Simply put, coding is a way to communicate with a machine, and there are multiple coding languages used to tell computers to perform desired tasks. Many people think of a desktop or laptop computer when they think of coding, but in reality, coding is used...
Classical Education I’ll admit my ignorance. When charged with writing about “classical education” as an alternative to traditional public schooling, I drew a blank. My first guess was that a classical education might have something to do with studying the...
Middle school is a time of great change for kids as they leave behind a relatively sheltered fifth grade experience for larger classes, less time with a primary teacher and more homework. Stir in hormones and bodies that seem to change shape overnight and you...
Texas public schools are required to participate in standardized testing to comply with federal and state laws. The standardized test that Austin-area students take is called the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness program, or STAAR. Implemented in the...
My youngest has always had a flair for the dramatic, so when she asked to try a well-known acting camp last summer, I signed her up. The good news was, she loved it! This got me thinking about ways to support her new experience and interest in theater arts. ...
Magnet schools are free public schools that emphasize a specific area of study, such as the arts, languages, or science, technology, engineering and math, otherwise known as STEM. Just like in a traditional public school, a wide range of subjects are taught. However,...
Preschool has long been the traditional pipeline into elementary school. For many families, COVID-19 created a scenario in which children missed out on preschool altogether and entered directly into kindergarten. In Texas, preschool is not mandatory, which begs the...
My official childhood education on puberty came from the mandatory fifth grade school presentation when they separated the boys from the girls. What I thought of as the “real” education came from my friends sharing (often wildly-inaccurate) information picked up from...
When my oldest was in elementary school, I loved volunteering at her school. If my volunteer duties were in the classroom, I could sneak in a hug or two and could listen in on her lessons. If I was in the copy room, I felt pleased to be supporting the teachers and I...
There is nothing that strikes fear in the heart of a parent quite like a long car trip or plane flight with children. You can plan for temperature fluctuations by throwing a favorite hoodie in your bag or attacks of the “hangries” by stashing extra snacks, but you...
Each summer I impose a special kind of cruelty upon my children – a dreaded “no screens” rule for our long car trips. And when I say long, I mean 12+ hours of riding in the car. I had hoped that being screen-free would build their frustration tolerance and...
When I was a kid, learning about finances was limited to doing chores for an allowance and then saving it in a piggy bank. When I was a bit older, I got to open an account at the bank, but that was the big time. My lack of financial wherewithal showed when I went off...
