Without substantial reading skills, “the risk is that future generations will simply be unable to think as deeply and with as much complexity as in the past.”
One of my daily challenges as a parent is getting my fourth grader to read for 30 minutes as part of her homework.
It’s not because she struggles with her reading skills; she actually reads well-above grade level. Like many kids of her generation, though, my daughter has zero interest in picking up a book. Why would she, when she’s got an iPad offering her nonstop entertainment via videos expertly designed for her short attention span? Continue reading
Sometimes kids don’t need a timeout — they need a reset. That’s not the same thing. A true reset helps kids come back to themselves. It gives them access to their own energy again, instead of just pulling away from overstimulation. But what actually works? Not all “self-care” is equal. For children, especially, the best kind involves real movement, tactile stimulation, and a sense of control. When structured right, these small acts can help your child regroup emotionally, physically, and mentally — in ways they don’t have to explain or intellectualize.
In 1783 at the end of George Washington’s tenure as Commander and Chief of the Continental Army, he penned a letter to the governors of each of the States. It was 7 years after the Declaration of Independence and the thirteen former colonies remained organized under the Articles of Confederation, the nation’s first frame of government. Washington’s letter gives every indication he was looking forward to retirement at his Mt. Vernon home with no thought of further service as the first American President.
Why is it that so many students in the modern American education system say that school is “boring”? Aren’t they learning about the most fascinating aspects of our world? Isn’t part of human nature, as Aristotle teaches, to desire to know?