James, a middle-schooler, comes home from a long day at school and looks forward to downtime playing video games. After dinner, he searches for 15 minutes to find the scrap of paper where he wrote down his homework assignments, while his mother does the same, providing help that he does not appreciate. Read more ›
For procrastinators, chunking is a useful strategy for breaking down large assignments into smaller, easier-to-tackle tasks. Read more ›
While every parent hopes that his child will fit in and be accepted, making friends is not easy for all children. Read more ›
Sara swept her vibrant red hair out of her face as she smiled up at me, clearly pleased with herself and seeking praise for the fact that she had completed her reading beautifully. What a change from the tentative reader I had met one year earlier. Read more ›
Is your child struggling with the same behavior challenges in school without making progress? Does he or she have ADHD-like symptoms?
You’ve just received a report from the teacher saying that Derrick had another bad week – he was too distracted to complete his work, he constantly interrupted the teacher, and he continues to bug the kids around him. You’ve talked to the teacher until you’re blue in the face and time outs just aren’t effective. What do you do? Read more ›
More and more parents understand the importance of reading to young children to promote literacy. Yet many parents are so eager to advance their child’s reading fluency that they neglect the importance of imaginative play in developing critical comprehension skills. So before you start to pack up the picture books and encourage your young child to read Harry Potter, make sure he’s getting plenty of opportunity to play.
Why is play important and what kind of play develops the foundation for literacy skills? Read more ›
“She won’t sit still at the dinner table.” “He pulls his sister’s hair and provokes her when I’m driving.” “He wants to crash into everything.”
Wiggly, squiggly kids are challenged to conform to standards that are socially acceptable and keep them safe. Yet fidgeting for them is purposeful. In fact, we all must fidget a little bit to keep ourselves alert. Without movement, our arousal system goes down. Think about sitting perfectly still for 30 minutes without some kind of shifting. You’ll likely be challenged.
For children with sensory challenges, simply saying, “Stop fidgeting!” or “Keep your hands to yourself” is unlikely to help. Your child needs movement. The question is: How can you allow your child to move and behave in a socially acceptable manner? Read more ›
Is depression interfering with learning and school performance, or are school performance and learning issues causing depression? Watch this video to learn Read more ›
This video takes a closer look at cooperative, or parent-participation preschools. Read more ›
It’s important to choose the right preschool for your child. Learn more about the Waldorf philosophy of the spiritual view of humanity in this short video.
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