When families are helping with learning at home, they tend to concentrate on things like workbooks, worksheets, and doing lots of extra exercises. While those things are useful, experts in how children grow and are educated say that the general pattern of family life is just as significant. Kids frequently do better with their schoolwork…
Lots of parents think kids learn best when they study for a long time at once. But researchers who study education usually discover that children actually do better with practice that is shorter but happens more often. This method, which people sometimes call distributed practice, is more in tune with how children’s brains work and…
Homework is frequently hard for kids, and it’s not simply the work itself. It’s that it’s assigned in the evening, when they’re already worn out, needing food, or emotionally drained. Families would like to help with learning, but don’t want every afternoon to be a repeat of all the demands of school. A good homework…
Parents often concentrate on whether their kids can get the right answers when considering if a child is ready for school and learning at home. However, experts in early education usually point out that the act of questioning is a valuable learning skill in itself. When a child voices a thought, asks the reason for…
Lots of parents would like to help their kids learn at home, but are nervous about making their children’s lives into one long series of lessons, being told what they did wrong, and feeling stressed. Experts in how children grow and in early learning say that children’s natural desire to know things thrives best when…
Most people picture a child starting to write when they begin to actually make shapes of letters with a pencil. But actually, writing tends to flow more easily when lots of other abilities are getting better. People who’ve studied young children say writing isn’t one thing, it’s lots of things built on top of each…
Lots of family talks about screens get tangled up because people act like if something is “educational” it automatically solves all the problems with kids and devices. But even with learning-based apps or shows, you still have to think about how much focus they require, when kids are using them, sleep, physical activity, and everyone’s…
Lots of parents who are thinking about their child starting school naturally think about things like learning the alphabet, counting, and starting to read. These skills are important of course, but people who study how children grow and learn say a different ability is equally important for how a child does in class: listening. Before…
Most families would like to help their children with learning at home, but they don’t want every night to feel like school all over again. Experts in how children grow and are taught pretty much agree with this. Helping kids learn at home is most effective when it boosts how well they can focus, their…
Lots of people think doing reading as a habit at home helps kids do well in school, but it’s about a lot more than just learning to read and write. Reading with your child boosts their word knowledge, their ability to listen, how long they can focus, a closer emotional bond, and a feeling for…