This week find excellent articles by Peg Tyre, Nate Silver, and David Brooks. The hot topics in education cover the English major, whether reading develops moral character, and the snowballing revolts against the common core and accountability testing. ● The big concerns in our parenting section this week involve shaming, spanking, and student data breaches in Edmodo, a popular classroom software, that were exposed by a Cisco-engineer parent. Get current on recent discoveries that show it’s not just the quantity of words heard, but also the quality of the verbal environment (like parental gesturing) that influence kids’ vocabulary size. Learn how music instruction impacts reading skills, and how spatial training impacts math skills. ● Will Nerf’s super soaker remain king of the backyard? Find out so you can contribute valuable information at upcoming 4th of July BBQs.
Parenting
Summer Camp Lesson: Good-bye, Go Away, Thank You Very Much - J. Lahey, The Atlantic
Data Security Is a Classroom Worry, Too - Natasha Singer, New York Times
Shaming Kids in Public: A Good or Bad Idea? - Richard Rende, Red Hot Parenting
Recent Research: Maternal Warmth Doesn't Make Spanking Less Harmful - StopSpanking.org
How Reading Makes Us More Human - Karen Swallow Prior, The Atlantic
Instagram Video: What Parents Need to Know - Larry Magid, SafeKids.org
A First: National PTA Installs African-American as President - Michele Molnar, Education Week
Parents' Challenge: Many, Many Kids Apps to Choose From - John Stoll, Wall Street Journal
Seize the Summer - Kelsey Donohue, Department of Education Blog
Learning
Giving Kids Non-Verbal Clues About Words Boosts Vocabulary - ScienceDaily
For Kids' Vocabulary, Quality of Interaction with Parents Matter - Rick Nauert, PhD, PsychCentral
Kids' Reading Success Boosted by Long-Term Individualized Instruction - ScienceDaily
Spatial Training Boosts Math Skills - EurekaAlert
We Still Need Info Stored in Our Heads, Not 'in the Cloud' - Annie Murphy Paul, Time
Music Training May Help Learning to Read - Daniel Willingham, Science & Education Blog
Why Do I Think Better After I Exercise? - Emily Lenneville, Scientific American
Education
America's Testing Culture: How did We Get Here? - Peg Tyre, Take Part
China's New Ed Reform: Reducing Importance of Tests -Yong Zhao, Washington Post
Trusting Teachers to Evaluate Student Learning - Katrina Schwartz, Mind/Shift
Arne Duncan, the Common Core, and the Tea Party - Joy Resmovits, Huff Post
Latest Report: Performance of Charters vs Traditional Public Schools - Lindsey Layton, WP
The Humanist Vocation - David Brooks, New York Times
The Decline and Fall of the English Major - Verlyn Klinkenborg, New York Times
As More Attend College, Majors Become Career-Focused - Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight
Actually, the Humanities Aren't In Crisis - Jordan Weissmann, The Atlantic
Top 10 Myths About Preschool - Hamm & Herman, Center for American Progress
Education Spring: Why It's Time for a Reset of Ed Reform - Jeff Bryant, Wash Post
Resources
Can Nerf's New Soaker Out-Douse the Competition? - Daniel Dumas, PopSci
10 Offbest Ways Teens Can Learn Something this Summer - Roger Schank, Washington Post
Get Mentored by a NASA Employee - Ariane Coffin, GeekMom
5 Great Math Apps for Grade School Kids - James Floyd Kelly, Mind/Shift
Map: Literal Meanings of Places in the U.S. - Chris Kirk, Slate
