Video games: absorbing, interactive, potentially addictive, and, on many occasion, violent—and therein lies much of the problem. That's because many experts believe the brutality our children are exposed to desensitizes them and contributes to aggressive and very...

Child’s play has gone viral, as even five- and six-year-olds are getting on the cyberbullying bandwagon, sending out hurtful messages without so much as a second thought and causing some of our children to view suicide as their only way out of the pain inflicted on...

Parenting: doing it right is uppermost in everyone’s mind and don't authors and booksellers know it! So do all our well-meaning friends and relatives who shower us with free advice, complete with oft-told old wives’ tales. Never sure whether or not to subscribe to all...

Info 101: Common Core Standards and the Race to the Top Competition Making schools better with national standardsAfter taking more than a year to develop and built on a foundation of previously established college and career-readiness standards, the Common Core State...

It’s worrying just about everybody. The writing skills of today’s students, that is. Blame it on the death of letter writing and thank you notes; blame it on emailing and instant messaging; blame it on lack of practice and caring. Whatever you come up with, we’ve got...

Let’s face it: begging doesn’t cut it, nor do threats and bribes. Not when it comes to homework and studying. That’s because external motivators, like the promise of an MP3 player or the threat of grounding, have only short-term effects. Instead, make it...

She insisted that her daughter not be penalized for misspellings--but spelling counts even out of the classroom, whether we like it or not. And millions don’t like it, and it’s no wonder. After all, English is not only loaded down with ninety spelling rules, they’re...

Hunched over the computer, her fingers flew over the keyboard. Fact after carefully researched fact about Ellis Island made their way onto the screen. The paper was practically writing itself—and then the phone rang. Wanting privacy, she took the call in her...

The yellow buses are on the move again, and your child’s bookbag overflows with textbooks and new supplies--another school year begins. Now all that’s left is to make sure homework’s always done, tests are studied for, and expectations remain high, right? Well,...

To some, it’s a magical place—one of discovery, camaraderie, empowerment. For others it’s akin to a lock-up, a holding cell until real life can actually begin—and the wait seems endless. School, to them, is little more than boring lectures, useless facts, teachers’...

Homework—it’s not just for kids anymore. Teachers have always been around to help, but now there are added twists. First is the Internet pouring out answers to all our questions--essays and research papers, too, and putting teachers on guard. Meanwhile, countless...

Lecture notes sure come in handy—and we teachers always remind students to take them, store them, and study them. If they want to keep up, participate, and shine on tests, that is. No problem or complaints from some. Others groan, though, when it’s get-it-all-down...

Nothing pure about it--English I mean. After all, the British Isles were invaded several times, as when, during the 5th century, the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes arrived, pushing out Celtic in favor of their Germanic tongue. Centuries later, Irish missionaries brought...

While mom’s favorite line was, “You are what you eat,” she should have added, “Eat well; what’s good for your heart is good for your brain.” After all, the two go hand in hand and both require good habits. It takes a lot to think, learn, and remember. Now, if your...

Have a more hate-than-love relationship with test-taking? How about your kid? Go ahead, ask—and don’t be surprised if negatives like forgetting and failure outweigh such positives as easy and success. For most, tests are akin to tooth drilling without Novocain, but...