Parent Cortical Mass

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

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!

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

Can you imagine scanning the brain of adolescents while they watch a video clip of their moms' criticizing them? Neither could I. But, this research might offer some clues to parenting adolescents. 1 This week find articles covering three of our top 10 learning concepts--10,000 hours, language dancing, and background knowledge. 2 3 5 Top education policies covered this week include common core, accountability, and teacher effectiveness. 4 6 7 Do you know any young kids who are fascinated by weather events? Here's an app that will engage their interest. It's called Marco Polo Weather. 8

Parenting

Can You Turn Screen Time Into Family Time? - Michelle Miller, Joan Ganz Cooney Center

Parents Told: Use iPads to Get Reluctant Boys to Read - Graeme Paton, The Telegraph

1 The Teen Brain “Shuts Down” When It Hears Mom’s Criticism - Christian Jarrett, Wired

Being an 'Elephant Mom' in the Time of the Tiger Mother - Priyanka Sharma-Sindhar, The Atlantic

Talking About Racism With White Kids - KJ Dell'Antonia, New York Times

Flex Time Doesn’t Need to Be an HR Policy - Scott Behson, Harvard Business Review

Learning

Why Physical Activity During Childhood Matters - Society for Research in Child Development

2 Practice Doesn't Always Make Perfect - Nathan Collins, Scientific American

3 How Baby Talk Gives Your Child the Best Start in Life - Aviva Rutkin, NewScientist

Why Students Avoid Academic Help - Max Nisen, The Atlantic

Education

What Every School Can Learn From Preschools - Anya Kamenetz, nprEd

Neuroscience Improves Early Childhood Education Quality - Ellen Galinsky, HuffPost

Is the U.S. Focusing Too Much on STEM? - Alexandra Ossola, The Atlantic

4 Common Core Has No Better Alternative - William J. Bennett, CNN Opinion

5 Prior knowledge: Can we really level the playing field? - Tim Shanahan, Common Core Watch

Education Isn't the Problem—Inequality Is - Matt Phillips, The Atlantic

12 Questions for School Reformers Who Say One Thing, Do Another - Anthony Cody, WashPost

6 Should the U.S. Make Standardized Tests Harder? - Mikhail Zinshteyn, The Atlantic

7 Principals Reject ‘Value-Added’ Teacher Assessment - Valerie Strauss, Washington Post

Resources

8 Marco Polo Weather – A Fun App About Weather - iPad Apps for School

What to Read Next: Kids' Holiday Books for December - Regan McMahon, Common Sense Media

Data-Driven Parenting App Gives Personalized Tips for Every Kid - Kyle Vanhemert, Wired

GeoToys: Smart Playtime Plus a 20% Off for GeekMom Readers - Laura Grace Weldon, GeekMom

“High School Story” Wants To Make SAT Prep Fun - Catherine Shu, TechCrunch

5 Hot Tech Toys for Kids in 2014 - Caroline Knorr, Common Sense Media

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

For many parents with seniors in high school the college application season is ramping up. This week the cost of a college education is in the news. 1 2 The article from Phillip Levine at Brookings explains why figuring out the cost is so difficult. It could help. 3 There’s an opportunity this week to get a little smarter about testing and accountability. Read Anya Kamenetz for a good overview. 5 Read Alicia Caldwell to hear the argument for why overtesting is a myth. 6 To understand what the science of learning says about testing, read Benedict Carey’s article. 4 And, if you have apprehensions about America's performance on international tests, read Yong Zhao’s warnings about China’s harmful test prep culture. 7 The holiday weekend is coming. What will you do with that extended family time? Suggestion: learn how to make the best paper airplane! It's about life skills, people. 8

Parenting

1 Is College Worth the Cost? - Andrew Rossi, CNN

2 Student Debt: A Calculator Focused on College Majors - David Leonhardt, New York Times

3 Why Are College Costs So Hard to Figure Out? - Phillip B. Levine, Brookings

The Cult of Kiddie Danger - Lenore Skenazy, Weekly Wonk

Online Safety: What Does It Mean to You? - Sue Scheff, Huffington Post

Children's Books Don't Need Gender-Specific Titles - Glosswitch, New Republic

Learning

4 Studying for the Test by Taking It - Benedict Carey, New York Times

How Your "Working Memory" Makes Sense of the World - Peter Doolittle, TED Talk

Why Highlighting Doesn't Actually Help You Remember - Drake Baer, Business Insider

Does Exercise Really Make Us Smarter? - Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times

Education

5 Testing: How Much Is Too Much? - Anya Kamenetz, nprEd

6 The Myth of Too Much School Testing - Alicia Caldwell, Denver Post

7 Common Core, Don't Copy China's Test-Prep Culture - Yong Zhao, CNN

Why Kids in London do Better in School - Simon Burgess, The Atlantic

How Many K-12 Students Are Illegal Immigrants? - Valerie Strauss, Washington Post

Save the Humanities in Our Public Schools - Helen Vendler, New Republic

Privacy Concerns for ClassDojo and Other Student Tracking Apps - Natasha Singer, New York Times

The Case Against Universal Preschool - Alia Wong, The Atlantic

Resources

8 How to Fold the World's Best Paper Airplane  - Kottke.org

Introducing The Psychology Podcast with Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman - Scientific American

Shop Smart: Gift Ideas and Tips for Every Age and Stage - Caroline Knorr, CommonSenseMedia

The MindShift Guide to Digital Games and Learning - Ki Sung, Mind/Shift

The Best Children's Books of 2014 - Maria Popova, Brain Pickings

The 20 Hottest Kids' Toys of 2014 - Kristina Martin, Huff Post Parents

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!