Author: Valorie

“Allowing poor reading skills to go unaddressed is the equivalent of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. The reading rich will continue to grow, because with every new book they read, they build new vocabulary and knowledge, which allows them to access even more complex text. But for the reading poor, a… Continue reading The Education Divide

Six months ago, I was preparing for my kids’ spring break adventures and today I am preparing for a school year starting virtually. The past six months has brought change to the whole world, as we are all in this together. Each day brings new information, challenges, and successes. As I reflect on the past… Continue reading Learning Through Change

With the month of June complete, students are deep into the heart of summer. Research shows students have an academic regression over the summer months when not in school. This summer we know it will be even larger after having eleven weeks of school-at-home due to COVID-19. Parents often wonder what to do to help… Continue reading Preventing the Summer Slide

Today is National Teacher Day in the United States. This year the definition of being a teacher has changed. Overnight, teachers went from spending six hours a day in a classroom with their students to connecting with them virtually or via phone calls. Parents have taken on the bulk of responsibility for guiding their children… Continue reading National Teacher Day

Students across the country are wrapping up another week of learning at home. Adjustments are being made by adults with the transformation to remote working or being furloughed. Kids are trying to deal with a new normal that has been thrust upon them. It is expected for stress levels to be high. Not to mention,… Continue reading Managing Learning at Home

March 25th is National Medal of Honor Day. While the kids are home from school, have them take the time to learn about our Medal of Honor recipients. The following ideas are from the National Medal of Honor Museum website: Make a poster or write a letter about what National Medal of Honor Day means… Continue reading Medal of Honor Day

We just finished a great week of exploring local arts and education spots for spring break, only to find out spring break has been extended by two weeks due to COVID-19. In addition, many places are closed to lower chances of community spread and rain is in the forecast for the entire week. What to… Continue reading Extended Spring Break Ideas

Growing up, I remember on either Friday or Saturday nights we would have family night. On family night, we mainly played card games, though on an occasion we would rent VHS movies from the local video store. Maybe the night started because we lived in the country without satellite television, or because we were like… Continue reading Family Night

While reading the December 2019 Edition of the Early Childhood Education Newsletter published by the Texas Education Agency, I came across the article below about students when they have bad days. It was too good not to share. Challenging Behavior: Have You Ever Considered? Have you ever considered? Have you ever had a bad day,… Continue reading A Perspective on Challenging Behavior