On Middle Ground Podcast

In this episode, we’ll talk with my good friend Ryan Bates about how to support your teen in writing.  Ryan’s background is in history which over the years has changed from the memorization of dates and events to synthesizing history and writing about it.  The skills Ryan teaches students to apply to other subject areas as well.     We’ll discuss: How to calm the overwhelm and anxiety that can be produced from writing How to organize thoughts How to create a flow for the paper How best to support students either through paper/pen or technology

Join me as we chat with Natalie, an educational therapist specializing in dyslexia.  Natalie and I discuss what happens when a child with dyslexia hits middle school.  Sometimes a child goes undiagnosed and then all the problems surface in middle school!   We’ll dive into: How dyslexia can present itself in middle school What to do if suspect there’s an issue What support to seek Grab all the details and links inside of our show notes: mathformiddles.com/episode22

Joining me today is founder Leslie Joel of Order Out of Chaos, a planner and time management company.  We'll discuss how Leslie developed her planner, how she teaches students to "see" time, how to use your time wisely, and what life skills she believes teens need to be working on right now.   Head to our show notes to connect with Leslie and learn more about her planner and other courses for families and teens.   mathformiddles.com/episode21

Adrienne Hedger is a mother of two teens and a cartoonist. She manages to find the humor in clothing choices, morning routine drama and giving your dog more love than your own kids. Tune in to listen to how Adrienne finds her inspiration for her weekly cartoons and how she taps into this during moments of pure frustration. Her middle school moment is one not to miss!  She shares her secret to getting all the boys in school and you guessed it...it's hilarious.  Be sure to head over to the show notes to view actual pictures of Adrienne's middle school moment and take time to sign up for her weekly email.  It's the highlight of the week! mathformiddles.com/episode20

For as long as Meg can remember, she hated math.  It all began in first grade when she noticed her peers were getting answers faster than she was and so began the anxiety cycle that caused her to skip lunch and ultimately make her want to go home. Meg was a mystery to her teachers.  She didn't qualify for special ed services and it wasn't until she read My Thirteenth Winter much later in life that she realized she struggled with dyscalculia, a math learning disability. Listen in today and I bet you'll hear a lot of similarities to what your own child may be experiencing. By the end of the show, you'll hear how Meg was able to use her strengths and ultimately become a first-grade teacher and life coach. Be sure to head to the show notes and connect with Meg. mathformiddles.com/episode19

After a busy summer, the MFM team is compiling some tips and tricks for back to school time. Get all the details at MathforMiddles.com/episode18

In this episode, we’ll learn: Why time is your best friendHow wishy-washy dreams make for a wishy-washy future Focus on your kid's journey How your child leads the process How to avoid believing the myth that your child is “a bad test taker” View the show notes   About our guest: Lauren Gaggioli is a Number 2 Pencil Nerd. After 8 years as a private, in-home tutor, Lauren founded Higher Scores Test Prep, an online ACT & SAT prep company. She empowers students by teaching them target-score-specific strategies to help them become bold, confident test takers.  Lauren is also the host of The College Checklist Podcast, a free podcast about all things college admissions. You can find it on iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast app.  

Shirag Shemmassian will be joining me today to speak about shrinking those high costs of college to something more manageable for families...Good news!  It's easier than you think! We'll cover: 2 reasons to think about college in the middle school years How to help your child stand out from the crowd in the admissions process Which clubs and extracurricular activities matter the most (and it's not what you think) Common misconceptions of how schools select scholarship applicants How to lower the cost of college to ZERO Grab Shirag's must-have items from the show notes: mathformiddles.com/episode16 Are you enjoying this podcast?  Leave us a review so we can be found by other parents just like you.

Today we'll be discussing the real reasons behind some of the quirky things your teen does. From resisting a hug to wearing slippery clothes to resisting a shower.  WHY do they do this?  Wendy exposes the reasons in this episode. Resources Mentioned: Wendy's sensory workbook Wendy on Instagram(you gotta follow her!) Wendy on Facebook  View the show notes:  mathformiddles.com/episode15

This podcast episode is an audio version of a guest post I wrote on SethPerler.com.  In this audio version, I add in some additional details.  The article really resonated with Seth's audience, so I wanted a way to share it here on the podcast. In this episode, you'll learn the 6 common math issues that plague teen students and what you can do about them: Spotty recall of math facts Fraction panic Symbol overwhelm Attention to detail Poor note taking Resistance to math in general Read the entire article and grab the references by visiting the post at sethperler.com/math-issues mathformiddles.com/episode14 will also redirect you there. During the show, I also mention two resources of interest to students struggling with fractions: Video Course about Fractions Small Group Class Online with Me (new class starts on Feb. 8th 2018) But you can also explore working with myself or Kara 1:1.  Head to our How it Works page to learn more.

