children

Is Your Child Struggling in School? Five Early Warning Signs

Does your child dislike school? Do his grades leave something to be desired? As you and your youngster are preparing for back-to-school, it’s important to keep in mind the early warning signs that a problem may be on the horizon. Returning to school in the fall makes for a busy time of year for kids and parents alike, but don’t wait until parent-teacher conference time to inquire about your child’s academic progress. Unfortunately, many parents wait until it’s clear that their child is struggling before they take steps to correct the problem. By this time, the damage may already be done. To keep your child from slipping through the cracks, take a proactive approach by looking for these five signs that the new school year is posing problems for your child.

By Melissa Maypole, ago

Preparing Your Child (and Yourself) for Kindergarten

Where did the time go? If you’re reading this post, then you’re probably in the same situation I am. My little girl is going to Kindergarten in exactly one month from today. I blinked and the little baby I held and rocked and examined from head to toe (just to make sure everything was there!) is about to leave the nest for the first time and fly off to Kindergarten by herself! How is this possible? What can I do to prepare her? Perhaps more urgently, what can I do to prepare myself? I’ve done my homework on the matter, and apparently, this is what you (and I) should do in order to make the transition to Kindergarten as enjoyable as possible.

By Melissa Maypole, ago

Literacy Takes More Than Luck

March is a great month to reflect on how you promote reading at home or in the classroom. Promote? Yes, we have to continue to encourage youngsters to read! Reading is competing for attention against video games and phone apps. Reading development is paramount to literacy, and children don’t come hardwired for reading – they have to learn how to do it. And in order for them to learn, it has to be taught.

By Tammy Bennecke, ago

Parents and Reading Readiness – Beyond the ABCs

I don’t think most parents have a clue how important they are to their child’s early reading success. Reading readiness begins from the moment your child is born – can you believe it? Children absorb and begin to learn language from birth, even when they are not yet communicating verbally. By the time children begin school, most of their neural pathways for letter sounds may already be set!

By Tammy Bennecke, ago

Social Media May Be Too Much of a Good Thing

Wow, have I been getting an education in social media lately!  There is so much out there I didn’t even know about a year ago (okay, 2 months ago). I had a Facebook account, knew about Twitter, watched some YouTube videos, and had heard about writing blogs, but had no idea those are just the tip of the iceberg – there are hundreds of social media sites connecting people today. When do people have time for all of this?

By Tammy Bennecke, ago