Now more than ever, a high school diploma is critical to finding gainful employment, whether a student continues on to technical school or college. Schools and school systems must report graduation rates, resulting in an incentive to make sure that every student receives a high school diploma; yet many wonder whether that diploma is truly meaningful. Does it reflect a high standard of learning that ensures that a graduate is ready to attend college or start a career? Every ye

How many breaks do you take throughout the day? How often do you get up from your desk and walk down the hall or across the street to a coffee shop? Most of us find that, particularly when we are struggling with a difficult task or feeling frustrated, taking a short break can help us return with a fresh perspective. Many successful companies, such as Google and LinkedIn, recognize this and provide recreational activities and spaces for their employees in an effort to increase

If you received a text message reminding you to read to your baby or suggesting a game to play with your toddler, might it help to better prepare your child for school? That is the premise of Parent University, a six-week program being studied by researchers at Northwestern University. The goal of the program is to help parents to create a literacy-rich environment at home, in hopes of reducing the “30 million word gap” I wrote about last week. Text messages include ideas for

For the first time, the American Academy of Pediatrics (representing 62,000 doctors nationwide) is recommending that parents read to their children beginning at birth. The only question is why did it take them so long? Research supporting reading aloud to children has been around for at least 20 years. The first three years of a child’s life are critical to brain development; synapses are formed at a faster rate during this time than during any other time of life, and neural