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Six Ways to Establish Good Homework Habits

When returning to school after summer break, many students are excited to see their friends and return to the routine of school. Although, many students and parents alike dread the idea of homework again. The topic can haunt parents as the stacks of flashcards and worksheets start to come out of backpacks. Many families deal with frustrations and tears from homework time, and the jury is still out on whether or not homework has a positive or negative effect on students. Many families have arguments about homework, and some students struggle tremendously to complete their homework. It can be a …

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How to Manage the Terrible Twos

Child rearing is a long and involved process. From birth, we’re called to feed and care for babies who are essentially helpless. At the time they start walking and talking, they begin to form opinions and explore boundaries. These early stages of learning are the toddler years, also known as the terrible twos. And with a little preparation, however, you can handle the ups and downs that come with this exciting age range. Study: Understanding the cognitive development of a two-year-old certainly helps in raising them. There are plenty of early childhood resources that share age appropriate behavior for toddlers …

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How to Identify Early Signs of Autism

The possibility of their child having an Autism Spectrum Disorder is a concern for many parents. As a child develops they begin to learn social skills, vocabulary and other capabilities which are vital to their communication and growth. A parent’s concern is valid considering that 1 in 45 children between the ages of 1 and 17 are diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Not developing certain areas of growth typically begins at a young age. However, it is possible to identify Autism in children as young as six months old. As a baby matures into a toddler, there are often …

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9 Ways to Positively Impact Your Kid’s Language Development

Learning to talk is an important milestone in the development of any child. Spoken language allows children to verbalize their emotions and communicate their needs. However, for new parents figuring out how to help their child develop language skills may be a mystery. In this piece, we will discuss the nine ways that you can positively impact your child’s language development. Talk through common Count the steps while walking down the stairs. Ask your child to lift their bottom or turn their body while changing their diaper. Describe what you are doing when you change their clothes. The words attached …

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7 Amazing Learning Activities for Toddlers

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When we think of toddlers, many thoughts come to mind. Runny noses, messy hair, picky eating are just some of the traits we relate to this curious age group. Cognitively, there’s so much more than what meets the eye. Fine and gross motor skills are being acquired, and an overall sense of the world and the relationships within it are being developed. So how do we support the amazing evolution of the toddler? Here are 7 great activities to help your toddler learn: Sand table play– Sand play strengthens sensory development and basic science and math skills through scooping, pouring …

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Seven Questions to Ask When Touring Preschools

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Of all the milestones in childhood, starting school can be the most dramatic. Your baby has grown into a school aged child and they will spend their days in a classroom. Therefore, the transition to school can be a big change for the entire family as the child further increases their independence. When first shopping around for preschools, it can feel overwhelming. There are several styles of preschools which vary from Montessori to public school. While each preschool will be different than the next, they all serve the same purpose: to prepare them for kindergarten. Regardless of the style of …

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Early childhood educators rely on families to prop up low income, research finds

This article was written by Paula McDonald, Karen Thorpe, and Susan Irvine Early childhood educators struggling in low-paid jobs often have to prop up their income through family members and/or partners, new research shows. Wages for qualified early childhood teachers have improved over time. However, incomes of those with vocational qualifications, including diplomas and certificates, remain low and do not reflect the responsibilities that characterise the role. Certificate III-qualified educators, who assist in the design and delivery of educational programs, are paid A$753 per week before tax. This is considerably below the average weekly earnings of $1,137 across all occupations. The …

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Study: Detroit crime rate would drop with early childhood investment

By putting more money into early childhood education in Detroit, the crime rate would go down, according to a recent study. Jose Diaz of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation conducted the study”Cost Savings of School Readiness Per Additional At-Risk Child in Detroit and Michigan” where the findings appear.  The research was commissioned by the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation and it suggests that investing in early childhood education could cut Detroit’s crime rate and save taxpayers in the state millions of dollars, according to a story on the study by The Detroit News. The story says that Detroit taxpayers …

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Parental involvement in early childhood learning: A stitch in time saves nine

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.** By Khaula Mazhar In today’s increasingly busy world, parents have less and less time to spend with their young children and often miss out on this extremely important time in a child’s life. Children are developing more and more behavioral problems. They are stressed out at ages when they should be enjoying their childhood. Research has …

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Listening, not testing, will improve children’s vocabulary

James Law, Newcastle University Every few months a story appears about the declining speech and language skills of children arriving in primary school. The epithet “the daily grunt” was invented by one newspaper to capture the lack of communication between parent and child, implying it caused poor communication skills and a lack of “school readiness”. Now a new report by the UK school regulator Ofsted – its first on the early years – has called for children to start school at two years old, in part to help those from lower-income backgrounds who arrive at primary school with poor reading …

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