Rituals – Write Away

June 13, 2016

Flag Day’s Star-Spangled Banner

What do you remember about Flag Day celebrations (June 14) when you were in school? You probably participated in a ceremony at the school flagpole. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts wore their uniforms on that day, and the Boy Scouts usually performed the honor of raising the flag. This ceremony often included singing the Star-Spangled Banner. If Flag Continue reading

Celebrations, History and Social Science, Rituals, Speaking and listening

Flag Day ceremony, lyrics, music

April 21, 2016

3 Reading Tips For Parents

Do you read every day? Even when I worked crazy, long hours as a principal, everyone in our family read every night. We ended up cutting down on TV when our children’s schedules got busy. As your child’s first and most important teacher, you’re a role model. If you expect your child to do her 20 Continue reading

Reading, Rituals, Teaching and Learning

Parents who read, reading routine, reading to children

April 18, 2016

Oldest Marathon in the World

Today over thirty thousand runners run the 120th Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest and most prestigious marathon. It’s also the 50th official year that women have been running. If you live in Massachusetts, you might have watched along the route some years for hours as you screamed support, urged runners on, shouted encouragement, and yelled Continue reading

Rituals, Teaching and Learning

Goal setting, sports

April 14, 2016

How to Discipline Kids: Giving Lip, Part I

There isn’t a child on earth who hasn’t given lip. Or back talked and made nasty remarks at you, their parent. Developmentally speaking, children mostly use this language (or the accompanying tone of voice) as part of their separation from you. At the time, they have a strong reaction to something, or feel peevish or mean–and punching Continue reading

Rituals, Social and emotional development, Teaching and Learning

back talk, giving lip, How to Discipline, parent discipline

April 3, 2016

Cooking up Math

Did you know that you have a math lab in your home? It’s called the kitchen and is a perfect place for you to practice estimation and measurement with kids. Whether you are a cook who uses exact measurements, or one who uses handfuls and pinches, help them to learn. A bag of salad feeds about how many people? Continue reading

Math, Rituals

kitchen math, measurement for kids, parents and math