Yippee, the kids are back in school! After our summer break, Parent Cortical Mass is back, too, and there's so much to cover. Parents, how many clever ways can you ask your kids that all-important question, “How was school today?” Getting kids to talk about what they're learning in school fortifies that learning. 8 In this week’s batch of articles we revisit four of PCM’s Top 10 Learning Concepts: language dancing, the growth mindset, flow, and background knowledge. 1 2 3 4 Four of our Top 10 Education Influencers -- E.D. Hirsch Jr., Arne Duncan, Linda Darling-Hammond and Diane Ravitch --have mentions this week. 4 5 6 7 A Washington state court ruled last week that tax-payer funded charter schools in that state were unconstitutional. Why? Because public schools are subject to the voters in school districts, and charter schools, by definition, bypass required local control. What do you think? 7 It's September. You've just recommitted to reading nightly to the kids. Check out Bonnie Lathram’s list of must-read kids' books for some fresh selections! 9
Parenting
Why We Should Let Our Children Fail - Jessica Lahey, The Guardian
When Did Parents Get So Scared? I Blame It on Bridge to Terabithia - Melissa Schorr, Boston Globe
How Schools Are Handling an 'Overparenting' Crisis - Anya Kamenetz, nprEd
When Homework Stresses Parents as Well as Students - KJ Dell'Antonia, New York Times
Fathers Who Serve as the Primary Parent - Andrew Moravcsik, The Atlantic
Wondering at What Age Children Can Safely Play with a Tablet? - C. Featherston, Hechinger Report
Learning
4 Ways to Remember Everything You Learn - Drake Baer, Time
The Lesson You Never Got Taught in School: How to Learn! - Simon Oxenham, Big Think
1 Pretending to Understand What Babies Say Can Make Them Smarter - Cari Romm, The Atlantic
2 3 Tricks to Find Your Flow - Christine Carter, Medium
3 Growth Mindset: How to Normalize Mistake Making & Struggle in Class - K. Schwartz, Mind/Shift
Education
Teachers Aren’t Dumb - Daniel T. Willingham, New York Times
5 Critical Skills to Empower Students in the Digital Age - Ki Sung, Mind/Shift
4 How Common Core Can Help in the Battle of Skills vs. Knowledge - Natalie Wexler, NYT
5 Arne Duncan: U.S. Needs to Modernize Its Schools - Sec. Duncan & Sec. Perez, eSchool News
6 A New Moment in Education - Linda Darling-Hammond, Huffington Post
7 What Makes a Public School Public? WA Court Finds Charters Unconstitutional. - Emma Brown, WP
New Poll: Heartening and Glum News for Ed Reformers - Chester Finn, Education Next
National Leaders Fail in School Reform - Jack Jennings, Huffington Post
The Problem with Making Education a Campaign Issue - Joy Resmovits, LA Times
Resources
8 25 Other Ways to Ask "How Was School Today?" - Liz Evans, Huffington Post
Parents of College-Bound Students: About the Upcoming SAT Changes - J. Bolkan, THE Journal
What is a Math Circle? - Anna Kuchment, Scientific American
The Best Way to Guess Correctly on a Multiple Choice Test - Justin J. Couchman, Quartz
9 20 Must-Read Children’s Books for Back to School - Bonnie Lathram, Getting Smart
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!