I’ve never met a parent of any kind of kid who felt that they knew all of the answers. This isn’t a new issue. In the 17th Century John Wilmot said, “Before I got married I had six theories about raising children; now, I have six children and no theories.” When your child is different […]
Parenting Gifted Children
Parenting gifted children is not for the feint of heart. These articles explore the shared experience and give loads of practical advice.
What To Do With An Advanced Language Arts Student
I received an email from a parent who had asked the high school to allow her 9th grade daughter to enroll in AP English, rather than in Honors 9th Grade English. The school declined, and the parent wanted my suggestion on what to do. Note: Frequently I get questions from parents or teachers about their children […]
The Importance of Fine Motor Skills
Our kids can’t cut. It’s costing us a lot of money. It’s costing them a lot of learning. Normally, I don’t write articles for the website with lots of citation to research, saving that for journal articles. However, I’ve put some in here because I think it’s important to recognize that this isn’t just my […]
3 Steps to an Effective Apology
As a teacher, one of the most important skills my students need to develop to have healthy relationships with their peers is to learn how to offer an apology. A mumbled, “Sorry” with the head down and the toe of the shoe scuffing the floor is not what I mean. A facetious, forced, blithe, […]
Summer Learning Lures: The Alternative to the Summer Assignment
Look, I get it. We want kids to read. We want to avoid the dreaded “summer slide.” We want kids prepared for the work they’re going to have. But Friends, there’s a better way than packets and assigned tasks that go undone, leading students to start a new year behind and feeling either defiant or […]
6 Things Kids Should Be Doing This Summer (and 1 Thing They Shouldn’t)
“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” – Henry James Well, Henry clearly did not live in North Texas where I do, but summer is magical, even in when it’s hot. There are some things kids should do to help make summer magical (and […]