Learn Smarter Podcast

Rachel and Steph have collectively worked with learners with Executive Functioning Skills challenges for over 20 years. They share what they know about learners with Executive Functioning Skills challenges and some of them may surprise you. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/learnsmarterpodcast How to connect with us: Join our FB Group Join our e-mail list Rachel’s Kapp Educational The...

We’re back with part two of how to uplevel games. In this episode, we’ll dive a bit deeper into how and why to informally assess learners using games. We also chat about how learners derive self-esteem from game playing and how games can help strengthen metacognition. Be sure to listen to part one if you haven’t already! Ep 228: Upleveling Games Part 1 (Educational Therapy Series) Support us on Pa...

Stephanie is the Game Guru. Rachel & Steph go into Steph’s history with games and how she discovered her Game Guru-ness. Steph shares how games are low investment and high return and other reasons she integrates game play in sessions. She breaks down what type of games work best for different styles of learners and the impact games have on flexibility.  Support us on Patreon: https://www.patre...

As Board Certified Educational Therapists, Rachel and Steph are able to observe trends throughout the year. Today they share what the new school year mentality looks like, why it is important to note, and the role of the educational therapist. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/learnsmarterpodcast How to connect with us: Join our FB Group Join our e-mail list Rachel’s Kapp Educational...

There have been surprises along the way as Rachel & Steph have gone through this podcast journey. Today, they share how the podcast has impacted the work they do, the people they coach, and their approach to educational therapy. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/learnsmarterpodcast How to connect with us: Join our FB Group Join our e-mail list Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Gro...

Kapp Educational Therapy Group Learning Specialist Anna Aguilar Gardner joins us on the podcast. She talks about how to collaborate with the classroom teacher and how to approach material the same way. Anna talks about the importance of building a student-created resource guide and using notes to find similar practice problems. She talks about how fractions are a predictor of math success in later...

Today, we’re revisiting an important and timely episode all about SMART goals! Listen in to learn why it’s important to set SMART goals and how to do it. Also, Steph coaches Rachel about an issue with one of her clients. At the end, Rachel ends up shifting what the SMART goal acronym means to help make it even easier for you, your learner and your families to establish them. Other episodes mention...

Rachel and Steph discuss why a major role of educational therapy is to guide the parents to next best steps while maintaining the larger picture in mind. They chat about how onboarding parents effectively will allow you to mitigate clinician pressure and perfectionism and how chunking and prioritizing goals is essential.  Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/learnsmarterpodcast How to co...

Dr. Liz Angoff is an educational psychologist in private practice. She has also developed books and a framework around how to talk to your learner about their diagnosis. She shares how to explain and prepare learners for testing, giving scripts and establishing language around testing and learning profiles. In this conversation, you’ll hear how important it is for the learners themselves to use th...

Today, Rachel & Steph re-share how to prepare for going back to school. In this episode, Rachel & Steph talk about how to prevent “academic emergencies” by properly preparing and achievable goal setting. and partnership with your child’s teacher. They talk about calendaring for success. They also do a deep dive on big academic transitions (the leap that occurs from elementary school to mid...

Dr. Kathleen Nadeau is a clinical psychologist and Director of Chesapeake Center for ADHD, Learning & Behavioral Health as well as author of several books on ADHD and girls. She joins Rachel & Steph to talk about the history and trajectory of ADHD and shares how it is not a disorder of childhood. She shares how the DSM diagnostic criteria is derived from boys. She highlights how hyperactiv...

Rachel and Stephanie talk about how important it is to give ourselves permission as clinicians to pivot. They talk about giving yourself permission to pivot with clients, within your business and permission to not have all the answers.  Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/learnsmarterpodcast How to connect with us: Join our FB Group Join our e-mail list Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy...

Educational therapist, new mom and Learn Smarter Pro -ster Alena Houghton joins Rachel and Steph to talk about her experience deciding to build a new business while raising a new baby. They chatted about her decision to join Learn Smarter Pro and the mindset work she had to do to make the commitment. They talked about how Learn Smarter Pro helped her become very intentional about what she was buil...

