How to Help Your Child with Homework
I’ve heard it from other parents with older children in my daughter’s school: as soon as she enters first grade, the homework load is huge! Yeah right, I thought. How much could the teacher possibly send each night? Well, as it turns out, plenty. Some days, it takes us 45 minutes to get through her [...]
How Your Kids Can Show Teacher Appreciation
As an educator I want to be recognized and appreciated every day, but not in the ways you may think. Awards are nice, as are year-end gifts, but there are simpler, better ways to show teacher appreciation. I’d much rather my students shower me—and one another—with bursts of kindness in the classroom, respect me and [...]
Remembering Sandy Hook Victim Ana Grace Márquez-Greene
It hasn’t even been a month since the horrific event at Sandy Hook Elementary. But it seems like a long time for me, because of all the information that has flowed across my computer screen. It still grieves me to think of that day and the unbearable loss that no parent should ever have to [...]
5 Must-Have Apps for Elementary School Students
As more and more Latino families turn to smartphones and tablets to access the Internet, it’s important to know which apps are available, safe, and beneficial for your child. So we’re doing the legwork for you, and we’re finding apps that are actually fun and educational. We’ve started by focusing on elementary school and have [...]
What to Do if Your Child is Not Doing Well in School
It’s a source of stress for many of us parents when our children don’t do well in school. We want the best for our kids. We know that excelling in school is the ticket into college and a successful future. And we’ve been drilled with the idea that a student’s academic success begins in his [...]
Downloadable ‘Dear Reyes’ Letter
For many Latino families, Día de los Reyes inspires just as big a celebration in the home as Christmas. The excitement begins the night of January 5, when children set out their shoes for the Magi to fill with presents. Or they prepare boxes of grass as a gift for the Magi’s camels in the [...]
5 Books to Empower Your Child in the New Year
As the end of the year approaches, we start thinking about new beginnings. Just like adults, children may need some encouragement to face the fears they’d like to leave behind or the skills they want to master. Sometimes finding the courage or motivation for creating change can be found within the pages of a book. [...]
10 Gift Ideas Using Your Children’s Artwork
I used to put all my kids’ artwork and paper drawings in a box with hopes to someday, when they are older, show them their masterpieces. I soon discovered that one box for two kids was not enough and that even a second box filled up quickly. How was this possible? Well, they wanted to keep [...]
Faith & Tradition: Mexico’s Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe
Every December 12, Catholics all over the world, especially in Latin America, celebrate the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe. But in Mexico, this day is one of the most important holidays of the year. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico, where she is known as La Reina de Mexico and [...]
Write to a Friend Month: Reviving the Dying Art of Letter Writing
When was the last time you received a handwritten letter in the mail? When was the last time you sent one? Not just a greeting card—but an actual letter on paper. Chances are you remember receiving many more handwritten letters in years past than in recent times—maybe you even have to think as far back [...]
