When your child shuts down and says, “I can’t do this,” it can feel like all your effort as a homeschool mom just hit a wall.
In this Q&A episode, Natalie Burns talks about what’s really going on in those moments, why your usual strategies (like taking breaks) don’t always work, and how to respond in a way that builds resilience instead of resistance.
Learn what to say, what to stop doing, and how to create calm connection so learning feels safe again.
Free Download:
Say This, Not That: Scripts For Tricky Homeschool Teaching Moments:
If you’re looking to unpack long-held beliefs and habits with learning, come get support inside the Teaching Inspired Community!
Connect with Natalie:
natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com
I sat down with Jill Baumann from Self-Directed Success to talk about gaming, motivation, and how to build real independence without destroying your relationship.
We talk about:
🎮 The secret sauce inside games (progress tracking, clear goals, immediate feedback, safe failure, autonomy) & how to steal those elements for your homeschool
🎮 How to shift from “do 4 more pages” to “you’ve mastered this concept, you level up now”
🎮 The difference between gamified learning and basic bribery (“finish math and I’ll let you play”)
🎮 How this all ties into resilience and independence, not entitlement
We also talk about something that doesn’t get said enough:
When our kids get older, they don’t always want to learn from us anymore, and that can feel like rejection. Jill walks us through how to keep your relationship strong while letting your child step into ownership.
Connect with Jill:
• Sign up for the "5-Day Gamify Your Homeschool" Email Course (Free Series)→ https://quest.self-directedsuccess.com/5-day-gamification-course
• Join the Free “3 Steps to Teaching Your Teen to Homeschool Independently Without Micromanaging or Nagging” webinar → https://quest.self-directedsuccess.com/webinar-registration.
• Get the “Gamification Starter Kit” → https://quest.self-directedsuccess.com/gamification-starter-kit
• Enroll your teen in “Scholar’s Quest for Independent Success” → https://www.self-directedsuccess.com/scholars-quest-waitlist
You can help your child learn in the way that works for them. If you’re looking for some practical tools to bring these ideas into your homeschool, come join us inside the Teaching Inspired Community!
Connect with Natalie:
Season 8 is here and we’re doing things a little differently... I’m answering the real questions homeschool moms aren’t sure how to think about.
This first episode tackles one of my favourites: When can I start teaching critical thinking?
Listen in to unpack:
• A sneak peak into Season 8
• Character traits that make up a critical thinker
• Whether it’s even possible to be objective
• How to hold neutral for calm that comes from the inside out
You can help your child start thinking for themselves today. If you’re looking for some practical tools to bring these ideas into your homeschool, come join us inside the Teaching Inspired Community!
Connect with Natalie:
natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com
You don’t need to control your child’s narrative if you help them write it well.
In this final episode of our season about literacy, we zoom out and look at the big picture: how to help your homeschooler build a narrative thread for their own life — the story they tell about who they are, what they’re capable of, and where they’re going.
Literacy isn’t just reading and writing anymore. It’s now about communication and connection. And a connected life needs a connected story.
We’ll talk about:
🌟 Why helping your child understand their own story matters
🌟 What a “narrative thread” looks like across ages
🌟 How to build an internal template rooted in purpose, value, and resilience
And a little reminder: You’re doing more than teaching subjects. You’re shaping a life that feels whole.
Join the Teaching Inspired community to get deeper support around literacy and critical thinking at homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/teachinginspired — use code ASSURED to get your first month for just $1
Contact Natalie:
natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com
If writing assignments feel like a chore — for you or your teen — you’re not alone. In this episode, I’m joined by Justin McGeary, a writing instructor who works with upper-level students using an Oxford-style essay approach that treats writing not as a product… but as a thinking tool.
We talk about:
If you want your teen to be more than just articulate — to be thoughtful and grounded in what they say and believe — this episode is a must-listen.
