Even though it can be challenging for some kids to start a new school year, there are a few simple steps that parents can take to make the process easier and less stressful. As a former school principal and district superintendent, I’ve witnessed firsthand how some students struggle to settle into routines when a new school year begins. Read more ›
If you are the parent of a graduating senior who plans to attend college, you might feel you have done all you can to prepare them. Or, you might wonder whether your teen is ready for the challenges of college and independent living. The end of senior year can be filled with joy, but also with worry.
“It’s particularly normal at this life stage to be experiencing insecurity, fear, and concerns about the present and the future,” says Sharon Saline, PsyD, who specializes in families of children with ADHD. Read more ›
By the time they get through high school, most students are pretty used to transitioning from summer to school time. But starting college brings a whole new set of challenges. First-year college students have to handle additional responsibilities like how much time they’ll spend in class, how to manage the time they devote to their coursework and how to take advantage of campus resources like the library. Read more ›
Dyscalculia (dis-kal-KYOO-lee-uh) is not as well known as dyslexia, but both are learning disabilities. Read more ›
In other words, what can they do to protect their mental health? Experts suggest that parents and teenagers take proactive steps now to help plan for and preserve mental well-being during the big transition to college. Read more ›
A good kindergarten experience sets kids up for success in school and into adulthood. Students in smaller kindergarten classes are more likely to go to college than students from larger classes. And by age 27, students who had more experienced kindergarten teachers were earning more money than their peers who had less-experienced teachers in kindergarten. Read more ›
As pressure to raise scores on standardized tests has trickled down to the lower grades, kindergarten and even pre-kindergarten classrooms have focused more on academic skills. But debating whether a kindergarten or preschool classroom should be play-based or academic is the wrong question, experts say. Read more ›
Nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD), also known as nonverbal learning disability, is a neurological condition which typically emerges during childhood but can persist through adulthood. It is marked by one or more of a set of cognitive, and sometimes social, difficulties experienced by children of otherwise average or superior intelligence, such as visual-spatial struggles and motor-skill deficits. Some people diagnosed with NVLD also have trouble comprehending nonverbal information such as body language and facial expressions. Read more ›
One of the most important aspects of learning that might be least understood is human memory. We are tasked with passing on skills and knowledge to students—it’s the most important aspect of our job. Yet how many educators have earned degrees and teaching certificates without any mention of how memory works? Read more ›
