Unlocking Literacy Through Play: Night Zookeeper’s Creative Writing World (Interview with Joshua Davidson)
It's Not That Hard to Homeschool
Release Date: 09/23/2025
The Gratitude Gap
It's Not That Hard to Homeschool
🎧 Episode Description (Show Notes) In this episode of It’s Not That Hard to Homeschool, veteran homeschool educator Lisa Nehring (of True North Academy) discusses living in a world overflowing with options—and for today’s teens, that can be paralyzing. What should I study? Should I go to college or start a business? What if I make the wrong choice? In a culture that glorifies hustle, comparison, and constant choice, gratitude is the grounding force our kids need. It quiets the noise. It helps them see that having choices is a gift—and that gift comes with...
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Build Your Kid's Brand
It's Not That Hard to Homeschool
Episode Sponsors: 🎧 Episode Description (Show Notes) In this episode of It’s Not That Hard to Homeschool, veteran homeschool educator Lisa Nehring (of True North Academy) discusses how to develop your student's stand-out factor using the 5 Pillars of Readiness. 📚 Mentioned in This Episode – Live online classes, advising, and resources for homeschool families. The Typical Course of Study for Highschool 💡 Key Takeaways How to make colleges, internships and careers interested in you. How to develop professional skills and independence. 🧾 Related...
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The ABC's Of Curriculum
It's Not That Hard to Homeschool
Episode Sponsors: 🎧 Episode Description (Show Notes) In this episode of It’s Not That Hard to Homeschool, veteran homeschool educator Lisa Nehring (of True North Academy) reviews tips and tricks of picking the best curriculum! Every new homeschooler—and even those who’ve been at it a while—can struggle with choosing curriculum. With literally tens of thousands of options out there, it’s no wonder it feels overwhelming! But here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be. Homeschooling is about cultivating a lifestyle of learning, and curriculum...
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How to Create Homeschool High School Credits & Transcripts (Step-by-Step Guide)
It's Not That Hard to Homeschool
Episode Sponsors: and 🎧 Episode Description (Show Notes) In this episode of It’s Not That Hard to Homeschool, veteran homeschool educator Lisa Nehring (of True North Academy) breaks down one of the most confusing parts of homeschooling high school: credits and transcripts. If you’ve ever wondered: How do I calculate a high school credit? What goes on a transcript (and what doesn’t)? How do I make my teen’s homeschool transcript look “official”? —then you’re in the right place. Lisa shares her 20+ years of experience helping homeschool families around the world...
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Dual Degree Programs for Homeschoolers — College Done, Not Just College Ready
It's Not That Hard to Homeschool
Show: Not That Hard to Homeschool Host: Lisa Nehring Sponsor: Guest: Lisa Nehring from 🎧 Episode Summary What if your high schooler could graduate with both a high school diploma and a bachelor’s degree—without student debt? In this episode, Lisa shares how True North Academy’s innovative Dual Degree Program helps homeschool families do just that. Learn how your teen can earn an accredited high school diploma and an accredited college degree by age 18 or 19, saving time, money, and stress. Lisa answers one of the biggest parent questions: “When can my child start the dual degree...
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When You Don’t Know What’s Next: Preparing Your High Schooler for the Next Season
It's Not That Hard to Homeschool
Episode Title: When You Don’t Know What’s Next: Preparing Your High Schooler for the Next Season Host: Lisa Nehring Brought to you by: — the stress-free, self-paced homeschool math program for every learner. Episode Summary What happens when your high schooler doesn’t know what’s next—and honestly, neither do you? In this episode, Lisa Nehring shares heartfelt wisdom drawn from her own experience of transition: selling her family home after 22 years and entering a new season of life. Just as a home must be prepared before it’s ready for new owners, our teens can prepare for...
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Homeschool Curious to Community Builder: Morgan Bergstrom on Launching BaseCampEd
It's Not That Hard to Homeschool
What if finding a few like-minded families near you were as easy as dropping a pin on a map? In this episode, Lisa chats with Morgan Bergstrom—former corporate recruiter, mom of three (soon four!), and creator of BaseCampEd, a free app that helps homeschool and alt-ed families connect locally. Morgan shares her family’s journey from full-time daycare to kindergarten at home, the moment the “mini co-op” idea clicked, and why connection—not perfection—keeps families thriving. We talk hybrid options, micro-schools, nature schools, and why you don’t have to go “all in” on day...
