From youth safety issues to juvenile justice, from children’s health to readiness for college and the work-force, from childhood hunger to an interim budget in a year of fiscal deadlock, the Illinois PTA has advocated successfully for all our children. The highlights are below. Illinois PTA will continue to advocate for every child, and urges … Continue reading Another Year of Legislative Success for the Children of Illinois!
Help ADHD Students Concentrate by Letting Them Fidget
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 11% of children ages 4 to 17 have been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as of 2011, and rates of diagnosis have increased an average of 5% per year from 2003 to 2011. Many of these students have 504 Plan or Individualized Education Plan … Continue reading Help ADHD Students Concentrate by Letting Them Fidget
10-Minute Film Festival: Back to School Edition
Illinois PTA has mentioned the NBC News Education Nation Parent Toolkit before, but the toolkit has continued to grow in the past two years, adding videos and more to the toolkit. Here’s a 10-minute film festival of videos from the toolkit, each a minute or less, to get you and your child ready to go … Continue reading 10-Minute Film Festival: Back to School Edition
News from National Convention—Plan Your PTA Year with National PTA Programs
One of the major benefits of having a PTA is being able to take advantage of National PTA’s numerous free turn-key programs. A workshop at the 2016 National PTA Convention spelled out how PTA leaders can plan their entire PTA year using these programs. By taking advantage of these programs, PTAs can easily and effectively: … Continue reading News from National Convention—Plan Your PTA Year with National PTA Programs
News from National Convention—Resolutions
At the 2016 National PTA Convention in Orlando, four resolutions were adopted by the convention delegates. PTA resolutions and position statements are official documents outlining the opinion, will, or intent of the association to address national problems, situations, or concerns that affect children and youth and that require national action to seek solutions to the … Continue reading News from National Convention—Resolutions
Dealing with Summer Boredom
Summer vacation has just begun, but you’ve probably already heard it: “Mom! I’m bored!” Your first response might be to offer suggestions of things to do, but those are often greeted with a series of no’s. Experts suggest that an alternative approach to the “I’m bored” lament can be good for kids—let them be bored. … Continue reading Dealing with Summer Boredom
Free Resources for a Safe and Healthy Summer
Summertime bring lots of outdoor activities like cookouts and swimming. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have bundled a collection of free resources for summer that will help plan safe cookouts, prevent mosquito bites, and protect children and guests … Continue reading Free Resources for a Safe and Healthy Summer
Breakfast After the Bell Bill Awaits Governor’s Signature
These days, it is hard to believe that the entire Illinois legislature could all agree on whether the sun will rise in the east tomorrow, but unanimous agreement has actually occurred. Senate Bill 2393 (SB2393), which amends the School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act, has passed the House with a 113-0 vote and the Senate … Continue reading Breakfast After the Bell Bill Awaits Governor’s Signature
FDA Issues New e-Cigarette Rules
E-cigarette use has been booming in recent years, especially among teens and young adults, and the nicotine liquids used in e-cigarettes have caused a corresponding increase in child poisonings. Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new rules regulating e-cigarettes as well as cigars, hookahs (water pipes), pipe tobacco, and nicotine gels. … Continue reading FDA Issues New e-Cigarette Rules
New Readiness Roadmap Helps You Pave Your Child’s Path Forward
A new Readiness Roadmap from Be a Learning Hero in partnership with National PTA, Univision, Great Schools, Scholastic, Common Sense Media, and other organizations helps parents navigate the sometimes confusing path from childhood to adulthood. The roadmap is based on the Parents 2016 survey that identified the key things that families want and need to … Continue reading New Readiness Roadmap Helps You Pave Your Child’s Path Forward
7 Questions to Ask a Summer Camp
The weather is warming up, and the school year is beginning to wind down. You may be starting to think about summer camp for your child. Whether it is a sleep-away camp or a day camp, summer camp provides a great opportunity for kids to spend time in nature, meet new people, try new things, … Continue reading 7 Questions to Ask a Summer Camp
Parent Cue Cards to Help Deal with Discipline
Have you ever wished that your kid came with an instruction manual? Do things like homework hassles, sibling issues, and shutting down the screen when asked leave your nerves frayed? Great Kids has a new resource to help you with what to do when issues arise: Parenting Cue Cards. The cue cards were developed in … Continue reading Parent Cue Cards to Help Deal with Discipline
Preparing Students with Autism for the Transition to College
For high school seniors, now is an anxious time. College applications are in, and the acceptances and rejections are starting to be sent out. It’s an anxious time for parents as well, whether is the first child to head off or the last. For parents of children on the autism spectrum, the anxieties can be … Continue reading Preparing Students with Autism for the Transition to College
New Free Guide on Puberty for Parents of Children with Autism
Puberty. It’s a word that can worry parents about how to discuss physical changes and intimate topics with their child. Parents of pre-teens on the autism spectrum may find themselves even more lost about how to address this transition with their child. The Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (ATN) and the Autism Intervention Research Network … Continue reading New Free Guide on Puberty for Parents of Children with Autism
Helping Your Child Deal with Stress
Children are often stressed about school, whether it is an upcoming test, not understanding a homework assignment, or something mean that a friend said to them the day before. For students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or other learning disorders (LD), stress can often make school issues worse. The magazine ADDitude has published an article … Continue reading Helping Your Child Deal with Stress
Reading to Young Children is More Important than You Thought
From the Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics’ Fall, 2015, Child Development Newsletter The journal Pediatrics recently published a study using functional magnetic resonance imaging to study brain activity in children between the ages of three and five as they listened to age-appropriate stories. Researchers found differences in brain activation according to how much the … Continue reading Reading to Young Children is More Important than You Thought
The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction
From the National Institute of Mental Health Introduction One of the ways that scientists have searched for the causes of mental illness is by studying the development of the brain from birth to adulthood. Powerful new technologies have enabled them to track the growth of the brain and to investigate the connections between brain function, … Continue reading The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction
New Toolkit Helps Families of Autistic Children Navigate the Transition to Adulthood
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 68 children in the United States has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parents of children on the spectrum often spend years researching, negotiating, and advocating for services and support for their child in the school system and in the community. … Continue reading New Toolkit Helps Families of Autistic Children Navigate the Transition to Adulthood
Pediatricians Now Say Not All Screen Time is Bad for Kids
You may be familiar with the previous recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) regarding screen time (including TV, games, and everything in between) for children: no more than two hours per day, and for children under two years old, no screen time. While having kids veg out in front of the TV is … Continue reading Pediatricians Now Say Not All Screen Time is Bad for Kids
Get Your Kids to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
Wish your kids would eat more fruits and vegetables? A visit to your local farmers market can help. As summer turns to fall, farmers markets are bursting with a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Taking your kids to the farmers market can help make healthier eating into an adventure. Start by watching a short … Continue reading Get Your Kids to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
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