By Sarah Vander Schaaff It’s going to snow. So we’ve been told. I hope you’d stocked up on milk, bread, batteries and sleds. But for those moments when the kids are inside recovering from building snow forts, here is our top ten list of things to do inside. (Most require electricity, but not all.) So,…
By Sarah Vander Schaaff One of my favorite lines form “30 Rock” is when Jenna tries to explain the concept of back-door bragging, giving this example: It’s hard for me to watch ‘American Idol’ because I have perfect pitch. And so it might seem when parents of a profoundly gifted child talk about the problems…
By Sarah Maraniss Vander Schaaff A few days ago, thanks to Twitter, I stumbled upon an article on the Little League official website that shared an interview with Charles Jeter, the father of the former Yankee shortstop. I don’t often spend my time reading about Derek Jeter. Really, I don’t. Not even in the checkout…
By Sarah Vander Schaaff Watch out, there are some new bloggers hitting the scene. They blog about soccer, gymnastics and toys. And they are really good at integrating photos into their posts. And they are six years old. When I was in first grade, I think my primary tools were pencils, some paste, and maybe…
By Sarah Vander Schaaff A few years ago, I interviewed the British Philosopher Alain de Botton for my Lunch Box Mom blog and asked him if it was ethical for me to use Santa and his “nice list” as a way to motivate my children to behave. My kids, as many of yours, are no…
By Sarah Vander Schaaff In her book, Sitting Still Like a Frog, therapist Eline Snel discusses a school program called Mindfulness Matters that she conducted with three hundred children and twelve teachers. The group had a thirty-minute mindfulness session once per week, and each day after held ten-minute practice sessions. This continued for the entire…
Note: This is one of a 10 blog series on learning traits. Read about all 10 learning traits here. Abstract reasoning is the skill at the core of all critical thinking and problem solving. While abstract reasoning is probably most important in math and science class, it’s also key to understanding complicated reading passages in English and History. You might hear it referred to as complex reasoning, visual…
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…
Spatial skills are strongly linked to creativity and achievement in fields like math, science and the arts. While students might not use spatial skills in school as often as other reasoning skills, it is critical in many professions. Note: This is one of a 10 blog series on learning traits. Read about all 10 learning traits here. What is Spatial Perception? Spatial perception is the ability to visualize how objects…