main content starts here

Tag: child development

Helping children get the best from stress

Helping children get the best from stress

March 22, 2017 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

There’s a music video in my head that hasn’t been created yet. The late David Bowie and the legendary, nuanced rock band Queen had an iconic collaborative song with a hyper-thumping bass line later sampled by the infamous Vanilla Ice. You know what song I am talking about. In my video, a camera pans across […]

The Power of Play: The cognitive benefits of playtime for preschoolers

The Power of Play: The cognitive benefits of playtime for preschoolers

February 27, 2017 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary

“They grow up so fast.” – every parent, ever. Whether it’s the first day of school, high school graduation or marriage, you would be hard-pressed to find a parent that wouldn’t swear their child has grown up in the blink of an eye. If it seems as if today’s children are growing up faster than […]

Sports specialization: Is it good for our kids?

Sports specialization: Is it good for our kids?

February 21, 2017 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

It was a pretty big deal. My 8-year-old daughter was dropped off that morning at her very first soccer camp. She’s been playing in a youth recreation league for a few years. It’s the kind of league where the coaches don’t keep score, but where you sometimes hear parents whispering summations to each other on […]

Be kind, on rewind: Cultivating kindness and acceptance in schools

Be kind, on rewind: Cultivating kindness and acceptance in schools

February 17, 2017 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Kindness matters. It just does. Many school districts are looking for creative ways of sharing messages of acceptance, respect and kindness with their students and faculty. But as we’ve learned, instilling a culture of kindness in our schools, which then extends to the world beyond, is not something that happens overnight. “Kindness changes the brain […]

How field trips boost students’ lifelong learning

How field trips boost students’ lifelong learning

February 16, 2017 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

My second-grader recently went on a school field trip to the zoo to learn about bats. His teacher prepped his class leading up to the visit, asking the students to read books and magazine articles about bats. My son peppered me with bat facts. When the day of the field trip arrived, my son was […]

Helping children weather the storm from the news cloud

Helping children weather the storm from the news cloud

January 23, 2017 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

When I was in elementary school, the Cold War was all the rage. We had Red Dawn, Top Gun and The Day After.  We had Mike and the Mechanics asking if we could hear them running. We had Nina Hagen standing pretty in the dust that was a city. One rainy day our local daily […]

Holiday gift ideas that enhance school-based learning

Holiday gift ideas that enhance school-based learning

December 19, 2016 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

The weather has turned, snow is the new norm and retail stores are decked out for the holiday season. The biggest indicator for me that the holiday season is here are the television commercials; commercials that showcase the latest and greatest toys that cause my seven- and nine-year-old sons to franticly yell for me to […]

ALICE shines light on the importance of food drives

ALICE shines light on the importance of food drives

December 13, 2016 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Not all of us have pantries that would be the envy of a doomsday prepper. And there are probably more of us who are closer to food insecurity than we might think. Students are wrapping up their holiday food drives in public schools across the state. They often get very enthusiastic about filling up those […]

Grow healthier eating habits: The benefits of gardening with children

Grow healthier eating habits: The benefits of gardening with children

November 14, 2016 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Recently, dinnertime has become a lot more interesting in my household. Game changer: my nine-month-old son is eating solid foods. So far, pears and sweet potatoes reign supreme, and anything green –beans, peas and avocado, is met with a refusal of shivers and gags. Children not eating their vegetables is an age-old issue, and it’s […]

Thanksgiving meal prep presents a variety of learning opportunities for kids

Thanksgiving meal prep presents a variety of learning opportunities for kids

November 9, 2016 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Thanksgiving Day meal preparation is a crash course in academics, problem solving and social skills and one that children at any age can be involved in, even during the toddler years. From meal planning to grocery shopping to food preparation, each step of the Thanksgiving Day meal involves skills related to the core curriculum classes […]