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In 2008, I was asked to move up to teach seventh- and eighth-grade science. With this change, I inherited our school's annual middle school science fair. Students created individual projects using the scientific method and were judged by parent volunteers. Unsurprisingly, students created many...

In Part 2 of Dr. Kati Macaluso's blog post on supporting writers in the home, she continues the work she began in Part 1 . In Part 1, Dr. Macaluso explained how she sees her own children emerging as writers, and she offered strategies for how all parents can foster their children's natural...

Long before any of my children were of school age, they were writers. Matthew, at two years old, would "fill out"the collection envelopes in Mass, making marks in the "name," "address" and "amount" blanks. Grace, now three, flits about the house taking orders on a Post-it pad before turning to her...

The seven strengths focus on social and emotional growth and well-being. They are critical to helping kids become super readers, but they extend far beyond academics; they help children to become powerful and compassionate individuals. When we create classrooms based on the seven strengths, we teach...

Hope: Thinking optimistically and believing that today's efforts will produce good things in the future for yourself and the world The final of our seven strengths is hope . Our social-emotional arch of the strengths begins with affirming the self ( Belonging and Curiosity ), understanding and...

Confidence: Thinking independently and expressing ideas with assurance "I can't read." Perhaps you've heard a child utter these exact words or a similar statement. When the child is three, we can reassure them that they have plenty of time to learn, not to worry, and keep on enjoying being read to...