No Silly Questions- An Education Podcast for Parents

Parents instinctively push their kids to succeed. Yet well-meaning parents can put soul-crushing pressure on kids, leading to under-performance and serious mental health problems instead of social, emotional, and academic success. So where are they going astray?   According to Drs. Chris Thurber and Hank Weisinger, our guests for today, it all comes down to asking the right questions.  Instead of...

How often does your child ask you a question that you don’t know the answer to? And maybe you google it, ask Alexa or find a book at home that can help. For many teachers and parents, BrainPOP is where they turn for a reliable resource so we don’t have to be walking encyclopedias. On today’s episode we speak with the chief product officer at this wildly popular education company to understand what...

All parents want their kids to receive a quote unquote “good education.” But what about a great education? An excellent education? What does the ceiling look like? Our expert today, Professor Jal Mehata, has made a deep study - of what he calls “deeper learning.” We speak with him about how this can be achieved within a classroom, across a school campus, and even in our own homes. More on Jal: Jal...

We’re back with a new episode in the series: Parent Panels with NSQ! After hearing from so many moms and dads about their real experiences with topics covered in our podcast, we’ve decided to bring these candid conversations to you. We’ve heard from the experts… now let’s hear from the parents! In this panel, we are joined by three dynamic women: Stefani Berkin- real estate broker and President of...

Maybe you too have had that experience where you travel to a foreign country and realize you can’t remember any of the highschool french or spanish you used to know. Why is that? What does excellent foreign language instruction look like? And is computer science the second language of the future? On today’s episode we learn from our guest, Raina Gilchrist, all about language immersion education at...

As parents, we want to trust that our school and state are using evidence-based practices for the teaching of reading. But despite growing research on the topic, educators across our country simply don’t agree on which approach is best. Today’s guest can comment on this from both angles - as a mom and as the state literacy director of Mississippi- a state that continues to see amazing gains in rea...

When we were kids, we would often play a game where we tried not to step on the cracks in the sidewalk. Necks crooked down, eyes laser focused on the ground, we hopped around as we sang- and some of us believed-: “Step on the crack, break your mama’s back!”  And then there were the 10-step bedtime routines: “I won’t go to bed unless you read me a bedtime story, tuck in every one of my stuffed anim...

Is it just us, or are you also seeing on your social media feed, a trend where everyday materials are being used for play. There’s actually a formal name for these materials- they’re called Loose Parts and our guest today, Miriam Beloglovksy, is here to help us understand their value. More on Miriam: Miriam Beloglovsky is a professor of early childhood education, sought-after public speaker, CEO o...

Food is one of the great joys of life, but many modern day parents are left feeling like short order cooks. In this episode, we ask registered dietitian Ali Bandier of Senta Health- everything on nutrition and the kitchen sink- from the optimal meals to serve at home, what to send in the lunchbox to school, how to handle picky eating, what she believes around vitamins, and much more food for thoug...

Questions and theories about how to approach behavior in children abound. With our guest Michelle today, also known by her popular instagram account “Thriving Toddler,” we are breaking down the questions about behavior that we get the most from our listeners, and that stand out to us as educators. You will also learn how to create better alignment between the behavior management protocols in the s...

The depth of Peter Gray’s beliefs about a better way to learn are matched only by his profound content knowledge and contributions to the field of psychology and child development. This is a provocative, boundary pushing conversation - about reimagining learning without the curriculum, the tests.. and even the teachers. You will without a doubt be talking about this with your friends at your next...

Do you know what a 401K is? How about a 529? Or a 403B?  If you know what these investment accounts are, we bet you didn’t learn about them in school. Because financial literacy- at even a basic level- is conspicuously left out of the curriculum in most K-12 programs. Our guests today from Benjamin Talks- two former Goldman Sachs employees and moms- are here to make sure all families are financial...

Many will tell you that the social experience of school made as big an impact on their lives as the academic one.  Jordana, was that the case for you?  Yes, and some of my closest friends to this day are still the friends I made in Kindergarten. You know what? That’s true for me too. And a tremendous blessing in my life. But we know this is not always the case. On today’s episode, we speak with re...

