Learning to read requires the human brain to basically re-wire itself, creating new neural pathways and connections as the learning progresses.  It’s nothing short of astonishing that it happens fairly seamlessly in some children. For many others, a structured, multisensory, evidence-based curriculum, with repetition upon repetition is required to unlock the mechanics. 

After weeks of assignments, tests, and classroom participation, many parents have shared that it sometimes feels like the teacher doesn’t fully “get” their child yet. As a teacher myself, I can say, we work hard to understand each student, but between lesson planning, classroom management, and stacks of paperwork, it can take months before we truly see what makes each child tick and how to best support them.

Executive function isn’t about finding the perfect planner or the magic app. It’s about helping kids develop habits, self-awareness, and tools that work for them. With patience, curiosity, and consistency, progress will come—and it doesn’t have to feel like a constant power struggle.

There will be years ahead when you miss back-to-school.

School isn’t forever. It doesn’t feel true now, but one day you may miss the noise, the chaos, the packed calendar. For now, take a breath. You’re doing just fine.

Getting kids to read on their own – after school, weekends, and summers – is a different thing than reading under the supervision of teachers. Practice is good and we should encourage it as effectively as we can.

January Blues: Transitioning back to school after the holidays can be tough—early mornings, busy classrooms, and fast-paced schedules are a big adjustment for many students.

As an educator, one of my greatest strengths lies in connecting with students. I’ve found that students need to feel understood and supported before they can genuinely engage with learning.

Brigham Learning celebrates three years as a new company and the three decades in the education and tutoring field that brought Kathleen to this moment.

As a mother and educator, I’m not surprised that children are reluctant to complete their assigned reading homework. But what is shocking to me is that children are simply not reading. At all. Period.

Spring is here, finally! My flowers are taking their sweet time to bloom, and it reminds me how important it is to let our children know that they may need more time than others, and that is absolutely okay.

As a test prep tutor and the designer of our Brigham Learning diagnostic testing system, the most frequent question I field from families of rising Juniors and Seniors is: Which college admissions test should I take?

As many have heard, several selective undergraduate universities are bringing back mandatory test scores for Fall' 24-Spring '25 applicants.

As I was clearing the snow off my son’s car this morning, I was fraught with guilt. Am I enabling him? Is he lazy? Shouldn’t he be doing this himself? But if I am honest, what I also felt was relief.

In this week’s episode, Kathleen and Chris discuss their book which describes “Nesting,” a unique co-parenting arrangement where the children reside in one stable home while their divorced parents take turns living in the family residence.

From a young age, I was captivated by the idea of learning and how it can change an idea, a mindset, and lives.

Working with parents involves many areas of expertise, and many of those areas overlap. It might be how they support their child at home due to academic challenges or they may be struggling themselves with a separation or divorce.

There's so many wonderful qualities to slow processing, but often those aren’t qualities that we always need in school. So the way it presents in school can be really hard on a child's self esteem, and an adult on their self esteem.

As I listened to The Daily, the New York Times podcast, I was struck by the use of a strategy I often suggest to my students.

Study Bursts and Note Taking are two key habits that are tried and true study suggestions.

It sounds like the typical family sharing a meal and a life and in some ways it is. Except that I am divorced and this is my ex husband sitting at the dining table with us and he will head home to his own apartment and life after helping with the dishes and homework, story time and bed.