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...

Your child’s been invited to a get-together within walking distance of home—but in unfamiliar territory. Here are your choices: Tell him how to get there; jot down the all the lefts and rights to be taken, noting a landmark or two; draw a map to accompany him along...

You’ve become a master at it. Had to. No choice. According to a recently released Salary.com survey, stay-at-home moms put in about 91 hours of work a week. And if you’re also employed outside the home . . . Well, you get the picture. Now think about kids. Most spend...

In my carefree kid days, homework was often left behind—sometimes on my desk, in my unmade bed, or even under it, falling victim to the morning rush. And, yes, I usually left assignments for the last minute—when I remembered them at all. Made my grades suffer and my...

Ageless, limitless, and always a pleasure, read alouds are a hit with everybody, so gather your child about you and give this ending from Roald Dahl’s “Three Little Pigs” a try: “Ah, Piglet, you must never trust Young ladies from the upper crust. For now, Miss Riding...

In 1941, Dr. Francis Robinson made a name for himself with his now classic study method, SQ3R--Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review--a systematic and very effective approach to learning. Instead of your child jumping right in and reading an assigned chapter,...

So many lectures, discussions, textbook pages . . . How can your child be expected to remember it all? Dante said, “He listens well who takes notes.” And that’s the key-- listening with the intent to learn, getting it all down, and then studying out loud to insure...

About his three D’s and two F’s, Joey said, “We went to Canada to visit relatives. Then I was sick for a couple of days.” Now, what do a trip to Canada and a nasty cold have to do with grades? Everything! As educator Richard White put it, “It may seem obvious that...

Books: knowledge, choice, power—a refuge that exercises the imagination, an invention that changed the world and put it in our hands. Actor Michael Caine said that the greatest thing he’d ever done was learn to read. Would your child agree? Does he curl up with a book...

Kids don’t usually love them. Some actually hate them. There’s seldom anything in between about essay tests. Where objective tests are tests of recognition—all a student has to do is identify the correct answer or whether a statement is true or false--essay tests,...

Says Avi, “Read your first draft, and, if you think it’s good, you’re in trouble . . . The more you rewrite, the better your writing will be.” For many kids, though, the top writing priority is getting the thing done—often measured in length rather than quality. Hit...