Ready to unlock the secret to making mediocre daycares & public schools work for you?
Imagine personalized, play based preschool caliber education, but make it sustainable!
“I want to throw away a perfectly good lead & lose the relay race because of a poor handoff,” said no runner ever.
Yet…
That’s precisely what happens when we don’t nurture children’s raw learning ability during the singularly formative 3-6 year old stage.
I’m here to make sure you don’t stumble at the starting line
Treat yourself to time well spent with that indispensable learning wingwoman – me! – who erases educational anxiety and accelerates learning – while your kids immerse themselves in the play centered life they deserve.
Let me let you in on a secret code
Here’s what I want you to remember
T.A.N.G.O. – There Are No Great Options
It’s not your child that’s the problem if they’re bored or not challenged.
It’s our education system.
You’ve heard about the…
- Shortage of teachers and daycare workers (a moment of silence please for those who can’t bumrush the exits of toxic work environments),
- Extraordinary learning loss from the pandemic which has erased gains made since the 1970s, &
- Uncanny power school boards hold over curriculum choices
These gravity problems can’t be solved, but what you can influence is the education you provide outside the classroom.
What if there was a tried & true strategy proven to:
- Accelerate learning,
- Cultivate creativity and innovation, &
- Elevate you to the MVP of your child’s learning team
That’s the power of a savvy, play based preschool at home strategy
Don’t make drastic lifestyle changes because you’re frustrated by the glacial, garden variety education your child is receiving.
Channel your inner Albert Einstein & provide learning adventures that enrich the program your child attends in just 15 minutes a day.
Your child’s education needs to do more than *just* help them find happiness
Feel-good-all-the-time-no-matter-what is a losing strategy for life
Building a better mind – the ne plus ultra ideal of every education – requires learning how to think + face & overcome resistance.
How can we help young children do this? By fostering connection-dense learning through inquiry, 1:1 conversations, and hands-on learning.
I know that many preschool and Kindergarten families are struggling to provide a world-class early childhood education that doesn’t sacrifice financial security or sanity.
Salagadoola menchicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo → that’s me waving the sorcerer’s wand
You CAN design a play based preschool at home to supplement the group program your child attends.
When teaching to a group, there is no model in which individualized learning truly exists because it is impossible to offer 1:1 teaching in a classroom of 18 (if you’re lucky) students.
Our children deserve better than a prescribed curriculum that teaches to the test or exists to show a program achieved similarly arbitrary standards.
Our children deserve an education that dives deep into the topics near & dear to their hearts in the learning style that reflects their singular strengths.
The magic’s in the learning.
Shall we raise pioneers and pathfinders?
Kids spend 86% of their waking hours outside of the classroom
Tick tock, tick tock
You didn’t ask for it, but here’s more tough love anyway:
- The US has one of the shortest school years (175-180 days)
- American children are disadvantaged because learning loss over the extensive summer break is real
- Group programs have benefits but…they are also WILDLY inefficient, particularly for advanced students who crave the challenge of mastering new skills or making novel connections.
Add this all up and it’s a glorious lie —
Just attending school is not enough for a life well crafted
With 1:1 engagement through play based preschool at home, you subvert this narrative.
15 minutes of 1:1 engagement = at least 30 minutes of group learning.
Fact: learning style preference + complementary study strategies = knowledge that sticks.
To successfully comprehend and retain information, children need a learning partner (YOU!) who can support them in understanding their learning DNA & making connections across subjects.
It’s astounding that at least 30% of the 6 hour and 20 minute school day is lost to transitions between planned activities, waiting for turns (if you’re lucky enough to be in a hands-on learning program), disciplining, time spent individually with struggling students, eating, and breaks.
It begs the question → Should I believe my kid when she says she doesn’t know what they did today in school? 🤔🤯😭
This is why supplementing learning with play based preschool at home is vital
My promise to you?
Play based preschool at home works
I am confident that we will find at least one 15-minute slot in your day to connect & learn with your child.
And I know we can maximize those precious minutes by: 1) cracking your child’s learning code, 2) leveraging only fun and effective hands-on activities, and 3) teaching as you are.
Still tracking with me?
