Children Know Better Children do not sit still easily. They have good reason not to: Prolonged sitting day after day can lead to organ damage, muscle strain and degeneration, cancer, impaired brain function, and other adverse health outcomes (nicely summarized in a 2014 Washington Post article entitled, “The health hazards of Sitting).” Although most research […]
Sep 29 2015
Could Your Child be Colorblind?
Color blindness can be problematic. One test for it is the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test. The online version is less accurate than the eye doctor would have, since monitors and room light variations may affect the outcome. Nevertheless, it’s worth trying because it is free and a high score indicates that further testing is warranted. […]
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Apr 15 2015
Recommended Books are Back
I put up a “Recommended Books” page again, this time with my own brief descriptions for many of the books. Check it out.
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Sep 29 2014
Observation and Preconception
Humans are self-correcting organisms. It is sometimes amazing how long it takes us, but once we recognize a problem or a mistake, solutions often come quickly. As a teacher, I try to give children time and space to correct themselves whenever possible. They are happier when they figure it out themselves. But sometimes I need […]
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Sep 07 2014
Is Your Child in Love with Learning?
1. Does your child say he or she hates school? If so, something is probably wrong with the school. Children are natural learners, and when they’re young, you can hardly stop them from learning. If your child says they hate school, listen to them. That is the first of "The Ten Signs You Need to […]
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Feb 17 2013
The Rope over the Abyss
Most news about education these days seems to focus on subject-area content or else on violence in the schools, with little said about how people learn and develop optimally. It is as if all that really matters can be determined apart from who we are as human beings and boiled down to a combination of […]
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Aug 04 2012
New Discoveries in Oobleck Science
If you have not ever seen anyone jog on a mixture of corn starch and water – “oobleck” – check out the video from the Spanish TV show, "El Hormiguero," included in Wired Magazine’s July 11, 2012 online article, "Defying Gravity: When Strange Liquids Act Like Solids." Water and cornstarch combine to form what in […]
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Apr 27 2012
Learning without Perks or Punishments
As humans, we are intrinsically motivated to learn. (Animals are, too, but their interests and priorities tend to be vastly different.) I am not saying that people necessarily want to learn what other people want to teach them but rather what they themselves find interesting or valuable. If you have ever been interested in dance […]
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Apr 09 2012
Family Life Expo & Camp Fair
This is the first in what will be a series of articles about science and math education for children, activities, learning philosophy and psychology, and a few summaries and comments about interesting education-related stories from other sources. My assistant Stan Jackson and I enjoyed the March 2012 Family Life Expo & Camp Fair, our first […]
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