Education

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader is a T.V. show quiz game that can be integrated into your lesson plan at school or even played at home? Children of elementary and even middle school ages can learn a lot of general knowledge topics, helping them turn into well-rounded, educated world citizens.

This article features activities in a lesson to help students with vision loss and others manage and organize money.

Regardless of your child's age, there are things you can start doing now to ease the transition from summer back to school. This article has six easy tips to help busy parents prepare their children for academic success. Plan ahead to enjoy a painless transition.

Enhance your child's science education with an engaging, fun lapbook of plant and animal cells.

When choosing a preschool, it's easy for parents to get enthralled by all the bells and whistles: their child learning Mandarin, doing yoga poses, and studying the violin. Yet, a former preschool teacher tells moms and dads that developmentally appropriate practices and lots of play matter most.

Obsession or ally? How Lego contributes to a homeschool education by developing problem-solving and fine motor skills.

Do you feel guilty for not paying for your child's education? Don't. Paying for college is hard in this economy. Kids learn responsibility for their actions and have ownership in their education when they have to pay for their own college tuition.

For teachers, parents, and librarians, a thorough list of books for children ages 3-8 which exemplify everyday diversity. These books feature diverse characters in everyday contemporary life.

Early childhood education in the US is in a harrowing state as many preschools now do what's contrary to the latest findings in brain research. Even though studies consistently show that exploring and playing build literacy skills, they're getting minimized in favor of teacher-directed lessons.

Do you know what high stakes standardized testing is? Is your child a victim of "teaching to the test" or never-ending test prep? How is your child's education affected by test-based accountability?

How to teach children/preschoolers/toddlers about zoo animals before and while attending zoos and aquariums.

Explore science and engineering activities geared for third-grade students using inexpensive and accessible materials. Lava lamps, helicopters, and marble mazes allow young scientists to explore!

Is your child gifted or just bright for their age? Is there even a difference? This guide goes over signs of giftedness vs. signs of slightly higher intelligence in small children.

This article describes four e-media services tailored to kids that you can access from home through your library. These resources are great for parents whose children are out of school but want books and movies that are educational as well as entertaining.

Going against decades of research in early childhood education, preschools today have become more academic than ever. Youngsters are now guinea pigs in an experiment that may prove highly detrimental to their futures and society's as a whole.

Our country's obsession with an "earlier is better" philosophy is cruel to children in kindergarten. A teacher points out how homogeneous reading groups, too many standards and assessments, and the elimination of imaginative play are evidence of this.

This article covers five significant reasons for the importance of preschool education written by an experienced early childhood educator. The preschool aged child is eager and ready to learn.

Complete, detailed instructions, links, and videos for easy and practical science fair project for 5th to 8th grade students.

As a teacher and mother of an autistic son, I'm outraged when school officials deceive parents with the inclusion lie. Students with special needs require special help and full inclusion is not enough. While it saves money in the short-term, it has a long-range negative impact for kids and society.

As our education system grows more bureaucratic, elementary school teachers are under enormous pressure to assess students and meet Common Core standards. In the process, though, they can neglect the whole child (body, mind, and spirit) and that's when parents need to advocate for their kids.

A teacher explains what phonological awareness is, why it's important, and how parents can promote it, turning their children into strong readers, writers, and spellers.

Book ideas, sample questions, and a step-by-step guide on how to start a book club for your child.

If you hear something often enough, you're bound to believe it. Busy moms and dads, juggling family and career, are highly susceptible to hearing and believing incorrect information about parenting young children. Now it's time to set the record straight on important issues affecting their kids.

Public charter schools can be an excellent school choice for many, but there are pros and cons just like with any other school. Find out how charters differ from traditional public schools.

Honest and candid insight from a real parent. Connections Academy is an online public school serving grades K-12. This guide will help you determine if this is the right fit for your family.

Everyone hates homework time. But what if there were just a few simple tips you could use to make homework more enjoyable for everyone?

If we want preschoolers to express themselves through art and feel empowered while doing so, we're going about it all wrong. Open-ended art activities (painting, drawing, and sculpting) have been replaced by teacher-directed craft projects, much to the detriment of young children.

It is vital for parents and guardians of special needs children to understand the importance of the individual education program IEP). An IEP ensures your special needs child will get an appropriate education in the public school system.

For history to be fun, children must relate to it. Sometimes that means talking about poop.

Christian craft projects for kids: ideas for Sunday school, vacation Bible school, CCD classes and home school.

Alphabet recognition is an important prerequisite to reading and writing. Here are some fun ways to work on learning the alphabet, such as alphabet puzzles, books, iPad/iPhone games, and Android alphabet games.

Recess was once an accepted part of a child's school day. With increasing pressures for academic success, many schools are cutting or eliminating play time in favor of rigorous academic pursuits. Many schools are built without playgrounds in cities like Chicago and Atlanta. Research shows recess actually boosts test scores and increases a child's attention span: some parent led initiatives are striving to bring recess back to American schools.

