The grounded space

A gentle reminder about the curriculum…You may have noticed that the current curriculum feels very content heavy.This can feel overwhelming — especially when you’re teaching at home.But here’s something important to remember:The curriculum is designed to provide possible teaching points, not a checklist that every child must complete.It exists to support educators — teachers and parents — by offering guidance, options, and direction.It is not intended to be something children are measured against or expected to “keep up with” at all times.Learning outcomes are guides, not expectations.Not all children learn the same things at the same time.Not all children need the same depth, pace, or approach.And that’s not a problem — that’s how learning works.This is one of the reasons I started Grounded Learning Co I wanted to help families feel empowered, not pressured.Confident, not overwhelmed.Supported to make decisions that truly meet their child’s learning needs.Curriculum should feel like a tool you can use, not an impending weight or sense of “not enough.”You are allowed to pause.You are allowed to adapt.You are allowed to choose what matters right now for your child.And you’re allowed to trust yourself along the way.

A little note about the soft launch of Grounded Learning Co

An anonymised example of the kind of support I provide:I once supported an older child who was refusing all “school” work and experiencing frequent behavioural escalations.On the surface, it looked like disengagement and non-compliance.Underneath, it was a child who felt disrespected, spoken down to, and out of control — with very little sense of agency or purpose.We started by listening.Together, we identified early body signals that told him he was becoming overwhelmed, and he chose regulation strategies that suited his preferences — things like taking a walk, calling his mum, listening to music, or getting a cold drink of water.We also added proactive supports to help his body feel ready for learning, including movement before tasks.As trust built, it became clear that a major barrier to learning was a lack of why.He couldn’t see a reason to engage, and he had no sense of what learning was leading towards.We explored interests and values and identified a future pathway that genuinely excited him. Together, we researched what was needed to work towards that goal — and for the first time, he could see himself as capable.With increased confidence, a sense of purpose, and strategies that respected his autonomy, things shifted quickly.He began choosing to engage in learning.His academic progress improved.Behavioural escalations reduced significantly.Most importantly, he felt safer, more respected, and more emotionally confident.This is what can happen when learning moves from compliance to meaning (Details have been intentionally generalised to protect privacy

For parents of teens with PDA: why I do parent coachingI often hear from parents of teens who feel like they’ve missed the window for support.Learning has become a daily battle.Connection feels fragile.And their child has started to believe they are the problem.One parent came to me with a high-school student with a PDA profile who was experiencing ongoing work refusal and was unable to meet learning outcomes.Despite paying for ongoing tutoring, nothing was shifting — not because this young person couldn’t learn, but because the way learning was being approached felt unsafe and overwhelming.Mum felt disconnected and unsure how to help.Her child was saying things like “I’m dumb” and “I can’t do this.”After a small number of sessions, the biggest change didn’t come from more content — it came from changing how learning was offered at home.When Mum adjusted her approach, everything shifted.This teenager went from:• refusing work• avoiding challenges• believing they weren’t good enoughto:• proudly sharing learning with Mum• feeling excited to try again• saying, “I can do this — the way it was taught was the problem, not me.”That mindset shift is why I do parent coaching.Some of the supports we used were simple, but deeply intentional:• Breaking learning into very small, clearly separated steps(sometimes literally cutting worksheets apart or teaching one micro-skill at a time)• Time-limited tasks (often 5–15 minutes), never everything at onceWriting, for example, was separated into:spelling → sentence structure → vocabulary → purpose → planning → writing → editingEach taught individually, on different days if needed.• Meaningful, real-life learning(e.g. persuasive writing based on something that actually mattered to the teen)• Hands-on approaches for maths and abstract concepts• A personalised regulation toolkitcreated with the teen, not imposed on them• Choice without pressure“This task, that task, something different, or would you like me to choose?”• Planned breaks before overwhelm hit• Always finishing with reflection and a preferred activityso learning ended with success, not depletionThis wasn’t about pushing harder or lowering expectations.It was about removing threat, restoring agency, and rebuilding trust — for both the teen and the parent.If you’re parenting a teen with a PDA profile and learning feels like it’s falling apart, it’s not too late — and nothing is “wrong” with your child Sometimes, a small shift in approach changes everything. 

A gentle reminder for parents today

I recently refreshed my Learning Observation & Reflection Record, something I originally created just to help me notice learning differently at home.

Sneak Peek

Earlier this week I shared a real, unplanned learning moment that began with dysregulation and was guided entirely by my children’s interests.Today, I want to show one example of how I might document that experience for moderation — without losing the child-centred, meaningful learning that it was.This learning report is based on the WA Kindergarten Guidelines, and the outcomes shown are drawn from that framework.I want to be really clear:• You do not have to write learning reports this way• You may prefer dot points or much shorter notes• Photos and evidence are optional — the written observation itself is evidence• Not all learning needs an outcome attachedFor this example, I simply read through the planning document I created and chose the curriculum links that applied.It took less than a minute.There was no complicated jargon to decode — just clear, parent-friendly language that made it easy to see where the learning connected.I didn’t use the curriculum as a checklist.I used it as a tool.When I considered a “where to next”, I looked at the outcomes and chose something that connected to my children’s interest in insects. From there, I might offer learning experiences that celebrate that interest — knowing they don’t have to engage unless it genuinely sparks curiosity.Sometimes an activity is a hit.Sometimes it isn’t — and that’s okay.Not every learning experience needs a next step.My role isn’t to instruct or direct.It’s to facilitate, observe, and respond.This is one way learning can be documented in a way that:• meets moderation requirements• stays true to child-led learning• avoids worksheets and pressure• reflects real life at homeThis is the approach behind everything I create at Grounded Learning Co.There are many ways to document learning. This is one that feels sustainable for our family.

Big feelings can make the nervous system react as if there’s real danger.This isn’t a parenting failure — it’s a body responding to a perceived threat.

I’ve just released a Beginner’s Guide to Homeschooling for families who are new, feeling overwhelmed, or finding their way outside traditional schooling.

I created this resource because I wanted something special for my own child as we begin homeschooling.

One of the tools I use with older children and teens is a future pathways planning template.

How we used the Starting Homeschooling Bundle

If you’re supporting an older child or teen and learning feels like a constant struggle, you’re not doing anything wrong.

What learning can look like