Parent Cortical Mass

Week's Best Articles on Learning & Education, for Parents

We hear frequently that digital devices are eating away at our brains. Cognitive Scientist, Daniel T. Willingham, writes this week, “Smartphones don’t make us dumb.” Read his illuminating article on the impacts to our attention spans. 1 The most intriguing article this week comes from an English teacher in San Luis Obispo, CA. As he integrates into his teaching the common core’s emphasis on cognitive skills, he says, “My job description has evolved, and I’m fine with that. But where are the students getting their wisdom?” Interesting question. 3 When personality or character are talked about in education, debates are inevitable. Ellen Galinsky sorts out the gritty tiff. Teaching executive function skills, she says, by-passes these debates. Her distinctions clarify the problem. 2 NCLB (No Child Left Behind) is in the news. Read Libby Nelson’s primer and get current. 4 Inevitably during the child rearing years, kids ask parents, "Why do zebras have stripes?" Be ready with a brilliant answer! 5

Parenting

Why Parents Shouldn't Fear Student-Teacher Texting - Randye Hoder, Time

Is Your Son Really Ready for Kindergarten? - Meeghan Mousaw Good Men Project

The New Meaning Of Success For Professional Women - Dr. Peggy Drexler, HuffPost

Lessons from League of Legends: Why I Taught My Son to Play Violent Video Games - K. Smith, Salon

Kids Must Learn to Control Their Own Screen Time - John Keilman, Chicago Tribune

Solving the Autism Puzzle - Stephen Hall, MIT Technology Review

Learning

1 Smartphones Don't Make Us Dumb - Daniel T. Willingham, New York Times

Re-reading is Inefficient. 8 Tips for Studying Smarter - Joseph Stromberg, Vox

6 Sneaky but Scientific Ways to Help Kids Learn - Kate Leary, Time

Sleep Quantity + Sleep Quality = Better Math/Language Scores - Rick Nauert, PhD, PsychCentral

How Science Can Teach You to Stay Calm - Lolly Daskal, Inc.

Education

Should Teachers Be Allowed to Touch Students? - Jessica Lahey, The Atlantic

2 Teaching Character Versus Life Skills in Schools: What's the Best Approach? - Ellen Galinsky, HP

3 The Wisdom Deficit in Schools - Michael Godsey, The Atlantic

4 A Guide to No Child Left Behind as Congress Tries to Rewrite the Law - Libby Nelson, Vox

What Sen. Lamar Alexander Thinks About No Child Left Behind - Haley Sweetland Edwards, Time

Ravitch, Former Adviser to Sen. Lamar Alexander, Sends NCLB Advice - Diane Ravitch, WashPost

The Past, Present And Future Of High-Stakes Testing - Anya Kamenetz, nprEd

Why Annual Statewide Testing Is Critical to Judging School Quality - M. Chingos & M. West, Brookings

New SAT, New Problems - James S. Murphy, The Atlantic

Resources

5 So Why Does the Zebra Really Have Stripes? - Laura Poppick, Washington Post

How Small is an Atom, Really? (or How to Make Your Head Explode) - J. Diaz, Sploid

NASA Just Released the Largest Picture Ever Taken at 1.5 Billion Pixels - Daily Epic

Lenore Skenazy's New Show Brings Free-Range Parenting to Your TV Screen - R. Soave, Reason.com

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!

Week's Top Articles on Learning & Education, for Parents

“Math knowledge at the beginning of elementary school was the single most powerful predictor determining whether a student would graduate high school and attend college.” Read Anya Kamenetz's article for further information. 5 There's important information on math and early learning this week. Stay informed. 2 6 7 To reinforce your knowledge on the growth mindset and working memory, check out these two articles. 3 4 Which countries assign the most homework? Take a peek at the graph showing how much homework 15-year-olds around the world must face. Notice which countries assign the most and the least. Humm... 8 Yes, in the resources section below you'll find plenty articles with lists of fabulous educational toys. Do they work? Well, as you might suspect, that depends on the parents. 1

Parenting

10 Health Findings from 2014 Every Parent Should Know About - Catherine Pearson, Huffington Post

The Death of the American Family Dinner Has Been Greatly Exaggerated - R.A. Ferdman, Wash Post

The Scientific Evidence Against Spanking, Timeouts, Sleep Training - R. Thompson, Quartz

