In today’s digital world, both in business and in our personal lives, we often communicate more through writing than through face-to-face contact. The ability to write clearly and effectively is considered to be one of the most important workforce skills. How we present ourselves in writing has a direct impact on how others form opinions…
By Sarah Maraniss Vander Schaaff According to the nonprofit Reading is Fundamental, “Children who do not read over the summer lose more than two months of reading achievement.” And because reading loss is cumulative, the organization says that by the end of 6th grade, “children who lose reading skills over the summer will be 2…
Note: This is one of a 10 blog series on learning traits. Read about all 10 learning traits here. Visual motor speed can affect a student’s ability to take good notes, accurately complete hands-on project work, and test-taking speed, particularly those bubble sheets! While visual motor speed is not crucial to academic success, it can create problems if it goes unaddressed or unsupported. What is…
Note: This is one of a 10 blog series on learning traits. Read about all 10 learning traits here. Verbal reasoning is the skill most highly correlated with academic achievement in grades K-12. If you want to help your students succeed in school, keep reading. What is Verbal Reasoning? Verbal reasoning is the ability to understand what you read or hear. It enables us to…
By Sarah Vander Schaaff We’ve recently returned to the twenty-first century having spent a few days hanging out with the settlers and revolutionaries of Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg. My kids will be talking about the experience for days and years to come, and certainly testing out the new words they learned during our trip back…
By Sarah Vander Schaaff I am not sure if a song can inoculate a child from the bad feelings and dangers of being bullied, but if one could provide fortification, or resistance, then it might be “Bully, Bully” by Shine and the Moonbeams. The tune was recorded a few years ago, but it was just…
By Sarah Vander Schaaff Of course, Vince Vaughn and I are often thinking about the same things. This week, for example, I planned on writing about internships, and sure enough, he beat me to it with a new movie called The Internship. Perhaps he was also driving in his minivan when he heard a story…
By Sarah Maraniss Vander Schaaff “To know a poem by heart is to own a great work of art forever.” That’s what England’s Education Secretary Michael Gove said last month when promoting his country’s new competition, “Poetry by Heart,” according to a story in England’s Telegraph. The country is investing a half million pounds in…