travel feel so different to the ones we make at home? Life Matters listeners share their stories of special flings and friendships forged on holidays. And in the Too Hard Basket, what to do when a friend goes cold on you.

One group of borrowers is trapped in what's been coined a 'mortgage prison', where refinancing your home loan becomes impossible. What can be done to prevent that? Plus in Tiny Tasters, feeding teenagers, and a child of immigrant parents explains her feelings of gratitude and guilt toward them.

As some state governments move to legislate against protests that disrupt economic activity, Life Matters asks is there a ‘right’ way to protest? And what is the best way to affect change? And the final episode of the Pineapple Project looks at how not to be a cheap date.

Gomeroi author and academic Amy Thunig's memoir recounts the difficult events of her childhood, and her determination to lift her family out of poverty. Plus growing up in country Australia, and how the spicy condiment blachan became a staple in Darwin.

An independent review into the NDIS is currently underway. The aim is to 'strengthen the scheme' and make sure it's sustainable, as the estimated future costs of maintaining it are eye-watering. So how can it be improved?

How can climate risk data about the place in which you want to live be made more easily accessible, so you're fully informed before you move there? Plus we ask experts to fact check the popular belief that exposing yourself to bright colours can lift your mood, and Julie Peters on her role as an 'accidental archivist' of transgender culture.