Discussion is key to learning.
In a screen-bound world, face-to-face conversation is hard.
But it’s important—and teachable.
We help schools teach it.
Discussion skills are teachable — it’s time to get tactical about teaching them.
Our signature program, R.E.A.L.® Discussion, breaks the art of discussion into teachable, assessable skills for a generation of students who would rather text than talk.
Today’s kids struggle with the basics: listening deeply, engaging different viewpoints, expressing themselves, reading non-verbal cues. These are foundational skills for academics — but also for relationships, college, democracy, and career. The causes of this communication crisis may be up for debate (blame phones, pandemic, politics, parents!) but here’s what’s not: our shared future depends on young people learning how to talk and truly listen to each other.
At R.E.A.L.® we design the discussion skills strategy your school needs in today’s world. We customize our research-based approach to your mission and context, blending R.E.A.L. Discussion into what you already do.
Since Since 2021, we have worked with 70+ K-12 schools, and we’ve learned that our strongest partnerships start with three shared beliefs:
The R.E.A.L.® approach has been featured by:
Our Story
As a teacher and school leader, Liza Garonzik realized that her Gen-Z and Alpha students struggled to communicate live, in-person, and across any kind of difference.
Liza knew that these skills were high stakes for learning and life! So, she spent a decade working with experts, teachers, and researchers to develop R.E.A.L.®: the first research-based method for teaching face-to-face discussion skills.
Today, R.E.A.L.® has several programs for teaching discussion skills in K-12 schools. The student results speak for themselves!
But the secret ingredient behind our success? Our school partnership model. We don’t just sell a program. We partner with each school to design and implement a strategy that will really work — for kids, for teachers, and for the community.
Our Story
As a teacher and school leader, Liza Garonzik realized that her Gen-Z and Alpha students struggled to communicate live, in-person, and across any kind of difference.
Liza knew that these skills were high stakes for learning and life! So, she spent a decade working with experts, teachers, and researchers to develop R.E.A.L.®: the first research-based method for teaching face-to-face discussion skills.
Today, R.E.A.L.® has several programs for teaching discussion skills in K-12 schools. The student results speak for themselves!
But the secret ingredient behind our success? Our school partnership model. We don’t just sell a program. We partner with each school to design and implement a strategy that will really work — for kids, for teachers, and for the community.
Featured School Partners
PROGRAM PREVIEW
R.E.A.L.® is a method for breaking the deeply human art of great discussion into teachable, assessable, transferable skills for students who would rather text than talk. R.E.A.L.® has programs for Gr. 2-10.
98%
of teachers would recommend R.E.A.L.® to a colleague
96%
of students see R.E.A.L. skills as useful beyond the classroom
98%
of students report more confidence in speaking up in discussion
96%
of students listen more actively to their peers
94%
of students show a growth mindset towards discussion
5
The top five words teachers use to describe R.E.A.L. PD :
Practical, Innovative, Fun/Funny, Motivating, Helpful
