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Tag: learning

What would you like to discuss today, baby?

February 24, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners

A new study suggests talking to babies and toddlers in full sentences is the best way to boost language development. The study, conducted by Stanford University Associate Professor Anne Fernald, showed that children whose parents talked to them, rather than at them, developed better language skills at a younger age. Children who were exposed to […]

Delivering classroom-based paradigms with synergistic effects … (Huh?)

October 2, 2013 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

If you work in the medical field, or legal, or auto mechanics, or retail, or wherever, you likely have your own unique vocabulary, a lexicon that means something to you but flies right over an outsider’s head. It’s the same with education. Everyone on the inside eventually slips – sometimes unconsciously – into educational jargon, […]

Learning can happen anywhere

June 12, 2013 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Learning opportunities can pop up at almost any time. That was the case one recent weekend, when my son asked if we could build a campfire. Earlier in the day, his tae kwon do teacher had offered us a box of remnants from board-breaking classes to use as kindling for our fire pit. A campfire […]

Can we do without kindergarten?

January 8, 2013 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary

As districts across New York State begin to create their budgets for the 2013-14 school year, they labor in the shadow of multiple challenges. In addition to ever-rising pension and health-care costs, schools now face the very real prospect of less state aid as the financial toll of Hurricane Sandy continues to climb. Add to […]

New learning standards: “Slow down, dig deeper” for better understanding

February 14, 2012 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Spend any time around educators these days and you’re likely to hear the terms “common core” and “shifts.” They’re talking about new learning standards, called “Common Core State Standards” (CCSS), the result of an effort kicked off in 2009 by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The […]

Preschool math made fun

February 14, 2012 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Whether it’s counting forks for the dinner table or measuring the length of the kitchen counter with Matchbox cars, there are plenty of opportunities to make learning math concepts fun for your preschool child. Learning beginning math concepts such as sorting, patterning, ordering, counting and number recognition can help your child navigate the world of […]

Online search engines change the way we remember

January 17, 2012 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Internet search engines such as Google and Bing may be shifting the way your teen remembers information. According to research by Columbia University psychologist Betsy Sparrow published in Science, people are less likely to remember information when they are aware they can find it via online search engines. Says Sparrow, “Our brains rely on the […]

Learning is all about style

January 17, 2012 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Any child who’s a fan of the Disney television show “Hannah Montana” has likely seen the episode in which Hannah (Miley Cyrus) sings “The Bone Dance Song.” It’s a song she made up to help her remember the skeletal system for a science test. Singing is a great way to remember information, but that doesn’t […]

Discovering the world of math and science

December 16, 2011 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Even if you don’t consider yourself math/science-minded, there are plenty of fun and easy ways for you and your children to discover the exciting world of math and science right at home. Here are some ideas: Learn something new together. So your 4-year-old wants to know why pteranodons don’t fly the skies anymore. Often we […]

Embrace your role as teacher

December 6, 2011 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

You’ve taught your daughter how to spell her name, tie her shoes and say “please” and “thank you” at the appropriate times. As she heads off to school, you may think it’s time to relinquish your job as “teacher” for that of “coach” – ensuring that she does her homework and gets to school on […]