In Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, there is an interesting exchange between Alice and the Red Queen while the two run in a race against each other. Alice, slightly frustrated that they are running but appear to be going nowhere says, “Well, in our country, you’d generally get to somewhere else—if you run very […]
THE BRAIN CHASE BLOG
Non-Cognitive Skill Building – The Real Reason Our Kids Need School
At my children’s school, the teachers send out a weekly newsletter which details the lesson plans for the week. Over the last nine months, these newsletters have been focused on learning modules like multiplication tables and spelling tests. However, for the last week of school, the newsletter was slightly different. Since the teachers and classes […]
Masquerade and the Origins of Brain Chase
I remember the first day my mind was blown by a picture book. It was 1983 in Littleton, Colorado. Every week our second grade class at Damon Runyon Elementary would file quietly through the library and circle up at the feet of Mrs. Webber for story time. Mrs. Webber was exactly how you’d picture […]
Three Ways to Create “Positive” Screen Time
In The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman wrote, “When I was growing up, my parents told me, ‘Finish your dinner. People in China and India are starving.’ I tell my daughters, ‘Finish your homework. People in India and China are starving for your job.’” Friedman is right. Our children are growing up in a vastly […]
What Your School Expects From Your Kids This Summer
Right now in Texas, most schools are closing the books on the 2013-14 school year and turning the kids loose for a much needed break. And kids aren’t the only ones who are relieved – we as parents are grateful for a reprieve from the spelling tests, math flashcards, and other school-related activities that have […]
Five Reasons to Travel With Your Kids
As the temperature shifts from spring to summer, many families put the finishing touches on summer vacation planning. Usually, vacation means leaving behind the comforts of home to experience a new place or destination. It can also mean finding some much-deserved relaxation. But the situation changes when vacations include traveling with children. Kids – […]
5 Ways To Earn Free Books This Summer
I learned at a young age that reading books can be addicting. When I was about 12 years old, I decided that I wanted to read Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer. I started reading the book a week after school let out. Within ten pages, I was hooked and I couldn’t put the book down for […]
Investing in a Summer Academic Program
In 1935, George Gershwin captured the feeling of summer perfectly in his song, “Summertime” from the opera Porgy and Bess: Summertime, And the livin’ is easy Fish are jumpin’ And the cotton is high Your daddy’s rich And your mamma’s good lookin’ So hush little baby Don’t you cry. The music is written in the […]
10 Ideas to Fight Summer Boredom
My daughter turned six earlier this month. To celebrate her birthday, we hosted a party at an indoor trampoline park and invited a number of her friends. We figured that if we placed our daughter and her pals in a fun filled environment, they would be able to find their own entertainment. But before long, my […]
Putting Television Time To Good Use
Although I have not had a two-month summer vacation in over 15 years, I still recall how magical they were. There were carefree afternoons playing pickup soccer games with friends. There were family vacations and camping trips with the Boy Scouts. And of course, there was TV. Growing up, TV was a contradictory […]