One of the main reasons or the big selling point for us in moving to this great state of Washington was the public school system here. WA has some of the top rated public schools and school districts on the West coast. This might sound surprising to some . . moving so my kids could go to a better school. . but it’s not. A lot of people do this. Maybe not move to another state but I think educators and parents can relate with me on this one. We even chose our house (I’ll have another post on this next week) and neighborhood based on what school district we wanted to be in. Does this sound crazy?
Education is so important.
Why wouldn’t we set up our children for success and do everything possible to ensure their learning and growth? This was my first year as a parent with a child in elementary school (kindergarten) and it’s never too early to educate ourselves! From the curriculum to getting to know your child’s teacher to the PTSA to learning about your school and school district to all the different academic programs available, the accelerated/gifted programs (you start testing your child in 1st grade!) to the latest in education news and technology. . it can be a bit overwhelming. But I want and prefer more information than none.
Obviously, you have to do more than just making sure you child is attending a good school and learning. Many of my friends with older children have told me about the benefits of being active with our children and doing homework together. But we’re not all stay-at-home-parents. A lot of my friends also send their children to after-school care where they help the kids with their homework. . and hey, that’s ok. Do whatever works for your family. Every family is different. Every family’s schedule is different. And, let’s be honest, sometimes we just do what we need to do to get through the day. If you are working full-time, you, as a parent, can still stay up-to-date and informed with online resources for education news. I recently discovered TeachHUB. TeachHUB.com provides the latest in education technology, news and tools. It’s a great FREE online resource for all K-12 teachers and parents. There are free lesson plans and great, informative articles. . I just read “12 Ways to Keep Kids Motivated at the End of the School Year.”
TeachHUB is the resource to go to for the latest in education news and technology. You can see the latest articles from TeachHUB by subscribing to their Facebook page or following them on Twitter.
It’s National Library Week!
“This week, education enthusiasts around the country are celebrating an institution that has changed the lives of millions of people, making massive amounts of information free and accessible to the public. Remember how exciting it was to walk through rows and rows of colorful books, filled with images of imagined worlds, ancient civilizations and endless uncovered secrets? Well there’s no better time to rediscover the magic of the library than now!”
And to help celebrate, TeachHUB teamed up with teacher bloggers across the country to create the First Infographic Made by Kids! Together, they completed over 1,000 student surveys to find out what stories and characters K-5th grade students love, what they’d like to learn more about and how technology plays a role in their education. How cool is that?
Please feel free to share this infographic and celebrate National Library Week (April 14-20, 2013) with us!
I love our local library. Toddler Story time for Madeline. (Her current fave is Ten Chirpy Chicks). Books for both girls. Reading to them and getting Phoebe excited about reading. I want my kids to grow up enjoying and loving to read. And books for me as well! I think once I became a parent, I forgot the library wasn’t just for the kids. So, get out to your local library this week! If you have kids, check out their events calendar. . they have so many FREE events for kids, it’s great! And get your kids their own library card if they don’t already have one.
According to the teachers at TeachHUB.com: success in education starts with curiosity and curiosity starts at home. For National Library Week, encourage your kids to explore a topic they’re interested in learning more about. Sit down at a library and read together – and ask them what they learned! Taking your children to the library and establishing that routine will hopefully become something they will want to continue to do as they grow older.
I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, and content and opinions expressed here are all my own. To learn more about the TeachHUB.com, visit their website. #CleverTeachers #NLW13
Public libraries in the US are so good. I used to have my DC library card, which I used all the time when I visited my brother. Of course my main topic was cookbooks… And just like adults change cities because of better jobs, I can see why families would move to give their kids a better education. So great Alice!
Thank you, Paula! I only recently discovered the lovely cookbook section at my local library! I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before. . because Phoebe is reading now and I take M to the toddler reading time, we are now there all the time! I also love all the volunteers and people who work there. . so nice and you can tell they just love books!
Of course family’s move to attend better schools. However, the sad thing is that family’s have to move at all. And of course, not all families can afford to move to the better school districts, which are usually higher income. Some districts offer open enrollmentt or the like, but even in those situations, parents have to get their kids to the school on their own (no bussing for out of district kids). Obviously, this would be difficult for working parents or single parents or families without cars. Education reform!
Hi Grace,
Yes, absolutely! The public school system, the administration, the teachers, the salary for teachers. . so much to be done. Hopefully, we’ll get there one day. Until then, we gotta stay positive and take one day at a time.