Test Stress: Getting Those Scores to Soar

Algebra quizzes. Standardized tests. SATs. Like it or not, tests count. Everything that goes on in a classroom is influenced by test performance, says Kathleen Vasquez, literacy and social studies program manager for Seattle Public Schools. “I tell underperforming kids, ‘Try your very best on every

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Ask the Parent Coach: Strategies for Reducing Video Game Screen Time

  Q: My child played video games a lot this summer. Now that school has started back up, what can I do to help him transition to less playing time and more studying time? Also, how much video game playing time is okay? A: Back-to-school time is always a period of adjustment, whether video games

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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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Why Your Child Needs More Time Outside

Does your child have "nature-deficit disorder"? In his 2006 book, Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv coined that phrase, and it's been inspiring discussion ever since. More than ever before, Louv says, children are out of touch with nature and outdoor play, instead staying inside, plugged in to

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Get Your Teen Volunteering During National Volunteer Month

The slowly-recovering economy has been especially hard on teens who count on minimum wage jobs to cover expenses and provide experience. The jobs are fewer, and adults who can’t find employment have stepped in to work positions traditionally held by teens. While it won’t bring in spending money, vo

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College Planning: The Benefits of Extracurricular Activities for Teens

With college acceptance letters arriving for high school seniors this month, sophomores and juniors are thinking about the extracurricular activities they’ll be putting down on their own college applications. Spring is a good time to make plans for summer and beyond, and to enjoy the activities they

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Encouraging Girls in Math and Science: The Struggle Against Gender Stereotypes

While working at a science museum, I once observed a mother, toting a daughter past exhibits on dinosaurs, oceans and machines, approach an employee. “Where is the stuff for girls?” she asked. It’s a question that would ruffle the feathers of any female archaeologist, marine biologist or engineer.

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The Benefits of Volunteering for Teens

When she arrived in the Eastern Washington farming community of Wapato last spring for a six-day school service trip, Overlake High School junior Caroline Spencer expected to learn about migrant farm workers’ issues and work alongside them in apple orchards. What she didn’t expect was that her exper

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