Questions discussed this week pertinent to parents include: "Does math have to be boring?" "Will you set up safety contracts with your teens and kids on their tech presents?" and the scorcher, "If you opt your kids out of accountability tests, can Child Protective Services really be called on you?" ● Last week researchers thought that music mattered in building cognitive skills. This week, not so much. ● Articles selected this week will keep you current on our Top Education Policies of charter schools, pre-K, the common core, and global achievement gaps. ● Need a holiday dinner topic? Check out Time’s 100 Most Significant Figures in History and argue over the rankings. Or, even better, wow family and friends with astronomical info, like why the earliest sunrise isn’t on the solstice. Surely you can finesse the conversation over to that topic.
Parenting
One Sibling Works for B's; One Gets Easy A's - Jessica Lahey, New York Times
See Grown-Ups Read: Adults Are Reading YA Books - Alexandra Alter, Wall Street Journal
How to Reduce Stress In Kids and Teens During Holidays - Dr. Michelle Borba, micheleborba.com
Giving Teens & Kids Tech Gifts? Don't Forget Safety Contracts - Sue Scheff, Sue Scheff Blog
Parents, Education, and Acculturation with Intention -Jordan Shapiro, Forbes
Working Parents, High-Powered Jobs, Career Sacrifices - Liza Mundy, Time
'The Hunger Games' Is a Civics Lesson - Robert Pondiscio, Wall Street Journal
Learning
What Kids Learn From Hearing Family Stories - Elaine Reese, The Atlantic
Even When Test Scores Go Up, Some Cognitive Abilities Don't - ScienceDaily
Can Your Brain Really Be Retrained - Anya Kamenetz, Fast Company
Why It's Crucial for Students to Learn to Focus - Katrina Schwartz, Mind/Shift
How A Simple Checklist Can Improve Learning - TeachThought
Muting the Mozart Effect - Peter Reuell, Harvard Gazette
Spanking Children Slows Cognitive Development - ScienceDaily
Education
How Preschool Impacts Student Scores, In One Graph - Rebecca Klein, Huff Post
Who Says Math Has to Be Boring? - Editorial Board, New York times
What the NYT Doesn't Know About Math Instruction - Daniel Willingham, Sci & Education Blog
Smart Students Don't Boost Other Classmates Grades - Andy Henion, Futurity
Is Opting Out of State Assessments the Right Answer? - Peter DeWitt, Education Week
Sorry, Michelle Rhee, But Our Testing Obsession is All About Money - Jeff Bryant, Salon
Why Do More Women Than Men Earn College Degrees? - Anne Fisher, CNN Money
A Guide to the Common Core State Standards - Center for American Progress
Why Public Schools Outperform Private Schools - Jeffrey Aaron Snyder, Boston Review
Charter Schools Continue Dramatic Growth Despite Controversies - Joy Resmovits, Huff Post
Grit Hypothesis Doesn't Help Poor Kids - Peter Meyer, Education Next
The Most Notable Education Stories of 2013 - Alexander Russo, The Atlantic
Resources
Hour of Code Options for Students - Jennifer Scheffer, Smore
Rube Goldberg App Is an Elegantly Complex Invention! - Todd Bernhard, iPhoneLife
Build It Yourself - BuildItYourself.com
13 Best Children's Illustrated Books of 2013 - Maria Popova, Brain Pickings
New Picture Books for the Christmas Season - Melissa Taylor, Imagination Soup
Notable Children’s Books of 2013 - NYT Sunday Book Review
The Earliest Sunset Isn't on the Solstice, & Other Astronomical Hijinks - P. Di Justo, Atlantic
Time's 100 Most Significant Figures in History -Skiena & Ward, Time
Read a few articles each week, and gain parent cortical mass! If you enjoy our weekly article roundup, please email it to a friend or share on social media. Thank you!