Here are 3 ways you can start with play based preschool experiences that are ahead of the curve
Option #1 — Custom Education Strategy Calls | $650
Design a learning plan for your high ability child so they reach their full potential. The typical nursery school and daycare is structured for average learners. Build a custom early learning system for your advanced learner to thrive.
With just one strategy call, you receive:
- An hour of dedicated time to design a learning plan that works for your family. Here are examples of how past clients have used their time with me – no strategy call is the same:
- Play space audit + optimization plan to maximize your prepared environment and extend learning – even when you’re busy
- Time matrixing to uncover the viable 15-minute windows in your week during which t0 accelerate skills and what to target in those 15-minute windows
- Resource curation and/or wishlist creation to efficiently source the most effective resources for reading, writing, and computing (+ if/when sales are happening) so your child remains engaged
- Troubleshoot school or daycare scenarios – benchmark whether the issue is “normal” and make a plan to remediate it either with the institution, at home, or both.
- Recording + detailed writeup of the action items we discussed with suggested prioritization so you can effectively implement the play based preschool plan we design
Say yes to speed talking & valuable information sharing so you can set up a play based preschool for high ability children at home.
Option #2: Inquisitive Learner Accelerator | $3000
This pioneer early childhood learning program shows preschool and kindergarten families how to supplement learning at home with a comprehensive, 3-phase approach combining the most effective strategies and resources from both traditional schooling and homeschooling.
Designed to be completed in 2 months (because hello working parent life!), it’s all you need to form a long-game strategy for raising self-directed, creative learners in an era of pricey yet diluted (ahem, Faux-tessori) and scarce high quality preschool programs.
8 weeks to a learning transformation with:
A 3-phase curriculum with 50+ bite-sized, action-oriented lessons including videos, worksheets, and done-for-you resources
+ 4 customizable pathways for Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, and Charlotte Mason education so you no longer need to pick just one learning philosophy or school
+ Foundational cross-discipline training showing the best practices and strategies for teaching and advancing reading, writing, and numeracy competencies
+ Two 1:1 reviews with me for your 1) personalized learning curriculum; 2) play space + resources
+ Intimate weekly live group coaching calls
+ Like-minded parent community
+ Bonus #1 – Block play workshop
+ Bonus #2 – Process art 101 tutorial
+ Bonus #3 – Loose parts masterclass
+ Bonus #4 – SOS Toolkit – the sticky situation solver
+ Bonus #5 – 2-for-1 $500 off incentive
Option #3 — Confident Decision Makers Toolkit | $50
3K? PreK? Kindergarten? Afterschool classes? Summer camp? I’ve been there, screened over 300 programs, and made 7 winning choices in 3 years.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- How to find and screen the most relevant educational opportunities,
- Strategies to meaningfully evaluate the different options,
- Behavorial science tactics and research to cut through the noise and choose the right program for your family
You also get access to:
+ Done for you Excel workbook with customizable weighted decision making model so you choose the right school with minimal fuss
+ 5-step decision making framework with 20 bite-sized, jargon-free videos
+ Printable CDA workbook and checklists
After all, you’re not here to let your child be part of some social experiment
And relying on Inside Schools isn’t enough to help them take over the world
Here are my go-to ways to support clients when we work together 1:1 or in group settings
Results-oriented coursework
The in-depth yet intentionally sequenced pre-work & coursework you complete is the information that launches a thousand opportunities for your child.
You’re a busy parent and needed to bust out of stasis and paralysis yesterday.
My proven frameworks help you make smart decisions + leverage your home environment and the time after school to provide gold standard education.
Amp up your child’s play time and get those neural connections firing.
1:1 time with me
You’ve got a lifeline in me!
We have ample time to discuss or review your progress to make sure you hit your goals, whether they are to:
- Refresh your very own perfect-for-your-family learning space (even if you don’t have a playroom),
- Demystify the minimum required learning standards (+ how to teach reading, writing, critical thinking, and number sense so you can finally accelerate learning), and/or
- Understand the learning strategies and methods that effective teachers and homeschooling parents use to get learning to stick
Voxer Access
Did someone say they wanted an accountability buddy? I don’t do Irish goodbyes (in fact, I’m probably still on the prowl for more Champagne).
There’s no way I’ll leave you just when things are getting juicy. Use this time to reflect, implement, test, and ask me for feedback so you can reach your destination.
