Ep. 50 - Body Before Brain: Unlock Learning with Sarah Collins

Before academics, worksheets, or curriculum—there’s one foundational question: Is my child ready to learn?

Learning starts with the body.

In this conversation, we are joined by Sarah Collins, homeschool mom and occupational therapist behind Homeschool OT.

Sarah helps us step into an OT’s perspective on learning readiness by unpacking retained primitive reflexes, regulation, and how to observe our kids with new eyes.

Together, we explore:

• What an OT does and how they support learning at home
• What primitive reflexes are, with a focus on the Moro reflex and ATNR
• The downstream impacts of unintegrated reflexes—on attention, emotional regulation, executive functioning, and reading
• Practical first steps for parents noticing challenges with regulation, readiness, and felt-safety
• Practical starting points for parents who feel maxed out or burned out

Sarah brings both expertise and empathy, reminding parents that you don’t have to do everything—just start where you are, with what you have.

Links & Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

📌Learn more about Sarah, her classes and consulting at Homeschool OT

📌 Listen to Sarah’s podcast The Homeschool OT Is In

• Episode 21: Exploring Primitive Reflexes
• Episode 22: Play-Based Reflex Integration
• Video for Kids on Retained Reflexes

📌 Check out Day in the Life (DITL) Community.

• DITL is a community of parents who gather weekly to learn, reflect, and support one another as we homeschool with heart. Each month we welcome a guest expert like Sarah, and every day we build community through shared learning, encouragement, and friendship through our asynchronous video chats on Marco Polo.

📌 Kelly offers one-on-one coaching and a self-paced course on the 90-Minute School Day method.

📌 There is also Guide Training™, a live group learning environment, for those who prefer community learning.

📌Listen to or invite Kelly to speak about the 90-Minute School Day™.

 

🎧 Listen to the other episodes in the “Starting Where You Are” series:

• Part 1: What Grief Has to Teach Us with Emily Souder
• Part 2: Falling Behind is a Myth with Leslie Martino
• Part 4: What If Math Wasn't the Problem? with Sue Patterson
• Part 5: Becoming Brave Learners with Julie Bogart
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