Last October, I took a parenting class and one of the most profound lessons was on gratitude.  I want to share with you my biggest takeaways and what we've noticed has changed in our homes since implementing gratitude on a daily basis. In this training, I'll share: The three levels of gratitude Easy ways to encourage thankfulness A warning about the ONE word that can undo all of your efforts Get the notes: mathformiddles.com/episode13

So you want your kid to handle their own problems at school, but often when you see problems with grades you get all kinds of responses like: -Chill. I got this. -I'll talk to him, mom! -Oh, they didn't enter my homework -Don't email them, you'll make it worse! Sound familiar? Me too. My guest is Seth Perler an executive function coach. We'll be talking about how to get your teen to speak up for their own needs at school otherwise known as self-advocacy. We'll cover things from having your child approach the teacher to you intervening and more. You'll also want to tune in to hear Seth's excellent advice about gauging when is appropriate to step in or back. Don't miss Seth's middle school moment which involves Aqua Net hairspray. Grab all the links and tips from the show notes: mathformiddles.com/episode 12

I'm building a village to help my son see what I see, a young man full of potential!  A future car engineer.  Today I share who is in my village to help me do so.   mathformiddles.com/episode11

Learn more about how to help your teen embrace organization as skill with professional organizer Karen Tennant.  Grab all the juice tips over at the website:  mathformiddles.com/episode10

Our plan for this year to conquer disorganization and homework angst.  I'll be sharing the problems we've faced in middle school over the past two years and sharing actionable ideas. Grab all the helpful links this post via the show notes:  mathformiddles.com/episode9

School doesn't always go as we had imagined for our kids. Social problems, not being challenged or the opposite, too much challenging work--many reasons to be frustrated with the traditional school experience. Many parents start to get curious about the online K-12 public schools as an option to homeschooling their children. Often it feels overwhelming to think about taking the role of educator in addition to parenting. For many families, it has been a game changer for their children. Could online public school be the solution to some of your issues with the traditional public school setting? Listen in as I interview two very different mothers of teenagers as they share their journey with the online public school. Plus get the scoop from a middle school student what school is like online. We'll cover things you need to consider like: Child's Temperament Parent's Temperament Socializing School Curriculum Dual Enrollment Scheduling/Planning Online School Would you like help with your child's math?  We can help your child gain confidence in their math skills through multisensory math techniques.  We'd love to connect and see what we can do for you.  Go ahead and shoot us an email:  hello@mathformiddles.com For more information about this episode, head over to mathformiddles.com/episode8  

Anxiety can spiral out of control. Sometimes we see math anxiety pop up. We're here to help your child work through their fears that feel overwhelming. Listen in where we talk about normal levels of anxiety to the extreme. You'll hear us share what to look for and ideas for helping right now. Interested in getting your child ready for 6th grade? We have a special summer math program available this July! Registration is open now: http://mathformiddles.com/summer Want to grab the notes to this show? Head over to mathformiddles.com/episode7 Looking for some help and guidance with math? Adrianne and Kara are here to help. Find us online or call us. 208-996-0652

Ugh....Study skills and test prep.  I know it's important to teach my son.  Often I neglect to think about the long term effect of not teaching this life skill.   Make sure to head over to the show notes to grab all the tips in one place.  It's also written in a way that you can share with your teen so they can scan the tips and apply some for their own studying.   http://mathformiddles.com/episode6   Enjoy this podcast?  Leave me a review on iTunes or share with your friends using the share features on the post.

The real reason your teen may never move out of your basement has to do with executive functioning. What is it and how can you help your teen do it better? We'll explore the age of development of these skills and actionable tips you can do today to help your teen not end up in a van down by the river. Grab the links here: http://mathformiddles.com/episode5

Teens do stupid things sometimes. I'm sure you can recall moments when you screwed up.  Today I find myself on the flip side of my stupid moments, watching in horror at times when my teen decides to do something stupid. In the past, I would roll my eyes at myself until I read Michelle Icard's book, Middle School Makeover.  She's a parent too and hailed as an expert, though she brushes that idea to the side. Today I am interviewing Michelle about teen brain development and how we can keep our cool when our teens make poor choices. Be sure to head over to the website to connect with Michelle. http://mathformiddles.com/episode4   Does your teen make strange choices around school?  It's time for a neutral party to step in.  Consider hiring a qualified tutor to help your child gain the confidence and organization skills necessary to be a successful student.  Connect with one of our preferred tutors at:  mathformiddles.com/tutoring    If you enjoyed today's episode, please leave me a review on iTunes or Google Play.  Share with a friend using the features inside of your podcast player or on my website.  

Rote memorization has been the go-to method for many years along with tricks with fingers, songs, timed tests, and the like.  It works for a select few kids, but for a large population of students, flash cards are failing them because it doesn’t draw upon the way the brain learns, which is through the senses.   This is the problem with MOST math instruction and the biggest issue with flash cards.  Come see what to do instead over at Math for Middles Episode 3.   If you enjoyed this episode of Math for Middles, you won't want to miss our next episode with Michelle Icard, author of Michelle in the Middle.   Take a minute and leave me a rating on iTunes.  This helps other parents find me too.  On Middle Ground Podcast is just getting started.  You'll hear more tips for helping your tweens and teens excel in school and life.

In this episode we'll talk about teen development and what is an appropriate amount of struggle for teens when it comes to school work.  Listen in to Kara Scanlon, an educational therapist talk with Adrianne about how to tell when the struggle is appropriate and when it might be time to involve a neutral party like a tutor or therapist.   Get show notes at http://mathformiddles.com/episode-1 Make sure to head over to the notes to grab more helpful tips and additional resources.

Your teens tantrum about doing math homework might not be typical teen moodiness but rather a symptom of an academic wound.  In this episode we'll explore what an academic wound is and then give some steps to help your child heal so they can move forward.  Get show notes at mathformiddles.com/episode-2    Inside of the show notes, you'll also find a free download to help you get the conversation started with your teen.

Welcome to the On Middle Ground Podcast where we'll explore different strategies for parenting tweens and teens.  I am not a parenting expert, but I am right in the trenches with you.  After tutoring teens for the past 10 years, I've come to love the middle schoolers plight.  Listen in today to this kick off episode.  http://mathformiddles.com