Rachel & Steph chat about how they thought about virtual educational therapy before the pandemic and how the pandemic completely shifted their thinking. They discuss the challenges that online school presented for learners and their families and how virtual educational therapy is not the same thing. They chat about the virtues of educational therapy and how to have a conversation with your cli...

Rachel and Steph dig into how educational therapy can significantly benefit adults. They share how executive functioning skills challenges don’t end with schooling and how it can impact relationships, jobs, and lives. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/learnsmarterpodcast How to connect with us: Join our FB Group Join our e-mail list Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website Step...

In this special episode, Dr. Jeremy Sharp of The Testing Psychologist podcast shares this conversation he had with Rachel Kapp and Stephanie Pitts. They tackle why learners lie and what to do about it. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/learnsmarterpodcast How to connect with us: Join our FB Group Join our e-mail list Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website Steph’s My Ed Therap...

ADHD Coach, Podcast Host and Speaker Brendan Mahan joins Rachel and Stephanie on the podcast. Brendan explains his “Wall of Awful”, how the bricks in the Wall of Awful form and the assumption of disappointment. He talks about the moral aspect of ADHD (when it’s really a biological challenge). He talks about the 5 options for responding to the Wall of Awful and Brendan shares how the concept of “do...

Educational Therapist Elizabeth Norwood came to coaching with Stephanie concerned that working as an independent educational therapist was not sustainable. She talks about how coaching made her feel supported the way her learners feel in session and how she learned how important it was to get paid. Elizabeth shares how coaching made her take aim and be clear on her goals. She talks about how coach...

Shelley Lawrence is the founder of Schoolhouse Collaborative and has spent her entire career helping families navigate their child’s learning. In this conversation, she chats with Rachel and Steph about what to do to establish collaboration with professionals and parents, how to not look at a deficit based model for learners, and why and how to get curious and the importance of being honest and re...

In Part 2, Steph’s client Gracie joins the podcast to discuss her journey. She talks about focusing on the forest not the trees and the importance of thinking about the big picture. She talks about self-advocacy, the backpack map, and the importance of partnering with adults at school like teachers and counselors. Gracie advocates for people getting help and how things have transformed with her fa...

Megan, a parent of one of Steph’s My Ed Therapist clients, shares her parenting journey of why she sought out educational therapy for her daughter. Megan explains why her daughter stopped educational therapy and what eventually led them to start again. She also shares how she became the executive functioning part of her daughter’s brain, how Gracie’s challenges emerged in multiple schools, a...

Everyone is messy. Today, Rachel & Steph share the impact and importance of business coaching in building momentum. They share how coaching meets you where you are and helps you to figure out next best steps. They talk about the mindset of business coaching and the story people tell themselves.  Apply for Learn Smarter Pro: https://learnsmarterpodcast.com/lsp/ Support us on Patreon: https://ww...

Penny Williams of the Parenting ADHD Podcast joins us to talk about the power of communication and being in community with other like-minded parents. She chats with us about the importance of accepting kids’ neurodiversity, parenting without ego, and getting to know your child deeply. As Penny says, “Kids who feel good, do good.” She also shares what she tells parents to let go of and...

Educational Therapist Jessica Mintz joins Rachel and Steph for the podcast today. She shares her story of why and how she came to be an educational therapist. Jessica was a part of the last cohort of Learn Smarter Pro , the group coaching program for educational therapists and learning specialists looking to build a private practice. She shares the mindset work she had to do to convince herself sh...

Dr. Chelsea Neumann joins Rachel and Steph to chat about her work as a psychiatrist. She talks about the difference between a psychiatrist and psychologist, what the relationship can be like with a psychiatrist, and how she supports the entire family system. She talks about the impact of COVID-19 and how it has led to some very common concerns and how ADHD is not a sign of stupidity. Dr. Neumann s...