Speaking and Listening: Talking to Your Six Year Old

One of the most powerful ways to develop your child's literacy skills is also the easiest: talk to your kids! At age six, children begin to use language to explain both their outer world (what they see) and their inner world (what they think, feel and imagine). When they talk to caring adults, they can expand their vocabulary and learn more about the give-and-take of conversations — including taking turns and building on someone else's ideas.

Stick With It: Encouraging Persistence in Kids

My daughter is persistence personified — she’ll sit in front of a puzzle for hours until it’s done, testing piece after piece in space after space. As a middle schooler, she tried multiple approaches to figure out a tough math problem, even looking up video examples, all on her own before asking for help. My second child is altogether different. Puzzles, with their ornery, uncooperative pieces, get about three minutes of his attention. Tough homework problems can create a cascade of stress and overwhelm. Why is this? Persistence.

Talking to your Child about Puberty

Start Early

Today, kids are exposed to so much information about sex and relationships on TV and the Internet that by the time they approach puberty, they may be familiar with some advanced ideas. And yet, talking about the issues of puberty remains an important job for parents because not all of a child's information comes from reliable sources.

Talking to Your Three Year Old

One of the most powerful ways to develop your child's literacy skills is also the easiest: talk to your kids! At age three, most kids name colors and put objects in basic groups (like food or animals). They can also begin to use words to express their emotions and ideas, instead of just naming what they see. Your three-year-old can understand more words than he or she can express. When you talk with them, you can help them learn new words and find language to express their sometimes overwhelming emotions as they make sense of the world.

Teaching Good Study Habits, Minute by Minute

With clear goals, timed exercises, and games, parents can help design home-study habits by tailoring them to their students' visual, kinesthetic, musical, or social strengths.

Teaching Kids Responsibilities vs. Privileges

Understanding the relationship between responsibilities and privileges can help children to lead happier, more successful lives. One of the best ways to teach this concept is to help kids see how this relates to their lives and to give them hands-on experiences that will help solidify their feelings on the subject. At-home practice and parental involvement can also be an excellent way to enrich your lesson.

Teaching Your Child Self-Control

When kids melt down in the middle of a crowded store, at a holiday dinner with extended family, or at home, it can be extremely frustrating. But parents can help kids learn self-control and teach them how to respond without just acting on impulse.

Teaching self-control is one of the most important things that parents can do for their kids because these skills are some of the most important for success later in life.

Teaching Your Eight Year Old the Importance of Honesty

Honesty means we are truthful in what we say and do. It means people can rely on us and it’s the basis of a trusting relationship. For eight-year-olds, honesty looks like consistently telling the truth, accepting responsibility for their actions, and sharing important information with trusted adults – particularly about situations where they or others may need help. At this age kids understand the difference between telling the truth and lying, but they also want to please adults, so they may lie to hide accidents or misbehavior or to “protect” a friend.

Teaching Your Four Year Old Early Friendship Skills

It takes practice to learn how to be a good friend ― practice at being kind, supportive, trustworthy, and a good listener. For a four-year-old, a friend may be a regular playmate or a child they just met at the park. At this age, they can engage in cooperative play, but they are still developing the ability to understand other perspectives. They may assume that their friends think the same way they do ― and can get upset when a friend wants to play a different way. They may also need help introducing themselves or welcoming others into their social circle.

Teaching Your Seven Year Old the Importance of Honesty

Honesty means we are truthful in what we say and do. It means people can rely on us and it’s the basis of a trusting relationship. For seven-year-olds, honesty looks like consistently telling the truth, accepting responsibility for their actions, and sharing important information with trusted adults – particularly about situations where they or others may need help.

Teaching Your Six-Year-Old the Importance of Honesty

Help children see honesty as an act of courage and responsibility – something worth striving for.

Teaching Your Three Year Old Early Friendship Skills

Good friends provide us with support from childhood through adulthood. It takes practice to learn how to be a good friend ― practice at being kind, supportive, trustworthy and a good listener. These are skills kids begin to learn at an early age. For a three-year-old, a friend is usually someone in close proximity who is engaging in a similar activity. They can begin to understand the concept of taking turns with toys or playground equipment and responding to the feelings of others. These are building blocks for future friendships!

Ten Tips for Growing Healthy Habits with Your Kids

Eating healthy meals and being active every day are essential for human health, and how you achieve your goals can have a big impact on the health of the planet. Use Cyberchase to help inspire kids to get active with math – from encouraging them to be active and eat well, to teaching them about reducing waste and growing gardens, all while caring for the health of their community.

The Benefits of Reading Aloud to Your Five Year Old

When kids sit next to a caring adult and hear engaging stories, they develop positive associations with books. Reading aloud to your child strengthens the part of their brain associated with visual imagery, the ability to understand stories and word meaning. When you read to your five-year-old, they pick up on important book smarts, like how to hold a book, which direction to turn the pages, what an author is and where to find the title. These skills are called "concepts about print," and they help kids prepare to be successful independent readers.

The Benefits of Reading Aloud to Your Seven Year Old

Reading aloud to your child strengthens the part of their brain associated with visual imagery, the ability to understand stories and word meaning.

The Benefits of Reading Aloud to Your Six Year Old

Reading aloud to your child strengthens the part of their brain associated with visual imagery, the ability to understand stories and word meaning. Six-year-olds still love the comfort of cuddling up for a good story. And with your help, they can also pick up on important book smarts, like information about authors, illustrators, chapters, the table of contents, page numbers, indexes and back covers. These skills are called "concepts about print," and they help kids prepare to be successful independent readers.

The Effects of Rewarding Positive Behavior in Children

Children, like adults, enjoy attention. Children tend to continue a behavior that secures attention. Behavior that does not arouse a reaction or is ignored is likely to eventually fall by the wayside. The key to raising kids with who learn positive behavior is consistency in a parent's reactions to their choices. Children who don't receive positive reinforcement will act out in order to get some kind of attention. Parents should be proactive and engaging, demonstrating and rewarding the behaviors they want their children to learn.

The Importance of Guidance for Teens

Your teenager craves independence. She wants to seek out activities that interest her, establish relationships with peers who she connects with and choose a personal style that represents her. While you should your teen to enjoy some independence as she matures, she also needs parental guidance. Guidance is particularly important now, as your teen faces serious choices that can impact her health, well-being and future. Understand the advantages of parental guidance for teens, and continue to be a supportive parent for your maturing child.

The Magic of Play: How It Inspires & Aids Early Development

With the help of a frilly dress, tiara, and magic wand, your 3-year-old becomes the queen of a magical universe and rides a winged unicorn. When you're asked to taste the pink clouds, you agree that they're a lot like bubblegum.

The Process of Negotiating the Rules with your Child

We all know as parents that discussing and negotiating the rules with our children is never easy. Children are all very different, and what might need to be a rule for one, may not even be an issue for another.