Happy 2015! We are back with a fabulous line up of articles which will make you smarter at fostering your kids learning and education. The most intriguing article this week is from Keith Stanovich, on the thinking that IQ tests miss. Don’t miss it! At least try to solve a couple of the simple problems that make the case of the “cognitive miser.” 1 This week the most discussed research study compares the “Big Five” personality traits to school achievement. Interesting results! 2 The common core and standardized tests for accountability are the education policies that got the most digital ink in recent weeks. If you have time for only one article, then read Libby Nelson’s clear explanation for why 2015 is a crucial year for common core. 3 Wouldn’t you applaud whoever organized (into a tidy website) all the education programs for kids on Netflix? Cheers for "Netflix Academy!" 4
Parenting
How First Borns Can Raise a Sibling's Game - Tracy McVeigh, The Guardian
'Small Screens' Impact on Kids' Sleep: US Study - Yahoo! News
In Fervent Support of the 'Gap Year' - Susan Greenberg, New York Times
Shift Your Parenting Mindset this New Year's - Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD, Psychology Today
New Year's Resolution For College Applicants - C. Crabtree, Family Online Safety Institute
Baby Brains: The First Year - Y. Bhattacharjee, National Geographic
Learning
1 Rational & Irrational Thought: The Thinking That IQ Tests Miss - K. Stanovich, Scientific American
2 When Personality Matters More Than Intelligence - Melissa Dahl, Science of Us
5 Amazing Advances In Brain Research In 2014 - Carolyn Gregoire, Huffington Post
Why Talking About the Brain Can Empower Learners - Mind/Shift
Could Playing Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker' and Other Music Improve Kids' Brains? - EurekAlert
Education
Rage Against the Common Core - David L. Kirp, New York Times
Common Core a Battle for 2016 Republicans - Hugh Hewitt, Washington Examiner
3 Why 2015 is a Crucial Year for Common Core - Libby Nelson, Vox
The Man Behind the Common Core Math Standards - Sarah Garland, nprEd
Colleges Reinvent Classes to Keep More Students in Science - Richard Perez-Pena, NYT
The Worst Way to Push Kids into STEM - Jeff Guo, Washington Post
Why Better Tests = Better World - Anya Kamenetz, Medium
Testing Under Fire - Caitlin Emma, Politico
Resources
Top 10 Books on Children and Sleep - Hilary L. Friedman, Brain,Child
3 Great Read-Aloud Books for Tweens & Teens (Yes, You Heard Right) - C.J. Westerberg, Daily Riff
Dash and Dot -- Best Toy to Teach Computational Thinking - Ester Wojcicki, HuffPost
The Best iPad Apps for Kids of 2014 -Stuart Dredge, The Guardian
The Best Android Apps for Kids of 2014 -Stuart Dredge, The Guardian
4 Education On-Demand (Like a "Netflix Academy") - Mike Petrilli, Ed Excellence
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!