School Shorts cover art

School Shorts

School Shorts

By: Melissa Chan-Green
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School Shorts is the podcast for busy parents who want to help their children succeed in school.

Hosted by Melissa Chan-Green, a journalist and mum of two, this show covers practical tips on reading, writing, spelling, and maths for preschool and early school years.

Learn about structured literacy, phonics, and foundational maths skills like counting, patterns, and sequences, plus how to support your child’s learning at home.

Quick, easy, and packed with helpful advice—School Shorts is here to help your child thrive!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melissa Chan-Green
Parenting & Families Relationships
Episodes
  • Play based learning meets Structured Literacy with Liz Lupton and Theresa Kinloch
    Jul 19 2026

    People often split camps between those who believe in play based learning and those who believe in structured literacy ..but what if they are not mutually exclusive and you can actually teach with both?

    We talk with an early childhood centre leader (Liz Lupton) and a primary school leader (Theresa Kinloch) about how they collaborate with each other to make sure students are ready when they arrive at school ..and that the transition from different styles of learning is smooth and meets the child where they are at.

    We also talk about the benefits of greater co-operation and contact between ECE and schools and what you can do as a parent to help pass on information that is really useful when your child starts school.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    41 mins
  • Using the playground to teach reading! with Marianne Brown
    Jul 12 2026

    Marianne Brown, a literacy expert with 30 years of experience, talks about a lightbulb moment when a struggling reader helped her discover the playground tip that helps with reading. Using the analogy of a slide, Marianne helped the little girl go from not being able to read a single word, to fully reading within just 10 weeks.

    She discusses the science behind why some children struggle and how oral language, conversation, and the alphabetic code are key to supporting students.

    With lots of practical strategies for parents to use ..and an explanation of why patience and repetition are important in building literacy.




    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    33 mins
  • Learning Support, what is a SENCO? LSC? Explained with Lizzie Bayliss
    Jul 5 2026

    If your child has ever needed learning support or additional education needs you might be familiar with the terms SENCO and LSC, but for many families this is unfamiliar jargon for very important roles within a school. In this episode, Lizzie Bayliss talks about how educators in these roles support students.

    We also discuss her journey from founding a fashion company to becoming a deputy principal and setting up the Everyday Collective, a project aimed at inspiring educators through encouraging continuous learning and reflection.

    There is also advice here for parents on building strong home-school relationships. Lizzie encourages open communication with teachers and school staff to ensure children receive the support they need.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    36 mins
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