In these days of high-stakes achievement testing, it is all too common for schools to focus on the “basics” of knowledge – the “who/what/when/where” in place of the harder-to-evaluate “how” and “why.” Asking higher level questions leads to higher level thinking. As parents, we can transcend the “lowest common denominator” standards and focus on the [...]

When I wear my ‘consultant’ hat, I’m usually working with a local theatre company or a small museum, helping them design curriculum and materials to use with schoolchildren. What I always emphasize is that cultural organizations such as museums, zoos, theatres, and galleries have intrinsic value (not only for schoolchildren but for all of us) [...]

We all know that physical exercise is important for kids – it kind of goes without saying. What we sometimes forget is that physical exercise has serious implications on learning. When I taught 4th grade, I had the fortunate situation of my classroom being next to the school track. There were days when I sensed [...]

Yesterday I “attended” a webinar put on by Education Week. It featured two experts discussing recent trends in informal science education. It’s interesting to think about how those trends affect (mostly in very positive ways!) parents and families who want to encourage the spirit of inquiry and satisfy their curiosity about the world. A few [...]

I just read an article from the Washington Post describing how a middle school in Northern Virginia will be piloting a voluntary program wherein students will attend single sex classes in the core academic areas. I laud this effort. Many students, both boys and girls, will – in my opinion – likely flourish in this [...]

I read an interesting blog post by Dan Brown, a teacher and author of The Great Expectations School: A Rookie Year in the New Blackboard Jungle. He is the also the author of an education blog called Get in the Fracas. Here is an excerpt: “I have a clutch of students who read for pleasure, yet [...]

I was talking with a parent of a fifth grader who is attending our local “gifted zone center” program. Her daughter was assigned a paper that needed to be two pages, double spaced. Her daughter does not type well, so this assignment was taking a while. At one juncture, the parent noticed that her daughter [...]

As we quickly approach the upcoming school year, think about creating a space in your home that is a designated “quiet space” conducive to studying and reading. In these days of pervasive media, it is difficult sometimes to ‘turn it all off’ and focus. Your child should have an area that is dedicated to his/her [...]

I just read an article by Greg Toppo of USA Today. UVA cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham is the author of Why Don’t Students Like School?  Here is a question from an interview with the author: Q: After all we’ve learned about the mind and brain, why is it so difficult to make school enjoyable for students? [...]

I am always amazed when I read these studies that they need to be done at all! But I’m glad someone is out there, proving once again the vast benefits on the brain that exercise conveys, in children and adults. This article, from Edutopia, will provide all the details if you’re interested in more…. Whether [...]