Connect with Justin:
Website: trinityhousetutorials.com
Email: trinityhousetutorials@gmail.com
Instagram: @justinattrinityhouse
The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking:
Help your child unlock self-awareness, responsibility, and initiative in their learning and for their life… in 5 simple steps
assuredpodcast.com/ultimate-guide
Connect with Natalie:
As the world becomes increasingly digital, we face a problem in our homeschools… is reading from a phone or tablet going to harm your children?
You know by now in this season about literacy that we’re not just talking about how to read and write… buckle up. Because digital literacy is the new must-have skill your kids need — and it's shaping how they think, what they believe, and how they show up in the world.
This episode is a special adaptation from one of the trainings inside of the Teaching Inspired membership!
So head over to homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/teachinginspired to sign up and download the workbook pages.
As a listener of the assured podcast, use the code mentioned in this episode to get your first month for just $1!
Go to homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/teachinginspired to get your digital literacy resources PLUS monthly trainings and weekly live calls.
Connect with Natalie:
Helping your teen develop literacy skills looks a lot different in the high school years! So how do you decide your level of involvement and what areas to focus on?
I’m joined by seasoned educator and homeschool curriculum writer Julia Novoa to break down what literacy looks like in the high school years.
We’re bridging the gap between basic reading skills and sophisticated communication — with plenty of permission to modify, adapt, and individualize.
In this episode, we unpack:
Whether you’re raising a budding writer or a reluctant reader, this one’s packed with the practical teaching strategies you’ve been craving!
Connect with Julia:
Free Planning Workbook: https://www.mytexashomeschool.com/mytexashomeschoolshop/p/plan-your-year-workbook
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planandpivothomeschool/
The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking:
Help your child unlock self-awareness, responsibility, and initiative in their learning and for their life… in 5 simple steps
assuredpodcast.com/ultimate-guide
Connect with Natalie:
If the thought of teaching science from a dusty old textbook makes your eyes glaze over, this episode is for you. 🌿
I’m joined by Kelly Dowd of The Field Trip Academy, and we’re exploring how outdoor literacy can change everything about how your homeschooler understands science - even if they hate writing.
🎧 In this episode, we unpack:
This one’s full of practical strategies, mindset shifts, and a whole lot of inspiration!
Connect with Kelly:
Explore the Digital Marketplace (Freebies & Membership):
products.thefieldtripacademy.com/products/courses/view/1161224
Social Media: @thefieldtripacademy
Check out what Kelly and Natalie talked about at the Deschooling Homeschool Roundtable:
homeschoolteachingsimplified.com/roundtable-deschooling-2025
The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking:
Help your child unlock self-awareness, responsibility, and initiative in their learning and for their life… in 5 simple steps
assuredpodcast.com/ultimate-guide
Connect with Natalie:
Let’s tap into one of the most underused tools in writing instruction: science.
Yep, you read that right.
We’re using what your homeschooler already knows about the 5 senses to unlock their ability to write vivid, compelling scenes that bring ideas to life on the page.
Whether you're working with a reluctant writer or one who needs help levelling up, this is a practical strategy you can use today — no curriculum required.
This one’s part lesson, part story, and part reminder that writing is never about perfection. It’s about human connection.
The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking:
Help your child unlock self-awareness, responsibility, and initiative in their learning and for their life… in 5 simple steps
assuredpodcast.com/ultimate-guide
Connect with Natalie:
What if literacy wasn’t about ticking off grammar boxes or forcing essays, but instead, inviting your child into an experience?
I’m chatting with Bethany Baldwin, founder of MAD Society, about what happens when you add creative writing, play-based storytelling, and even escape rooms into your homeschool approach to literacy.
Whether your child is essay-avoidant, wildly expressive, or quietly creative, this episode will help you unlock their unique path to communication.
