Examining Your Child’s Desk in September
What will your child find on her desk when she returns to school in September? Michael Gove, education secretary, recently published guidelines for a new curriculum that aims to bring the British school system up to date. The proposals are far-reaching, covering most...
read moreDeveloping Child Vision through Play
Sometimes it seems like the best things in life come through hard work and patience. When it comes to developing your child’s healthy vision, here's good news: it's easy and fun! The American Optometric Association recently put together a timeline of toys that...
read moreEverybody Loves a Good Story: 6 Tips for Struggling Readers
Everyone loves a good story. There is something so appealing and engaging about "Once upon a time..." or "Wait until I tell you what happened...!" The minute we know we're going to hear a story we settle in, ready to be entertained. We look forward to being swept into...
read moreFactoid Friday: The weirder the font, the better to read
Fact: Fascinating new research from a study performed at Clifton College in Bristol shows that when dyslexic students had to work harder to decode hard-to-read fonts, their test results were boosted by a fifth. Interestingly, this seems to fly in the face of a more...
read moreKids Say the Darndest Things…
Summer is upon us here in the Northern Hemisphere, and that means beaches, barbecues, and lots of fun with our kids! It's amazing how much you laugh when you spend time with children... As they are taking in and processing the world around them, often times what comes...
read moreA Common Core Primer: What Is It and Why Is It a Problem?
Like most parents, you may be wondering what this Common Core Standards (CCS) thing is all about. And, of course, that is part of the problem: very few people across the country are aware of the significant change that's been foisted upon the nation's public school...
read moreFamous Dyslexics: Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an icon of classic Hollywood, having starred in films like the Indiana Jones trilogy, Star Wars, the Jack Ryan series and many more. He has been nominated for numerous awards throughout his illustrious career, and there was even a point in time when...
read moreWhat does your handwriting say about you?
My colleague, Lena Rivkin, and I recently spoke to three 8th grade classes at a middle school in Ventura, California about handwriting and what it reveals about personality. Showing samples written by recognizable celebrities including Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber,...
read moreFactoid Friday: Can Yoga Change Your Genes?
Fact: New research shows that practicing yoga can actually change your body on a molecular level. It's long been accepted that yoga is a great way to de-stress, prevent heart disease risk, remediate depression, improve sleep quality, and more. But no one has...
read more3 Things I Learned from Going Back to Elementary School as a Grown-Up
When I was 28 years old, I went back to kindergarten. Not to be a teacher or a volunteer. I went back to be a student again. Since I’d graduated from college, I’d felt lost and let down. I’d worked my tail off in school for 17 years with the vague promise of success...
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