main content starts here

Tag: school success tips

Encouraging risk-taking in your kids

Encouraging risk-taking in your kids

March 14, 2019 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

I want my children to take more risks. I don’t mean I want my daughter to steal a car or my son to run away and join a carnival. I am talking about the healthy risks that will allow them to grow into well-adjusted, successful adults. Homo sapiens, like other primates, has an extraordinarily long […]

Is my child gifted? Talking to schools about talented students

Is my child gifted? Talking to schools about talented students

February 6, 2019 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary

One of the earliest videos I took of my daughter shows her as a toddler, playing with wooden blocks and haltingly counting to 20. I was bursting with pride, both at her ability to stack the blocks so carefully and precisely, and at how she had finally mastered her numbers. In that moment, I felt, […]

Does your child need more help with schoolwork: How about a tutor?

Does your child need more help with schoolwork: How about a tutor?

November 6, 2018 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

I try to help my fourth- and sixth-grade sons with their math, but I often find myself saying, “I have no idea.” Their teachers have been a wonderful resource and very patient with our questions, but as I watch the almost nightly struggles with homework, I wonder whether I should seek additional help outside of […]

Making the transition to kindergarten a success

Making the transition to kindergarten a success

October 10, 2018 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary

I’m standing at the end of the driveway, waiting with my five-year-old daughter, Ava, for her first bus ride to school. “Are you coming Mommy?” she asks. Her eyes widen as I shake my head and force a smile. “No love, not this morning” She turns to my husband. “Daddy, are you coming?” As he […]

Fighting the first day jitters

Fighting the first day jitters

August 29, 2018 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

One of the things I have learned both professionally and as a parent is that there often is no better time to communicate than when you have a captive audience. That’s where my truck comes in. With the kids in the backseat, there is no Netflix, no YouTube and no Minecraft – just seat belts […]

Summer slide is not as fun as it sounds

Summer slide is not as fun as it sounds

June 8, 2018 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Have you heard about “summer slide”? Psst, it’s not nearly as fun as it sounds because it has nothing to do with water parks or playgrounds. And it’s not something any parent wants their children to ride. The first time I heard the term “summer slide” was in an end-of-year conference with my son’s second-grade […]

Kindergarten preparedness: What to expect and how to get ready

Kindergarten preparedness: What to expect and how to get ready

March 14, 2018 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary

Will your little one be five years old on or before Dec. 5, 2018? If you answered yes, then chances are pretty good that you have already begun the process with your school district to get him or her signed up for kindergarten next year. Congratulations! That’s exciting for both of you…and, yes, it can […]

The wild that was parenting in 2017 – and what lies ahead

The wild that was parenting in 2017 – and what lies ahead

If the year 2017 was an actual person, I envision he or she would have a fidget spinner in one hand, a smart phone in another while driving a car with his or her knees. It was a wild year for parents and at times even a little scary. But there were also some lighthearted […]

Science says later school start times could be the answer to the tired teen

Science says later school start times could be the answer to the tired teen

November 29, 2017 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Sometimes teens get a bad rap when they want to sleep the day away after staying up all night. But it turns out, according to science, your “lazy” teen might just be tired. “When we’re newborns, we need a lot of sleep, as much as 17 hours, in chunks spread throughout the day. But as […]

Ways to help children with special needs get a great start to the school year

Ways to help children with special needs get a great start to the school year

August 30, 2017 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

The start of the new school year can be an anxious time for children, who see their daily routines change overnight. But what is the start of a new school year like for students who might have ADHD, be on the autism spectrum, suffer from anxiety or have other concerns that impact learning? It can […]