If you’re unhappy with your current school, do you know why? Do you have an idea about what would make you happier about the situation?

Problem: Your district’s application period for special programs and changing schools is in full swing. Maybe you’re pleased with how your child is performing at their current school and just want to see what else is possible or you’re unhappy and want to jump ship, the clock is ticking for you to make a decision.

Solution: Although many parents would approach this situation with a gut-feeling attitude, there actually are some systematic things you can think about during the school exploration process. They include:

• The child’s (generalized) opinion
• Your child’s future plans and track
• Social relationships at the current school
• If unhappy, willingness of teachers and administrators to work with you

The child’s (generalized) opinion

Although you might view this as strictly a parenting decision, even younger students should have an opinion on their school. The trick is not to get into specifics unless you truly think the child is mature enough to weigh the options for themselves.

To do this, just ask the child broad questions, such as “What do you think of your school this year?” and “What would be some things you would change about your school if you could?” These can lead insight into how they are thinking without framing an actual move.

Your child’s plans and track

You need to be honest about your child’s abilities and where you see them going after high school. Older students might already have an idea about what they want to be after school is over. Not every kid can go Ivy League, but if there is that potential then you need to weigh that with the school that makes that more likely. Other students might struggle getting through high school, in which case you might want to consider vocational options.

Social relationships at the current school

Not being very social at the current school isn’t in itself a reason for changing locations. Some kids just like having a manageable social life. But if there are serious problems with a child’s friends (or lack of them), that needs to be considered in any potential move. If there are even more serious issues, like bullying, make sure you’ve exhausted all of your options with administration. You’d be surprised at what the laws provide these days.

If unhappy, willingness of teachers and administrators to work with you

If you’re unhappy with your current school, do you know why? Do you have an idea about what would make you happier about the situation? If you have answers to both of those questions, have you brought those concerns to your child’s teacher or administration? How receptive were they? If they told you there is nothing they can do, that might truly be the case (oversight is only growing in education). They might not have a solution at the other school either.

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By now, your child is being drilled and drilled again in preparation for the high-stakes testing they will undergo in the coming months. Frankly, they’re probably sick of it.

By now, your child is being drilled and drilled again in preparation for the high-stakes testing they will undergo in the coming months. Frankly, they’re probably sick of it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t feel the need to help them. It also doesn’t mean you have to start investing in workbooks full of drills.

Here are some easy things to do at home that can make a difference on test day.

More movement

Although states are getting better about requiring a certain amount of outside play in a school day, gym class isn’t what it once was. So how are students supposed to get the exercise they need in order to alleviate the stress of testing season?

This might be the antithesis of test prep, but kick them out of the house. Send them outside to play. Sign them up for a sport or activity. If they have an outlet for their stress, they will be more likely to retain what they’re learning in class.

Let them help with math

Math is all around us. Most of it you probably do yourself. Help your child get a little extra practice by assigning them the math tasks instead. The trick is to not frame it as “You need some extra testing practice”. All kids love to help, so just ask them. “Hey, I need to take this recipe down by half. What do I need?” Unfortunately, the more advanced your child is in their math career, the more difficult it will be to find them tasks.

Bring English/Language Arts home

The skills covered in the Common Core standards for English/language arts come into play everywhere, even at home. They ask students to be able to communicate their opinions and ideas in a variety of ways. They ask students to be able to read a variety of texts, mainly nonfiction, and understand them. Those events happen every day.

The trick is to find things about which they want to communicate. Making them watch the news or read the newspaper will quickly turn stale. Instead, if they are into music, start sharing articles from Rolling Stone with them and discuss them together. If they are into a particular video game, have them give you a lesson. The goal is to keep their brain moving in the right ways even though they’ve left school.

Stay positive!

It’s important to model a positive attitude for your student, especially at this time. They’re probably nervous or even pessimistic about the tests. Positivity can go a long way toward working through the challenging parts of the test.

If you truly are worried about your student’s chances for success on your state tests, find out more about our approach to tutoring and student achievement here.

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Minecraft has reached critical mass in its popularity (which probably means the kids will move onto something else, but whatever).