1 Can Toys Really Be ‘Educational’? Well That Depends on Parents - Nicola Yelland, The Conversation

2 Using Every Day Moments to Inspire Early Math Skills - Too Small to Fail

Learning

3 What Believing in the Possibilities Can Do For Learning and Teaching - T. Markham, Mind/Shift

4 What Your "Working Memory" Does (and How to Give It a Tune-Up) - Jory Mackay, Lifehacker

Links Between Humility and Learning - Science Daily

10 Ways That Brain Myths Are Harming Us - Christian Jarrett, Wired

Education

5 Why Math Might Be the Secret to School Success - Anya Kamenetz, nprEd

6 Why the Pres. Wants To Give Hundreds of Millions of Dollars to Toddlers - A. Kamenetz, nprEd

7 When It Comes to Early Learning, Preschool Isn't Enough - Fawn Johnson, The Atlantic

8 Global Ranking of Where Teens Have the Most Homework - Sonali Kohli, The Atlantic

Big Drop in Students Being Held Back, But Why? - Will Huntsberry, nprEd

The Difference Between Good Grit and Bad Grit - C.M. Rubin, Huffington Post

Resources

This Video Game Reckons It Can Get Your Kids to Tidy Their Rooms - Dan Crawley, Venture Beat

The Best Edu Apps, Websites & Games of 2014 - Graphite, Common Sense Media

17 Kids' Books from 2014 That Make Great Holiday Gifts - Huffington Post

25 Engineering, Technology, & Math Toys for Mighty Girls - A Mighty Girl

Last Minute Science Gifts for Kids - Anna Kuchment, Scientific American

Natural Math: 100+ Activities & Resources - LauraGraceWeldon.com

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!

Week's Best Articles on Learning & Education, for Parents

Remember the Marshmallow Test? The professor who developed it has published his first non-academic book. He's 84. He's got good news for concerned parents. 2 3 Maybe you’ve already heard about lithium in the water. If not, here's your chance. 1 The global achievement gap gets two articles this week. There's an argument for why you should not admire China's top ranked school system. 5 And, if you're curious, peek at the graph to find out how U.S. elementary students time-in-school compares to other nations. 6 Researchers from Harvard and MIT published an article this week that, if you read, will make you smarter. Learn about "crystalized intelligence" and "fluid cognitive skills." Find out how these intelligence factors might explain what makes some schools effective. You'll also learn more about working memory, background knowledge, charter schools and possible impacts of using standardized tests for accountability. 4 Ann McCormick, founder of The Learning Company and developer of Reader Rabbit, has a new reading app. Check it out! 7

Parenting

1 Should We All Take A bit of Lithium? - Anna Fels, New York Times

2 Dispelling the Myth of Deferred Gratification - Alfie Kohn, Education Week

Steve Jobs Was a Low-Tech Parent - Nick Bilton, New York Times

Why Everyone Should Read Harry Potter - Bret Stetka, Scientific American

Early Signs of a Reading Difficulty - Susan Hall, Great Schools

Former 'Redshirted' Students May Get AP Edge, Study Finds - Sarah D. Sparks, Education Week

Learning

3 Learning How to Exert Self-Control: The "Marshmallow" Man's Book - Pamela Druckerman, NYTimes

How Levels of Physical Activity Linked to Better Academic Performance in Boys - U of Finland, PsyPost

This is Your Brain. This Is Your Brain on Music - Cory Turner, NPR Ed

Can Students ‘Go Deep’ With Digital Reading? - Holly Korbey, Mind/Shift

Motivated to Learn: Conversation with Daniel Pink - Amy Azzam, ASCD

Fiction Teaches Students Empathy, Research Shows - Kristie Chua, Education Week

Education

4 What Effective Schools Do - M. West, C. Gabrieli, A. Finn, M. Kraft, John Gabrieli, Education Next

Ranking High Schools Tells Which Schools Are Rich or Selective - Libby Nelson, Vox

With Tech Taking Over in Schools, Student Data Privacy Worries Rise - Natasha Singer, NYTimes

5 Why Admiring Chinese Test Scores Might Hurt U.S. Schools - Jay Mathews, Washington Post

6 Hours US Kids Spend in Elementary School vs 33 Other Countries - Mona Chalabi, FiveThirtyEight

It Takes a Mentor - Thomas Friedman, New York Times

The Conservative Case for Common Core - William Bennett, Wall Street Journal

William Bennett Piece Exemplifies Core Problems - Neal McCluskey, Cato Institute

Fact or Fiction?: Video Games Are the Future of Education - Elena Malykhina, Scientific American

Surprising Benefit of Common Core: Really Cool Video Games - B. Winterhalter, The Atlantic

Teacher Tenure Has Little to do with Student Achievement, Say Economists - M. Ehrenfreund, WP

Rise in Alternative Certification for U.S. Teachers - Anya Kamenentz, NRP Ed

Resources

7 Reader Bee - Teaching Children to Read Faster - The Creativity Post

Innovative Thinking Game for Kids: Disruptus - Melissa Taylor, Imagination Soup

Spotlight on New Comic Books - Melissa Taylor, Imagination Soup

10 YouTube Stars Your Kids Love - Caroline Knorr, Common Sense Media

Tips for How Parents Can Help Their Children Search Safely and Effectively Online - Alan Mackenzie, pfg

The Economic Guide To Picking A College Major - Ben Casselman, FiveThirtyEight

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!