Are you driving your child's preschool teacher crazy? You probably are if you send your kid to class in fancy duds, expect special treatment for your precious tyke, fret about her being bullied, and pick her up late with no apology or explanation. Find out if you're the pain at preschool!

Concepts learned at school are learned faster and retained longer when kids actively participate in an activity. Preschoolers excel when presented with an opportunity to physically engage in their learning. The lesson plan outlined below presents a fun, active method of teaching kids primary and secondary colours!

Teaching kids about the stock market can be enjoyable and relevant when you follow kid-friendly companies that sell well-known consumer goods and products during a stock market simulation experiment.

You may remember the perceptual-motor program at elementary school: walking on the balance beam, crawling through wooden shapes, and skipping around traffic cones. It combined physical and mental tasks designed to enhance balance, coordination, and gross motor skills. It's time to bring it back!

This article will provide parents of some of the youngest gifted learners with a way to begin teaching American history.

Some common misconceptions and myths about homeschooling from the socialization myth to the idea that we are all religious.

Erupting volcanoes and bubbling test tubes are fun to watch and more fun to make.  Creating strange mad scientist concoctions is simpler than you may think using stuff already in the kitchen.

An early childhood educator explains how sexism at preschool turns girls into observers, not doers. She pinpoints 6 common practices that should make parents wary, including the emphasis on appearance, the promotion of a princess culture, and the excessive use of praise.

Uniforms can help prevent bullying and violence over appearance, and discourage the theft of shoes and clothing.

Contains printable templates of roosters made from circles, hearts, and triangles for teachers who work with farm themes and young children. The templates are available in English and Spanish.

Acellus can be a little confusing to navigate. This guide will help a parent of an existing student navigate the “View Student Progress” section and subsections.

An article on the benefits of including children with special needs in mainstream schools, and things to consider when doing so.

Children become fluent in reading with practice, and the free, engaging reading games and videos on these websites will hold their attention and keep them motivated. These websites offer a great way to keep kids learning outside of school.

Ever wonder if the songs you're singing to your children had a double meaning? Here you'll find the theories or life events that sparked each rhyme.

Many preschools have at least one circle time as part of their daily routine. Research, though, shows kids learn a lot more with small group activities, kinesthetic learning, and hands-on exploration. Why then are circle times getting longer and being overused?

These online tools and poetry collections provide guideposts and inspire children to write and read poems in a broad range of styles.

Music education is highly important for young children, increasing math skills, fine motor coordination, and helping children learn the benefits of perseverance and delayed gratification. Think your child is ready for music lessons? Consider the age of the child, developmental readiness, and time commitment before staring formal instrument lessons!

This article is about how to make history fun for young children and engage both their minds and bodies in learning about the past.

Are you wondering how many hours a day you should homeschool, how your kids can make friends, or if it will work for your family? Get answers to frequently asked questions from a former homeschooled kid and current homeschooling mom!

This fun lesson will help children identify basic rhythmic patterns or note values by associating them with different kinds of pie.

Compete instructions on how to do a science fair project and set up a board. Includes pictures, examples, resources and step-by step original projects.

Full inclusion gives students with minor learning disabilities a chance to receive the same education as their non-disabled peers. However, the system has its flaws despite good intentions.

This slime changes color with the temperature, due to heat-sensitive pigment embedded in the recipe.

Homework is counterproductive. It causes family stress and fails to help the child learn, teaching only resentment. This article explores why.

How do you explain space to kids? Here are some facts about space for kids, and fun activities for the whole family!

The problem of bullying in schools is widespread in many countries. Students who experience bullying fear going to school. One way to help them is to build their self-esteem and assertiveness skills.

Many introverted adults recall hating middle school. As parents, though, they have the power to improve it for their own kids. By pushing teachers and administrators to include lesson plans and extracurricular activities that address the needs of introspective students, they can have a huge impact.

Round up the kids and try these fun projects to add a little springtime to your home.

The Montessori method of education speaks to the curiosity within each child and allows each child to blossom. Learn simple ways of creating a Montessori home environment that will enable your child to soar to great heights.

Homeschoolers often, and I mean very often, hear the question "But what about socialization?" Here's why this question is completely cringe-worthy. Please stop asking us that!

Modern technology can distract children and teens away from reading, but don’t despair. There are ways you can encourage young folk to pick up a book.

Tips to running a toddler classroom while keeping structure and order in a room full of one year olds.

As I enter my 7th year as a teacher, I share with you some of my favorite websites.

Bilingualism is a skill that gives children a lifelong advantage. It can be achieved, even if the parent is monolingual.

Choosing a preschool is an important undertaking for parents, but their diligence shouldn't end there. They need to keep a watchful eye to make sure the quality remains high. After all, operating a preschool is a business and owners are concerned about their bottom line and keeping costs low.

