Childhood presents a wonderful opportunity to explore new activities and to try new things. Failure often doesn’t carry the same weight as it does in adulthood, and the playing field can be more level. By nature, many of those involved are also trying activities for...
A learning disability is a neurological condition that interferes with a child’s ability to store, process, or produce information. Its effects can be seen in a wide variety of areas, including reading, writing, speaking, spelling, math computation, reasoning,...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mental disorders among children are described as “serious changes in the way children typically learn, behave or handle their emotions, causing distress and problems getting through the day.” Media...
A dear friend called me to talk about her first-grade daughter, who was complaining of boredom in school. As a former educator, she wanted my advice. The family didn’t want to change schools or teachers, but they did want to ensure their daughter stayed engaged and...
This September marks the 30th anniversary of Library Card Sign-Up Month. Started in 1987 by the American Library Association, the national observance was created with the goal of ensuring that every child might obtain and use a library card. During the month,...
When I write, most of my research begins with a Facebook post and informal chats with friends. I like hearing people’s thoughts on a topic before I start writing, to ensure a broader perspective. Twenty minutes after my post on dress codes went up, it was readily...
Teachers often warn of the dreaded summer slide – the decline in reading ability and other academic skills that can occur over the summer months, when school is not in session. Just 20 minutes of reading a day will help your child retain his or her reading skills, and...
David Molak tried to get away. He even transferred to a different school, but the cyberbullying continued. Then in January 2016, the 16-year-old from San Antonio took his own life. But because the bullying wasn’t physical, and there wasn’t enough evidence to meet the...
There are as many different reasons to homeschool as there are parenting styles. Some parents choose homeschooling for religious reasons, so they can incorporate more of their faith into their child’s day. Other parents make the choice so they can control the content...
My oldest has never really fit the standard academic mold. She is a creative dreamer. She is gifted in art, and her singing voice has moved many people to tears, not just counting family. She’s obviously bright, inquisitive and finely tuned-in to people’s emotions....
One look at a child, and you know she is meant to be a body in motion. Why then did schools begin reducing recess and physical education time? Many blame it on standardized testing, as the need to demonstrate good scores affected the prioritization of academics at the...
We are coming up on STAAR test season once again. The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, tests are administered to all Texas public school students in grades 3-12 in the spring of each year. State-developed curriculum standards guide educators...