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Sorting Through Homeschool Alternatives: Microschools, Hybrids, Online Academies & More
It's Not That Hard to Homeschool
Episode Summary: Is traditional school no longer the right fit for your family? In this episode of It’s Not That Hard to Homeschool, Lisa Nehring breaks down the ever-expanding list of educational alternatives—homeschooling, microschools, university-model schools, co-ops, online academies, dual enrollment, and dual degree programs. With so many choices, it can feel overwhelming, but Lisa gives you a step-by-step framework to clarify your goals, assess your child’s needs, and confidently select the best path forward. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: The pros and cons of...
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Unlocking Literacy Through Play: Night Zookeeper’s Creative Writing World (Interview with Joshua Davidson)
It's Not That Hard to Homeschool
Homeschool language arts… but make it magical. In this episode, Lisa chats with Joshua Davidson, creator of —a story-driven, gamified ELA program where kids invent creatures, build worlds, and level up writing, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and more. With real tutors, smart scaffolding, and a gentle, visually stunning interface, Night Zookeeper helps reluctant writers become confident storytellers—and gives fluent writers a global community to share their work. What you’ll learn How creativity fuels literacy: kids design characters, then naturally want to write, revise, and share. ...
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The Drumbeat of Disruption: Why Homeschooling Matters More Than Ever
It's Not That Hard to Homeschool
The Drumbeat of Disruption: Why Homeschooling Matters More Than Ever Sponsored by The world feels heavy right now. The headlines are filled with tragedy, confusion, and cultural chaos. From heartbreaking school shootings to online radicalization, parents are left wondering: How do I raise my kids in a world like this? In this episode of It’s Not That Hard to Homeschool, Lisa Nehring tackles these difficult questions head-on. She calls today’s environment what it is—a drumbeat of disruption—and explains why homeschooling is one of the most powerful ways to reclaim influence in our...
info_outlineHomeschool language arts… but make it magical.
In this episode, Lisa chats with Joshua Davidson, creator of Night Zookeeper—a story-driven, gamified ELA program where kids invent creatures, build worlds, and level up writing, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and more. With real tutors, smart scaffolding, and a gentle, visually stunning interface, Night Zookeeper helps reluctant writers become confident storytellers—and gives fluent writers a global community to share their work.
What you’ll learn
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How creativity fuels literacy: kids design characters, then naturally want to write, revise, and share.
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Built-in scaffolding: age-appropriate prompts and supports progress from picture-choice sentences to full paragraphs and essays.
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Immediate feedback (from a penguin!): friendly, low-friction corrections keep momentum high.
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Safe, moderated community: every post is reviewed by humans; parent controls let you dial features up or down.
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Comprehensive ELA: reading, writing, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, poetry, persuasive and report writing—guided by quests or sandbox play.
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Tutor feedback: real people encourage, coach, and celebrate wins.
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Grows with your learner: ages ~5–11 with pathways for beginners and advanced storytellers.
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Cross-platform access: computers and tablets; iPhone available now, Android app coming.
How Night Zookeeper works (quick tour)
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Create a character (unicorn-rainbow besties with a crisp packet named Bill? yes.).
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Tell the story with prompts that match skill level.
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Get feedback—from tutors, peers, and the professorial penguin.
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Build skills via gamified lessons and the new Quests mode (a structured route through the curriculum).
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Share & celebrate inside a fully moderated, kid-safe community.
Safety & parental controls
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All student work is reviewed by human tutors before it’s public.
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Feature controls for families (e.g., limit community features for younger children).
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Optional “bubble mode” if you want a solo experience.
Pro tips from Joshua
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Create the first animal together. That one shared moment super-charges buy-in.
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Try the 7-day free trial, then (if you love it) consider the companion Night Zookeeper books for easy independent reading.
Who this episode is for
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Parents of reluctant writers who need a joyful on-ramp.
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Word-loving kids who want a bigger audience for their stories.
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Families seeking a complete, kid-safe ELA solution that actually gets used.
Links & resources
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Night Zookeeper (7-day free trial + discount):
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Night Zookeeper books (by Joshua Davidson): [book link]
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True North Academy (online grades 6–12): truenorthhomeschool.academy
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It’s Not That Hard to Homeschool blog: notthathardtohomeschool.com
Pull quote
“The best forms of learning are play. We just give kids the tools to create until their hearts are content.”
Call to action
Ready to turn “I don’t like writing” into “Can I write one more chapter?”
👉 Start the free trial here: https://www.nightzookeeper.com/
*Links to Night Zookeeper are sponsored affiliate links. A comissioned may be earned by Lisa Nehring.