school

A few years ago, we asked teachers to name their #1 favorite end-of-year gift and the answer was not "cash and a massage" (ha). In fact, we were heartened to hear again and again a teacher's favorite gift from students is a personal mess…

Do you have a struggling speller? As a homeschool mom , I know first-hand how hard it can be to try to explain spelling rules to a kid who doesn't quite get it, which is why I had to share the Wordcraft app that my kids have been playing…

Parents are scrambling right now, trying to figure out how to give their kids the best school year possible, which is why we've been working on a series of "back to schooling" posts to help make it a little easier for you. For many paren…

For lots of middle school kids, back to school means back to tech. Specifically: school-issued laptops. Of course, when we're thinking about our kids and tech that they don't own themselves, but they're responsible for day-in and day-out…

Since more and more upper and middle schools are requiring laptops or iPads in the classroom, we wanted to take a look at the best laptop bags for kids. Our requirements: They have to offer good support for our kids backs with all that h…

It may sound a tad hokey, but reading really is fundamental to school and life in general, which is why we've worked hard to put together 8 of the very best reading apps for older kids as part of our Back to School Tech Guide 2015. Wheth…

As a homeschooling parent of three, my older kids and I are big fans of the Crash Course educational video series on YouTube which has helped my teens learn more about complex subjects like molecules and the French Revolution. But I've f…

I've always been partial to kids' apps that play around with words and letters. They just feel like good, clean fun. And after trying out the new Metamorphabet app , I have just three words, ten letters: So. Much. Fun. The idea is simple…

Bullying is an issue that's getting so much attention these days--and yet, it's still a big problem. While we're glad to see schools, parents, and kids tackling bullying head on, it can still be pretty scary for kids to report incidents,…

Whether it's the mean kid on the school bus who's constantly trying to snag your kid's cookies (I'm watching you, Logan!) or the office lunch thief who's never been caught, the average lunch box isn't up to the job of keeping out creepin…

With back to school officially here, I cannot tell you how much I love the benefits of organization and communication apps for parents and teachers. They really do make life so much easier. Well, I've just discovered another tech tool th…

We're so happy to kick off our 2014 back to school tech guide with one of our favorite, and most requested categories: The best educational apps for preschoolers. Now just because your little one isn't in official Big Kid school yet does…

We are so excited about the range of science and technology toys that are being created for our kids these days. I love that my kids are using their minds while they play, learning the whole time without realizing it, and the newest play…

Ever since my kids started elementary school, I have always tried to volunteer and chaperone whenever possible, especially in these years that the kids still actually want me to be there. But with many different opportunities to help out…

Ahhhh Sunday--the day when school-aged kids everywhere realize they forgot about that big homework assignment due this week and send us parents into a tizzy. And to top it off, we were all up this morning at 5 with the end of daylight sa…

School fundraisers are increasingly necessary these days with so many funding cuts, but we all know that even as kids are out shilling candy and wrapping paper, it's their parents end up doing most of the work. So I'm excited to find thi…

Like so many of you, I'm committed to supporting my kids' school. Whether it's volunteering my time in the classroom, designing yearbook pages, or just sending permission slips back on time, I'm happy to do what I can. And for the next f…

Here is a typical weeknight in my house. After dinner is made and I have digested, the dishes are all done and I hear snoring out of the monitor... I think, YAY I can go sit down and wait for Jon Stewart. But then I remember, I have to p…

A few classes at our school are hosting a big ol' holiday pot-luck this week and whenever I get wind of that my first thought is, bless whoever took on that coordinator job. But now I realize that she has a lot of help (which is why she'…

If you're not a fan of the Google doodles by now...well. We don't know what. The bar is so high that now if you go to the main Google.com site and it's not actively playful or snowing or clickable, you're kind of disappointed. Here's one…

It's been 10 years since Sal Khan first started creating educational video tutorials to help his niece across the country with her math homework. We've been huge fans of Khan Academy since, and now we're raising our collective fists in t…