Recording + to-dos (for strategy calls)
Our two hours together are going to be hot and heavy – you won’t want (or have time) to take notes!
Rest easy – our calls are recorded and I’ll provide a summary of the action items with suggested prioritization so you can effectively implement the play based preschool roadmap we design.
Let’s break it down now
Say yes to the elevated learning invite
1 | Secure your spot
Schedule your two-hour call at a time that works or sign up for ILA or CDA before doors close.
Then, get ready for the welcoming committee to roll out the red carpet. No consultants rinse and repeating blindly out of a program plan here.
2 | Do the work
The courswork and prework (if applicable) are what get those learning fires blazing!
Complete the tools, learn to identify the four types of children + dominant learning styles, make bullseye school decisions, and more!
3 | Reflect + Assess
After the work is done, there is time for you to implement and come back to ask follow up questions or seek clarification.
I want you to succeed and love the supplementing school lifestyle as much as I do. It’s a game changer!
“Didn’t think you’d actually stop the doomsday scenarios in my head of our twins being behind others in life because of our middling nursery school. The Q&A and information you provided was excellent and we covered so much – I couldn’t believe when our two hours were up. The session has had a direct impact on our family’s long-term plans and we don’t feel pressure to move in this crazy housing environment. Best investment for our finances and mental health.”
Oliver K.
Columbus, OH
“I just reviewed our session recording from earlier this week and wanted to say how amazing it was. You clearly love teaching as a parent and have a deep understanding of how a professional teacher approaches lesson planning, instruction, and evaluation vis-à-vis standards. Your command of a challenging and complicated process, and the fantastic job you did at presenting a streamlined approach to busy parents such as myself was worth every dollar.”
Samantha and Lisa
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Payment in arms, legs, or first born children are not accepted
Around here, we believe in smart education AND financial decisions.
Take a deep breath and repeat after me:
I am a great parent even if I don’t spend every last dollar on our children’s education.
That’s why I offer three different services that DON’T require Klarna, Affirm, or any Buy Now Pay Later shenanigans.
Imagine if you could say no to…
- Wasting time or money on applications to private school,
- Chauffeuring your kids around to seven meticulously researched afterschool classes, or
- Buying great looking toys that gather dust in the corner.
It’s time to give yourself permission to embrace playing a meaningful role in educating your children – and to learn how to deliver that magical, learning adventure that equips them to forge their own trail in life.
Let’s start offering children a purposeful, joyful education that they keep talking about and asking for.
Go ahead and rival their teacher (but with your PJs on).
A custom learning foundation that opens all future doors? Priceless.
Private programs start at upwards of $30,000 a year …
But I’ve made it possible for you to get started for less than the cost of one private swim class
“Kim is the go to expert on all things supplemental learning. She’s figured out a way to find pockets of time in your day where you can teach your kids and most importantly, HOW to do so in that short window. I saved so much money NOT buying resources that would have been a bust and instead, learning what merited investment and how to maximize those purchases. Without seeing how scarily easy and effective it is to teach at home, I would have never been able to start.”
Pamela X.
Kips Bay, NYC
“Before working with Kim, I had migraines thinking about how to rank the 12 schools on my NYC DOE list. The prospect of teaching my kid scared me, but I went for it. Since finishing our call, I’ve revamped our living room to house a dedicated learning space, fine-tuned my radar for things that deserve a spot in our home, and finally gotten my kid to start blending sounds in words he has never encountered – it really works!”
Kin S.
SoHo, NYC
“Overwhelmed – that’s what we felt when trying to decide how to plan for Zara’s preschool. We could afford to send her to private school, but we didn’t want her growing up thinking that what she saw in school is what she should expect out of life. She’s 3 for crying out loud – she doesn’t need a first class ticket right now. We live in Miami though which suffers from some very politicized schooling. Kim’s no-nonsense approach to accelerating education and closing learning gaps was what we needed to feel confident about Zara’s future.”
Cassidy and Mike Z.
Miami
“Kim is the bee’s knees (maybe i’m the only millennial who says that). She will help you navigate early childhood education with a plan that you can actually implement. No more endless scrolling on the interwebs, there is always so much to be learned and Kim seems to know every detail of how to teach what and when – even if your child is GIFTED. She will show you the secret backdoor to feeling calm about school choice and make you feel excited about being your child’s ride or die learning partner.”
