The importance of literacy is touted everywhere. The more literate a nation, the better they fare in the world market. International studies show that a positive attitude toward reading impacts student success in all subjects, and is a high predictor of future success.

Remember when your baby was just a little bundle, unable to do anything for herself, depending on you for everything? It seems like yesterday for me. I can’t believe I’ve just registered this little squishy face for junior kindergarten!

Terrible twos, threenagers, and fournados - the preschool set has a poor reputation and can keep parents counting the minutes until bedtime. Yet, when I took my eldest to her three year-old checkup, her pediatrician suggested three is the most magical age of childhood.

Is your little one at their most adorable when they sleep, or is this the most wondrous time of their young lives? I say, it’s up to you.

There are hoards of “educational” toys on the market, from pens that promise to teach your child to read, to robots that introduce simple coding to brightly coloured wooden puzzles meant to boost the IQ of every baby who encounters them. While some of these toys might be rather useful, some of them not so much and most of them cost a ridiculous amount.

Looking for a few ideas to rev up the learning potential in your playroom without taking out a second mortgage? Here you go:

Every time the educational system takes a step forward and alters how teaching was done in the past, there is a faction that argues a return to the old ways. Often, adults look back to their own time in grade school and declare “If it was good enough for me…”

Teaching gifted students is the same as teaching students with learning disabilities, or even teaching students with brown hair, in that they are a diverse group with a huge variety of strengths and needs. There is no one-size-fits all approach to nurturing the gifted learner, and assuming the gifted student can more-or-less teach themselves may be a recipe for disaster. 

"We are in this class because we are not as smart as the other kids.”

Wrong, wrong, wrongy, wrong, wrong!

I love working with students with learning disabilities. It is one of my favourite roles as a teacher and I’ve been lucky enough to work with this population for many years.

Not three seconds after my youngest daughter entered the world, the nurse exclaimed, “she’s a big girl!” And with that, a lifetime of being judged on her appearance began.

Wow, six women in a confined, high-pressure space for eight whole days and no one broke down weeping? No one got into a hair-pulling, scratching match?  Not one woman called another a bitch? That sure is a leap forward for womankind. Sarcasm intended.

Ah, the dreaded spelling test – for some kids, those who excel at memorization, the Friday spelling quiz is a chance to shine. For other kids, the Friday spelling kids brings anxiety, tears, and creates the mistaken belief that a child is a “poor speller.” Some parents question the validity of the traditional spelling program that hasn’t changed since their own school experience; others raise a cry of dismay when a teacher abandons this dated practice.

The approach I take when teaching my students about money and finances is: Learn by doing. I believe people learn best by using facts in real-life contexts. The more kids are challenged to solve meaningful problems using their math skills, the more the answers will become ingrained in the child’s long-term memory, easily accessible for future use.

So, the first month of school is almost done and you’ve received countless permission forms and letters and sent in money for this and that. Hopefully by now you have a sense of your child’s teachers – their philosophies on education and their style of discipline.  And maybe you’ve formed a few opinions.

When you're expecting your first child, you'll most likely be all consumed in preparing for baby (like I was and like most other first-time moms are!).

I had several apps I consulted frequently that included countless checklists about what to pack for the hospital. I also read many books and endlessly researched the best baby products. My bag was packed months in advance and included a plethora of the latest and greatest newborn gear.

The end of summer is fast approaching - big trips are done, play dates are dwindling and parents are running short on ideas to keep their kids’ minds and hands busy - all while anticipating the beginning of the new school year. But with a few weeks left of summer holidays, how can we best keep our kids learning to have them fully prepared for the start of the new school year?

Nine year old girl Cash Cayen tried to sign up for a summer robotics program at her local library. Not only was the program advertised as “Boys only”, but even when Cash and her mother spoke to the library administration, they would not remove the biased restriction. And this was right here in Canada – a developed nation that prides itself on our inclusivity. 

When my daughter was about 4 months old we went into Parent and Tot swimming and at the end, she received her first report card. On bright pink paper adorned with stickers and drops of pool water, yet I still tucked that precious paper away in her keepsake box. At the time, her skill set included drooling and holding her head up and her “swimming” ability was based solely on my bouncing her around and singing songs while in the water, but still, somehow, the report card signified an achievement. That paper shows my baby put in the required effort and completed something.