What more powerful thing can you do for the children in your life than show them how adults learn? I kindly suggest that we should always try to learn alongside children. Unfortunately, we are already quite good at many things that they are learning: walking, riding bicycles, writing, cooking, et…

When we fall in love with books, they are usually read to us: by a librarian, grandparent, or other adult. We can tell that we love reading because we experience books even before we can read words independently. A child does not need to know phonics or letter sounds to…

When I started spending many hours in the classroom with children, I came to get to know them as individuals and found amazing things to cherish in each one. There were some themes of the age, like loving animals and the outdoors. Some of the children loved to play soccer…

This game has great music, intriguing storylines, and makes *me* want to play it. I have been sitting next to my child, watching the game with great interest. First she got to pick her avatar’s name and appearance. (Some of the other math game apps we tried did not have…

After teaching elementary and middle-school math for a decade, I became a different kind of teacher, thanks to COVID-19: a homeschool teacher to a kindergartener and a preschooler. ACTIVE/OUTSIDE While I am a big proponent of Montessori-style child-led learning, let’s just say that my kids — like most kids —…

If your kid, like mine, wants to learn about a specific subject, here is what you can do. (One of my kids wants to learn about dinosaurs, so I will use that example.) I do these steps without kids (under age 10): 1. Open internet browser. Search “dinosaur DK”. You…

I hear parents talking to one another and give one another advice. I’m a teacher, and when I know both kids as students, it pains me to overhear the conversation. I think to myself, “That would NEVER work for the other kid! And yes, it TOTALLY works for your kid.” …

Our local schools are closing. Yours have, too, or they will soon. What will you do with this time? First, you may ask yourself about your job, your healthcare, your finances. Do I have sick leave? PTO? Does FMLA cover me? Second, take care of your children emotionally. You tell…

As I write this, Seattle Public Schools has closed for a minimum of 2 weeks due to coronavirus. Other cities may follow suit in the coming days and weeks. Chinese schools have been closed for 6 weeks so far, Japan for 4 weeks. “What am I going to do with…