Parenting resources for all who love and care for children
nce of Educational AssessmentParents often ask us how they can use assessment data to support their children’s learning. Think of assessment as a quilt whose pieces include standardized test results, classroom measures, report cards, and other information on your child’s learning. These quilt pieces should come together to support each student’s academic success.
“The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. The most you can do is live inside that hope, running down its hallways, touching the walls on both sides.” — from Animal Dreams, Barbara Kingsolver
Decision making for our children can be stressful. Some of the decisions we face during the spring of the school year are:
How can I keep my children safe when they are home in the summer and I cannot be with them?
What school should my children attend next year?
What summer programs are best for my children?
How can my children get into the best colleges?
STEAM is the blending of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics into learning experiences through problem solving and discovery. Schools are introducing this approach to learning by creating STEAM labs on elementary and secondary campuses and holding STEAM events for families. An important purpose of the Common Core standards and the Next Generation Science Standards is to prepare children for the 21st century work force. The standards focus on making learning relevant to life. STEAM activities provide relevant opportunities to problem solve because they reflect the kind of thinking that happens every day in the work world. [Read more…]
Our readers continue to approach us about their unique needs as parents of twins, multiples, and siblings. When I considered my relationship with my grandchildren, I was inspired to share my grandson’s journey of accepting his twin sisters by creating a children’s book titled Yikes! Brandon Has Twin Sisters. Preschool children can relate to the many adventures Brandon encounters when navigating life with his twin sisters. Primary grade children can read the book and learn about living with twins and multiples. Children like looking at the photos of the twins, who look alike, but have different personalities.
The GenParenting bloggers have been using Active Parenting curriculum and strategies (www.activeparenting.com) for over thirty years in parent education workshops and presentations. The online curriculum is practical and relevant for the following reasons: [Read more…]
