Recent Articles
We Vote for These! Great Books That Get Kids Election Ready and Civics-Savvy
Are your kids wondering why their favorite toy commercials have been replaced by talking heads? Do they ask you if they live in a red or a blue state? Or maybe they are already running for class president? No matter where your child is on the political spectrum — from left to right, confused to savv
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Webinar: Finding the Right School Fit
Finding the Right School FitAnoo Padte, Art of EducationChoosing your child's school is one of the most important decisions you will make as a parent. Personalized education consultant and parent coach Anoo Padte joined ParentMap for a live, interactive webinar to guide parents through the many
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Handwriting and Literacy: Does Your Child Have the ‘Write’ Stuff?
A few years ago, Seattle parents Michelle Lewis and Henry Underhill noticed that their 5-year-old son did not seem interested in learning letters or their sounds. At that same time, the boy’s 3-year-old brother was trying to write his name. The parents saw the difference, but at first they weren’t t
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Teaching Compassion: Changing the World Through Empathy and Education
Children are often told in a tone of reprimand by parents and teachers: “How would you feel if they did that to you?” It is essentially the photo negative of the Golden Rule (“do unto others …”). What if that message evolved into a positive set of values, then fused into lesson plans, group activiti
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Family bike-riding basics
Updated June, 2012 Karen Axon can’t wait for the arrival of warmer weather and sunnier days so her family can resume their favorite summer pastime: bike riding.On summer days, Axon, her husband, Troy, and their two boys frequently escape from their Bothell home for a riding adventure to the beach o
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The Montessori Mind: How Montessori Promotes Mindful Learning
Pediatric neurophysician Dr. Steven Hughes will be holding a 3-part session on Education for the 21st Century on Saturday, February 25, in Seattle. STARS credits and clock hours will be available. Full details about the event can be found on the PNMA website. Young children aren’t usually known f
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Raising Good Decision Makers: Helping Kids Learn to Make Decisions
Toy stores always made me crazy — the noise, the (primary!) colors, the sheer pandemonium. Then there were my children. My daughter always knew just what to buy with her spending money. One day a game, another time a puzzle, and on occasion, a fluffy stuffed animal. My son? Thoughtful, analytical,
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Preparing for Kindergarten: Is Your Child Ready... Or Not?
Kate Scott is a bright, vivacious 6-year-old who is eager to start kindergarten this fall. She mastered her basic skills in preschool. In fact, many of the skills she’s learned are the same ones she’ll be learning — once again — in her kindergarten classroom. Kate is not unusual in an age when many
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