Here’s what we’re diving into:
💡Why drama and creativity aren’t just for “outgoing” kids
💡How to develop writing skills without relying on essays
💡Ways to “gamify” literacy
💡What makes you qualified to teach creativity (it’s probably not what you think)
💡How to let your child explore their gifts, even when the journey looks messy
Whether you're burnt out on worksheets or just looking to reignite your child’s imagination, this episode will help you see literacy from a new angle — and maybe even give new ideas for how you want to teach writing in your homeschool.
Connect with Bethany:
Download your free African Safari Creative Writing Escape Room: https://www.madsocietyinc.com/
contact.madsociety@gmail.com
The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking:
Help your child unlock self-awareness, responsibility, and initiative in their learning and for their life… in 5 simple steps
assuredpodcast.com/ultimate-guide
Connect with Natalie:
natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com
Once the flood gates of reading open up, it can be hard to keep up with pre-reading for your older homeschooler! And yet, choosing a book list impacts your child’s worldview.
Unpacking concepts in books is a great way to start a conversation with your children about important issues in their development. Especially when read aloud together, you can choose books that draw out your homeschooler’s wise decision making.
On this episode for our season on literacy, I’m chatting with second generation homeschooling mom, Tiffany Pichardo, about HOW to choose those safe, trusted, and value-driven books.
Tiffany is sharing how she chooses her book recommendation lists for various age, developmental, and interest areas.
Listen to hear:
📚 Why to NOT let your child “just read whatever they want”
📚 The balance between reading level and maturity level
📚 The #1 reason to read aloud to your middle and high schoolers
📚 What to do when you don’t like reading aloud
Connect with Tiffany:
Follow on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHappyHomeschooler
tiffanythehappyhomesteader@gmail.com
The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking:
Help your child unlock self-awareness, responsibility, and initiative in their learning and for their life… in 5 simple steps
assuredpodcast.com/ultimate-guide
Connect with Natalie:
natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com
On this episode, Dawn is sharing how "being an author is more than just writing a book, it's about being able to take captive the thoughts and feelings that are in our heads, and putting it down on paper."
You bet I asked Dawn to break down her story guide framework for exactly how you can help your homeschooler with writing stories that expand upon their life experiences. And this is the same framework that helped me with understanding the transformational narrative in my own life!
In this episode, we break down:
📚 How easy it is for your child to become an author
📚 What not to do with a reluctant writer
📚 How to help your child find their identity
Connect with Dawn:
The Ultimate Story Guide Checklist: https://mommy-scribbles.kit.com/0c1196ee84
Mini Book Toolkit: https://www.mommyscribbles.com/offers/Pu8Hpdnh
The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking:
Help your child unlock self-awareness, responsibility, and initiative in their learning and for their life… in 5 simple steps
assuredpodcast.com/ultimate-guide
Connect with Natalie:
Ever wonder what causes some children to love writing, while others hate it?
For this episode of the Assured podcast, I'm joined by Andrew Pudewa, founder of the Institute for Excellence in Writing, to shed light on the thinking behind your homeschooler's writing.
Join us as we unpack how you can nurture excellent communicators, prevent negative self-talk, and develop the writing skills needed so your child can develop the thinking processes that make writing fun!
Connect with Andrew:
The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking:
Help your child unlock self-awareness, responsibility, and initiative in their learning and for their life… in 5 simple steps
assuredpodcast.com/ultimate-guide
Connect with Natalie:
What if your neurodivergent child’s path to literacy doesn’t need to look like everyone else’s?
In this episode, I sit down with Aubrey Hargis of Child of the Redwoods to explore how the Montessori method naturally supports neurodivergent learners — especially when it comes to reading, writing, and discovering a true love of learning.
Whether you’re new to Montessori or simply looking for practical ideas that meet your child where they are, you’ll find this conversation full of freedom, wisdom, and encouragement.
🎧 In this episode, we cover:
If traditional reading timelines have made you second-guess your homeschool, join us to feel reassured and inspired!
