Over the years, structures get modified for continuing growth.  Here you will find the help to encourage life long learning.
Articles are updated frequently.
These sections  are organized by age level, but the information is not confined to just these ages. Consider looking at other age ranges as well. Also, make sure to check out the Archives.

Reading – Book vs. Screen 
          The internet has brought about an explosion of reading.  Maria Gilje Torheim 
We all realize that reading is an important skill.  Children should be read to at an early age for their success later in school and life, but is it better to read a book or on a screen? 
      Shared reading  is beneficial for cognitive development, narrative comprehension and mental imagery.  In other words, young people get the  most value from reading as they think about the reading, understand what the reading is about and form pictures in their minds of the action they hear being read. Their vocabulary and pronunciation improve as they hear words read aloud. Research shows no difference in reading a book or on a device. 
      If a text is long, needs to be read carefully, and involves making notes, students often prefer printed material where they can go back to review or underline what they need to learn. There is better concentration and greater overview if a book is read than reading the same material on a small screen. Students may read faster on the screen but they will understand less.  Children have a different mental attitude when they read on a screen. 
      If your older children must spend time in front of their screens whether for school or fun and connection, they risk eye strain, headaches, and fatigue.  If your children are reading on their digital devices, especially on small screens such as a laptop or cell phone, their blink rate decreases and they may complain of dry eyes. If your children complain of headaches, show signs of excessive blinking, eye rubbing, or seem to be tired or cranky, maybe you should adjust the screen brightness down for indoor use. Placing your student's workstation perpendicular to windows may also help. If young people can’t see well, they struggle in their studies; be sure to get vision screenings if you notice any of the above signs of stress. 
          Books of all kinds can build children’s language and literacy skills, but they do so perhaps in different ways. Professor Daniela O’Neill 

​Work for Your Young People
      Your young people may consider many ways to make their own money.  Talk with them about their knowledge of the proposed "work," its requirements and the need to do it safely.
     Babysitting is one of those. Many times, parents in your neighborhood ask your pre-teen or teen to care for their children occasionally.  A visit to become acquainted with the children as a parent stays nearby might be a first step.  Taking a course in babysitting or obtaining a certificate that states your teen knows how to do the best job will certainly be a plus.  Checking out websites also gives an idea of what necessary information your young person may need from parents.
     parenting.firstcry.com has an article about "Best Babysitting Games to Play With Kids" for several good ideas of what to do with the children. 
     Your pre-teens/teens obtain a reputation by doing a good job the first time they care for others' children which insures more work to come.  
     Help them to be prepared so that it will be a good experience for them.


Listening Skills for Your Young Adult's Future
     Listening skills play a role in everything from doing well in scholarship and job interviews to being successful                in their lives.
           One of the best ways to gain a position and ensure success on a job is to exhibit that you are focused and understand                   what is going on. This is achieved through good listening skills.   Karen Sherman 

     As students, young people learn to tune out and use only what they think are necessary details. Working with people in a classroom or workplace, they need to listen more carefully in order to get the whole story or problem necessary to be solved. This is accomplished by working together. They need to be able to bounce ideas off of other people and expand on their own ideas by careful listening.  They need to listen to others' suggestions, absorbing them, and thinking about how to modify or change ideas to make them into workable solutions.
      Parents need to encourage their young people to be better listeners by eliminating distractions including their phones, observe the tone of voice and body language of the speaker, listen for key words, information and implied statements, even acknowledge the speaker's feelings, opinions, and views. Making eye contact and nodding are important ways to let the  speaker know they are listening.
      If the speaker says something they do not understand, they should not be shy about asking questions or checking with statements like "Did I understand you correctly?  Did you say...?"
     Parents model listening skills by listening sincerely to their young people.

Chat Apps That Parents Need to be Aware Of 
   As a parent, being aware of various social media platforms your young people are using can help prevent them from exposure to dangerous elements writes Paul Kamoko in his article on Parentology.com titled “8 Chat Apps That Parents Should Worry About.” 
     The Homeschool Handbook cautions parents to check on computers, iPads and iPhones to make sure their children are following and learning internet safety and adhering to an internet “code of safety” because they care about their children and their future. Young people today are tech-savvy, but still need their parents’ interest and guidance. 
    Mr. Kamoko offers knowledge of these social media sites: 
      SNAPCHAT gives the illusion of no-consequence messaging, but messages can be saved and stored by an external app. There is now an app for Snapchat that can let users hide their identity and this could be dangerous. Use Parental Controls to limit who can contact your kids and who views their stories. 
     YOLO uses Snapchat’s platform to post questions and answers anonymously. It also allows hate messages and has no parental controls.  
     TIK TOK allows users to share 3 to 60-second videos.  Parents’ concern is that these videos may not be suitable for young children because the videos can use inappropriate language and pose risky and idiotic challenges. Supposedly, the platform is only for young people 13+, but parents must use Tik Tok’s parental controls to safeguard their children. 
     OMEGLE is a fee online chatting service that has no age verification. Your children can be identified if they turn on their web camera. There may be undesirable behavior in unmoderated chat rooms. This chat room can be especially dangerous and has no parental controls. 
     KIK is a free messaging app that is heavy with advertising.  Your children will never know if they are talking to an ad-bot or a real person. Many users utilize this platform for sexting and privacy and there is no parental control. 
     GOOGLE HANGOUTS can be used by your children through your Google Business account without your knowledge.  Although Google Docs and Google Classroom are to be used mostly for schoolwork and projects, these sites are not always monitored and can result in cyberbullying. 
         Warn your tweens and teens that not all people on the internet are who they say they are; they are not always telling the truth. Tell them not to go into “chat rooms” with people they do not know and without your knowledge. 
          Parents need to initiate conversations about their teens' use of computers, iPads and iPhones. If you know your tweens and teens are learning and adhering to good online behavior practices, you can check-in comfortably less often.
Remember, you are in charge.  You pay the bills for such use and you need to care and guard your children of all ages.