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Middle Years

Cinnamon challenge seen as prank, but potentially harmful

May 9, 2013 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Cinnamon has been getting some press lately, and not because of its ability to add flavor to food. An increasing number of teens are taking the “cinnamon challenge,” a dare to swallow a spoonful of ground cinnamon in 60 seconds without drinking anything. Do a search on YouTube and you’ll get thousands upon thousands of […]

Don’t stress about the tests!

April 12, 2013 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

You’ve heard all the concerns before: I blank out on tests. I freeze when the teacher hands me the paper. What if I don’t do well? Why do we have to take these stupid tests anyway? Some students thrive on test stress; others experience intense anxiety that leaves them feeling physically ill -stomachaches, headaches, etc. […]

Don’t lick the dishes, and other models of good behavior

April 12, 2013 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

I stood by the kitchen sink, my hands on my hips. “You know better than that,” I said to the older of the two. She ducked her head to avoid my stare, feigning innocence. I ignored her feeble attempt to be cute and pressed on. “She’s little, and you should be a role model,” I […]

April is Autism Awareness Month

April 12, 2013 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Look for spring colors to emerge this month – not only underfoot but also on car bumpers, jacket lapels and Facebook pages – in the form of the multi-hued “autism awareness” ribbon. The ribbon – whose puzzle pattern is meant to reflect the mystery and complexity of autism – will be on full display throughout […]

Occasional ‘sick’ days have negative side effects on your child’s education

March 28, 2013 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

If you think it’s OK for your child to occasionally miss school “just because,” you might want to consider the following statistics: Students who are chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are less likely to read proficiently in 3rd grade As early as 6th grade, missing 18 or more days of school in a […]

More kids prefer broccoli to math; why we should learn to love STEM skills

More kids prefer broccoli to math; why we should learn to love STEM skills

March 28, 2013 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Who likes to clean their bathroom? Survey says: More people than like to solve math problems! These results from a study by Change the Equation, a nonprofit initiative to further math and science learning, raise concern about the state of STEM-related education in our schools. Massachusetts policy maker JD Chesloff argues that STEM skills should […]

It’s not OK to say ‘You can’t play’

March 6, 2013 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

U.S. Education Department says public schools must make sports accessible to all “Senioritis” is not a word in Joey Fazzone’s vocabulary. A dedicated student who’s making plans to attend the Rochester Institute of Technology next fall, Fazzone is a gifted artist who’s busy preparing a portfolio of his best paintings. He is also a valued […]

Are good grades contagious?

March 6, 2013 | Posted in: High School, Middle Years

Whom your child hangs out with can have an effect on the grades he or she gets in school. At least that’s the finding of a new study recently published in the online journal PLOS One. The research suggests that the grades of friends rise or fall toward the average of their social circle over […]

Holy India ink, Batman! This book has pictures

March 6, 2013 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

So you’ve been nurturing a daydream in which your middle-schooler marches past the XBox and cozies up instead to a 400-page Russian novel. And who could blame you for such visions? Reading is, after all, fundamental. But reality throws cold water in your face when, instead of a weighty, leather-bound book, your child reaches for […]

Open children’s eyes to the fun of science

March 6, 2013 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

“Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science.” ~Edwin Powell Hubble, The Nature of Science, 1954 Several weeks back, my high school junior and my third grader quizzed each other as they studied for tests. The elder was studying photosynthesis for an AP biology test; her younger […]