Observed each October, during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, or “NDEAM,” we celebrate the value and talent workers with disabilities add to America’s workplaces and economy. NDEAM’s purpose is to confirm our commitment to ensuring disabled workers have access to good jobs, every month of every year. Let’s hear from an educator on how we can bring disability history and disability employment awareness into the classroom. A few years ago, curriculum specialist Richard Cairn showed…
Many children have trouble paying attention in class at some point in their academic career. When this happens, especially with young students, it leaves parents wondering why their child can’t focus—and whether he or she could have a learning difficulty. It’s important to know that not every student who has a hard time focusing in school has a learning difficulty such as ADD or ADHD. In some cases, the concentration issues children have in school…
While being an outstanding athlete can give you a leg up in the college admissions process, it is still a good idea to boost your resume with other activities, so colleges can see the ways you might contribute off the field as well as on it. If you are a high school athlete, you know that sports require a lot of time and energy, so you will need to find extracurricular and service activities that…
Psychologists have long warned about overscheduling, which undermines children’s ability to develop non-academic skills that they’ll need in adulthood, from coping with setbacks to building strong relationships. Now a trio of economists say they’ve been able to calculate some of these psychological costs. In a new data analysis published in the February 2024 issue of the Economics of Education Review, three economists from the University of Georgia and the Federal Reserve Board found that students…
Whether you’re getting on a plane to visit extended family for Christmas or planning a New Year’s Eve party at home, you may be preparing to gather with the people you love during the holiday season. Unfortunately the holiday months are prime time for respiratory viruses like COVID-19, flu, and RSV. Even in this vision of a “new normal,” it’s clear that COVID-19, flu, and RSV will be circulating over the holidays, with travel and…
School counselors have long been understood as a key ingredient in college access, but the impact of counselors on student achievement has largely gone unmeasured. A recent paper from researcher Christine Mulhern, a Ph.D. student and PIER fellow at the Center on Education Policy Research at Harvard University, fills that gap, making clear just how valuable a counselor’s role can be. Indeed, Mulhern found that while teachers and counselors make an impact on students via…
Dancing is a fantastic way for your child to express themselves physically while having fun! However, with all of the different types of dance classes that you can sign your child up for, figuring out which class is right can be tricky. The good news is, there’s no wrong pick! All dance classes for kids are a wonderful way to help your child experience exercise in a fun and creative way. Not only will your…
Feeling down, anxious, or stressed out? These tips for emotional wellbeing can help. If you are able to change your mindset in small ways, larger changes in your outlook will begin to take shape. Here are some places to start. 1. Pair a chore with a favorite activity. When Katy Milkman started graduate school, her exercise routine went out the window, as all she wanted at the end of a long day of classes was to…
It’s no mystery that exercise boosts mental health and cognitive function in kids. A nine-month study of children aged seven through nine found that kids who were active could think more clearly, and a March 2020 report found that 12-, 14-, and 16-year-olds who exercised regularly were less likely to develop depression by age 18. Brain scans of 20-year-olds revealed that active young adults have better recall and thinking ability. The relationship between movement and…
Knowledge is indeed power, but academic achievement is only one aspect of a successful education. Children must also learn social-emotional skills to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, set goals, express empathy, build relationships, and make decisions. Teaching and practicing these techniques is called “social-emotional learning” (SEL). SEL has many benefits for students, ranging from improved school performance to healthier friendships. Plus, down the road, those with strong social and emotional competence are more likely to…
