Kids Lose Out When Schools Cut Arts Programs
Every time state budgets get tight and deficits grow, the “powers that be” are quick to sacrifice art, drama and music classes. And even if the budget crises pass, these classes and programs are rarely reinstated. A report released earlier this year by the Department of Education shows that in the 2009-2010 school year, the [...]
5 Ways to Keep Your Kids Learning During the Holidays
Winter break is only a few weeks away, and already the kids are getting restless. If you’re wondering how you’re going to keep them busy outside of school, don’t worry! We’ve put together some fun—and educational—ideas for how to keep kids learning during the holidays. READ IT! Now is a great time to boost those [...]
Children’s Literacy is Affected by Parents’ Interest in Reading
There’s just no way around it: Your child’s literacy skills can make or break his academic performance. As we’ve reported before, if your child can’t read, write, or comprehend what he is reading, it has an impact on virtually every subject he studies at in school. We have encouraged parents to get involved in their [...]
School Safety is Still a Concern
In 1999, I was a high school student attending a school near Columbine High School. I was a mere few miles away from the tragedy that changed the way many schools view security. I remember being in Ms. Race’s math class, just after lunch, as the loudspeaker called all students to report to the library [...]
Help Your Kids Learn to Love Reading
As an educator, I know that one of the best ways to help your children be successful is to empower them to become avid readers. Children who read a lot often experience greater academic success, can better articulate what they feel, have greater compassion, develop a broader sense of the world, and exhibit heightened creativity. [...]
A Bright Little Girl & the Problem with Public Education in Mexico
According to Mexico’s national achievement test, ENLACE, Paloma Noyola Martínez is the country’s top math student, having scored 921 points. She is also third in Spanish. The 11-year-old is a dedicated student. She studies hard and works with her mother and siblings scavenging the trash dump of Matamoros, a city on the south side of [...]
Cooking with Letters: 5 Ways to Reinforce Writing Skills in the Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the most educational rooms in the house. From science to math, all sorts of fun learning experiments can take place using simple ingredients and gadgets. But the learning isn’t limited to just these two subjects. In fact, la cocina can play a powerful role in teaching your child about his [...]
For Mexicans Day of The Dead is Not a Morbid Celebration
My friend Flor Cordero wrote and photographed a children’s book called M is for Mexico. The book depicts the alphabet with examples of Mexican culture (A is for Alegría), followed by a short explanation of each associated word. When I read the book with my young son, his goal was always to reach the letter [...]
Exploring Geography & Culture with Foods & Recipes
Two of my kids’ favorite subjects are geography and culture. Both go hand-in-hand really, since you can hardly have one without the other. My children especially love exploring different people, traditions, languages, and lands. And one of the best ways to do so is through food. Latin American food is, naturally, one enormously fun lesson [...]
Parents Can Make a Difference in Public Schools
I walked into Room 308 this year and made a beeline to see Luna’s contribution to the Art Wall, a rosy-cheeked self-portrait with an essay on her personal goal: learning to say hello to strangers. Her teacher has no such problem. “Hello, everyone!” Clare O’Connell said brightly before telling parents about the hurdles in the [...]
