Raising Thinkers

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time to stretch our mental gears with a robust new Brain Bender!

We are back at Mega Splash Waterpark, but there is a huge problem: the park closes in exactly 60 minutes! To make it to the brand new Aqua Blaster Water-Coaster before the lifeguards blow their whistles, your Thinkers will need to navigate using Spanish directions, multiply Base-10 staircases, and conquer the ultimate challenge: Elapsed Time!

Parents & Educators: Stick around to the very end for our "Parent Corner." Today, Shelley explains why elapsed time is so difficult for 3rd and 4th graders, and how turning a circular clock into a straight, physical timeline (using their own arm!) is a mathematical game-changer.

🎙️ The Kids Takeover is Coming!
On the last week of August, we are featuring YOUR Thinkers on the show! Head over to RaisingThinkers.io to join the free community for our monthly printables, or upgrade to the Master Thinkers Club to submit your challenge answers for a custom certificate and submit your audio riddles/jokes for the podcast! (All August submissions are due by the 20th!)

Keep thinking, keep playing, and we will see you on Tuesday for a Brain Warm-Up

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It’s Tuesday, which means it’s time to get our mental gears turning with a brand new Brain Warm-Up!

In today's episode, we are heading to Mega Splash Waterpark! To win the ultimate end-of-summer grand prize, your family will need to solve deductive reasoning riddles, walk your fingers through a Spanish treasure map, and use financial estimation to buy the ultimate snow cone!

Parents: Stick around to the very end for our "Parent Corner." Today, Shelley explains the power of "schema activation" (opening mental file folders) and why teaching kids to estimate before calculating builds a lifelong mathematical safety net.

🎙️ The Kids Takeover is Coming!
On the last week of August, we are featuring YOUR Thinkers on the show! Head over to RaisingThinkers.io to join the Master Thinkers Club. Members can submit their audio riddles, jokes, and Monthly Challenge answers to be read on the podcast! (All August submissions are due by the 20th!)

Keep thinking, keep playing, and we will see you on Thursday for a Brain Bender!

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It’s Thursday, which means it’s time to stretch our mental gears with a robust Brain Bender!

We are heading to the stadium right after the World Cup Final. You and your Thinker are the lead sports reporters, but we’re locked out of the broadcasting booth! To get on the air, your family will need to solve a spatial geometry riddle and use mental bar-modeling to calculate the exact goal difference between Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham.

Parents & Educators: Stick around to the very end for our "Parent Corner" to learn why using tactile hand movements gives children a concrete scaffold to solve abstract algebra in their heads!

🧩 Join the Master Thinkers Club!
Head over to RaisingThinkers.io to subscribe. Members get to submit answers to be read on the show, download exclusive printables, and access our Birthday Shoutout loop! (August challenge submissions are due by the 20th!)

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BIG NEWS: Raising Thinkers is now a family co-listening adventure! Grab your elementary-aged kids, turn up the volume on the way to school, and get ready to solve some puzzles together.

In our very first "Tuesday Brain Warm-Up," we are traveling to the biggest sporting event on the planet: The World Cup! But there's a huge problem—Señor Mateo has accidentally locked the players' cleats inside the locker room. Can your Thinkers use spatial logic, shape visualization, and a Spanish secret code to get the door open before the referee blows the whistle?

Parents & Educators: Stick around to the very end of the episode for our new "Parent Corner," where Shelley breaks down the cognitive science and Harvard Project Zero strategies used in today's puzzle.

Join the Master Thinkers Club!
We just launched our August Monthly Challenge! Head over to RaisingThinkers.io to subscribe to the club. Members get to submit their challenge answers to be read on the show, download our exclusive monthly printables, and access our brand-new Birthday Shoutout loop!

Keep thinking, keep playing, and we will see you on Thursday for a Brain Bender!

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Music licensed through Soundstripe: MWASXMGXMCTHWJDV, AJVMVBXXG9YA1ZYJ

Meltdowns at 30,000 feet? Not this year! Turn stressful holiday travel into an adventure! We share the best free activities, snack strategies, and layover survival tips for raising happy, engaged thinkers on the go.

In this episode of Raising Thinkers, Shelley shares her journey of creating a large-scale art project with her children, emphasizing the importance of messy creativity. She discusses the steps taken to complete the project, the benefits of engaging in art for children's development, and offers practical tips for parents to manage the mess that comes with creative activities. The episode encourages parents to embrace the chaos of art projects, highlighting the lasting memories and skills that children gain through these experiences.

Listen in as children's book author Stewart O. Dunn joins us to discuss how to foster a love of reading and writing in kids with tips on curiosity, creativity, libraries, and the role of AI in learning.

 

Check out her work at: https://www.stewartodunn.com/

Find out more about Raising Thinkers and Mathematicians at: https://www.raisingthinkerspodcast.com/

If you’ve ever wondered how to really prepare your child for the college essay years before they apply… this one’s for you.

In my podcast conversation with Carter (a college essay coach and reflective writing advocate of https://www.carterosbornetutoring.com), we dive into:
– Why students struggle with the “Tell us about yourself” prompt
– How AI is tempting, but not a substitute for real thinking
– What parents can do now (yes, even with an 8-year-old!)

Spoiler: It’s not about cramming in more activities.
It’s about making space for reflection.

In this episode of Raising Thinkers, host Shelley discusses the importance of chores in child development. She emphasizes how chores can help children build independence, responsibility, and a strong work ethic from a young age. Shelley provides age-appropriate chore suggestions and encourages parents to celebrate their children's efforts, fostering a sense of belonging and teamwork within the family. Subscribe or check out the Raising Thinkers website for more content.

 

In this engaging conversation, Shelley Love De Feliu and Beth Vaucher of Inspiring Young Learners explore the importance of supporting multilingual learners. Beth shares her journey as an educator and her passion for helping students embrace their cultural identities while learning new languages. The discussion covers practical strategies for parents and teachers, emphasizing the significance of curiosity, kindness, and connection in fostering a rich learning environment for multilingual children.

Check it out on our website: https://www.raisingthinkerspodcast.com/