Gratitude is good for you — and for your kids. Psychologist Martin Seligman, who has conducted studies on benefits of expressing thanks, writes, “Gratitude can make your life happier and more satisfying. When we feel gratitude, we benefit from the pleasant memory of a positive event in our life. Also, when we express our gratitude…
Recently, I heard toddler screams emanating from the living room. When I went to check on my kids, I found a distraught two-year-old and a four-year-old who seemed to be holding something behind her back. Naturally, this prompted to a few questions:Me: Do you know why your brother is mad?Daughter: Oh yes! He wants his…
When it comes to parenting, some mornings are easier than others. Last week, my son broke into defiant tears and shouts more than once as I rushed him out the door to get to preschool on time. He didn’t want to put on his shoes, he didn’t want to brush his teeth, and he most…
Originally published on Mindshift on September 28 2016. Art Lopez’s journey as a computer science teacher began five years ago when one of his high school students asked him a question: “Why do Torrey Pines and La Jolla – schools in more affluent parts of San Diego – have computer science classes and we don’t?” Lopez recalled. Lopez…
Originally published in the Washington Post on May 20, 2016. When my daughter got home from school yesterday, she made a cozy nest of pillows, pulled out her crayons and started to draw. “Mommy,” she complained, “the music is too loud. I need to focus.” To which her little brother predictably replied, “I want too…
Originally published on NPR’s MindShift on May 26, 2016. Teens who read about the personal and intellectual struggles of scientists feel more motivated to learn science. That was the finding of a recent study out of Teachers College, Columbia University and the University of Washington. Why? Many high school students view scientific ability as a…
Originally published on NPR’s MindShift on May 10, 2016. What kind of people can become scientists? When a group of researchers posed that question to ninth- and 10th-graders, almost every student gave empowering responses, such as “People who work hard” or “Anyone who seems interested in the field of science.” But despite these generalized beliefs,…
Young children are naturally curious. They have an itch to explore their world and figure out how things work. And parents have compelling reasons to foster this inherent inquisitiveness. Curiosity is tied to academic achievement, with research showing “unequivocally that when people are curious about something, they learn more, and better.” According to one study,…
Before leaving for preschool this morning, my four-year-old checked on her jar of ladybug larvae, watered her little flower garden and shared a bagel with her little brother. She may not know the term, but she was practicing empathy. Empathy is a skill – one that we can cultivate and strengthen with practice. It requires us…
Ever notice how kids often have more fun playing with an empty box than with what was inside of it? That’s their imagination at work, and as parents, we should not underestimate how vital it is to nurture this creative spirit. Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson explains that creativity is “the process of having original…
For all the emphasis placed on science, technology, engineering and math instruction, not much attention is given to a skill set that’s closely related with success in STEM: spatial skills. The ability to mentally manipulate objects is key to success in many fields, including physics and engineering. Spatial skills are an early indicator of later…
In a GPS world, where synthesized voices tell us when to turn to get from point A to point B, do kids really need to learn how to read a map? Absolutely. While many skills have become obsolete in the digital age, map reading remains an important tool for building children’s spatial reasoning skills and…
