You may be wondering why mindfulness is important for your child. Mindfulness gives kids the habit of focusing on the present moment and ignoring distractions, promotes happiness and patience by lowering social anxiety and stress, teaches them to stay calm in the face of life’s stressful times, improves attentiveness and impulse control, creates good habits for the future, and so much more. Read more ›
We’ve all heard about the benefits of learning to read quietly and independently. A big part of learning at school is all about reading, but it’s not always easy to find time for more reading at home. Read more ›
When the bullying prevention side of the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools program became clear to the Lansing Public School District in Michigan, an initial launch quickly expanded from five schools to the entire district. Read more ›
The Backpack Connection Series is a collection of tip sheets created to provide a way for teachers and parents/caregivers to work together to help young children develop social emotional skills and reduce challenging behavior. Read more ›
A month into school, Chicago social worker Alyssa Rodriguez says she underestimated the challenge ahead. Student behavior referrals are up, as middle schoolers hurt each others’ feelings with comments they’d usually only be bold enough to say online.
Schools across the country say they’re seeing an uptick in disruptive behaviors. Read more ›
One of the nation’s leading clinical psychologists, Gloria Morrow, PhD, shares some simple things we can all do to maintain positive emotions during challenging times. Read more ›
What children are exposed to early on shapes them forever, and that’s certainly true when it comes to diversity and acceptance. Parents basically have a decade-ish to fundamentally influence how their children view and value diversity, while living within a broader system in which inequality is rampant. Read more ›
Giving kids a chance to talk with adults about their lives outside of class can be critical for their social-emotional development. But during the pandemic, online classes didn’t often allow the time for that individual attention. Along is a free digital reflection tool that helps teachers prompt students to talk about their personal lives through recorded video, audio or written texts as a way to support them emotionally, not just academically. Read more ›
Starting kindergarten is both exciting and scary — for children and their parents. Young children thrive when they feel comfortable, safe and secure. But it can be challenging to help your child feel prepared when everything feels so uncertain right now. What can you do to make the leap less worrisome and more fun? Read more ›
