Season 3

Episode 7: Radical rethink


In rural North Carolina, one district launched a radical experiment to rethink their traditional high school. It worked so well, they’ve become a national model.


Episode 6: Navigating the world


How can high schools put student aspirations first? This Rhode Island high school swept aside the old high school model to send students out to explore the world — and even sail the high seas.


Episode 5: Banishing bias from school


One Pennsylvania high school rebuilds its culture through an antiracist lens and one Texas teacher whose culturally responsive teaching builds on the strengths and needs of her students.


Episode 4: School culture makeover


What happens when a high school realizes that their strict behavior rules are doing more harm than good? One Massachusetts charter school revamped their school culture one relationship at a time.


Episode 3: Sampling the future


How can high schoolers sample the future? This public Georgia high school has perfected a pathway program that leads to college, careers, and even stardom.


Episode 2: Forget college prep. Start college now.


One small Texas early college high school manages to do what so many high schools try but fail to do: prepare all students for actual college success.


Episode 1: The problem with high school


Most high schools have been using the same old playbook for more than a century. Why haven’t they caught up with the times?


Season 2

Episode 7: Humility’s bad rap


We want our kids to be confident learners. We tell them to “speak up in class” and “fake it till you make it.” But what about that old-fashioned virtue, humility? New research suggests it may be the key to learning.


Episode 6: Gifted!


One of the best gifts you can give your child? Raising them to be generous.


Episode 5: How about a little gratitude?


Grateful kids are happier, more engaged in school, and more satisfied with their lives. To find out why gratitude is such a game changer in our material-and-status-obsessed world, we talk to researchers, kids, and a Somalian refugee about how gratitude goes beyond niceties and changes lives.


Episode 4: Liar, liar


Good news! Liar, liar has been nominated for a Webby Award for best podcast episode in the Science and Education category. Thank you for listening. Please spread the word!

Today’s kids see celebrities, business moguls, and politicians lie with impunity. Here’s how to raise an honest child in a post-truth society.


Episode 3: The power of purpose


Just 40% of adults say they feel a strong sense of purpose in their lives, but research shows that a sense of purpose makes people happier, healthier, and more successful. We talked to researchers, parents and kids about how you can help your child begin a path toward a meaningful life.


Episode 2: The forgiveness cure


Decades of research show that the ability to forgive is a life skill that helps us build our resilience. In this episode, we tackle some of the biggest misconceptions about forgiveness head on, and explain how teaching kids how to recover from everyday hurts will make them resilient to life’s bigger blows.


Episode 1: It’s love, actually


The secret ingredient for thriving in our fractured society? It’s feeling unconditionally loved, and the best times to make sure your kids feel it are in your toughest parenting moments. We talked with researchers, kids, and a former white supremacist about how to make sure your kids are picking up the vibe. More…


Season 1

Episode 6: Kindergarten Confidential


What’s it like to tour 12 elementary schools in search of the best one for your child? Join us as we explore one of the most complicated milestones in modern American parenting. More…


Episode 5: Sky’s the Limit?


Nine out of 10 parents expect their kids to go to college. Four in 10 kids get there. Tune in to find out how parents from all backgrounds are moving heaven and earth to keep their kids college-bound. More…


Episode 4: The Wonder Years


Tune in as Like a Sponge explores how parents can embrace early adolescence, one of the most radical stages of brain development in the human lifespan. More…


Episode 3: Their Own Devices


In this episode of Like a Sponge, we take a hard look at what screens are doing to our kids’ brains — and what kind of technology role models we are. More…


 


Episode 2: This is Only a Test


Is standardized testing an irrelevant waste of class time? Or is it an essential tool for making sure kids don’t slip through the cracks? In the second episode of Like a Sponge, we delve into the hotly debated topic of standardized tests. More…


 


Episode 1: The M-Word


In the first episode of Like a Sponge, we explore why math fills so many Americans with fear and loathing, and what experts are doing to change the math story for your child. More…