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    Blog Posts by Steve Reifman

    • 7 Ways to Ease Your Child’s Transition Back to School

      By Steve Reifman | Back To School – Tue, Aug 21, 2012 10:47 PM EDT

      The process of transitioning back to school at the conclusion of summer vacation can be very difficult for children. There are many different aspects to this transition, some of which tend not to get the attention they deserve. As adults who focus on teaching the whole child, we want to take a comprehensive, thoughtful approach to making this transition as smooth as possible.

      1. Encourage your child to view the start of the year in positive terms. We want the beginning of school to be a time to which kids look forward, not dread. Emphasize all the great things that a new school year brings, such as the opportunity to make new friends, meet new teachers, learn interesting new content, and participate in new after-school activities.

      2.Re-establish school bedtimes a few days in advance. Waking up early on the first day of school is a mighty tall order for kids (and teachers) who have been sleeping later during the summer. Gradually returning to school bedtimes over a period of

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    • Six Ways to Keep Your Child’s Mind Active This Summer

      By Steve Reifman | Parenting – Sun, Jul 29, 2012 5:58 PM EDT

      Keeping your child's mind productively occupied when school is out not only prevents summer learning loss but also provides an opportunity to sharpen skills, develop new interests, and capitalize on new experiences. The following options address a wide variety of curricular areas. Choosing from the ideas on this list allows you and your child to add an enjoyable intellectual component to summer vacation.

      1. Incorporate reading into your child's daily schedule. Kids enjoy reading independently, hearing parents read aloud, participating in summer library programs, and starting a book club with friends to add a social component to what is typically a solo activity. All of these options are great. Children will be more enthusiastic about reading independently when they can choose a variety of fiction and non-fiction books that appeal to their interests and when the books are at an appropriate reading level.

      2. Take advantage of authentic opportunities to practice math skills.

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    • 10 Ways to Help Your Kids Do Better in School

      By Steve Reifman | Parenting – Wed, Jun 13, 2012 6:46 PM EDT

      Parents are their children's first and most important teachers. In this critical role parents have the greatest impact on their kids' academic, physical, social, and moral development and the greatest impact on their children's motivation to learn. In my experience, parents are typically eager to do everything in their power to contribute to their children's success in school, but they're not always shown how to do this. The following suggestions will help parents empower their kids to be the best they can be.

      1. Commit yourselves to playing an active role in your child's education. Frequently, many parents leave the responsibility for their child's education solely with the teacher. No matter how satisfied you may be with your child's teacher (and I hope you are very satisfied), this practice is unwise. Remain involved on a consistent basis, and feel free to ask questions and raise any concerns that you may have about your child's progress.

      2. Repeatedly express to your

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