You’ve seen the blocky, 8-bit toys at Target. You’ve seen kids totally engrossed in their devices without being on YouTube or Netflix. Minecraft has reached critical mass in its popularity (which probably means the kids will move onto something else, but whatever). Minecraft is a valuable educational tool. Let’s look at the benefits—and why you might want to reconsider limiting their screen time.

Executive reasoning skills

Teachers often refer to a well-known way of organizing how the brain thinks called Bloom’s Taxonomy. Simply put, the higher you go in the taxonomy, the more the brain is engaged and challenged. On the bottom level are skills like remembering and understanding what you’ve learned. On the top level is the ability to create new things with your knowledge.

Minecraft is a platform for creation. Kids need to apply what they’ve learned throughout the game (you need certain minerals to make bricks, for example) to succeed in their goals. In short, it hits the entire taxonomy—something only very skilled teachers can do in a typical lesson.

Academic applications

Speaking of teachers and schools, many classes now employ Minecraft as a learning tool. You might expect the geometry and engineering teachers to be first in line, but the game actually has implications for almost every subject area. Students have been known to create a model of Ancient Rome in history class and blow things up in science class without having to increase the insurance of the school.

Concentration

Do you remember SimCity? You had to keep the citizens happy, grow your infrastructure and economy, all while fending off natural disasters and other challenges. Success in the game took multitasking, anticipation, and focus.

Minecraft activates the same skills in a more powerful and flexible platform. That’s why you see kids turn into device zombies when they’re playing. It’s not to tune out the world; it’s to tune in the world they’re trying to create—and that skill has potent implications for higher education and the working world.

Social skills

Just like most other games these days, Minecraft has the capability to play with others online. The difference is that kids aren’t trying to kill each other in Minecraft. They team up to create communities or succeed against challenges that they might share, like forming a safe environment that protects them from the dangers of the night. There are also vibrant communities for Minecraft enthusiasts on YouTube, wiki pages, and other online forums. Players get on to share their best practices and help each other. It’s a lot better than trying to shoot your friend with a rocket-propelled grenade.

Giftedness is acceleration in the development of the brain compared to a child’s physical appearance or age.

Perhaps your child’s teacher has suggested a gifted screening. Perhaps the child of one of your friends has just been accepted into a gifted education program. On the other hand, perhaps you just have a suspicion that your child might be gifted and want to know what that means. No matter the situation, let’s go through some of the questions and misconceptions that surround a gifted student.

What is gifted?

Giftedness is acceleration in the development of the brain compared to a child’s physical appearance or age. There are quite a few indicators, like maturity and success in school, but the only way to know for sure is through an accepted assessment, usually an IQ test administered by a child psychologist or district-level official.

Misconceptions

The first misconception has to do with academic success. If a child is successful in school, it doesn’t necessarily mean a child is gifted. Likewise, it is possible for gifted students to struggle academically, maybe because they aren’t being challenged enough and become bored. Alternatively, because they are not receiving the right education services for their needs.

The second misconception is that gifted students do not need special services in school. First, they easily become bored with grade-level studies because they move so fast through the curriculum. Teachers try their best to challenge the gifted, but only so much differentiation is possible in a class of 25 students.

What is gifted education?

Believe it or not, when it comes to special services, gifted students are treated no differently than students with disabilities. They need a special environment to succeed to their potential—just like a disabled student.

Gifted students can take in more information than their peers, so a gifted education program features a compacted curriculum and faster pacing. In terms of skills and curricula, it’s possible for a gifted student to move through multiple grade levels in a single school year.

What does a gifted class look like?

On a day-to-day basis, the class is much different from traditional instruction. First, every subject area is tied into a central theme because gifted students are much more likely to need a reason to learn something. Providing a real-world experience gives them a reason to pay attention. Secondly, the instruction is more hands-on and experiential. There might also be less “work”, because these students simply don’t need as much opportunity to practice their skills at home. Class time is usually all that is needed.

While that may sound ideal for everyone (and recent next-gen standards are moving in that general direction), gifted classes are not a model for every student. Most students need more structure, more time, and more focus on background skills than a gifted program would provide.

Finally, a gifted identification and placement is not some sort of inside track to adult success. Gifted students are not guaranteed a scholarship to Harvard. It still takes dedication and a strong work ethic in order for these children to succeed—just as it does for traditional students.