Joe B.
Dallas, TX
“Kim is a veritable cornucopia of a treat. She has a broad (needs to be emphasized!) understanding of school issues, is armed with all the current facts about common core standards, and understands how to make homeschooling work alongside traditional schools. Her knowledge of the learning resources, teaching tactics, grade level standards, and educational benchmarks saved us four months of research time. Kim took a complex and black box process, and helped us make decisions that were right for us. We feel lucky to have found her!”
Shelly K. and Jennifer C.
Ontario, CA
“Our painful journey in considering private schools has been a nailbiter, but the outcome is better than we could have imagined. We are so grateful for your knowledge, practicality, and coaching. We tell everybody who will listen to hire you. You are the piece of driftwood you grab and hold on to for dear life when a ship capsizes. Thank you!!”
Mark M.
Boston, MA
My BBB (that’s buoyant bloomer backed) promise to you:
Our discussion will result in marked changes in your child’s play and learning. I’m here from start to finish. This isn’t your average strategy call. They are tailored, intense, and results – oriented – that’s why I only have four spaces available a month so that my clients get the attention they deserve and I have the bandwidth to support them as they implement (that post-call 14-day Voxer access benefit isn’t just another bullet point on the page!).
And just who am I?
I’m Kim Liao, and I show parents like you how to provide acelerated yet engaging learning experiences outside the classroom, so children are prepared to forge any path in life.
While desigining a thriving life during 16 months of work from home with no childcare captivity, I started creating learning experiences and documenting the successes our son and his pandemic pod achieved.
When our 3.5 year old returned to daycare after 16 months, he was already demonstrating all the PreK competencies and some Kindergarten skills. His current PreK teacher who has taught at some of the leading private schools in New York verified at our first parent-teacher conference in November that he had exceeded the learning standards required of PreK.
By combining this intense practicum with my deep knowledge of public, private, and charter school requirements and philosophies, I created a deliberate, transformative lifestyle that effectively supplements the group program a child attends.
Any home can house a play based preschool. It’s not the square footage or resources that counts – it’s the game plan and intention.
This is how to start offering a private school caliber education, but one that’s truly bespoke and actually sustainable (economically, ecologically, and emotionally)…
…By following a step-by-step blueprint that is family focused, hyper aware of each child’s uniqueness, and has its eye on the long game.
No more educational anxiety and fear for you – your child will thrive and succeed with your engagement and the skills you take away from our bespoke education strategy call.
And that, dear reader, is why I created this solution …
What are you waiting for?
Our strategy services are perfect for parents who:
- Want to reinforce – or better yet accelerate! – what their young kids are learning to ensure that they are as well prepared as kids attending elite private programs
- Are busy & need a Cliff’s Notes guide to teaching that helps their kids establish a solid education foundation in reading, writing, math, and critical thinking
- Have considered moving or cutting pricey tuition checks, but don’t want to sacrifice financial security or the neighborhood they love
- Just *know* there is another way of thinking about education, one that doesn’t force you to choose between accepting mediocre programs or being beholden to less than ideal careers just to pay for exclusive schools
- Are ready to become Miss Honey with an organized, fun approach to preschool learning, because you’re not on Bling Empire with unlimited funds to outsource your offspring’s needs. You need assurances that your child will THRIVE!
Buoyant Bloomer is not a good fit if you…
- Would rather become a D-list celebrity with all the flash-in-your-face paparazzi issues than be caught spending 30 minutes playing with or teaching your child
- Can’t deal with your child when they get frustrated and don’t have the patience to coach them through growth opportunities
- Don’t want to implement changes and just want to blame the System
- Believe that you can outsource your child’s education and get the same outcome compared to an engaged family
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I didn't attend elementary school in America? Will I still be able teach my kids?
Even parents who were born in America and attended PK-12 here are stumped when it comes to truly understanding what milestones their kid needs to be proficient in at each grade level and how to teach those skills!
I demystify what children need to know in reading, writing, and math from PK-3rd grade so you have a complete forward looking view for your preschooler in terms of what to target.
You’ll also have complete confidence that anything extra you do outside of the standards is extra credit.
