Search Results for: tag parent education

Advantages of Extended School Days

Would you like your children to attend school for eight hours straight, five days a week? It may sound a bit excessive to some parents. However, there are some school districts that have implemented an extended school day. It turns out that there are several benefits to doing so. Extended school days, which are also called extended learning time, have gained popularity within charter schools. Some charter schools may have a bit more freedom about how long their school day runs than some public schools do. That doesn’t mean it would be impossible for an extended school day to be … Continue reading →

Funding Your Education as a Single Parent

Many single parents would do anything to be able to go back to school and finish their education. But it may not seem feasible. College is expensive and unfortunately tuition prices seem to constantly be on the rise, making it more and more of a challenge for people to finance their education, let alone single parents. If you are a single parent, chances are money is tight. Even with child support payments, it never seems to cover everything. Kids are expensive; whatever money you do have goes to meeting their everyday needs. If you are like most of us, there … Continue reading →

The Best Educational Toys for Children ages 5-8

Learning through play is an effective way to connect the textbook to the real world. Educational toys can provide a pressure free atmosphere for a child to have fun learning. To inspire a life time love of learning a child must develop a curiosity about the world around him. The right educational toys will spark the imagination as opposed to preprogrammed one dimensional play. To inspire a child to learn and explore use the following list as a guide to the best educational toys on the market today. 1. Electricity Science Kit by Science Wiz: Flipping the switch to reveal … Continue reading →

Stop Waiting for the Next Stage: Enjoy This One

I wish I could convince every parent who has little ones to really treasure these early years. I know that when my children were younger I would almost cringe to hear other parents say how fast those years go by. To me it didn’t seem fast enough. I got so tired of hearing those words that it was just easier to tune them out. In that moment in time all I could see were the tantrums, dirty diapers, sleepless nights and constant demands. I remember almost feeling like the life in me had been sucked out. I hate to say … Continue reading →

How Much Should a Parent Help with Homework?

How much should a parent help with homework? That’s a question most parents face at some stage or another in their child’s education. Unfortunately some parents tend to take over and end up virtually doing the whole job themselves. They think they are helping. In reality they are not. Doing it for them teaches the child nothing. Often we learn best by doing it ourselves. It’s okay to show an interest or to explain if your child is not clear about what to do, but you should never take over the task and do it for them. The other danger … Continue reading →

Parents Outraged After School Imposes Late Fee

The monetary penalty is not being imposed on students who don’t return their library books on time or on those caught chewing gum in class. Rather, an elementary school in Portland, Oregon, is slapping parents with a fee if they are late picking up their kids from school. Running late because of a meeting at the office… Cha-ching! Lose track of time while chatting in the grocery store check-out line… Cha-cha-ching! Space out while tweeting about how your life consists of a series of endless errands, including picking up the kids from school… OMG! The kids! Cha-cha-cha-ching! According to news … Continue reading →

Learning about Education

There is no doubt about it: Education has changed. I’m currently in my 20th year of schooling and the differences between a Ph.D. program and kindergarten are astonishing. Long gone are the days of tactile exploration with toys and lessons about being kind. No one reads stories to me anymore and none of the books have pictures. The most shocking changes of all, of course, are a direct result of my ever increasing age (and hopefully wisdom). I now play the diametrically opposed role of teacher and student at the same time. I’ve observed a great deal about learning and … Continue reading →

Early Childhood Education—Is the U.S. Doing Enough?

Michelle Bachelet used to treat children whose parents had been tortured by General Augusto Pinochet, one of the most controversial military dictators in Chilean history. Today, Bachelet is Chile’s president, and since she took office in March 2006 she has made great strides to insure her country’s youngsters receive a proper education. One of Bachelet’s defining projects has been to provide free access to health and education programs for all Chileans under the age of 4. As part of the education initiative Chile has been building new preschools at an astounding rate of 2.5 a day, increasing the country’s total … Continue reading →

Education: Making Choices for Your Family

Sometimes the choices we have to make in life are not always good ones, but essential. Sometimes there is no other way. Does going back to school fit into your plans? Probably not. You are a single parent. You do not have time for school, but how much money do you bring into the household? Do you have enough earning potential to take care of your family? I am sure like most of us, it is lacking. Sure, you get by, but just by the skin of your teeth. Maybe you want to go back to school just for you … Continue reading →

Does “Bully Education” Really Work?

Schools all across the country are making concerted efforts to deal with the very real issue of bulling. But are these efforts having an impact? Is your child less likely to be bullied today than he might have been five years ago? The experts are divided on the issue, and some recent research suggests that the answer could be no. Earlier this week, we were driving by a local school. There, right next to the playground was a huge sign declaring the area to be a “No Bully Zone.” I’m not sure why the sign was there. Was it to … Continue reading →