Parents

Education articles and topics specifically for parents.

Parents Articles

The History of The PTA
The Parent Teacher Association or PTA began when two women from Washington, DC decided that the children of America needed a voice. Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst sent out a call to action and anticipated that maybe 200 mothers would respond. However, on February 17, 1897, more than 2000 mothers, fathers, teachers, workers, and politicians gathered for the very first PTA meeting. After setting by-laws and marking out areas that needed to be addressed, the group began its quest for children’s safety, health, and productive futures.

What is Peer Pressure
Simply put, peer pressure is; the ability of people from the same social rank or age to influence another person's decision making process. Although peer pressure is usually associated with teens, this type of influence is not confined to teenagers. Mature adults, teens, young adults, children, and even infants can be seen doing things in order to feel as though they are accepted by their peers.

Public School vs Home School
Public School or Home School, Which is Right for You? Find out if the public school is the best option for your child or if home schooling is the best option in this article.  There are pros and cons to each side.

Moving Your Child to a New School
Relocating to a new area? Switching from home school to public school? Child accepted at a new private or charter school? Any of these scenarios could mean a mid-year move to a new school. Here are a few ideas to make the move go smoothly.

Creating a Homeschool Area
To create a homeschool area in your home, you will need to combine some generic considerations of how to make an environment where education can happen with the practical realities of your particular household. These two elements will guide you first of all to deciding whether your school area needs to be reserved only for school or needs to be a multi-function area.

Changes to Expect When Your Child Starts School
Starting school is a big deal.  New friends, new experiences, new information, but along with the good things are some things you may not like, such as the new vocabulary your child gets from the new friends.  What else can you expect when your child starts school?

Choosing a Private School
Choosing a private school can be a difficult decision. Here are some steps that will help you make a reasoned decision about a private school that meets your child’s and your needs.

Questions to Ask About Private Schools
Here are some questions that will help you make a reasoned decision about a private school that meets your child’s and your needs.

Types of Schools
There are a number of different ways to consider the private school options that may be open to you and your child. Here are some ways to categorize and consider your choice.

The History of the School Lunch Program
President Harry S. Truman began the national school lunch program in 1946 as a measure of national security.

Financial Aid Options for College
Find out what financial aid options are available for students headed to college in this article.

Private School Applications
Applications are one of the key ways schools get to know prospective students and their families. Find out more about the process in this article.

Financial Aid Options for Graduate School
Find out what financial aid options are available specifically for students wanting to get a graduate degree.

Private School Interviews
Interviews are typically part of the application process to enroll into a private school and a key way schools get to know applicants and their families and vice versa. Find out more about the process in this article.

CoEd or Single Sex Education
In this article find different factors to consider when choosing between single-sex and coed private schools.

What Is an Education Consultant
An education consultant assists a family in making educational decisions. Find out what benefits an education consultant can provide and information on choosing an education consultant in this article.

What is an IEP
The Individualized Education Program, familiarly called the IEP, has its roots in the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) that President Gerald Ford signed in November, 1975.

What is a Boarding School
A boarding school is an academic setting that includes room and board for at least some students. There may be other, day students, who travel to and from the campus on a daily basis, as well as the students who live at the school.

Choosing a School Fundraiser
Choosing appropriate school fundraisers for your school community is an important decision with a lot of parameters.

What are Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities (LD) are a set of neurological disorders that affect the brain in one (or more) of several areas of dealing with information.

Public School Uniform Debate
The question of what students should wear to school rouses strong feelings on both sides. Here are some arguments for and against the use of school uniforms.

Public School Uniform Statistics
While school uniforms are typically found in private schools, it may have only been in 1987 that the first public school - Cherry Hill Elementary in Baltimore, MD - instituted a school uniform policy. Here are some statistics about the use of school uniforms.

Summer Reading Program
Research shows that students can loose ground in their reading skills over the summer if they do not engage in reading. As a result, a number of summer reading programs have been created to help support students’ academic progress during the summer, while also focusing on the fun aspects of reading. Reading every day is recommended, and this can include silent book reading, family storytime, listening to books on tape, and/or reading magazines.

Adult Literacy
In its Universal Declaration of Human Rights, more than 50 years ago, the United Nations declared literacy to be a human right. Nevertheless, one-fifth of people 16 years of age and older are not literate. To focus attention on the 861 million adults and 113 million children who do not have access to literacy, the United Nations declared a Literacy Decade from 2003-2012 to focus particularly on adult literacy.