Phases - A Parenting podcast with Dr Courtney

October is Dyslexia Awareness month! Dr. Courtney Tolinski and her husband, Scott, dive deeper into supporting struggling readers at home. Whether you suspect your child may have dyslexia or if they're just behind a bit in reading, this episode highlights the top tips that you can use to help your child read with confidence. We discuss:

• A review of what dyslexia is and how to explain it to your child.
• What parents often get wrong when trying to help their child with reading.
• The best tips to help with reading at home, including how to pick appropriate books and incorporate technology. 
• Whether audiobooks are a 'shortcut' or a necessity for struggling readers.
• Homework tips that lessen the burden of reading at home.
• How to get more support with reading if your child is still struggling.  

Resources Mentioned:

• Lexile Book Finder: https://hub.lexile.com/find-a-book/
• Scholastic Wizard: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/teaching-tools/articles/looking-for-scholastic-book-wizard--here-s-where-to-find-it-.html
• Tonie Box
• Yoto Player
• Sora
• Libby
• Kindle Colorsoft

Have a question for Dr. Courtney? Leave it here and we may answer it in our next Q&A. 

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month! Dr. Courtney Tolinski and her husband, Scott, talk all about dyslexia, including:

• What dyslexia is (and what it's not)!
• How dyslexia impacts the way kids read.
• 10 signs of dyslexia that parents might miss.
• How to reframe the way you think about dyslexia.

Have a question for Dr. Courtney? Leave it here and we may answer it in our next Q&A. 

Dr. Courtney Tolinski and her husband, Scott, talk about how to approach parent-teacher conferences with confidence—not panic. From preparing ahead of time to navigating unexpected concerns, we share practical strategies to help parents feel more prepared, calm, and engaged in the conversation. In this episode, we cover:

• What your role is as a parent during the conference—and what isn’t your job.
• Why preparing ahead of time matters and what to think about before you walk in.
• How to stay calm when something unexpected comes up, especially when a teacher raises a concern.
• Questions to ask to get more information and better understand what your child is experiencing.
• How to turn the conference into a conversation rather than simply receiving a report about your child.

Have a question for us? Leave it here and we may ask it in the next Q&A. 

Your child comes home upset because a friend excluded them, wouldn't let them play, said something hurtful, or suddenly seems to be pulling away. As a parent, how do you know when to step in—and when to let them work it out? In this episode, we talk about:

• How friendships change from younger elementary through middle school. 
• Why neurodivergent kids may need additional support navigating friendship and social situations. 
• How to know as a parent when you should step in and what to say to your kids. 
• How to coach kids to feel confident handling social situations independently. 
• Why it's important to check in with yourself to make sure you aren't projecting your own worries onto your kids. 

Have a question for us? Leave it here and we may answer it in our next Q&A. 

“How Was School?” “Fine.” “What Did You Do?” “Nothing.” Sound familiar?

You haven’t seen your child all day, so naturally, you want to know how their day went. But for many kids, especially neurodivergent kids, the dreaded after-school questions can feel more like an interrogation than an invitation to connect.  So…is it the question? The timing? Or do they really just not want to talk to us?

In this episode, we’re breaking down why “How was school?” often gets us nowhere—and what parents can do instead. We’ll talk about why open-ended questions can be challenging for kids, why giving them time to decompress after school can make a huge difference, and how to create low-pressure opportunities for kids to actually open up.

We’ll cover:

• Why “How was school?” can be surprisingly difficult for kids to answer
• Why timing matters—especially right after pickup
• Fun and playful ways to ask about their day
• How to listen without immediately correcting, lecturing, or trying to solve the problem
• What to do when your child tells you something difficult or scary
• Signs that your child’s silence might be part of a bigger concern
• How to become the person your child feels safe coming to when something really matters

Have a question for us? Leave it here and we may answer it in our next Q&A.
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Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical, psychological, or professional advice. Every child and family is different, and the information shared in this episode may not apply to every situation. If you have concerns about your child’s behavior, development, emotional well-being, or mental health, we encourage you to seek guidance from a qualified healthcare or mental health professional who can provide individualized support.

Dr. Courtney Tolinski and her husband, Scott, talk about common phrases that kids often say and break down what's likely happening underneath the surface for our kids. We talk about:

• "I hate school."  
• "You're so mean!"
• "I can't do it." 
• "I don't care." 
• "Leave me alone." 
• "I didn't do it!"
• "Nobody likes me." 

We share helpful ways to respond to these phrases - as well as what not to do - to help you feel confident the next time your child says something they may not really mean.