And if you have a child who already hits all the targets of the following grade level? We make a plan for how to either engage and deepen their interests or accelerate learning.
My specialty is helping advanced learners find new avenues to investigate and geek out on. There is ALWAYS something new and age appropriate to learn.
I'm just trying to survive each day with two kids. I don't think I have time for this??
Here’s the God honest truth: doing your second, third, or fourth alternative is better than not doing your first best option.
If your 4th alternative is a 5-minute activity that you do every day? You are already AHEAD OF THE GAME!
You can supplement school five hours a week, 2.5 hours a week, one hour a week – you get the picture.
The trick is to get started with one 15 minute sesssion.
You got this, and I have your back since we have two weeks after our call to troubleshoot and keep the momentum going.
What topics do you cover?
Group programs in early childhood usually focus (rightfully so) on social and emotional coaching. These skills are hard to learn without a gaggle of wholly different kids, so let your school or daycare take the lead on this.
Your value add and what you’ll learn is how to strengthen your child’s academic foundation – something the elite schools do from the start, and something you can easily supplement at home at this age.
Are strategy calls right for me?
There is so much to love about my strategy calls!
Efficiency
Just imagine having a clear understanding of early childhood benchmarks, how to get started teaching them playfully, and gaining peace of mind that your child is on par with kids attending exclusive programs – all in just two hours!
Before our call, you receive access to the Accelerated Learning 101 mini course and complete pre-work that I review ahead of our call to make sure we’re on the same page and can hit the ground running.
Collaboration
This is your child’s future we’re shaping, so naturally, you’ll want to be involved in the decision-making.
There are no cookie cutter prescriptions here because ewww, that’s what you already get in group programs. We focus on what makes your child buzz, how to spark learning joy, and what you need to do to become your child’s best teacher.
Amazing Results
Of course, the implementability of what we do together is my priority! It’s not just about designing a play based preschool quickly. It’s about designing well. And it’s about looking to the long-term and how you’ll set yourself up for success.
I’m here to help you get unstuck and tackle the biggest challenges in your way regarding early childhood education and independent play.
How much does this cost really?
Strategy calls are $500 for two hours. I’ll be speaking at a rate of about 100 words a minute, so rest assured, you are going to walk away with an effective, efficient game plan to accelerate learning through play.
A note on recommended resources
What you choose to buy, rent, or borrow will ultimately influence the out of pocket costs you incur for the resources themselves.
We can definitely cover how to curate and find gold standard resources as well as financially savvy tactics to build your resource library if time permits. Otherwise, additional time can be booked.
In short: I’m out to teach you how to provide a best-in-class education for the fraction of the cost of private schools and with sustainability in mind.
What’s better than hatching plans? Sharpening your knives to skewer the unforgiving early childhood education system in America.
Look, sympathy butters no parsnips. We must always travel in hope.
Don’t make drastic lifestyle changes because you’re frustrated by the glacial, garden variety education your child is receiving. Channel your inner Albert Einstein and learn how to provide a creative, hands-on learning adventure that enhances the program your child attends in just 15 minutes a day.
Early childhood education doesn’t have to be a choice between just private, charter, and public schools (or daycares).
There is a fourth way.
One where you even get a lasting party favor – your family’s very own personalized play based preschool.
Supplementing school at home blends the best of traditional schooling and homeschooling – it is truly the only way to provide personalized learning that tracks with your child – interest for interest, skill level for skill level, learning style for learning style.
Go ahead, let your children strut into their best whole child life.
Scroll back up to that thought-provoking array of options and select either the: 1) strategy call, 2) accelerator group coaching experience, or 3) decision making course to get started.
I can’t wait to work with you!
Not sure what you need?
Let’s get you on track! Fill out this form and and we’ll tell you what you need next to go from learning that is 💤 to play based preschool that is 🔥
Get learning activities you can set up in 5 minutes or less
Here’s to the the misfits. The rebels. The ones who see things differently.
The bi-weekly-ish Rebels with A Cause newsletter shines a spotlight on the things that tickle the modern parent’s sensibilities. It’s tips you can use straightaway, delightful links, and big ideas — a virtual Scooby Snack for frightful times, exhilirating times, and everything in between.