LearningMap, 2009

	Flip through our current issue online.  Articles: Is your child ready for kindergarten? Helping the shy child How to hire a good tutor Keeping the arts alive in school Does your child have a problem with reading?    About us: LearningMap about us
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Dear Reader,

We love infusing our publications with new developments in child rearing, and with the scores of activities, resources and goings-on in the Puget Sound region. After all, keeping ParentMap readers up to date and in the loop is our raison d’être.

But when it comes to education, we’re downright passionate. We stay on top of what’s best, what’s essential and what’s happening in the world of learning.

That’s why we’re so proud to bring you our third annual edition of LearningMap, packed with articles and info that will help you maximize your child’s educational journey.

And just to make sure you’re keeping current with the hottest trends, ParentMap is now bringing you Hall Pass — our new free education e-news­letter. It’s filled with the latest school news, cool learning tips and links to the best resources around. Sign up for Hall Pass.

As a parent of two kids (now grown up!) I find it fascinating to watch the way some educational dilemmas surface again . . . and again. My son, Todd, has a mid-August birthday; from the day he was born I agonized about when he should enter kindergarten.

That’s why I was particularly interested in “Know when to hold ’em: assessing kindergarten readiness.” In this article, you’ll learn which issues to consider when making that often angst-filled decision.

Did I end up holding my son back? No, I did not . . . and he did just fine. Maybe it was sheer luck; he turned out to be an easygoing kid with an insatiable hunger for learning.

We also stress over our children’s personalities and temperaments — especially if we have kids who seem clingy or shy (“Drawing out the ‘shy’ child”). Writer Andrea Leigh Ptak looks into why some children seem slow to warm up — and how parents can help them learn to become more comfortable around others.

In this issue, you’ll find out when to find your child a tutor (“Should you hire a tutor?”); how the arts are becoming an endangered species (“Keeping the arts alive,”) and much more.

Enjoy this special LearningMap edition!

— Linda Morgan
LearningMap editor