Q: My daughter's fifth-grade teacher has students keep a "gratitude" journal. She says it's part of their "social-emotional learning" curriculum. Isn't that more for Sunday school?... more
Q: My third-grader is an impatient learner. He's smart enough, but if he doesn't get something right away, he gets upset and gives up. How can I help him?... more
Q: My son used to devour book series like "Big Nate" and "Captain Underpants" when he was younger. Now in sixth grade, he never reads for fun anymore. He seems to have lost interest in books. Should I... more
Q: Another kid calls my son names and pokes him in school. I told his fourth-grade teacher about the bullying. She said she would watch for this behavior, but suggested a website so I could teach him ... more
Q: Our first child is a senior applying to college. We need all the aid we can get. The admissions officer at one university we visited advised of changes to the FAFSA. What are they?... more
Q: I worry that my daughter, who is in preschool, may have a stuttering problem. She repeats syllables. Her preschool teacher says it's normal and she'll outgrow it, but I don't want to take that chan... more
Q: My usually confident daughter Charisse just entered middle school and is under a lot of different pressures, including from new peers. It's hard talking with her about it, but I sense her dilemma. ... more
Q: My high school-aged daughter and son have been assigned to watch C-SPAN and political shows about the presidential election. She supports Hillary Clinton. He's for Donald Trump. They end up screami... more
Q: My third-grade daughter is struggling in school. She is anxious and thinks she's dumb. I'm worried that she might have a learning problem. How can I find out?... more
Q: Our son is having a rocky start in middle school. It's thrown him completely off balance. He forgets assignments and can't manage time. The counselor thinks he needs better "executive functioning s... more
Q: My daughter, a first-grader, is thrilled to be back in school, but my son, who's in third grade, is fighting it, especially homework. Nothing happened last year to make him reluctant to go back, so... more
Q: Our middle school sent home tips for back-to-school success; one of them was to "enjoy family dinners together frequently." With three teens in grades 7 through 11 who are going in different direct... more
Q: My daughter, a high-school sophomore, was proud to get into a summer course in leadership at a local college. However, she got an incomplete because the professor said she plagiarized her paper. No... more
Q: My daughters, ages 9 and 10, are earning money doing chores for neighbors such as dog walking, watering plants and redeeming cans. I want to teach them about investing and running a business before... more
Q: My husband and I just divorced; our two elementary school-aged daughters will spend the school week with me and most weekends with him. They are still dealing with the impact of their father moving... more
Q: We want to take an educational family road trip so our kids -- going into third, fourth and sixth grades -- can experience things beyond our small town. Do you have any suggestions? No theme parks,... more
Q: My daughter Mikayla, a high school freshman, recently moved in with my new wife and me. She's such a perfectionist! Her room looks like Martha Stewart cleaned it. She's a competitive athlete and an... more
Q: My 5-year old daughter, Illana, has been so excited about starting kindergarten, but suddenly she cries when we talk about it and insists she's staying home with her sister. She loved preschool, so... more
Q: The PTO president wants me to apply to be a parent representative on our school site council. While I'm active at school, I'm not a curriculum or budget expert. What skills do I need to be effectiv... more
Q: The PTO president wants me to apply to be a parent representative on our school site council. While I'm active at school, I'm not a curriculum or budget expert. What skills do I need to be effectiv... more
Q: We're taking an August road trip with our 7-, 9- and 11-year-old boys. The backseat DVD player is broken. We'll leave it that way to encourage reading. What books might make the miles fly by?... more
Q: My grandkids are coming for a week and my daughter has asked me to keep them "off the grid," except for emergencies. The kids (11 and 13) are glued to their phones and she feels their health is at ... more
Q: My 10-year-old daughter, Marilee, can text up a storm, but can't write a book report or a two-paragraph description of an event. She's a pretty good reader, but her teacher says her writing skills ... more
Q: We have a newly blended family thanks to a recent marriage. My husband and I have different views about school for our teens. I'm casual. He's strict, causing family tension. The school counselor s... more
Q: My 20-year-old niece, a college student, will take care of our girls this summer. They're going into fifth and sixth grade. I want them to have fun and practice a few academic skills, so they don't... more
Q: Our school librarian sent home a list of books to encourage summer reading. I was surprised to see picture books on the third-grade list. She also recommended "reading to and with your children, ev... more
Q: A neighbor and I want to give our five kids (ages 8, 10 and 11) science experiences this summer, as we can't afford camps at nearby colleges. How can we plan something valuable across those age ran... more
Q: My daughter, a rising college senior, finds volunteer tutoring very satisfying. She will graduate in January and wants to apply for a two-year stint at Teach For America. I think she should start h... more
Q: Our elementary school is quashing creativity. A group of us parents thinks the lack of arts education, field trips and the like squeezes the joy out of learning. We aren't opposed to tests, and we ... more
Q: My eighth-grade son wants to go into a new program his high school will offer that has a technical-career focus. My husband loves the idea. My son is a B-minus student at best, but I'd still like t... more