Top ten books by renowned British children's author Jacqueline Wilson.

You can stimulate language skills, imagination, and creativity through simple activities with preschool age children. Learn more about how to do it here.

Easy and fun snow and ice science experiments for kids. Includes making frost, snow, icicles, dry ice, exploding ice, and more cool experiments.

Numbers, shapes, and other mathematical concepts pop up in many of our daily activities. Share these opportunities with your children as a foundation for later learning.

This is a creative craft project based around pizzas. The article also includes ideas for expanding the activity into other subject areas, including maths, English, gardening and history.

Sight words are words used frequently, but may not necessarily be easy to sound out using phonics. Learning how to read these words is crucial for a young child to read fluently.

While teaching kindergarten, I had many students enter my classroom with weak hand muscles and poor fine motor skills. It was difficult for them to hold a pencil correctly, cut with scissors, and string beads. One of the easiest ways to prevent this is making play-dough with your children!

Same-sex or single-gender education has advantages and disadvantages, so why aren't more schools implementing this way of teaching? I discuss the advantages and disadvantages.

Calendar, craft projects, teacher-directed lessons, worksheets, and letter of the week are part of the daily routine at preschool. Yet, are they supported by research? A former teacher explains why they're not only a waste of time but can squelch a child's innate curiosity and love of learning.

A librarian's reviews and summaries of the best narrative nonfiction books for children, which are emphasized in the curriculum of the common core from kindergarten through 6th grade.

A teacher explains how hands-on learning at preschool makes children curious, passionate, and self-motivated. They see themselves as the source of knowledge, not their teachers. Sadly, though, hands-on learning is being diminished as politicians demand that kids get prepped for kindergarten.

Simple steps for easy early elementary school Science Fair Project. Teach your child or a group of children how to do a Science Project.

Parents can get enticed by STEM activities, foreign language instruction and music lessons, thinking they will give their child a leg up. What really matters most, though, is a preschool program with a strong philosophy that emphasizes a learn-by-doing approach: playing, socializing, and exploring.

Looking for a great science fair project? Love to chew gum? Here you'll find complete instructions for gum science fair projects, with photos and videos. Sample project too!

The Chinese Tangram Game is a cool activity to do with kids that has great educational value and is loads of fun to play. Find out its history, how to make your own, and the fun you can have with it!

Parents in the US are enthralled with academic preschools, buying into the belief that earlier is better. However, research shows that play is how kids learn best. It enhances their imaginations, promotes exploration, increases vocabulary, and builds social skills.

As an educator myself, I get frustrated by the teacher-directed art that rules at schools today. The projects look the same and do nothing to promote creativity, independence, and initiative. Fortunately, parents can encourage their kids to do collage at home—simple art that inspires originality!

The Waldorf method of education is gaining in popularity, but the tuition is expensive. Learn simple, easy ways to provide the benefits of this method to your child at home.

Choosing a preschool program is a difficult choice for parents seeking a quality early childhood education curriculum for their children. This article addresses several areas of concern and suggests questions and observations parents should make before deciding on a preschool program for their child.

The labor of Puritan life is frigid compared to Kit's childhood of relaxing warm beaches. Living near the recent Salem witch trials, she must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice for those she loves

Want a science fair project using your pet? Full instructions for a quick and easy science experiment for elementary students.

I am a teacher of dyslexic children and a mother of a dyslexic child. This is advice on how to help with school, homework, and self-esteem.

Beginning home-schooling is a huge decision and can engender terror in the hearts of parents brave enough to undertake such a commitment. Fear not, it's not so scary after all. First comes 'deschooling'...

Teaching preschool at home can be a fun learning adventure for you and your child. Learn about some simple preschool activities you can do at home with your preschooler to help your child be ready for Kindergarten.

The transition from elementary school to middle school can be overwhelming for many students. Here are specific organization strategies to help middle school students be successful.

Some practical tips for organizing a children's story time program including finding a host organization, planning a calendar, and other common-sense logistical considerations.

An educator and mom explains why Zoo-phonics is the ideal program to teach your child to read. It combines movement, music, and games that promote phonological awareness, the foundation of reading. It lets kids be kids as they act silly, wriggle, and use their imaginations.

When choosing a preschool, some parents get seduced by the very things that they should avoid: an academic focus, computer learning, and paper-pencil work. Find out why these and others are indicative of a subpar preschool that ignores developmentally appropriate practices.

Leading a prayer walk for your school? I give tips, ideas, Bible verses, and step-by-step instructions to help you.

The greatest magic in the Cinderella Story is the lessons it teaches children about choices.

Easy 7th or 8th Grade girls flexibility Science Fair Experiment with full instructions and research links.

There are pros and cons for uniform school dress codes. Should public schools have dress codes and uniforms? Do they really make a difference?

Find the best books and resources for elementary school-aged kids to learn more about the human body, cells, and genetics.