For many young people, sheltering at home means missing milestones and public recognition of their achievements. This is especially true for seniors graduating from high school and college, and many are feeling lost. Kendall Smith, a high school senior who lives in Tallahassee, Florida, says her school has many traditions leading up to graduation. One of the most eagerly anticipated events is “Grad Bash,” a rite of passage when all graduating seniors head off to…
In a typical summer, more than 14 million campers and staff attend overnight and day camps in the United States. But summer 2020 will be far from typical. To prepare for that, the nation’s largest summer camp associations, the American Camp Association and the YMCA of the USA, have released a field guide for how summer camps can operate more safely during the coronavirus pandemic. The 82-page guide, prepared by a private consulting firm, offers…
Books about math can spark curiosity and increase math engagement among kids of all ages. A growing library of children’s nonfiction tells true stories of mathematicians who explored and advanced our understanding of numbers and patterns in real life. Below is a list of children’s books about diverse people who played a big role in math history. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly High school students who enjoyed the 2016 blockbuster “Hidden Figures” can dive…
Without warning or time to prepare, millions of parents are now homeschooling their children for the first time thanks to the novel coronavirus. While the COVID-19 situation is unprecedented, there’s nothing inherently new about school at home. Thousands of families do it every day, but for those parents who find themselves in the difficult position of suddenly having to transition from their kids going to school each day to not being able to leave the…
Ava had always felt comfortable at the small, private K-8 school she attended just north of Boston, but in high school everything changed. Ava first began to experience anxiety and depression after her parents divorced when she was still in grade school. These problems increased as she entered her teen years, and became even more severe in ninth grade, when she enrolled at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School, a vast campus with nearly 2,000 students.…
Young people today face a staggering number of elaborate financial decisions, but most of them are not yet ready to make well-informed choices about money as they proceed into adulthood. According to a 2014 study, 3 out of 4 young adults can’t answer simple financial questions. While helping students develop traditional academic knowledge is useful for every child’s future, teaching students about financial literacy can be the difference between a life well lived and a…
Looking to keep your kids busy over the April break? Check out our list of fun-filled activities happening around Boston. Trolls World Tour Movie Premiere and Character Meet When: Sat 4/18 Where: Braintree AMC – 121 Grandview Road, Braintree Time: 10am – 1pm Age: all ages Cost: $17 Kids, $22 Adults. Kids 2 and under are free Come enjoy a private screening of Trolls World Tour and meet Poppy and Branch! Tickets include a movie…
For many families, reading is a pleasurable activity when kids are young, but then as kids get older, they start to hate reading. Parents are more aware than ever that strong reading skills are fundamental to academic success. Teachers also feel pressure to make sure students are reading on or above grade level, often with their evaluations and salaries hanging in the balance. On top of it all, kids may be quick to claim they…
Teachers can know their content backwards and forwards, and they probably put hours into their lesson plans. But if motivating students hasn’t been taken into account by parents and teachers, learning won’t happen. According to a new working paper from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, a multidisciplinary research collaborative housed at Harvard University, childhood experiences may make motivation harder for some students. The paper takes a look at the machinery of motivation:…
We all know that libraries are wonderful for checking out books, but the number of non-book related items that libraries now stock may surprise you. Your library may let you borrow toys, clothing, electronics, and so much more. Here are just some examples of what it’s possible to borrow from US libraries: Books CDs and DVDs Musical instruments Expensive event clothing Gardening materials Laptops, video projectors, and digital cameras Electronics chargers Reading glasses Bicycles, scooters,…
