This happens to all of us. You find what seems like a great curriculum. But halfway through the textbook, you come across something with which you disagree. Maybe you think it’s wrong, or maybe you just don’t like the point of view represented. Whatever the reason, don’t throw that textbook out just yet. I’ll give…
Math texts are largely made up of computation and problem solving tasks that increase in difficulty as the student proceeds through the book. Change in the difficulty level of problems is usually gradual. Continuity between one lesson to the next, from one chapter to the next, from one book to the next, can be seen…
Are you conflicted over choosing the correct level in a reading series for your younger child? Uncomfortable with simply choosing a grade based on his or her age and hoping it will work out? Don’t want to simply “guess and go,” (the popular trial and error approach)? You’re not alone. While all reading series are…
In last week’s Tip of the Week, I suggested that improvement in writing is often “caught” by continuous exposure to good writers. However, at a basic level you may be asking, can a student’s grammar be improved through direct teaching? I would answer yes, but not as a result of the common methods you find in…
When I was completing undergraduate studies in California, I took an advanced writing class. I was consistently pulling B+’s to A-‘s. Because I wanted to earn an A for the class, I gathered up the courage to ask the professor what I was doing wrong and how I could improve. She was quiet for a moment. While she couldn’t put…
My wife and I are native Californians. As young adults and new Christians, we grew up in Orange County, a densely-populated part of the state filled with mega churches and a continuous stream of end-time teachings and rapture frenzy. We wanted to re-locate. We wanted to find a simpler and slower pace of life. We…
Will my student be required to take a test that is Common Core aligned? The short answer, at least here in the Northwest, is… that depends. Students enrolled in any of the online public school programs such as K-12, Clackamas Web Academy, or Connections Academy will definitely face tests that are Common-Core specific. For privately…
Spring testing is here! Perhaps you’re in a state that requires achievement testing. Or, you test regardless of state requirements in order to gain the valuable information it yields. Either way, your student’s attitude toward and during this important activity is a vital key to doing well and showing what he or she knows and…
Twice in the last four months I’ve gotten text messages from my carrier that I’m about to exceed my data limit. Twice I paid overage fees. The warning didn’t work. Maybe I should have listened to that Sprint commercial that told me “I have the right to be unlimited” and changed plans. Our culture is…
Here’s something to try at home with your elementary age children. Ask them this question: “If you could receive one million dollars right now or a penny doubled every day for 30 days, which one would you choose?” Some will take the “million dollars right now.” Others may sense this is a trick question. Regardless…