My first grader brought home a slip of paper with his lexile number on it following a recent standardized test. He said that he should be reading books at that number. Can you explain what “lexile” means? Why shouldn’t he just read whatever he wants to read? Lexile is a number developed by The Lexile…
Can you tell me how to help my son stay motivated through a mid-fall slump? He starts out the school year so excited and ready to work but by mid-October, he has lost his drive. The excitement of a new school year, a new teacher and new classmates brings a special kind…
Some parents feel that their child will have a better chance of succeeding in school and keeping up with their peers if they wait to begin kindergarten.
Our school has removed physical education teachers and has replaced them with more STEM teachers. Why isn’t the health and physical well-being of our kids considered important? Each state has its own standards for physical education and its own requirements for how those standards must be met. If there is an allowance for a licensed…
I have a great deal of concern about the increased use of technology in classrooms at our son’s elementary school. It seems that more and more time is spent using electronic devices and less and less time is devoted to traditional paper/pencil activities. How can kids possibly be learning when they are playing games so…
I am very surprised that my fifth grade daughter is allowed to re-do assignments, including re-taking tests. I am concerned that she is not seeing the repercussions of failing to prepare in the way she should. Why aren’t teachers letting poor grades stand to allow students to suffer the consequences? A philosophical shift has occurred…
My son’s teacher requires him to read for twenty minutes five nights a week. How can I make required reading a positive experience?
Bullying has been on the landscape of every childhood; you are right that there have always been mean kids who make life difficult for others.
I hated summer reading over summer break when I was a kid. How can I keep my daughter from feeling the same way?
We have a long driving vacation planned, and it seems like a good opportunity for reinforcing some school skills. What can I do other than give my son workbooks and books to read? Traveling certainly does present many opportunities for learning, and hours confined to a car turn riders into a captive audience. Plan to…
