There’s no doubt that academics are an integral part of every child’s early life, since learning is every kid’s job! With increased rigor and the push to perform on standardized tests from a young age, it’s easy to forget that extracurricular activities also play an important role in every child’s education and development. This article reveals the benefits of extracurricular activities in school and offers you unique ideas to support your child’s passions alongside his learning.

School might be out of session for the summer, but in just a couple of months the never-ending debate over homework will heat up once again as children return to the classroom. Across the country, students, parents, and even teachers are asking more than ever before the same contentious question: why is homework important? With many school districts ending home-based assignments at the elementary level, it might seem that homework is no longer needed. Let’s take a look at both sides of the argument in this next article that explores the usefulness and effectiveness of homework for all ages.

 

Imagine being a young child and arriving in a new country without knowing a word of the language. It sounds scary, doesn’t it? For educators, teaching English as a second language to children comes with various pitfalls and challenges, many of which fall outside the control of a school. Luckily there are specific techniques and tricks that can be used to reach and teach English language learners. Keep reading to find an in-depth introduction to teaching ESL including tips for parents and teachers alike! 

How much do you know binary or HTML? Unless you’re in the IT profession, your answer is most likely: “not much!” For today’s parents, learning to code was not an option in high school, but now children as young as 5 are starting to learn the basics of computer programming. If the thought of teaching kids to code is overwhelming, don’t worry! This article will give you what you need to know to get your child started, complete with the basics, importance, and activity ideas to begin!

All around the country, school districts and teachers are turning to technology to increase motivation and engagement. One popular and effective technique is gamification in the classroom. While it might sound unrealistic to transform your entire class into a video game, many strategies can be employed to gamify your lesson plans or daily routine. Keep reading to learn about the goals of gamification and to discover 10 ways to use it on your campus. 

Whether we realize it or not, literacy learning takes place before babies can even talk! Before kids ever step foot into school, they are absorbing communication skills and forming the foundations for reading and writing. That’s why it’s so important to start early to reinforce the skills your child is already taking in. This article hones in on the literacy skills to work on in each age or stage and offers you 15 fabulous alphabet games for kids! 

As kids get older, learning can begin to seem boring when the focus in school turns from playing to hard work! Math lessons can increasingly drain students since it takes a lot of brainpower and problem solving to work out difficult problems. Don’t let difficult new concepts zap your child’s zest for learning! Keep reading to discover how math manipulatives can make critical math concepts easy while inspiring little learners through fun games and hands-on activities! 

Sometimes despite our best efforts as parents, our children face difficulty when it comes to learning. While no parent wants to learn that their child has a reading difficulty or disability, it’s critical to seek intervention as early as possible to maximize opportunities for success. This article discusses the signs of common reading problems, and offers you concrete ways to help struggling readers grow! 

Teaching kids is a huge job, since reading is one of the most critical skills students must learn in the early elementary years. Though the idea of such a big task might seem daunting, a guided reading program can be the ticket to literacy success in your school or at-home classroom. This article takes an in-depth look at guided reading and gives any teacher or parent ways to implement and support such a system effectively. 

Spring is a great time to go green! The grass is growing and flowers are blooming, reminding us all what a beautiful place Earth can be. On Earth Day or every day, help your child grow a continuing sense of pride for keeping the planet clean using recycled crafts for kids. Keep reading to find fresh ideas for turning trash into treasure by reusing common household materials!