Have a question for us? Leave it here and we may answer it in our next Q&A!
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Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical, psychological, or professional advice. Every child and family is different, and the information shared in this episode may not apply to every situation. If you have concerns about your child’s behavior, development, emotional well-being, or mental health, we encourage you to seek guidance from a qualified healthcare or mental health professional who can provide individualized support.

Dr. Courtney and her husband, Scott, share their top tips for navigating homework battles at home. They discuss:

• What typically happens for parents when homework becomes a struggle.
• The science behind what really could be going on for kids - and how to help. 
• What to avoid that often makes the homework battle worse.
• What to do when you need more support. 

Helpful Homework Tools Mentioned: 

• Visual Timer
• Wiggle Stool
• Bumpy Cushion
• Checklist

Got a question for Dr. Courtney? Leave it here and we may answer it in our next Q&A.

In this episode, Dr. Courtney Tolinski and her husband, Scott, share their favorite books, apps and tech for reading that they recommend for preschool and elementary aged kids. Dr. Courtney also shares her favorite books for special topics, such as neurodiversity, social/emotional development and growth mindset.

Preschool

• Busytown books
• Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site
• Hotrod Hamster
• Dragons Love Tacos & High Five series
• How to Catch Books
• The Gruffalo / Room on the Broom
• Peppa Pig Series
• Bluey Books
• You Can Do it - Sesame Street
• Little People, Big Dreams
• Beautiful Oops
• The Little Engine that Could
• Pete the Cat series
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
• Lift the Flap Books: First 100 Animals; Q&A About Dinosaurs, etc. 
• Little Kids First Big Book of Why 
• I Can Read Phonics Boxes 

Early Elementary (K-2)

• I Can Read Level Books
• Graphic Novels:
  • Elephant & Piggy Series
  • Dog Man Series
  • Captain Underpants
  • Babysitters Little Sister
  • Narwhal & Jelly
  • Bird & Squirrel
• Creepy Underwear Series
• Very Impatient Caterpillar Series
• Fly Guy Series
• The Questioneers Series - e.g. Rosie Revere; Ada Twist Scientist
• Search and Find Books -- Where is Claris? Where's Waldo? 
• Early Chapter books
  • Eerie Elementary
  • Magic Tree House
  • Junie B Jones
  • Amelia Bedelia 
  • Wild Robot
  • Mercy Watson Series 

Reading Apps/Devices

• Sora App (Audio Books / Library books for kids)
• Epic Books (Leveled DRA / Audio Books)
• Tonie Box or Yoto Player
• Kindle Colorsoft for Kids 

Upper Elementary (3-5)

• Last Kids on Earth 
• I Survived
• My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish
• Big Nate
• Comics - Marvel; Calvin and Hobbes
• Wayside school
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid
• Judy Blume Fudge Series
• Baby Sitters Club
• Wings of Fire
• National Park Mystery Series
• The Way Things Work

Special Topics

• ADHD/Autism: Its Hard to Be A Verb; I Have Ants in My Pants; My Mouth is a Volcano; Uniquely Wired all by Julia Cook 
• Growth Mindset: Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by Joann Deak
• Neurodiversity: Wonderfully Wired Brains by Luise Gooding
• Anxiety/Perfectionism: The Girl who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett & Gary Rubenstein
• Emotions: The Color Monster by Anna Lleanas

Have a question for Dr. Courtney? Submit it here and we may answer it in the next Q&A. 

Dr. Courtney Tolinski, and her husband, Scott, talk about what happens when kids do really well at school, but meltdown at home. They get into all of the science behind why kids this happens, including:

• Why the nervous system can hold it together at school but is dysregulated at home. 
• How to recognize and identify patterns that trigger meltdowns. 
• The do's and don'ts of after school schedules. 
• Scripts and behavior management strategies that help to manage big behaviors. 
• Where to go when you need more support. 

In this episode, Dr. Courtney Tolinski and her husband, Scott, talk about why the back to school season can be harder for many kids. It's filled with big transitions and more structure, which often lead to big feelings and behaviors. Topics discussed include: 

• Why going back-to-school is often hard for kids. 
• How to prep your kids for the transition in the weeks leading up to going back to school.
• Special considerations for neurodiverse kids. 
• Scripts that parents can use to help their kids stay calm and feel confident the night before and week of. 
• Remembering to celebrate the wins and shift the hard stuff after the first week. 
• How to access our back-to-school guide for neurodiverse kids. 

Got a question for Dr. Courtney? Leave it here and we may answer it in our next Q&A.