Say hello to our new series: Parent Panels with NSQ!  After hearing from so many moms and dads about their real experiences with topics covered in our podcast, we’ve decided to bring these candid conversations to you. We’ve heard from the experts… now let’s hear from the parents!  In this panel, we are joined by three dynamic women: Molly Knauer- dietician and founder of The Motherhood Method, Ali...

So, your child is ready to move on to kindergarten, middle school, high school, etc. and you have to consider what school to send them to. For some in New York City, there are many possibilities and it can take some navigating to find a good fit. Today, we are in conversation with Whitney and Taryn from Admit NY to provide you with insight into the hows, whats and whens of the New York City school...

The terrific twos or the terrible twos? Toddlerhood brings us moments of complete joy and intense frustration, and it’s in those difficult moments that we need help and may turn to friends, experts and social media figures. But where do our instincts come into play? Today we dive into this tension and bring in the expert of all experts to answer your most pressing questions. More on Dr. Tovah Klei...

ADHD is the most searched term on the internet, and for good reason. In recent year we’ve seen a 43% increase in the identification and diagnosis of ADHD, and parents are looking to get their questions answered from experts. Well, boy do we have the expert today. This conversation with Dr. Yamalis Diaz is packed with incredibly valuable information for anything and everything related to ADHD. More...

You may recognize our guest today Neily Boyd from her popular instagram account CountingWithKids. Neily, a former math director for schools, began making her math resources available to parents on social media- and her popularity exploded during the pandemic. Today, she is giving our listeners a special digest version of how to support mathematics development at home.  More on Neily Boyd: Neily Bo...

Our guest for this episode. Dr. Kelly Fradin, started the popular instagram account AdviceIGiveMyFriends- and today she shares advice with our listeners about all the opportunities, and missed opportunities, for collaboration between families, doctors and schools.. After listening to Dr. Kelly Fradin, we won’t be approaching our annual doctor’s visit the same way again! More on Dr. Kelly Fradin: D...

On today’s episode, we learn about the history of parenting and focus on what has made American childhood unique. With her deep knowledge on this subject matter, Paula gives us a lot to consider as we reflect back and look forward. More on Paula S. Fass: Paula S. Fass  is a renowned historian of childhood and is the Margaret Byrne Professor of History Emerita at the University of California at Ber...

Reggio Emilia, Montessori, Language Immersion…The list of educational approaches can sound like a foreign language and be confusing for families trying to select the right educational environment for their child.  We are excited to break down these pedagogies for you, starting with our guest today Jennifer, an expert practitioner in the Reggio Emilia-inpired schooling approach.  More on Jennifer:...

On this episode our guest Anne breaks down one of the most essential and frequently referred services for children in schools, and also explains how the techniques and treatments involved can benefit every individual in the classroom. Not only is she an expert OT provider, but she’s also a yoga guru and helps us understand the power of the mind body connection.  More on Anne Buckley-Reen: Anne Buc...

Cancel culture, collecting receipts, watermarking nudes, comparison quicksand and digital pacifiers. These are the complex realities that teens face everyday in their online life. This episode will, without a doubt, help every parent better understand what their kids are going through and how to help. More on Dr. Emily Weinstein: Dr. Emily Weinstein is a Principal Investigator at Project Zero, a r...

Our guest today helps us understand that there are many other smarts, beyond the classic book smarts and street smarts. And enormous possibility can exist for kids when we recognize their unique aptitudes, in school and at home. We hope today’s episode expands our perception of what it means to be quote- “good at school.” More on Dr. Thomas Hoerr: Dr. Thomas Hoerr led schools for 37 years and is c...

In this episode, we get Chancellor Klein’s candid take on his time running the whole New York City school system and how he tried to drive reform in schools. His wins, his setbacks, and his reflections. This was a bold conversation with some courageous revelations. We can’t wait for you to listen. More on Joel Klein: In addition to being a lawyer, executive, and author, Joel Klein served as Chance...