You may be familiar with PTA’s Parents’ Guides to Student Success, which highlight what your child will be learning in Math and English/Language Arts from kindergarten through high school. During the 2016-2017 school year, Illinois required the use of its new science standards, based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Now the NGSS developers … Continue reading Parent Guides for the New Science Standards
Helping Your Child Cope with the First Day of Kindergarten
The first day of kindergarten is a big transition for your child. Some children are excited and ready to go, perhaps because they finally get to do what their big brother or sister has been doing. Others can find it a source of worry and fear. Edutopia has an article about how to ease your … Continue reading Helping Your Child Cope with the First Day of Kindergarten
4 Tips for Student Success in Middle School
There are a lot of changes for kids starting middle school—moving between classes, having a locker and combination, eighth-graders who are often much bigger, changing bodies, and more. Getting Smart published an article to help families prepare for middle school by identifying four keys to success. Middle schoolers need adults to teach them how the … Continue reading 4 Tips for Student Success in Middle School
10 Allowance Do’s and Don’ts
An allowance is an important part of building up a child’s financial literacy. It teaches them how to save and builds responsibility. Great Schools offers a list of ten do’s and don’ts to consider before starting your child’s allowance. Have a plan: Before you start, figure out why you are giving them an allowance, how … Continue reading 10 Allowance Do’s and Don’ts
Revamped FERPA|Sherpa Provides More on Student Privacy
Online access and technology plays an increasing role in classrooms, and with that increase comes concerns about student data and privacy. Illinois PTA highlighted this issue a few years ago when National PTA partnered with the Future of Privacy Forum and ConnectSafely to create the Parents’ Guide to Student Data Privacy. The guide was part … Continue reading Revamped FERPA|Sherpa Provides More on Student Privacy
Protecting Your Kids from the Sun
Summer means spending more time outside, and with that comes an increased risk of sunburns. For children, sunburns significantly increase the risk of melanoma (skin cancer) according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Even one blistering sunburn during childhood or adolescence can nearly double a person’s chance of developing melanoma. Skin cancer is the most … Continue reading Protecting Your Kids from the Sun
Be Internet Awesome Teaches Kids to Be Safe Online
Technology and the internet are integral to our daily lives these days, and just like we teach our children to be careful and good citizens in the real world, we need to teach them to do the same in the online world. For adults who are less tech-savvy than their kids, that can be a … Continue reading Be Internet Awesome Teaches Kids to Be Safe Online
7 Ways to Teach Your Kids to Have Productive Screen Time
As summer begins, it may seem like your child is now staring at a screen 24/7. The Safe, Smart & Social blog had seven digital safety experts who are also parents provide their best advice for teaching kids to be productive with their online time. Those are: Teach self-moderation: Learning to control your screen time … Continue reading 7 Ways to Teach Your Kids to Have Productive Screen Time
Top 10 Reasons to Play Board Games with Your Kids
Illinois PTA has shared why the new renaissance in board games provides a great way for your family to spend time together. The Geek Dad blog has an article on the top 10 reasons to play board games with your kids. Each reason has the theory behind it, how it has worked in practice, and … Continue reading Top 10 Reasons to Play Board Games with Your Kids
Minute by Minute Strategies to Build Good Study Habits
As the school year wraps up, final exams loom for many students. And parents looking to build good study habits in their children may be dreading the effort to get them to study. For many students, studying means filling in a review sheet or rereading a chapter, but that may not be the best way … Continue reading Minute by Minute Strategies to Build Good Study Habits
Help Your Child Find Their Summer Stride
You may be aware of the “summer slide.” It is kids sliding backwards in their learning over the summer months. Research indicates that children in low-income households fall behind an average of 2 months in reading over the summer, and differences in children’s summer learning experiences during elementary school years can affect whether they earn … Continue reading Help Your Child Find Their Summer Stride
Understanding Advanced Placement (AP) Courses
If you have a high school student in your house, you are likely at least aware of advanced placement (AP) courses. AP courses allow students to take classes in high school that, should they do well enough on the AP tests in the spring, give them college credit. In Illinois, every student scoring a 3 … Continue reading Understanding Advanced Placement (AP) Courses
The Homework System for ADHD Kids
Homework can be challenging for kids, and not just the homework itself. Kids have to write down the assignment properly, bring home the right books and materials, keep track of due dates, and remember to hand in the completed homework—all of which can be extra challenging for anyone with poor memory, focus, or attention to … Continue reading The Homework System for ADHD Kids
3 Things High School Seniors Should Know About Student Loans
College is expensive, and as the resolution on financial literacy just adopted at the 2017 Illinois PTA Convention noted, student loan debt is the largest debt in the country, surpassing even credit card debt. US News & World Report has long been known for their college rankings. With high school seniors and their families making … Continue reading 3 Things High School Seniors Should Know About Student Loans
The Eraser Challenge Returns—What Families Need to Know
Social media “challenges” can spread quickly. Some, like the Ice Bucket Challenge, are relatively harmless and can make a difference in the world. Others, like the Cinnamon Challenge, can have serious consequences. Illinois PTA works to keep families informed about these activities that children are often engaging in without adults’ knowledge, such as with the … Continue reading The Eraser Challenge Returns—What Families Need to Know
Student Competitions You Didn’t Know Existed
Most PTAs are aware of the annual PTA Reflections program focused on the arts, and chances are you’ve seen the Scripps National Spelling Bee on the news. Those are just two examples of the many competitions that are available to students each year. Kudoswall has created a list of 50 competitions in a variety of … Continue reading Student Competitions You Didn’t Know Existed
Parenting Film Festival
Parenting is tough. We do our best to raise our kids and hope we don’t leave them with years of therapy. TED is a non-profit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in conferences of short talks (generally 18 minutes or less). Those talks are shared through video online. Here is a parenting film festival from selected … Continue reading Parenting Film Festival
4 Ways to Stop Siblings from Fighting
Sibling conflict has happened for as long as there have been siblings. With spring break happening for many families across Illinois, the opportunities for siblings to get on each other’s nerves abound. For those times when you feel more like a referee than a parent, iMom has four suggestions to stop siblings from fighting. Create … Continue reading 4 Ways to Stop Siblings from Fighting
New Research on Kids and Reading
Reading is the key to learning, as reading is a part of every subject. Here’s the latest research on kids and reading. Children Read Paper Books More In a study of Australian children in 4th and 6th grade looked at their reading habits and access to devices with reading capability (e.g., Kindles, iPads, and mobile … Continue reading New Research on Kids and Reading
Humor Helps When Teaching Your Kid to Drive
It’s a challenge for any parent to help their child learn to drive. For the parent of a child with extra issues, whether it’s ADHD, anxiety, or autism, the challenge can be even greater. Gina Gallagher, co-author with her sister Patricia Konjoian of the book Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid, recently shared a post … Continue reading Humor Helps When Teaching Your Kid to Drive
One Voice Illinois 