If your child is starting a new school this fall – whether preschool, kindergarten, middle school or high school – now is the perfect time to start preparing him for a smooth transition. Here are some simple ways to help kids feel comfortable and familiar with their new school before the first bell rings: More…

Category: Education // Posted on August 16, 2010 // Leave a Comment

Last week we wrote about “Summer Learning Loss” – where the average student loses about two months of academic growth during summer break – and all the educational opportunities parents have incorporated into their summer travel plans. But there’s an even easier way to stave off learning loss – encourage your kids to read! They can do it anywhere. It’s free. And it’s fun!

The key is to provide kids with plenty of engaging, quality books to choose from. That’s why we were so excited to include recommendations for great new books for kids from some of our favorite local children’s librarians in our July issue. You’ll find something for every interest and reading level, and because they’re all recently published, even the most voracious reader should be able to find something new! More…

Category: Education // Posted on July 19, 2010 // Leave a Comment

We’ve all heard about “Summer Learning Loss,” where kids educational development backslides during the long summer break. But according to a recent American Express Spending & Saving Tracker Survey, an overwhelming majority of parents with kids under 18 believe learning should continue throughout the summer, and most believe it’s a good idea to take an educational family vacation.

In fact, 45 percent of parents surveyed said their summer vacation plans for this year include an educational component, whether that’s exploring history and culture (30 percent), exploring wildlife while on vacation (27 percent), and/or traveling to a destination focused on culinary arts (8 percent). More…

Category: Education, Travel // Posted on July 12, 2010 // Leave a Comment