For the past two months, I worked as an America Reads tutor at PS 142 in the Lower East Side of New York City. While exhausting, my time spent with my class was one of the most rewarding experiences I … (Read more )
With today being World Read Aloud Day, it’s as important a day as any to discuss early literacy and reading skills for children. One of the first things a child and parent do together is share a book, or even … (Read more )
How soon should parents start teaching their children to read? Public schools begin instruction as soon students enter kindergarten. Yet, a recent article in the New York Times revealed than many Manhattan private schools are waiting until first grade to … (Read more )
It’s never too early to start talking about biology–here’s a fun gardening activity that anyone can do, green thumb or not.Start by watching the storybook video for the classic fairy tale “Jack and the Beanstalk” at Speakaboos. Once your kids … (Read more )
Growing up, I was unsure of what made parents postpone kindergarten. I never quite understood why some of my friends were much older than me, why certain kids went to pre-school while others did not, or the complexities behind a … (Read more )
The world is a pretty puzzling place. Even after all these years of school and my work with classical philosophy, I still can’t make sense of it. A recent New York Times article titles, “The Examined Life, Age 8” discusses … (Read more )
In today’s global market, it cannot be underestimated how valuable it is to be bilingual. Whether you grow up in a bilingual household or are fortunate enough to have learned a language while in school or abroad, you certainly have … (Read more )
Next week, April 11-17th, is National Library Week (as well as Environmental Education Week). If you’re not familiar with your local library, this might be a great time to check it out, or consider going to a few other libraries … (Read more )