COVID Slide: Use This Summer To Close Learning Gaps
Being a former teacher, I typically get questions at this time of year about how to address the dreaded “summer slide,” the loss of learning that takes place when kids have months off from school during the summer. If a long break makes parents nervous, reflect on an...
Special Education 101: Meeting Your Child’s Needs
Our oldest daughter had always struggled with math, but it wasn’t until after private testing in third grade that she received a formal diagnosis of dyscalculia, a math learning disability. Despite the fact that I was a former teacher, I felt out of my depth in regard...
S’mores and More! Hidden Benefits of Camping With Kids
For years my kids had begged me and my husband, Scott, to take them camping. While Scott had camped several times in college, my entire childhood camping experience was one night in a pop-up camper. My two-year-old sister wandered away while the rest of the family was...
Allowance: A Penny Earned or All in a Day’s Work?
I’ve always felt thankful that my husband and I agree on most parenting-related things. Don’t get me wrong. We have other differences of opinion for sure, but when it comes to the kids, we’re usually on the same page. That is, until our kids became old enough...
Peace by Piece: What LEGO and Puzzle Play Teach
There is something peaceful and contemplative about the start of a new year. The bustle of the holidays is past, the decorations come down, and the weather encourages coziness and hibernation. A new year stretches before you, full of possibility and hope. It is...
Holiday Celebrations From Around The Globe
December is a special time filled with holiday activities and memory-making. Most families have a working knowledge of Christmas and Hanukkah, but there are other special winter traditions and holidays that take place this month. Consider introducing some of these...
The Secret Ingredient to Thanksgiving Dinner … Math!
Ah, Thanksgiving. The word summons visions of perfectly roasted turkey, fluffy mashed potatoes with melted butter, pumpkin pie topped with pillows of whipped cream, and … math. Math?!? Yes, that’s right! Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday to help your child...
Extend the Halloween Experience With STEAM Activities
October brings crunchy leaves, pumpkin-flavored everything, and most importantly to kids ... HALLOWEEN! Check out these fun STEAM activities to get the whole family in the Halloween spirit. Rotting Pumpkin What happens to a pumpkin as it rots? This experiment...
Grandparents as Teachers
With school districts beginning the school year in remote learning mode, families are figuring out how to make the demanding task of overseeing children’s learning at home actually work. The extra burden can weigh even heavier on single and working parents. The...
Impactful Books
Many children have some level of awareness of race relations in America right now. Maybe they’ve heard things on the radio, glanced at the news at home, or have even had frank discussions with friends and family. As a parent, it can be hard to find the “right” way to...
Making Your Child YouTube Friendly
As any adult who has ever gone on YouTube knows, it can be the Wild West of content. When you’re not able to be fully present with your children as they watch, it can be ill-advised to turn them loose on YouTube. However, there is some really good educational...
Explore Summer Library Services
In the past, while the content of library materials might have been exciting, on the whole, libraries’ reputations were that of serious, settled institutions. Today’s libraries, however, are nothing like the archaic models of the past. Most are modern,...