Connect with Aubrey:
https://www.childoftheredwoods.com
Discover your perfect homeschooling routine:
https://www.childoftheredwoods.com/quiz
The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking:
Help your child unlock self-awareness, responsibility, and initiative in their learning and for their life… in 5 simple steps
assuredpodcast.com/ultimate-guide
Connect with Natalie:
What if your child doesn’t need to be forced to learn to read?
For this episode, I’m joined by Leah Martin, who shares:
📚 Why the Science of Reading often falls flat in homeschool homes
🧠 How to align with your child’s brain development and learning style
☕️ What it actually looks like to teach reading gently, with relationship first
And did you know? 23% of her audience said their kids taught themselves to read—with no hard-and-fast curriculum at all. 🤯
This one’s for the mom wondering:
“Are we behind?”
“Is it me?”
“Is this working?”
🎧 Tune in and discover how teaching reading can be calm, connected, and even cozy.
Get your hands on The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking:
Help your child unlock self-awareness, responsibility, and initiative in their learning and for their life… in 5 simple steps
assuredpodcast.com/ultimate-guide
Connect with Natalie:
You already know teaching literacy is important BUT you might be getting stuck when it comes to HOW to do that in your homeschool.
As you follow along with this season and listen to homeschooling thought leaders share new perspectives and possibilities, you’ll start to see shifts in how your child gets on board with their reading, writing, and general expression of ideas.
You’ll see them grow in confidence and communication!
Because you’ll be walking away with new tools to add to your homeschool teaching toolbelt so you can personalize the learning process for your family.
In this episode, we’ll unpack:
🎧 The real reason sentence diagrams aren’t clicking — and what to try instead
🎧 How to adapt to learning styles (without ditching the whole curriculum)
🎧 The 3 C’s of literacy that’ll change how you teach older children
The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Homeschooler Critical Thinking:
Help your child unlock self-awareness, responsibility, and initiative in their learning and for their life… in 5 simple stepsassuredpodcast.com/ultimate-guide
Connect with Natalie: natalie@homeschoolteachingsimplified.com
How can you teach in your homeschool when you're stressed out and scared?
How do you teach your children to not be afraid?
How do we hold an open hand of willingness to change for the better when change seems so scary?
Because you know as well as I do that when we are stressed, our children pick up on that.
Today on the Assured podcast, I have a bonus one-off episode for you all about how we can navigate the uncertainty that lays ahead.
Learn more about the Thoughtful Thinkers 6-week critical thinking program:
assuredpodcast.com/thoughtful-thinkers
Connect with Natalie:
When is it finally time to FIRE your homeschool curriculum?
Because you just spent precious time, money and energy to research and source the BEST curriculum so chances are, you’re not willing to give up on it at the first sign of resistance!
You’ve heard me talk extensively about how to adapt what you already have so that it WORKS for you...
But let’s be real, there’s a time when you need to just stop. 🚩
Today we’re talking about what that red flag is and what you should do when it comes up in your homeschool.
Hook 'Em Homeschool Quiz:
Which Engagement Hooks Match Your Homeschool Teaching Style?
Connect with Natalie:
You have a choice – make your homeschooler do it anyway, or switch things up?
We all want to be that awesome mom who swoops in and saves their child from the dreaded math drills!
But the problem is, most have no idea what an alternative approach even could be!
So let me share with you my favourite 2 secret teaching hacks so you can keep the curriculum you worked so hard to research and purchase, and instead, ADAPT IT to work for the here and now.
Hook 'Em Homeschool Quiz:
Which Engagement Hooks Match Your Homeschool Teaching Style?
Connect with Natalie:
Teaching your homeschooler a second language (or a foreign language) is about communication and learning how to speak the way OTHERS understand.
On today’s episode of the Assured podcast, I will show you how to teach your homeschooler a second language, even if you’re not fluent yourself!
Hook 'Em Homeschool Quiz:
Which Engagement Hooks Match Your Homeschool Teaching Style?
Connect with Natalie: