The “No Child Left Behind” Paradox

Today’s kids are not failing the academic standards – the academic standards are failing our kids! “No Child Left Behind” has inadvertently placed undue emphasis on elements that have nothing to do with academic success. The entire system has instead created a generation of button-pushers who lack critical thinking skills as well as the emotional and social intelligence to get their needs met independently. We have to take another critical look at this system before we churn out yet another generation of unmotivated, unskilled, and incapable graduates.

Television and Media, and FREE WEBINAR!!

Free Webinar August 24, 8:00 to 9:00 pm! Media and technology are evolving at a rapid pace, affecting young children in both positive and negative ways. Join us to learn about the impact of media on young children and most importantly, hear expert guidance about how to raise and educate children in today’s 24/7 media world.

Ready to Learn: Defining Kindergarten Readiness Once and For All!

Kindergarten readiness, a hot topic among politicians, is also a hot topic among parents. With this in mind, let’s look at how kindergarten readiness goes far beyond learning the ABC’s and starts way back in infancy. Here are some general indicators that early childhood educators agree show children are prepared to enter kindergarten.

Playing Our Way Through Life

Have you ever tried to hurry a little boy into his clothing and out the door? It is usually to no avail — the shirt becomes a pirate’s hat, and then his eye catches a forgotten toy — everything is so richly distracting to children, because they are still engaged so deeply in living life. So why do we try to pounce it out of them? “Straighten up! Hurry Up! Come on, we’ll be late!”

:: Patience vs. Presence :: by Scott Noelle

The root of the word *patient* means “to endure,” and since self-sacrifice ultimately hurts both the self and the intended beneficiary, you have to wonder if patience is really “a virtue” …

Faster Than Life ~ by Melody Elder

Ironically, when children are pushed to learn something before they’re physically, cognitively, or emotionally ready, it actually slows their progress down.

AFTER PRESCHOOL: What are the best choices for your family?

NEW DATE: (DON’T MISS OUT!!) Tuesday, August 24, 6:30 to 8:30.

Topics covered will be:

Developmentally appropriate practices

Schooling options after preschool/nursery school

Academic kinders vs developmental kinders

Advocating for your child

RSVP to Linda at (310)408-5616

“NO!” is a Development-Stopping Word….

Exclaiming “No!” to stop a child works!

It is guaranteed to stop a child in his tracks and turn their happy, healthy, neuron-growing science exploration into a tirade of tears in seconds.

So what do we do instead?

Waiting for Superman

For a nation that proudly declared it would leave no child behind, America continues to do so at alarming rates. Despite increased spending and politicians’ promises, our buckling public-education system, once the best in the world, routinely forsakes the education of millions of children.

Attending to Attention Issues

“My son is struggling in school. He loved it at first, but he’s getting into trouble. He wants to play more, he gets other children laughing, and disrupts what the teacher is trying to do. I know he’s a good boy. What can I do to help him? They’re talking about evaluating him for ADD and ADHD”

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