Power struggles in homeschooling often aren’t about defiance—they’re a signal that a child needs different support. In this episode of The OT Is In Podcast, occupational therapist Sarah Collins explores how to balance high expectations with appropriate scaffolding, helping children build independence without sacrificing connection, confidence, or long-term growth.
Learning to read starts long before a child picks up a book. In this episode, occupational therapist Sarah Collins and literacy specialist Melanie Jeffrey discuss how phonemic awareness forms the foundation for reading success and share practical ways homeschool parents can build early literacy skills through meaningful, play-based experiences.
Homeschooling parents live in the space where support and expectation meet. When our children struggle to get started on a lesson, complete a routine, or manage a transition, frustration often bubbles up—for them and for us. It is tempting to wonder, “Is this a motivation problem, a behavioral choice, or a deeper developmental obstacle?” Occupational…
Why can a child understand a lesson one moment but forget the directions the next? In this episode of The OT Is In Podcast, Sarah Collins and cognitive trainer Sandra Zamalis explore the role of working memory in learning, executive functioning, and homeschool success, while offering practical strategies to reduce cognitive overload and strengthen this essential skill.
In college, my only “C” was in ceramics. My professor told me I wasn’t “one with my clay,” and she was right. I had always struggled with art. In elementary school, I dreaded art class; in high school, I avoided it altogether. My frustration came from not being able to make my projects look the…
As parents, we all want to unlock our children’s potential, especially when it comes to literacy. However, sometimes the tools meant to help- curriculum, planners, and routines, fall flat. If that feels familiar, you’re not alone. To better understand why this happens, I connected with Tera Sumpter, a speech-language pathologist whose work highlights the connection…
Stepping into the teenage years with our children can feel a bit like entering a brand new co-op year with a room full of kids all developing at their own speeds, personalities stretching, opinions forming, and new skills awkwardly emerging. If you are picturing quiet, focused conversations, you might be surprised! More often, parenting our…
Is note-taking actually necessary for our children? And what does “taking notes” even look like in the age of digital resources, moving targets for handwriting, and the many variations in our children’s learning styles and abilities? This is a question that comes up time and time again among homeschool parents. Maybe, like me, you have…
Many homeschooling parents know the feeling: you’ve meticulously planned a lesson, set up your space, and then reality swiftly breezes in with the bustle and energy that only a houseful of unique children can bring. If you’re picturing focused kids quietly working in harmony, you may be picturing a room quite different from the one…
Homeschooling, parenting, and supporting kids who work a little harder to learn is not a journey marked by calm rooms, quiet voices, or picture-perfect plans. If you’re envisioning tidy schedules, neat handwriting, and children moving seamlessly from math drills to history read-alouds, you’re likely not picturing the reality of my home—or yours! Our days, especially…